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/128206
2003 Middleweight Shootout: Honda CBR600RR vs. Kawasaki ZX-6R (6361 VS. Suzuki GSX-R600 VS. Yamaha YZF-R6 YAMAHA VZF·RS The R6's brakes are like dropping an anchor behind the bike. HORSEPO\NER 110 100 . ,, .' - -- 110 100 ~, i'-.... , i.---"' , 90 80 70 60 , '/ '/ 90 80 70 60 , ./ .'/ 50 40 30 20 10 , ,/ ...;..-- ,/ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 RPM (X1000) 11 12 13 14 15 24 .,- '/ ,, ,. / MARCH 26. 2003' cue I Yamaha has gone to great lengths to improve its fit and finish over the last decade, and it shows. Everything fits tight, and the controls no longer have that chintzy feel. As you may have figured out from the track portion of the test, the Suzuki has started to slip behind the competition a bit, but on the street, the bike still more than holds its own. It may not have the killer horsepower of the Kawasaki 636 or the Honda CBR600RR, but it's not that far behind, and it's still an excellent street bike. The Suzuki's chassis exudes stability, offering plenty of confidence in the fast stuff. Sure, it requires a bit more effort to get turned when the going gets tight, but it's just a bit lie n " ...- I I ......... , , I , ;....- /! ir 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 RPM (X1000) 11 12 13 14 15 Yamaha YZF-R6 - 103.4 @ 12,500 rpm Suzuki GSX-R 600 - 100.6 @ 13,250 rpm Kawasaki 636 - 105.9 hp @ 12,500 rpm Honda CBR600RR _ 107.8 @ 13,250 rpm the most part. The lack of midrange is more than displaced by the bike's excellent throttle response, which is more than capable of picking up the revs smoothly and quickly without any jerkiness. Around town in tight traffic (like the Kawi) the R6's injection is really good. You can roll the throttle back and forth between on and off and not upset the bike. This is a nice attribute for the bike to have in the canyons, allowing the rider to open the throttle and not worry about upsetting the chassis. The R6 feels tiny, but the ergonomics are really good, making the bike really comfortable and allowing you to position your body wherever you need to in order to make the bike turn. - --- ,/ o I -' - ..' V 50 40 30 20 10 V- o , , r;-- lie _ S behind. Early in the day we weren't so sure about the suspension, especially the front end, which felt a little on the bouncy side. So at the next stop we busted out the tools and made some adjustments, and the bike was transformed into something that we could trust. Feel from the bike is one of its qualities - the bike always lets you know where the limits are. The motor on the Suzuki was class leading just two years ago. In fact, the whole bike was. Suzuki has just fallen victim to the everchanging cycle of the sportbike wars. Every other bike in the comparison is brand new this year, so it was inevitable in such a competitive class that it would fall a bit behind. It probably won't stay that way. One thing to consider is that the cockpit on the Suzuki offers the most room for the rider and arguably one of the most comfortable riding positions and the most comfortable seat, so tall people with bony butts will approve. We did have the Ducati 749 for the street ride, but as I said, it was destined for the sidebar, so find out more of how it stacked up there. So that's it for the street. See the sidebars for the dragstrip and the dyno and scale to figure out when, where and how we came to our conclusions, and then (except for you cheaters who already did so) go to the "What's the deal" box and read about winner of our 2003 Cycle News Middleweight Shootout. CN