Going from a GS500 to a Katana 600

[FearedGS500]

http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/sport/model.asp?ModelName=599&ModelYear=2006&ModelId=CB600F6   
they stop making it this year ?

eather way . hes right about the military bases being high in MC accidents ... i live or did live right around fort.hood,tx and INS. right around there is higher there ,then it is in austin,tx  .. its crazy dumb .. but its beacuse of all the idots that dont know how to ride ..... thats what they do . they sale more 1000cc bikes then they do any other one cuz these guys go out and by the biggest bike they can .  220 .. i can see it .. if a GSXR600 ,R6 ,CBR600RR can push everybit of 180 WITH NO MODS . ............... then i can see the duck doing it . it takes less then a mile to get a GSXR600r up to 154mph . i know .. i'v done it but to each his own . let him be . he will make his mistakes . all we can do is pray that he wont take anyone with him if somthing goes wrong ....

on another note .. i'v had my stock BONE STOCK  eclipse up to 140 no problem had more room to go back for the lack of getting cought i backed off . but there was no one around . we all do dumb things . no ones perfect . you may have never or you may say you will never do somthing like that .. but if the chance is ever given to you most  ppl will take that and run with it . ....

[spc]

Yeah,  that little VW GTI  was about 1000 rpm shy of redline at 160 so it could probably have come close to 180.  But  I know for a fact that the cars our state patrol uses can tear that up.  They got custom manufactured crown vics designed to reel in the new 500 hp vettes given their power and reasonable price......... I know our local station chief and he drives one it's a beast he said he's had it at 200 before and it shook but the engin still had a good bit of room.  But if you ever want to see a shaZam! ton of really nice 1000cc up bikes just head to your local military installation and check out the barracks parking lot it's either a bike or a pimped out honda.........

[Johnny5]

I think you are embellishing a bit... Jetta/Golf GTI is only at about 137 MPH at the top of it's speed range. Well stock anyway.

[spc]

The only thing done to it was the turbo was re-tuned.  I've seen 90's golfs ( not GTI ) that'll run to 130 thats crap for a VW

[frye]

the reason i bought a bike is cause i rode my cousins katana 750. it wasnt that fast to be honest. but it gave me a taste of streetbike speed and power.
i realize now that its not aabout how fast someone can go off a stopline and into a straight, but how low you can get in the canyon 

[spc]

OK my last .02    Why the hell did they name what basically is a touring bike  Katana.   Atleast me, when I first heard it I figured it was better than the gixxer cause it had a flashy name     WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Johnny5]

The only thing done to it was the turbo was re-tuned.  I've seen 90's golfs ( not GTI ) that'll run to 130 thats crap for a VW

Sorry dude, I'm having a lot of trouble swallowing that, I had a Jetta Wolfberg 1.8t that was plenty fast but no way was it over 140 MPH, Not that I raced it (at all)...  And the new ones are governed at 130 MPH.  The best I know of a 98 Polo GTI the top was 120 MPH.

Anyways, to answer the original poster... the closest thing I have ridden to a sportbike was a mid 90's Katana 600, so to compare that (from memory, it was a few years ago), it felt very bulky to me compared to the GS, the GS is way easier to maneuver compared to the one I rode and I don't remember the power being that much more.  Of course that was only one ride, I wasn't used to it so maybe it would handle better as I got used to it.  Also the newer ones may be different.  For what it's worth I looked at them(used) at my local Suzuki dealer before I bought my GS, and the sales guy I deal with steered me away from it pretty hard... the guys in his service shop call them "Kanatuna"... LOL  They do have a big following though and the guy who's Katana I rode loved his (and still has it).

[alerbaugh]

ive known 2 people with katanas.  1 returned it after a week and the other went to an f4i within a year.  she's selling it for 1800 and its a '92. not sure on the miles

[spc]

You're funking kidding about the governer right???  It took like 3 minutes to bridge that!!!!!  All you have to do is find it on the electrical schematic and snip the top wire then bridge it into the left hand side if your facing the front of the vehicle it took longer to get all the f%$king engine covers off than it did to actually bridge it!!!!!  Damn things are on almost every car these days and no reputable shop will bridge it, some shaZam! about, making the car unsafe for street use???  You can make a neon run 130 if you kill the governor   

[Speedy500]

This post is off topic... but I wanted to respond regarding the speed of some of the vehicles mentioned in the thread.  I have to say SPCTERRY is exaggerating the speed capabilities of some of the vehicles.  I also have a turbo'd Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX and it will reach 140 MPH but no more in its current configuration (Stage 1 Mods).  HEAVILY modified and after sinking a LOT of money into it, it may reach 160+ MPH as I have seen some GSX reach that speed, but the car was worth $60,000 or more at that point due to the mods that were needed to make it fast.  I drive quite a few different vehicles in my assignment and I can assure you, no VW in stock configuration I've ever driven has gone past 130 MPH.  Whether it was due to speed governor or just lack of available power at that speed (I tend to believe it was the LACK OF POWER), I was never able to get a GTI or Scirroco past 130 MPH.  My last VW was a Jetta... top speed 115 MPH.  As for a "souped up" police cruisers, I have been fortunate to drive a "souped up" police car... a Chevy Caprice with performance package including a Corvette engine.  Top speed was around 130 MPH.  The vehicles aren't exactly the most aerodynamic vehicles to begin with, then add the lightbars, the added weight from the police equipment, spotlights, push bars, suspect cage... etc and the vehicle just gets slower and slower.  It did smoke the tires very nicely from a dead stop, though, but top speed?  Not that impressive.  It certainly will not catch a supersport motorcycle.  The current crop of FORD Crown Vics come with one engine choice for "performance" police package... the same engine used in the Mustang.  While it is powerful from a dead stop acceleration, it still will not keep with with a high performance sportscar such as a Porche or Mercedes or BMWs.  200 MPH Crown Vics?  Please let me know the name of the department with the Super Crown Vics so that I can advise our department's master mechanic how to modify mine so that I can also go 200 MPH. Honestly, I don't think so.  That's why we still need airships to follow cars (and motorcycles) that can out run us.  To simply "snip" a speed governor and make the car fast... into the realm of the super sportcars is ludicrous.  I'm reminded of a young driver that told me that his Toyota Matrix made 450 HP and swore by it... The mods on the vehicle consisted of a bolt-on exhaust, new performance muffler, air box swap with K&N filter charger, new platinum spark plugs and "high performance" wire set. And lots of impressive looking stickers on the body of the car.  He swore that his Toyota could out run, out accelerate any car on the road.  Ok...

[spc]

It's Georgia State Patrol.  They had a very limited number custom modified and it is by far not a mustang engine.  It howls at anything ever 2k rpm.  They are the only Agency in this locality authorized to pursue at high speeds ( County Ordinance states 'High Speed' as any speed in excess of 100 mph).  There's one of these Crown Vics around here, and something like 15 of them in the state.  I've seen him off the line stay right on a heavily modded 01 vette..   Make no mistake, I'm not saying it would touch a supersport bike.  I've seen a stock 'busa' make a new vette look like it was standing still.  But this cop car runs down BMW's and Benz's and a porsche once ( boxter aka POS ).  I'm not trying to tell you it'll take down 911 s turbo's just that it can reel in any readily available sports car on the market

[dubkeith]

I didn't read all 4 pages so excuse me if its been said but, don't rule out the ZX6E. It has lots more power than the 650 ninja and sv and has a low seat hight. Heavier but well balanced, It also has sport touring bars so they might fit your reach better. Its a great bike with a bullet proof motor.