Considering Picking Up A Sportbike This Winter

[flynavyj]

I started on a Honda CM400T (listed around 42 or 48 hp). My second bike was an 02' Suzuki SV650, and I absolutely LOVED that motorcycle. I've since sold the SV, and have bounced around from bike to bike to include: 85 Honda CB650SC, 96 Honda VF750CD, and 02 Honda VTR1000F. I liked each of these bikes in different ways, for different reasons, but the truth is, I still miss that 02' SV650. Suzuki nailed the riding position, the power delivery, fuel consumption, etc...The bike could have benefited from an extra couple horsepower, but for street use I've realized how few horsepower you really need.

My VTR was purchased cause it was the closest I could seem to find to an SV in my budget (was hoping for an SV1000, and passed on a TL1000). This particular bike is fantastic, wicked torque, fantastic horsepower, but all in all it feels heavier, turns in slower, and isn't as stable in track as my SV650 was. I have some suspension work to do to make it a bike I'll love, but the VTR does put a stupid grin on my face when I twist the throttle and hear 105 horsepower coming out of dual cans.

[augiedogie]

Yamaha FZ-1. It will get up and go, yet it has a pretty upright sitting position. Honda has a new 1000, which you might like also. If you don't need a liter bike, a good 650 like a Kawasaki 650r, or a Yamaha FZ-6 or FZ-6r will also give you plenty of performance with a more comfortable seating position.

[chrisb19]

Like anything, everything tends to be fairly similar in performance..IMO the best way for you to decide is to narrow it down between a few and then see how they feel to you and go with the one that fits you the best. I had an 06 600RR, and would regularly ride from Phoenix to Tucson, Phoenix to San Diego etc. Also think it's one of the better looking bikes out there. Comfort for long distance was tolerable but not great. Very fun bike, and I prefer Honda's over Suzuki/Yamaha/Kawa, but that's just personal preference.

Also as far as performance, if it will be strictly street ridden, I never thought a liter bike was even remotely necessary. I can't help but laugh hysterically every time I see a little 5'6 140lb dude stretched out on a Busa. Speed/Power wise, you will never come close to reaching the limits of a 600, let alone a 1000 on the street..And 600s are easier to toss around in the corners which is where I really enjoyed my RR (Tortilla Flats if you're familiar with it, was in my back yard).

[thunderkat59]

Ive been riding 40 years now, and in all those years and bikes, I had three sportbikes. A CBR900, ZX-9 and a YZF600.
I called them 'expensive test rides'. The power is addicting, but they are not good for anything else. The Zx-9 shredded a back tire every 2800 miles I tried to like them, or find one that agreed with me, but it never happened. If you are a regular guy, an SV650 that others have mentioned would be a great ride. For the street, a very unpredictable environment, a regular bike will outperform a sportbike. I think the the sportbike craze has hurt the calibre of riders coming up through the ranks. The kid that goes and buys a GSXR750 as his first bike has missed a huge part of the learning process. Combine this with crazy horsepower, and you have the reason insurance companies are paying out lots and lots of money for crashed sportbikes within their first 90 days. Not saying any of this applies to you, just a boring rant from an old man who lives in 1969
IF I was shopping for a new bike today, I would go for that new Suzuki 250 twin, or the standerd version of the Honda CB500!

In the end though, its all good, so get whatever makes you want to ride every time you look out the window at your bike

[Gurn Blanston]

Supersports (like the GSXR600/750/1000, the R6/R1, the CBR600RR/1000RR, and the ZX6R/10R) are not a great choice for general road use, and among Supersports, 600s are the worst choice. The only thing worse than a Supersport, for general road use, would be a Cruiser.

The reason for this, is that there are only three things you can do on a motorcycle to stay alive- stop, turn, and go. In order to stand a reasonable chance of survival, you need to be able to do all three of those things to a survivable degree of competency (you need to be able to do them better than any larger vehicle that you are likely to encounter on public roads). Cruisers cannot stop or turn well, and it is EXTREMELY rare to find one that will go well.

Supersports are capable of stopping and turning VERY well, but for reasons that may not be immediately apparent to non-riders, they don't go well, at least not when they are used in the way that they are typically used on public roads. Because they are designed for road racing, they typically have close-ratio six-speed transmissions, which makes for a VERY tall first gear- most 600s are geared for about 85 mph in first gear, and most 1000 cc bikes are geared for at least 100 mph in first gear. To make matters worse, most 600s have a torque peak somewhere north of 10,000 rpms, so if you are toodling along at a measly 6,000 rpms in fourth gear at even semi-legal speeds, you've got virtually no torque available to move you right now. If you had time to downshift three times (into first gear) before that tractor-trailer rig makes a lane change right over the top of you, you're STILL only going to have about 20 foot-pounds of torque or so to move you. 1000cc Supersports are better, but it's still a huge compromise in safety, compared to a Sport Standard type motorcycle.

Sport Standard motorcycles (like the Suzuki SV650/1000, the Yamaha FZ1, the Triumph Speed Triple, and any of the the Ducati Monsters), typically have wide-ratio transmissions, which makes for a much shorter first gear. In real-world use, it would not be unusual for a Suzuki SV650 to have TWICE the torque immediately available as compared to a Yamaha R6, when used the way that both bikes are typically used on public roads. They will move RIGHT NOW. They also steer and stop as well as a Supersport.

Sport-Touring motorcycles, (like the Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki ZX14R) are also very versatile- they steer and stop very well, they have tons of low-rpm torque, and they have wide-ratio transmissions with a nice low first gear. They also tend to be about 3" longer than Supersports, which makes them a lot better to live with when you put a passenger on the back.