This was written when I was looking for a sportsbike to replace my Dorsoduro in Sept-Oct 2013 and continues on from this other comparo
So after riding a few litre sportsbikes, when none of them grabbed me enough to throw my money away on the spot, I decided to try another couple of bikes I had been intrigued by for quite a while.
1. Suzuki GSX-R750 (2010)
So after riding a few litre sportsbikes, when none of them grabbed me enough to throw my money away on the spot, I decided to try another couple of bikes I had been intrigued by for quite a while.
1. Suzuki GSX-R750 (2010)
Looks are a bit dated but still tolerable with a few improvements. Didn't mind this particular one
Realizing my cunning plan of buying a Beemer with a Honda badge at a bargain price had been foiled, I activated Plan B. The GSX-R 750 has always struck me, on paper, as the perfect motorcycle. I like motorcycles that handle really well. I want my motorcycle to turn in really easily and be easy to flick around. I am happy to compromise mid corner stability for this. So if I have to buy an inline 4 and the best inline 4 is the BMW S1000RR and it’s a bit expensive then what’s the best bargain inline 4?
I was hoping it would be the GSX-R 750 so I jumped on one. OK, all they say about this one is true too. It does handle incredibly well. I’ve never actually ridden a modern 600 supersport so I can’t confirm what all the journos say “handles like a 600, powers like a 1000” but fuck it handles great. You can chuck it into corners at the last minute. I was really revving the shit out of it and getting carried away with lane changing when a guy riding a K1600GT in a t-shirt went past me flapping his arms about. I thought he was trying to tell me I looked fully sick so I gave him the thumbs up but he didn’t look too impressed. I then pulled alongside him and he started screaming at me. The only words I got were “…..Cop…..fucken…” but I decided not to pursue the matter. He was probably one of those few “good” cops we keep hearing about. He didn’t pull me over or anything, just wanted me to slow down. To be honest, I WAS riding like a muthafucka! But that’s what the gsxr makes you do. It is ridiculously easy to throw around and revs so high so quickly that that’s the only way you want to ride it. It doesn’t have the mid-range of a 1000cc so no, it does NOT power like a 1000cc but you just rev it more I guess, it spins up pretty quick…
I liked it! It seemed a bit more uncomfortable than the Beemer and Honda but I’m young, I can handle it.
I was hoping it would be the GSX-R 750 so I jumped on one. OK, all they say about this one is true too. It does handle incredibly well. I’ve never actually ridden a modern 600 supersport so I can’t confirm what all the journos say “handles like a 600, powers like a 1000” but fuck it handles great. You can chuck it into corners at the last minute. I was really revving the shit out of it and getting carried away with lane changing when a guy riding a K1600GT in a t-shirt went past me flapping his arms about. I thought he was trying to tell me I looked fully sick so I gave him the thumbs up but he didn’t look too impressed. I then pulled alongside him and he started screaming at me. The only words I got were “…..Cop…..fucken…” but I decided not to pursue the matter. He was probably one of those few “good” cops we keep hearing about. He didn’t pull me over or anything, just wanted me to slow down. To be honest, I WAS riding like a muthafucka! But that’s what the gsxr makes you do. It is ridiculously easy to throw around and revs so high so quickly that that’s the only way you want to ride it. It doesn’t have the mid-range of a 1000cc so no, it does NOT power like a 1000cc but you just rev it more I guess, it spins up pretty quick…
I liked it! It seemed a bit more uncomfortable than the Beemer and Honda but I’m young, I can handle it.
2. Triumph Daytona 675 (2008)
As you can see, this is not my photo. I stole if off the internet. Sue me.
I reckon this is one of the best looking sportsbikes out there today and I was quite prepared to buy this if the ride matched the looks. Alas, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for but as my mate Boris says, I’m getting ahead of myself.
The bike is a feather weight. You get on it and flick it side to side between your legs and it feels like a toy. It’s ultra-slim, with a high seat and low clip-ons. The ride position is racy but not terribly uncomfortable. The one I rode had heli-bars and an arrow exhaust, both of which offer a positive return on investment on this bike.
You take off and the engine is smooth and refined with a nice burble to it. It’s certainly more like an inline 4 than a v-twin but it’s quite pleasant. As soon as you hit the first corner or roundabout though, you know exactly why everyone raves about this bike. It is so fucking keen to steer that you actually have to take drastic action to avoid crashing into the kerb before you’ve even entered the corner! The fucking thing freaked me out! The racy ride position places your head over the front wheel (that’s the way it feels anyway) and you get tremendous feedback from the forks. It’s all very involving but because the damn thing is so light and turns so quickly I just spent my half an hour on the bike trying not to crash before the apex of every corner.
The power is definitely lacking compared to the GSXR 750. It’s more like a 600, which it is really so I should never have expected any different. Overall this bike just wasn’t what I was looking for. It’s light and nimble but the power isn’t there and it is just not a substantial enough motorcycle. You could go very very fast through corners on this thing, undoubtedly.
So it looks like the GSX-R 750 is it. But did I buy it? To read what happened next, go HERE
The bike is a feather weight. You get on it and flick it side to side between your legs and it feels like a toy. It’s ultra-slim, with a high seat and low clip-ons. The ride position is racy but not terribly uncomfortable. The one I rode had heli-bars and an arrow exhaust, both of which offer a positive return on investment on this bike.
You take off and the engine is smooth and refined with a nice burble to it. It’s certainly more like an inline 4 than a v-twin but it’s quite pleasant. As soon as you hit the first corner or roundabout though, you know exactly why everyone raves about this bike. It is so fucking keen to steer that you actually have to take drastic action to avoid crashing into the kerb before you’ve even entered the corner! The fucking thing freaked me out! The racy ride position places your head over the front wheel (that’s the way it feels anyway) and you get tremendous feedback from the forks. It’s all very involving but because the damn thing is so light and turns so quickly I just spent my half an hour on the bike trying not to crash before the apex of every corner.
The power is definitely lacking compared to the GSXR 750. It’s more like a 600, which it is really so I should never have expected any different. Overall this bike just wasn’t what I was looking for. It’s light and nimble but the power isn’t there and it is just not a substantial enough motorcycle. You could go very very fast through corners on this thing, undoubtedly.
So it looks like the GSX-R 750 is it. But did I buy it? To read what happened next, go HERE
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