Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127941
SHOOTOUT 1998 600cc SPORTBIKES By Mark Hoyer Photos by Kinney Jones as Vegas is built on fantasy and chance. That's not why we went there. While having Las Vegas Motqr Speedway all to ourselves for, oh, 8 " hours of private track testing, along with four factory box vans complete with technicians, Dynojet's traveling enclosed dyno traBer, four of the best 600cc motorcycles in the world equipped with an unlimited supply of Michelin Race 3 supersport tires, a gracious host in the form of Freddie Spencer - there to help us both with testing technique and the fine Jines around the Speedway's AMA course setup - is indeed a. fantasy, it was a fantasy with much better odds for payoff than a quick buck riding on a roll of the dice. And we were certainly leaving nothing to chance. The foundation of motorcycle track testing has always been the stopwatch and rider feedback, with the occasional radar gun thrown in for good measure, if you will. And while these R6IJOF3 Vs. ZX-6R VS. GSX·R600 VS. YlF600R p,------------------------------------' tools will always be at the core of a Cycle News sportbike comparison, we aimed higher this time, in search of an extra dimension of empirical data to further illuminate the relative capabilities and shortcomings. of our four test bikes: the Yamaha YZF600R, Suzuki GSX-R600, Kawasaki ZX-6R and Honda CBR600F3. In a first in U.S. motorcycle-magazine track testing, our four bikes were fitted with onboard data-acquisition systems, provided by Pi Research (who also sent two techs along to help us out), to record not only super-accurate lap times, but section times, top speeds and minimum corner speeds, as well as rates of longitudinal acceleration and deceleration (for the whole story, see sidebar, page 33). The introduction of the all-new ZX6R was the basic impetus for this ·test. We had a chance to ride the bike in Spain at the world press introduction in January, but pouring rain killed our track day at CataJunya. A ride on drying streets the following day only hinted at what this impressively smooth and quick-feeling bike was capable of, and we immediately set to work organizing a comparison with the competition. The list is a formidable one. Certainly the bike most likely to give the Kawasaki a run at the track is the Suzuki GSX-R600 - its sporting intentions are obvious. Following the design brief of its all-conquering supersport big brother, the GSX-R750, itself modeled after the World Championship-winning RGv500,.all you have to do is throw a leg over the little Gixxer to know exactly what it was made for: ripping. You're greeted by a race-ready riding position, a compact, lightweight chassis and loads of quick-revving top-end power. For an indication of what a fine racing platform this bike is, just take a look at the starting grid for any 600cc supersport race anywhere - national or club level - and chances are it'll practically look like a Suzuki-spec class. But life is not a race track (a t least not for most of us). Enter the CBR600F3. Long the class of this competitive field, the Honda's reputation for a near-magical combination of comfort and usability allied with impressive - and forgiving - track performance is widely known and well-earned. Bu t as time marches on and the CBR's design doesn't, it has become clear that the most important racing part that the Honda comes equipped with is Miguel DuHamel. And it's a very expensive part. But while DuHamel is certainly wringing every ounce of per- • formance possible out of the bike, it is a credit to the design that it just keeps on giving. A classic in what rumors suggest is probably its last year of production, get it while you can if you want one. As absolute proof that life is not a race track, we have the YZF600R. That statement is in no way meant as an insult. Let us analogize: The YZF is to the 600cc supersport class what Honda's VFR is to the 750s - a capable, comfortable machine made for real life, with ergonomics, damping rates and power delivery to match. As such, it predictably suffered in race-track testing. But take a moment to consider the time you spend at maximum lean with the tachometer zinging its way toward redline vs. running bolt upright and shortshifting your way through the traffic of