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 CBRSOORR vs. Kawasaki ZX-SR (S3S) vs. Suzuki GSX-RSOO vs. Yamaha YZF-RS death revving to get it rolling. Speaking of stoplights - both of the Kawasakis were hard to find neutral on after pulling up to a light. It reminded me of older Ducatis that were always a pain. Maybe the new gearboxes are just tight and need some breaking in. And the Kawi fuel injection that we thought was so killer on the track ... is just as bitchin' on the street. Even at superslow speeds in traffic or when lane splitting, going from on-throttle to off-throttle and back, the fuel injection is the best of the bunch. It just plain works, offering smooth response in every condition that you're likely to encounter. The 636 handled just as well on the street as it did on the track, with nice turn-in and nice stability except for the occasional midcorner bump that would slightly upset the front end. The brakes were still exemplary on the street and offered the best combination of feel and power. One thing that is really coolon the Kawasaki is the new instrument cluster - it's the coolest looking of any of the bikes here. The only complaints would be that the LCD tach can be difficult to read at times, and the fuel light is virtually impossible to read while riding. The new Kawasaki Z1000 ("Street Fighter") has essen- tially the same cluster, and yet it features a LCD bar-type fuel gauge that is way easier to read. Why that wasn't used on the new Ninjas is a mystery. The Yamaha R6 is an incredible street bike, and the newest incarnation of the bike is eons better than the bike it replaces. There are a couple of key changes that were made to the bike that improved it dramatically, but let's start with the chassis. The R6 has always been an excellent handling bike, but the trade off (meaning the best of the lot). It goes to show that good weight distribution and mass centralization can improve the handling without compromising the bike's stability. The R6's suspension is also top quality and feels very compliant in the bumps while at the same time offering good spring rates that we had adjusted somewhere right in the middle of their range. As I've mentioned over and over, the R6's brakes are like throwing an anchor off the back. Hold on. There is has always been a front end that really likes to gets lively. Even on the no argument that they are the strongest, but they are borderline street the previous generation R6s were good candidates for a steering touchy. Once you're accustomed to their feel, this shouldn't be an issue damper. Among the significant changes to the chassis for 2003, altering the geometry was a top priority. The bike is now considerably but more a matter of preference. The R6's motor was always really good - the only complaint would be that its midrange was a bit on the more stable in the twisties and yet turns just as qUickly as it always did anemic side. The introduction of fuel injection has solved this problem for SUZUKI GSX·RBOO 22 MARCH 26, 2003· eye I e ne""s The Suzuki's stability is the still the bike's strongest atbibute, especially in the fast stuff.