MCN Yamaha R1 v Honda Fireblade v Suzuki GSX-R1000 v Kawasaki ZX-10R v Ducati 1198

[Audacious Nick]

It was obvious (even verbally admitted by the tester) that they didnt know how to ride the ducati. Poorly done test. Awsome bikes, the whole lot of them. But when you put a guy who doesnt know how to ride a twin on a twin do you think he is going to turn good lap times? Thats not to say the new R1 isn't the fastest bike out there around the track for 09, but my guess is if you put Troy B on all of these bikes and he turns faster laps on the duc. And vice versa.

Exactly what I was thinking. It's hard for these tests to be valid unless the testers spend time with each bike, and learn how to ride each individual bike.
Taking a twin and riding it like an I4 is not going to give the same results.

 

[Karbon]

Exactly what I was thinking. It's hard for these tests to be valid unless the testers spend time with each bike, and learn how to ride each individual bike.
Taking a twin and riding it like an I4 is not going to give the same results.

i don't think its the rider.

all the other bikes were at least 100ths of a second behind the Kwak, which was 1 sec behind the R1.

Also, its not like it was a single track day with 4 bikes. According to the web page, its seems they've got fairly comprehensive riding time logged on the other bikes based on previous write-ups.vids, save the Duc and the Zuk.

anyway, not a yamafanboy or nothing. just excited to know if this trickle down gp tech bullshit actually works.

 

[Lesbusa]

yeah, what she said ^^^

lesly - what flavor milkshake?

 

[morningsoup]

so... their marketing is stuck in the 90s?

just like how the the suzuki's marketing has been stuck in the 80's for the gixxers

 

[sn0w1337]

Why in the world would they use last years bike, the 1098 , whcih is no longer made.......

Its a new bike shooutout.

awwww shit i see, didn't realize they scrapped the 1098 already. i don't really follow up on ducs though.

 

[Desmodromic]

I think it's a pretty good test... No one needs to get butt hurt cause their fav bike (or factory) was not number one. The review highlighted key point of each bike and that they are all good basically.

It has been proven that a twin at 1200cc compared to a i4 at 1000cc is a good comparison (at the same state of tune, in this case stock). Yes other factors do play into it. For example: If the rider rides the twin bike like he would an i4, his times on the twin won't look very good, and vice versa.

Congrats to the new ugly queen on the block the R1 but where is the MV and KTM? Also, since the BMW and RSV4 are racing shouldn't that mean that at lease a number of bikes have been bought by the public (probly all outside the states, rats)?

awwww shit i see, didn't realize they scrapped the 1098 already. i don't really follow up on ducs though.

They didn't get rid of it... it has become the 1198.

 

[aurellie]

I just read RRW shootout. Guess the outcome

 

[Med23]

the duck came in third?

wtf that thing has all the latest gadgetry ...traction control or such....22K....couple hundred more ccs....

odd....

thats it im buyin the RSV4 ...this 1198 is an embarrassment

Good God man...you need to relax with that shit. I am excited about the RSV4 as well, but you are plugging that thing like you are the head engineer.

Anyhoo...that R1 is amazing, but I too would like to see a better format for a shootout like this. Where each rider gets 15 or so laps on each bike and average it out as well as give the best lap times.

 

[Z3n]

I just read RRW shootout. Guess the outcome

DMG wins?

 

[Brown81]

All fast bikes. Useful info if you are looking for one of these five bikes for a track bike, for this particular track!! Put 'em on another track, and you'd have a different line up.
For any other use (like just owning one to ride around on), completely worthless review.

Why in the world would they use an 1198S ?? Why not just a 1198? Which is still far more expensive??

At any rate, without the new BMW, the Aprilia RSV4, and KTM, it's even more worthless. It's just a bunch of spoiled moto-journalists getting their rocks off.




They should get a bunch of random barfers, give them a bunch of literbikes to ride around for a month, and have them do a write up on them. Probably be more useful information. :|

 

[ThermalStone]

At any rate, without the new BMW, the Aprilia RSV4, and KTM, it's even more worthless. It's just a bunch of spoiled moto-journalists getting their rocks off.

|

I don't think that BMW and Aprilia bikes are available for tests like this yet. Aprilia just had their first ride for journalists a few weeks ago and the street version of the BMW won't be unveiled until the US WSBK round. I don't even think the BMW will be available until late this year as a 2010 model. Next year a good magazine test should have both of these included. I agree though, where is the KTM? And what about the Buell?

 

[Hellraizer547]

The test riders who participated will undoubtedly run circles around 95% of the consumers of these bikes, so people who are mentioning that they are not riding the bike correctly are just full of it. The test is useful to us as the audience. They demonstrate that on equal time on the bike that the R1 surpassed all other bikes on being the easiest to ride at the fastest pace. This test isn't to evauluate the head lights, blinkers, chain life, tire wear, comfortability over long periods of times...this test is to evualate which bikes out peforms their competitors. I am guessing that is why they labeled this test as a PERFORMANCE REVIEW.

There is no doubt that the Ducati will perform better on a track like Streets of Willow due to the flat and predictible power curve and low end torque. The conclusion still stands that the R1 is a superior ride on an open/fast track. I know that Ducs are harder to ride due to there aggressive ergonomics, which will make this bike a bit harder to navigate in the twisties. The point of having a ducati is that these bikes are closer to race trim then the other manufactures, but it still was not enough to stop it from being trampled by the R1.

I am a V-twin kinda guy (SP-1 modded through the roof), but the R1 is very tempting knowing that it has the high end hp, more torque then it's competitors and it will be 1/2 the price of a Ducati which I would prefer, but do not have the wallet.

R1 wins in a flat out race track, all others struggle to keep up.

 

[Brown81]

I don't think that BMW and Aprilia bikes are available for tests like this yet. Aprilia just had their first ride for journalists a few weeks ago and the street version of the BMW won't be unveiled until the US WSBK round. I don't even think the BMW will be available until late this year as a 2010 model. Next year a good magazine test should have both of these included. I agree though, where is the KTM? And what about the Buell?

Good points.

 

[Karbon]

I'm still having a hard time figuring out why people get butt-hurt when competing manufacturers build a better bike than their own.

Brand loyalty? huh? None of the big 4 or Italian(s) sign your paychecks (that is unless they actually which a different thing entirely).

 

[Psyclotron]

All fast bikes. Useful info if you are looking for one of these five bikes for a track bike, for this particular track!! Put 'em on another track, and you'd have a different line up.
For any other use (like just owning one to ride around on), completely worthless review.

Why in the world would they use an 1198S ?? Why not just a 1198? Which is still far more expensive??

At any rate, without the new BMW, the Aprilia RSV4, and KTM, it's even more worthless. It's just a bunch of spoiled moto-journalists getting their rocks off.




They should get a bunch of random barfers, give them a bunch of literbikes to ride around for a month, and have them do a write up on them. Probably be more useful information. :|

Agreed

But it does help fuel the bike culture of TURRRRRBO BUSA!

 

[Jasepaste]

I don't own a literbike and have never ridden a inline-4 or race-inclined vtwin like the 1198. But I have to think that with the slim margin that the R1 holds over the other bikes (ACCORDING TO THIS NONCONCLUSIVE TEST),that the order of importance in determining which one you would buy?

1.Price
2.Fit, comfort.
3.Styling
.
.
.
X.Performance.

How many of you guys think that the performance differences would even matter to you in terms of your own performance on the bike? I know that the Duc is kind of an exception here...but maybe just comparing the inlines.

 

[Karbon]

I don't own a literbike and have never ridden a inline-4 or race-inclined vtwin like the 1198. But I have to think that with the slim margin that the R1 holds over the other bikes (ACCORDING TO THIS NONCONCLUSIVE TEST),that the order of importance in determining which one you would buy?

1.Price
2.Fit, comfort.
3.Styling
.
.
.
X.Performance.

How many of you guys think that the performance differences would even matter to you in terms of your own performance on the bike? I know that the Duc is kind of an exception here...but maybe just comparing the inlines.

well at this point the price point, fit and comfort and styling of the typical inline ss are so close to parity with each other, new-tech performance is really the biggest selling point.

I guess

 

[DJNick]

motorcycle.com has also done an '09 liter bike comparison:
http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2009-literbike-shootout-88218.html

 

[Jasepaste]

 

[flying_hun]

They should get a bunch of random barfers, give them a bunch of literbikes to ride around for a month, and have them do a write up on them. Probably be more useful information. :|

How many of the bikes would survive the month? I can see the "lowsided on 9" thread now. "Do you think my tires were too cold?"

But I have to think that with the slim margin that the R1 holds over the other bikes (ACCORDING TO THIS NONCONCLUSIVE TEST),that the order of importance in determining which one you would buy?

1.Posin' @ $'s
2.Price
3.Fit, comfort.
4.Styling
.
.
.
X.Performance.

Fixed!