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 19986OOccSPORTBIKES F - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' For ripping around the Speedway, there was no better tool than the GSX-R600. The front end has unparalleled accuracy and feedback, giving the rider the extra confidence and information he needs to drive it into the comers that much harder. The four-piston front brakes were the best in this group in both power and feel. Peaky power and lack of midrange made frequent shifting a necessity, but a slick gearbox kept this from being a handicap. On the street, the GSX-R predictably suffered, its race-ready riding position and tight damping rates limiting the time its rider wanted to be in the saddle. the throttle early due to an unsettling oscillation that would develop. Admirable performance for a streetbike, but could this be why Yamaha isn't racing the YZF this year? THE STREET As much as the Yamaha was out of its element at the track, it was in it on the street. Living life with an ulrrataut chassis that works well at ten-tenths can take a lot of the fun out of riding on the street - just try the GSX-R for a while. With the Yamaha, just strap on some bags and hit the road. We still ran front spring preload at the maximum setting and rebound damping near full hard on the street in an effort to reduce dive and eliminate a slight midcorner chatter under heavy front-end loads, but otherwise found the YZF to be more than competent and the most comfortable in the real world. The plush, l1toad seat and large fairing provided the best place to sit of these four bikes. The longer-stroke engine still doesn't provide the punch of the other bikes, bu t the clean jetting and grea ter fl ywheel inertia made squirting throughout the slick shifting gears entertaining fun, even though the nature of the power delivery made frequent shifts unnecessary. Complaints centered on the cheap-feeling clutch that juddered under heavy load, and a heavier overall feel compared to the others. Chassis behavior on the street was generally neutral with a tendency to stand up slightly while trail braking. To quote one tester: "Slowest steering of the bunch, though that doesn't necessarily mean it's slow - is it slow compared to a 916? 0." The least aggressive bike in this shootout, it is still more motorcycle than most people will ever need. Long the bike that served as the yardstick against which other 600cc bikes were measured, the Honda still works well on the street. Damping rates are excellent, as is comfort. The CBR has the smallest feel, with a narrow tank and minimal fairing contributing to the impression that you are right up on top of the front wheel and in total control. The excellent clutch and flexible power delivery make it a bike for all seasons, and only the buzzy engine marred an otherwise fine road-going experience. Neutral, quick-steering fun. The Kawasaki had a remarkably similar feel to the Honda, but the supersmooth power delivery and more-substantial-feeling chassis lends it more refinement. The vagueness of the front end that showed itself at the limit on the track was nowhere to be found on the street, and it has a top-notch gearbox and clutch to boot. The Honda has better-calibrated damping rates than the· Kawasaki, which is set up with stiffer high-speed compression damping that lets a lot - just on too much - of road shock through the bars. The seat is a bit narrow at the junction with the tank, but there is plenty of space to move around in what most testers felt was the best riding po ition of the group in terms of street/track compromise. . Beautifully stable, the Kawasaki exhibited dead-neutral steering cllaracteristics, even while trail braking. Do what yoii' will with it, go fast, go slow, the ZX-6R will accommodate your mood transparently. The GSX-R will accommodate your mood transparently, too, just as long as