=
Our extra-special guest
tester Kenny Roberb Jr.
puts the Suzuki through
the paces. No, not
really, it's just
CalTUthers again.
BRAKES
HondaCBRf54RR
The Honda's stoppers, like always, were top-notch, with excellent feel and ample power.
The front-brake lever has six positions for lever-range adjustability. The CBR's brakes had
a really nice, firm feel at the lever and offered plenty of feedback under hard braking.
BOlTOM LINE: Excellent brakes, very confidence-inspiring.
Kawasaki IX-'R
The Kawi's brakes are quite good - not the best of the bunch, but they're hard to fault in
everyday riding. On the racetrack, they offered plenty of feel and power. The lever has
five positions of adjustability, allowing plenty of range for various tastes and hand sizes.
BOTfOM LINE: Not quite the best of bunch, but there's not much to fault either.
Suzuki GSX-RfOOO
The Suzuki's brakes seemed fine last year on a track that didn't have very many heavybraking zones. But, on the tighter confines of the Las Vegas classic course, the brakes just
couldn't hang. Not only was the lever coming back to the bar, but the power just didn't
seem on par with the Yamaha and Honda. The lever travel is just too long to gain any
trust in the brakes despite the six-position adjustable lever control. The feel wasn't up to
the level of the others under the hard braking going into tum one. The fact that the springs
in the forks were too soft didn't help, but they were the worst of the bunch at this track.
BOTfOM LINE: The Suzuki's brakes just weren't up to the level of the others this year,
either in power or feel.
Yamaha VZF-Rf
The Yamaha's brakes were already the cream of the crop, but Yamaha managed to take
them to the next level with a seemingly minor change. The only dJfference this year is that
the pistons are now nickel-plated aluminum instead of the steel pistons in the old model.
Feel and power are excellent with plenty of adjustability at the lever, with five positions of
range. The lever feel is firm and offers lots of feedback.
BOTfOM LINE: The best brakes in the group overall in terms of feel, power and adjustability.
Brake Podium:
1. Yamaha
2. Honda
3. Kawasaki
4. Suzuki
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APRIL 24. 2002
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