Winner of the first 2007 Supersport shootout is ...

[inlinefour]

Unless of course they say the Suzuki is best, then you can believe them.

Unless you follow Moto GP, World Super Bikes and Super Sport. In those fields Suzuki are utter shyte. I'm aware of the whole flock of sheep within New Zealand that swear by Suzuki. I must admit that my DRZ400 was an awesome bike, just was a tad sad that Honda did not make a road legal equivilant. When it come time to buy a brand new sports bike back on 2005, I tried all the makes and made my decision based on what worked for me. However in saying that, it probably is different for others. To base a purchase solely on what some magazine says, IMO, is foolish.

[SPman]

Truth be known....they're all equally as good and capable of more performance than 95% of riders can get anywhere near to extracting, anyway.
Buy the one that fits best - the ZX6R looks great in Orange.......

[ninjac]

I agree with SPman.
Why don't we get the orange in NZ?
Also, why do we pay a decent wedge more for the Daytona 675 when in the good old US of A get it cheaper than the Jap 600's?

[Green Knight]

Wait for a real magazine to do the shoot out. I respect Road Racer World Magazine the most. I think they do the best job. They are racers telling racers which bike they think is the best with the least possible number of variables involved.

[imdying]

Wait for a real magazine to do the shoot out. I respect Road Racer World Magazine the most. I think they do the best job. They are racers telling racers which bike they think is the best with the least possible number of variables involved.

Which is nice if you're going to track ride the bike, but irrelevant for road users.

[more_fasterer]

Also, why do we pay a decent wedge more for the Daytona 675 when in the good old US of A get it cheaper than the Jap 600's?

The US has quite strict importation rules on Jap products, whereas they are much more lenient on the poms.

[ninjac]

The US has quite strict importation rules on Jap products, whereas they are much more lenient on the poms.

Bugger for us then ah. Because we pay loads more for jap bikes than the yanks as well.

[BigG]

They tell us that the sale of bikes has gone up ( so has the prices ) I would have thought the price should come down, supply and demand. The road test of the 675 Daytona was very impresive it looks good to as do all the sports bikes, its up to youre personal choice what you ride and what suits you, I use to ride BSA and Triumphs but nothing would change me now from Yamaha they are so reliable and briliant on road holding. Nice to see two Yamahas up front in Superbikes.

[Toast]

Superbike mag gave the prize to the 600rr too...but whatever.

I'd probably go for the Kwak. They didn't rate it too highly, but they said it is an awesome handler and very roomy. I reckon I'd be quickest on that. Even my 03 600rr is super cramped and hard to move around on.

[NinjaBoy]

have ridden both - 07 CBR and ZX - and currently in the market.

The CBR is quite a different beast from all previous models. Easy to ride and a more upright position, but has a more aggressive engine across the range. Also smaller in every way - to look at and sit on. But has some quirks - small switches (kill and indicator), ZX has a nicer looking exhaust and side stand hard to get down.

The ZX has moved on to be more of a track bike. No soft cushy seat and more hunched reach to bars. However, they've finally got the gauges right ! Gear position indicator, clock and trip meter both on at the same time. Unfortunately, the 636 mid range punch has gone forever.

[Dodgyiti]

Blame Euro3 for some of that extra lard

[Deviant Esq]

For those who couldn't be arsed reading the whole article... here's their conclusion. Personally I liked the UK Fast Bikes mag supersports test the most, but anyway.

Conclusion

Let's feel for the poor motojournalists who must go through the exhausting rigmarole every year to decide which is the best supersport. Although the silence from your cries of sympathy are deafening, it really becomes a struggle to discern which contender is better and why. Although we must declare winners and non-winners, there are no losers here. Each bike is a thrilling machine that has greater capabilities than 99% of riders, so don't necessarily think that a lower rating for a bike in our test is any measure of condemnation.

As close as the competition is in this class, at least there are some identifiable distinctions between the brands and models. Even our top-rated bike is not without a wart or two. Perhaps the perfect bike could be made by combining the CBR's motor, the R6's chassis, the ZX's tranny and clutch, with the adjustable ergos and high value of the Gixxer.

In case the OEMs are paying attention, here's the stuff your next supersport should have: slipper clutch, fuel gauge, gear-position indicator, clock, lap timer, some form of adjustable footpegs and levers. A bit of wind protection would be nice, as would an engine that pulled with authority below 10 grand.

The oddest thing about this test is how the weights of the group have grown so divergent. Just two years ago, the participants in our 2005 shootout were separated by just 5 pounds. In '07 that gap is 32 pounds. Now, a few pounds here and there can't really be felt by a rider, but a 32-lb extra burden will undeniably have an effect on performance.

With all that said, our scorecards were tallied and the marks speak for themselves.

Suzuki GSX-R600
Final Score: 86.1%

First off, let's point out that an 86% score will still get you into a good college. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the lil' Gixxer, and it should be noted that some riders might be best served to pick the Suzi depending on their type of riding. In several ways, it is the most streetable scoot of this quartet. We had a blast riding it around, and none of us would consider it a disappointment if it were the only bike in our garage.

Kawasaki ZX-6R
Final Score: 88.5%

The middleweight Ninja is the victim of bad timing. Its 599cc mill and flawless transmission would've made it the best powertrain of them all - if it had come out last year. As it is, the grunt advantage it once enjoyed during the 636cc days is now owned by the Honda. Good thing, then, that Kawasaki engineers have hewn what we think is the best handling Ninja ever. Had this bike come out last year, it likely could've beat the 2006 CBR600RR and it nearly edged out the scintillating R6.

There are three areas that hold back the ZX's scores: Top-end power, weight and (for some) its appearance. If you like the looks of this bike and wouldn't hesitate about fitting an aftermarket exhaust system, we recommend you take a good long look at the ZX-6R. There's probably 20 lbs of weight that can be dumped with a lightweight exhaust, and the extra power to be had from the pipe and the ECU trick will definitely help it breathe.

Yamaha YZF-R6
Final Score: 89.8%

The R6 pulls at us in two directions. Its riding position, tall seat height, groggy low-end power and narrow-engagement clutch result in a bike that logically can't be a great bike for normal street riding. But those things are quickly forgotten when presented with an empty road that twists across a mountain range or, better yet, a racetrack.

Despite the YZF's faults, the R6 gives its rider a feeling that he/she's on something special. This is the bike to be on if you want to impress the crowd at your local burger joint - it's a real eye magnet. However, the R6 experience is immensely more stimulating when revving the nuts off it.

Honda CBR600RR
Final Score: 93.3%

Let's take a moment here to recognize the accomplishment Honda has made. Despite a close similarity in specifications, the CBR's engine now feels as if it has a big-bore kit, never mind that the R6 puts the bigger number up. A smaller number is better when it comes to weight, and here again the Honda magicians have exceeded the best efforts from the other OEMs.

But more than that, there's just nothing that this CBR can't do. On our scorecards it had only mark below 90, and the 85 it got for User Friendliness was just 3 points away from the top spot in that category. It took top honors in eight of 15 categories, not least of which was the perfect 100% score it received in our critical Grin Factor category.

You might say this latest CBR is a grin factory.