1200GS gone......but not forgotten.

...not for me, but thankyou. Current winner in my testing is the GSXR-1000, what a bike. Torque like nothing I've experienced before and sweet neutral handling. The slipper clutch was a nice touch, no more skittish backend.

Maybe in black??

suzuki-gsxr1000-06-bikepics-512536.jpg
 
Well the winner from all my test rides and deliberations and test riding is the Gixer 1000. It was the bike I thought I would like the least, but turned out to be one of the best road bikes I think I've ever ridden. I ended up in some real bumpy back roads on my test ride (by accident) - the bike handled it fantastically. Obviously on the A roads it was excellent, but the handling was superbly neutral.

Then there was the engine - absolutely amazing. I've ridden some fast bikes in my time, but nothing could compare to this. Torque was *strong* from 3k onwards - not really what you expect on a sportsbike. The torque really does rip your arms off and the power was just available in every gear everywhere.

The slipper clutch was an interesting experience. You can bang it into 1st at 80mph with no drama - bit strange having moved from the GS.

So this will be my new steed for a couple of years - maybe more. It should be an intersting change from the GS.

I rode the fireblade - it doesn't really deserve the name. It seemed good at first, until I realised from the gixxer what a proper litre bike should be like. It was quite univolving really, the power was tamed (relatively) and the handling was front biased rather than netural. Worst of all the riding position was terrible - gave me back ache for a weekend.

The R1 is off the mark as well, down on power, very comfortable, soft suspension.....not what I was after.
 
GSMonkey, how about this lil baby 750 K5 54 plate

selling to fund my GSA (the bike, not the dog)
 

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scottykm said:
GSMonkey, how about this lil baby 750 K5 54 plate

selling to fund my GSA (the bike, not the dog)
Click to expand...
...sorry, just ordered the thousand. Nice dog :) Got two boxers myself.
 
Gauloises said:
My blue one was nice alas it killed my wrists and back :rob :D
Click to expand...
oooo that's just like the one I'm getting at the weekend, albeit a slightly modified colour scheme. The K6 seems to fit me perfectly, I rode non-stop for just over an hour and got off as fresh as a daisy, no aches and pains. Certainly not as comfy as the GS, but thats a tall order to fill :)
 
GSmonkey said:
Well the winner from all my test rides and deliberations and test riding is the Gixer 1000. It was the bike I thought I would like the least, but turned out to be one of the best road bikes I think I've ever ridden. I ended up in some real bumpy back roads on my test ride (by accident) - the bike handled it fantastically. Obviously on the A roads it was excellent, but the handling was superbly neutral.

Then there was the engine - absolutely amazing. I've ridden some fast bikes in my time, but nothing could compare to this. Torque was *strong* from 3k onwards - not really what you expect on a sportsbike. The torque really does rip your arms off and the power was just available in every gear everywhere.

The slipper clutch was an interesting experience. You can bang it into 1st at 80mph with no drama - bit strange having moved from the GS.


So this will be my new steed for a couple of years - maybe more. It should be an intersting change from the GS.

I rode the fireblade - it doesn't really deserve the name. It seemed good at first, until I realised from the gixxer what a proper litre bike should be like. It was quite univolving really, the power was tamed (relatively) and the handling was front biased rather than netural. Worst of all the riding position was terrible - gave me back ache for a weekend.

The R1 is off the mark as well, down on power, very comfortable, soft suspension.....not what I was after.
Click to expand...

Nice bike but I doubt if anyone on this planet can use the power these bikes provide sufficiently well to detect the small differences in absolute performance that thse bikes are capable of, especially on a test ride on open roads. I have done loads of track days on my 600, and don't believe I can use its power fully, and when it comes to the wife's fireblade on the open road the mind boggles. Good article in one of the mags recently showing that even a racer didn't use max power of test bike. Methinks the Gixer suited you the best, but supposed extra power over a so called down on power R1 may be going a little to far. If the real world useability of the Fireblade didn't suit then perhaps the ZX10R might have been more suitable. In any case I feel you would have needed to ride the bikes back to back both on the road and the track to be so definitive as to the merits of the bikes. Perhaps you did, in which case lucky you, and could you let me know how you arranged it as I wouldn't mind a go.
 
Best compromise, Gixer 750, K4 just about perfect! Fabulous track tool, and I have toured on it a number of times. Looking at a K6 now. Best of both worlds having a GS as well:)

John
 
o god!

GSmonkey said:
...not for me, but thankyou. Current winner in my testing is the GSXR-1000, what a bike. Torque like nothing I've experienced before and sweet neutral handling. The slipper clutch was a nice touch, no more skittish backend.

Maybe in black??

suzuki-gsxr1000-06-bikepics-512536.jpg
Click to expand...
now youve done it... was quite happy with my new K1200R till i saw the black GSXR.. REALLY REALLY NICE......
 
Gauloises said:
My blue one was nice alas it killed my wrists and back :rob :D

Mine.jpg
Click to expand...


EXACTLY the reason mine is going, my journeys are generally fairly long, bordon to hull, bordon to germany etc,
GSA here we come, just got to sell that beast
 
Gipsy said:
Nice bike but I doubt if anyone on this planet can use the power these bikes provide sufficiently well to detect the small differences in absolute performance that thse bikes are capable of, especially on a test ride on open roads. I have done loads of track days on my 600, and don't believe I can use its power fully, and when it comes to the wife's fireblade on the open road the mind boggles. Good article in one of the mags recently showing that even a racer didn't use max power of test bike. Methinks the Gixer suited you the best, but supposed extra power over a so called down on power R1 may be going a little to far.
Click to expand...

But it's not about using all the power or sensing the 'absolute performance', is it? I don't think anyone on this forum could pretend to be able to use all of the performance of a litre sports bike, but what makes the difference is performance in the real world - how does it respond when you crack the throttle open from 3000rpm rather than 9000? The Gixer has much more torque lower down the rev range than the R1 so can be ridden in a more relaxed manner (if that's what suits the owner/rider) than the R1 which needs to be revved more to achieve similar performance. And bringing 600's into the equation accentuates that even more - less torque and more need to rev them, with more importance placed on being in the right gear for the response that you want. That's too much effort of me - it may be possible to use more of the potential of a 600 but give me a big, torquey engine any day - the more torque there is lower down the rev range the better....within reason (I'd say that as a 'sports bike' Yamaha took that theory way beyond reason with the MT-01).

When it comes down to it, it's the feel of a bike, the sound it makes, the comfort, the way it makes you feel when you open the garage door, whether the way it rides suits your needs etc that counts in the buying decision, not whether you'll be able to use all the power or whether the bike with a few bhp less will be adequate.
 
Interesting thread, I'm currently trading in my 1150GS for an R1 for the same reasons: great bike, but simply don't trust it not to go bang in a v. expensive way.

And when I open the garage door I don't want to see a bike that, no matter how much you try keeping it in good condition, is just going to digest itself anyway (corroding forks, cylinders, wheels, rust, etc. etc. etc.)
 
In reply to Gipsy - I didn't express myself correctly re. the R1. It was down on torque at the lower rpms. Apparently the engine is 'over square' i.e. short stroke, Yamaha's attempt to match the power figures of the other litre bikes. The gixxer was the laziest to ride by making the most torque at lower rpms. I'm under no impression that I'm going to use the full power of the bike on the road very often. It will however be the first time where I don't have the throttle to the stops on most rideouts.

The R6 looks nice, but is the ultimate all power no torque machine........can't be arsed with all that, I want twist-and-go :)
 
Nick Marshall said:
now youve done it... was quite happy with my new K1200R till i saw the black GSXR.. REALLY REALLY NICE......
Click to expand...
....the black is not actually that nice in the flesh - white/blue is the way to go!! :)
 
....didn't realise you get a mugholder on the gixxer - NICE!!!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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