Upgrading from 600 to 1000 Sportbike, should I do it?

[oscar777]

Have had my gsxr600 for about a year now and don't get me wrong its a good bike but I'm constantly tempted by the thous.

Also not generally a fan of the buzzy engine/ having to wring out 10k+ before getting into the power band. Hence been looking to trade for a fire blade and pay difference in cash.

Anyone have gone from a 600 to a thou? Did it make you jizz instantly, or meh?
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Push bike with a 80cc jerry rigged 2 stroke---> CBR125R ---> GSXR600 ---> Ducati 1098SF

[Itchy]

Depends on the 1000cc bike. Fireblades at least the 954 I've ridden feel a bit too on rails as if you can get off and the thing will ride itself.


2004 ZX10R OTOH was/is beastly. With a steering damper less so (they added on in 2005). It was way too power wheelie happy. It also plonked a devil on my shoulder demanding me to push it harder and harder.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Meatybeaty]

Have ridden a few bikes in my time, from 90cc to 1400cc new and old , and the best out of the lot for me is the 954, makes me feel good for an old git

[G]

Weren't you recently on about getting a fag bike?

Anyay; for me it was 'meh', BUT I do like to rev a bike and make full use of it.

If you don't, you'll likely find it a much bigger difference and might get a bit of a 'wow'.

In end, it doesn't offer faster acceleration, just the same acceleration for longer and with less work.

What year fireblade?

Typically Hondas are boring feeling for me - add that to a big bike being boring too* and you may be in danger of falling asleep mid-ride!

*I'm not sure the 954 is perky enough to be classed in with 'litre bikes'; the older ones are even more lack-lustre.

[oscar777]

[0l0dom0l0]

It's something I've considered for a long time - have never had the funds to do it or else I would.

Dads got an FZ1 and to be honest it doesn't actually feel that fast - but the midrange compare to my FZ6 is rather nice and makes making progress alot easier.

The TL 1000 I've got though is a whole different ball game - I absolutely love the torque it blows anything else I've ever ridden out the water for 'making progress'
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CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[G]

The late model fireblades are where you want to be if you want massive midrange - since they first got the fugly fairings, they got a big midrange hit.
They're also still fairly compact and agile from what I've seen. I'd be quite happy with one as an easy to use commuter if I had the cash and the town-traffic commute to justify it.

[stevo as b4]

Don't the modern short stroke 1000's that have 180bhp or more, feel midrange deficient and only come in with a bang or very noticeable step to the power delivery above 10000rpm though?

I don't understand how newer short stroke engine designs that rev to 14k+ can ever have a good arm tugging midrange, or at least be comparable to 10year older+ 1000's that had 30-40bhp less?

By midrange I guess I'm talking say 4-8k rpm. I'd expect and want a thou to feel savage in this range or else what's the point? I'd want one that was saying I'm all done and peaked before 11000rpm or thereabouts, if that means I lose 40bhp of top end bhp then it's totally worth it to have a midrange that needs no gearbox stirring and a bike that wants to lift the front under partial acceleration.

Ive listened to alot of people say alot of things, but fact being that over 100bhp on the road makes little difference to how fast you can ride, and I can vision or see how a road rider on.a 190-200bhp litre sports bike can go any faster than the same person on a 150bhp litre bike? Especially if the same kind of weight and handling on both machines?

Also PB did test a new GSXR 1000 against a 2005 (longer stroke older version), and up to 8k there was more bhp and an earlier peak to the torque curve that sounds like what a litre sports bike should be about.

There will be some out there that will say that they can go faster on a newer peaky litre bike, as there won't be such a mountain of torque at lower engine speeds making the front lift too eagerly, but this sounds largely like bollocks to me and also makes 1000's seem pointless for many people who can't use or access the mental part of the power delivery.

[G]

The Ducai possibly describes that a bit - but we're still talking 90s fireblade peak power or something before it gets powerbandy.

So it should be remembered that looking at absolute rpm as a comparison doesn't take account of higher redlines and thus lower gearing.

I thought I'd done one of my comparison graphs for the K6, but it was the K1:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18968307/pics/somestuff/K1vslater.jpg

I doubt the K6 is going to beat the new blade on midrange.

[oscar777]

Well I agree that about 100hp is all you'd ever on the road, but the point is the way the power is delivered.

If I want to take off very quickly from a standstill on my gixxer I have to rev the balls off the engine to get it into the power band. With a thou it'll probably be turning at half the rpm for a good launch. Its fine for the track of course, revving out a engine is what these bikes are built for, but what I'm expecting is that the thou is more liveable day to day. I can't really afford a second commuter bike thats all about the midrange.
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Push bike with a 80cc jerry rigged 2 stroke---> CBR125R ---> GSXR600 ---> Ducati 1098SF

[oscar777]

[G]

On track you should always be using peak power - I find more midrange makes less difference.

You just drop back less when you get it wrong.

(Though saying that, I have been liking my 675 on trackdays with a bit of extra midrange which means less messing about with gearing etc.)

[Copycat73]