07 yamaha r1 wins master bike shootout

[RantyDave]

I don't care how good an MV is they are'nt worth the asking price.

There are some people out there for whom price is not an issue. After all, even with their ridiculous price tag an MV still costs markedly less than a go faster holden.

[NZsarge]

There are some people out there for whom price is not an issue. After all, even with their ridiculous price tag an MV still costs markedly less than a go faster holden.

This is true but you know camparing apples with apples here, there are a lot of bikes out there 9/10th's as good for half the price and can be made feakin awesome if you wanted to spend the same money as you wpould on a MV. I don't dislike MV's but I just don't think that there ANY standard roadbike out there "actually" worth that kind of money for the sake of riding it (investments aside mind).

[SimJen]

OK, while you're clarifying a few thing i'd be interested in how you reach the conclusion that Masterbike is "bullshit"? It seemed to me that it has to be one of the best ways of doing a bike test ie: varying skill levels, different nations and all ages etc...

Most tests are Bullshit as they fail to cover all aspects.
Track only tests are pointless as well as road only tests. A few mags do tests with various skill levels (up to top level racers) and take into account road and track. This often gives a decent review, but still brand loyalties can come into it as well as many other factors.
And no matter what or how they test the bike, the bike just may not suit YOU!
A review is just an opinion and shouldn't be taken as fact, as can be evidenced by all the differing opinions (reviews) that appear in the motorcycle mags.
A spread of good reviews for a certain bike will obviously indicate that its a good one, but not necessarily any better than the rest.
Thats all.
WaiYam was really only using this thread as an advert for their new R1 !!!

[MD]

Most tests are Bullshit as they fail to cover all aspects.
Track only tests are pointless as well as road only tests. A few mags do tests with various skill levels (up to top level racers) and take into account road and track. This often gives a decent review, but still brand loyalties can come into it as well as many other factors.
And no matter what or how they test the bike, the bike just may not suit YOU!

Agreed some testers on their own can skew a review from personal opinion and how they feel on a certain bike.
But I think you have missed the point of MasterBike (MB). All the previous MB reports I've read made it clear it was purely a test of which bike gets around a track the fastest. Everything else is irrelevant to MB such as road manners, road performance, comfort, economy, luggage, supposedly price etc.. just which one is the fastest on a track. Although they do have a small percentage score for riders preference, which should be dumped from the scoring system and kept as a sidebar comment. With that single objective MB is a valid test with factual results not opinions. The dataloggers are hard facts. If you wanted to buy a track only bike then it's probably the best info available. 16 Riders on each bike on the same tyres at the same track at the same time. How can you get any fairer than that?
I'm just jealous because I would love to take part in MB. Imagine being told to let loose on a dozen of the latest and greatest sportsbikes for a few days!

[imdying]

I'm slow and I ride like shit, so I don't actually care which bike is the best. What I want to know is which ones are crap, or have blatant deficiencies. I don't want to be steered onto the 'best' bike, but I do want to be steered away from 'crap' ones. Given that they seem to all produce good bikes now, there's not much value there for me. Things like 'the ZX10R is an animal' and 'even your mum could ride CBR1000 fast' is good for someone like me though. That the xxxx tips in a little too slow, yeah, like I'll ever notice

[MD]

..... That the xxxx tips in a little too slow, yeah, like I'll ever notice

Drink enough XXXX and you will notice that you are tipping in a bit

[SimJen]

Agreed some testers on their own can skew a review from personal opinion and how they feel on a certain bike.
But I think you have missed the point of MasterBike (MB). All the previous MB reports I've read made it clear it was purely a test of which bike gets around a track the fastest. Everything else is irrelevant to MB such as road manners, road performance, comfort, economy, luggage, supposedly price etc.. just which one is the fastest on a track. Although they do have a small percentage score for riders preference, which should be dumped from the scoring system and kept as a sidebar comment. With that single objective MB is a valid test with factual results not opinions. The dataloggers are hard facts. If you wanted to buy a track only bike then it's probably the best info available. 16 Riders on each bike on the same tyres at the same track at the same time. How can you get any fairer than that?
I'm just jealous because I would love to take part in MB. Imagine being told to let loose on a dozen of the latest and greatest sportsbikes for a few days!

Its still completely flawed though!
One circuit, one type of tyre, lots of different bikes.
We all know from watching Motogp or Superbikes that certain tracks/surfaces/conditions suit certain bikes better than others.
So Masterbike has proven that at a specific track on one type of tyre (not necessarily suited to all bikes), in certain conditions, that the R1 is fastest. How absolutely useful to us down in NZ or anywhere other than the place concerned!
So if I want to make sure my bike is the quickest I have to move to Spain or wherever and buy a R1 with "Pirelinstone" tyres, and make sure all my mates have the same setup so I can beat them

[MD]

Agreed again - which really goes against the grain.
But in the end I like reading about bikes and I find tests comparing bikes together makes enjoyable reading. What's the alternative? Pick up a magazine that says; in this issue we would have tested this or that, but instead we offer your 55 blank pages to avoid printing something that readers might question 'was it a fair review under all circumstances' So, our ZX10 test is withheld from print. On the next page you could have read about the latest from Ducati, but again we decided best not print our findings in case a reader disagreed.
What a relief I got to say disagreed.
What I'm trying to say in a cynical manner is something is better than nothing and we all know to take a testers opinion as just that, one man's impression only.

[Cr1MiNaL]

I think you'll find that the gsxr- 1000 is and will always be the ultimate sports bike. End of thread hahaha!!!!

I beg to differ.. Yamaha rules Id weave circles rnd a gsxr wid ma 6 let alone a 1

[cowpoos]

I beg to differ.. Yamaha rules Id weave circles rnd a gsxr wid ma 6 let alone a 1

enter the next round of the vic series racing...show all those gixxers at the front and that lil bugger on the kawa what your R6 is made of

[Cr1MiNaL]

Nah Im still getin used to the bike... im sure they r faster or whatever but no six looks as pretty

[cowpoos]

Nah Im still getin used to the bike... im sure they r faster or whatever but no six looks as pretty

yeah...they look pretty...thats why chicks love them and own them!!

[Cr1MiNaL]

chicks?! lol Ive neva seen a chk on an R6 let alone the new ones. But its ok if ur feeling complexed I understand where ur comin 4m. :P its okay!!

[NZsarge]

Its still completely flawed though!
One circuit, one type of tyre, lots of different bikes.
We all know from watching Motogp or Superbikes that certain tracks/surfaces/conditions suit certain bikes better than others.
So Masterbike has proven that at a specific track on one type of tyre (not necessarily suited to all bikes), in certain conditions, that the R1 is fastest. How absolutely useful to us down in NZ or anywhere other than the place concerned!
So if I want to make sure my bike is the quickest I have to move to Spain or wherever and buy a R1 with "Pirelinstone" tyres, and make sure all my mates have the same setup so I can beat them

Bottom line is you'll take away from any "test" whatever you want. If you disagree with it you can say "that test is all shit!" If you dont disagree well you're happy. It's all about something to read about your favorite subject, as MD said it beats readin' a book with 50 pages of nothin'. I like the R1 so I reckon Masterbike got it right!