A day with a ZX-6R...

[roguegeek]

Last Friday, I was all pumped to go check out the SV650S's at a local dealer over here. They had the 2005 models for $6000 OTD which is a tremendous deal if you ask me. Too bad they were only in the yellow. Now I wasn't looking to upgrade at all, but discounts like that you can't really pass up on and an SV seems to be a natural upgrade from a GS for many people. You wouldn't have seen a price like that until this time next year when it was time to clear out the 2006 models and the '06 colors are just nasty.

I've been kinda against the full on sport bike thing because of the practicality and real world use issues I've read about here, the biggest issue being comfort. Well, I wanted to be sure these were issues I didn't want to deal with so I got to ride a co-worker's 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R for a day. Make sure this was exactly what I didn't want. He took my GS. I should prequel this by saying I've never ridden a modern sport bike. Was I in for a surprise.

Very first thing I noticed, the ZX-6R was way more comfortable than I was ready to believe. At 5'8", I'm not tall and I was able to get my feet down on the ground. It's tight in a sitting position, but I think after riding it for a day, I found even more comfortable than the GS. I think the big reason for this was because I'm already use to the lowered handlebars on the GS and the ZX-6R also doesn't crush my cash and prizes up into my waist which is a large problem on my GS. Very livable on a day to day basis if you ask me and the wind protection helps a lot with stamina on the freeways.

Next thing, power, the delivery of it, and the control. Obviously, there's a tremendous jump when compared to a GS, but there is no good reason to have that much power for street riding. This was the only thing I impractical with the bike. I can see exactly why getting something like this as a first bike is an absolutely ridiculous thought. It's simply uncontrollable without previous experience. Way too much room for error and the consequences for a screw-up are ten fold compared to the GS. Even so, I felt like I was adjusting pretty quickly and (like anything else) with more time I'd feel just as comfortable on the ZX-6R as I do on my GS.

There are way too many other "wow" things to list, but here were a couple of the negatives I saw. Was it me or was there just way too much play on the shift pedal from starting and ending a shift. The GS just seems closers and for some reason, slightly smoother. I could use some room under the seat for at least my insurance card. Biggest negative of all, the insurance costs. For shits and giggles, I got an estimate if I ever did have that bike. It wasn't pretty.

At the end of the day, I was just speechless (unlike now ). What an incredible piece of technology. Surprised. Pleasantly surprised. Not fond of the looks, but that felt like it just doesn't matter. Not with everything else the ZX-6R had going for it. The word "precise" just kept screaming in my head. Bottom line, I walked away that Friday with no intention at all of buying that SV anytime soon. With 11 month and 6k miles on the GS, I think I'm going to stick with it for another year before graduating to something like the ZX-6R. What an incredible feeling. I'm simply too much in awe at this point to ignore it.

[natedawg120]

yeah i agree about the super sport bikes.  I love the way they look but really they are just to much for the road.  I am leaning tward an SV, that is once I break 10k and have at least another season under my belt.

[pantablo]

[roguegeek]

...but really they are just to much for the road.

I agree, but after that day I now have a completely different outlook with those bikes. Although extremely powerful, they aren't uncontrollable or unlivable. I, for one, can't wait for next year.

[natedawg120]

yeah i've riden a R6 and it was crazy.  but i know me and i like to play in the band a little, by the time it winds up you already have a ticket.

[sys49152]

  The '05 ZX-6R is an awesome piece of machinery.  I absolutely love the bike, and each and every review I've read so far has been outstanding.  The slipper clutch, precise handling, excellent mid range power.. what's not to like?  And the ergo's are among the best for super sports.  The power however is extremely intoxicating.  That's the biggest problem with the 600cc bikes.  You can strangle the GS's throttle all day and not get yourself in too much trouble, but if you do the same with these, you'll be lucky if you only get away with a ticket.

[natedawg120]

  The '05 ZX-6R is an awesome piece of machinery.  I absolutely love the bike, and each and every review I've read so far has been outstanding.  The slipper clutch, precise handling, excellent mid range power.. what's not to like?  And the ergo's are among the best for super sports.  The power however is extremely intoxicating.  That's the biggest problem with the 600cc bikes.  You can strangle the GS's throttle all day and not get yourself in too much trouble, but if you do the same with these, you'll be lucky if you only get away with a ticket.

   

[roguegeek]

And the ergo's are among the best for super sports.

The ergonomics of the ZX-6R were what sold me on it. Unbelievably comfortable. From looking at the demensions, peg positioning, and the fact that they dropped the seat hight almost a full inch on the 2006 GSX-R600, I'm hoping that bike will be just as comfortable because I'm eyeing the red/black model like a hawk.

[The Buddha]

Oh no ... and its a Kawasaki
Cool.
Srinath.

[roguegeek]

Oh no ... and its a Kawasaki

:lol: Trust me. I was thinking the same damn thing when I was sitting on it. Unfortunately, it gave me no reason to not absolutely fall in love with it.

[Blazinjr]

I have rode several different bikes since getting my GS.  I liked a lot of them better than the gs BUT I do not want to pay more than $1000 a year for insurance on a motorcycle.  One of them I fell in love with but insurance quotes around $1600  made me rethink about it.

My uncle always had Suzuki's and growing up I liked the bikes he had and I never heard him complaining about them.  He had a couple 850's and an 1100e and loved them all with no complaints.  I guess that kind of turned me on to the GS line of bikes over the years.

[vtlion]

I dig the ZX-6R, but as several people have said already, it is a bit much for the public roads.  Personally, I would have to put the ZZR600 on a short-list (were I in the market for a bike).  

I owned an R6 for a while and I have to say the the peaky power-band is not really so bad once you get used to it.  It actually offers quite a bit of control over what goes down at the rear-wheel (once you get comfortable shifting all the time).  The only problem I had with it was that the thing didn't really become a beast until at least 50 or 60mph... speeds that I don't reach very often being a commuter in town.

[roguegeek]

Man, I've been riding it again all day today. I need this bike!

[Blazinjr]

I think is funny is when people say a super sport bike is too much for public roads....   They make cars and trucks that have too much horsepower or are not sensible for daily transportation.  Vettes, Porche, 3/4 ton trucks, Hummers, etc.  People buy a lot of there vehicles due to it being popular or because of the power or because it looks sporty and sounds good.  Not all of the performance cars purchased are used as track cars, this also goes for bikes in general too.  

I'll be honest, buying the GS I would say 60% was based on the looks of it and comfort/performance was the rest..  I looked at the GS back in the mid 90s but I had my heart set on something that was sporty looking.  As far as the naked bikes, very few I really like.

[roguegeek]

That's actually a pretty interesting point. My daily cage has 350+ hp and no trunk space. Does this mean I shouldn't drive it unless it's on a track? Definitely not. In fact, I just drove (hard) a new M5 yesterday. I couldn't think of a better car to own and use on a daily basis.

[Roadstergal]

I don't think it's worth the tradeoffs.  Looking at the insurance and gas bill on a GS vs. an I-4 sure makes me happy to have a GS - especially when I get from point A to point B just as quickly and even a bit more comfortably.

I remember the last time I did a car track day - it was raining, and I pased a couple of E46 M3s.  Miata - cheaper insurance, better mileage, cheaper tires, brakes, other wear components - and faster, too.   :mrgreen:  Even in the dry, my brother (who does this more than I do) would hang with the E36 M3s in it.  It's not the car that's fast, it's the driver; it's not the bike that's fast, it's the rider.
And the corollary to that is that there is always a more powerful bike out there.  An M5?  C'mon, if you want the ultimate in power, that's nowhere near the running.  Obviously, you compromise for adequate street power and other things that made you like the car more than more powerful ones.  Since the GS already has more than adequate street power (I calculated the GSF, with me on it, has the same hp/weight as an E36 M3), it might be an interesting exercise to think about what the 6 has that makes you want to compromise on its limited power.

[roguegeek]

This is a tired argument because we've had it before. I think you kinda misunderstand my point. Now I think I do see yours and let me know if I don't. Practicality is important to you. It's important that you get from point A to point B and not have pay too much in comfort or cost. Ok. No problem. I totally get that. What I'm saying is that I'm willing to sacrifice some of those things in order to feel what I feel when driving or riding something like the 6R or M5.

The "feel" part is a little hard to explain in words, but I think you know what I'm talking about. It's the same feeling I get anytime I sit behind the wheel of a 650i coupe. Or feel the rear start to drift on an F430 as I exit a corner. Or simply just hear the purr of a C6 Z06's 7.0L V8. It's simply exciting and exhilarating and I'm damn lucky enough to experience these things on a weekly basis. That's how I felt after my time on the 6R. The reason I say the new M5 for me is the ultimate daily driver not because it's "the ultimate in power", because it definitely isn't. It's because it's the perfect blend of comfort and power (the two things that are my priority) in my opinion.

Now here's how I explain my attraction to the 6R. It's the perfect parallel to my M5 example above. From my experience with motorcycles (and it's extraordinarily small compared to my experience with automobiles), it's the perfect blend of comfort and power in my opinion.

Different priorities for both of us, but neither opinion wrong if you ask me.