Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
So I ended up taking one of the 'R' models for a test-ride and I got to say it's an amazing machine. I went with one of the guys from the dealership who rode in front so I was expecting a very frustrating 'legal' experience but as it turned out I ended up being able to get a lot closer to the limits of my comfort zone than initially expected. It also helped that it was around some local twisties that I'm pretty familiar with so it wasn't like I was riding through some city constantly being held up with traffic.
For something that has nearly twice the ponies of my dinosaur 600 the power deliver was exceptionally linear and therefore inspired a lot of confidence tempting you to constantly take it a little further. It didn't have the shocking mid range torque I experienced riding a mates Yamaha MT10-SP but it was still similar in strength (a little higher up in the rev range) in a more linear fashion. The physical size felt the same if not smaller than my 600 and the added weight seemed to translate to a very planted feel through the corners. The only things that left me wanting was quite a bit of travel with the front brake lever before it began to bite and some throttle 'hunting' occurring through some long sweepers. I got no idea if that can be tuned out but I was surprised to feel it on a bike that retails for AUD $27490 (ride away).
Considering I've been riding a 2001 Gsxr600 for over 10+ years it wasn't going to take a lot to blow my socks off. I still think it's a phenomenal machine though. Some very interesting recent changes have made the Australian offering even more tempting by offering the bi-directional quick shifter and a Yoshi slip on with the standard (non R) model. I can't say that any of the paint schemes tickle my fancy apart from the black and blue R model though.
If you ever get the chance to ride one, take it!
For something that has nearly twice the ponies of my dinosaur 600 the power deliver was exceptionally linear and therefore inspired a lot of confidence tempting you to constantly take it a little further. It didn't have the shocking mid range torque I experienced riding a mates Yamaha MT10-SP but it was still similar in strength (a little higher up in the rev range) in a more linear fashion. The physical size felt the same if not smaller than my 600 and the added weight seemed to translate to a very planted feel through the corners. The only things that left me wanting was quite a bit of travel with the front brake lever before it began to bite and some throttle 'hunting' occurring through some long sweepers. I got no idea if that can be tuned out but I was surprised to feel it on a bike that retails for AUD $27490 (ride away).
Considering I've been riding a 2001 Gsxr600 for over 10+ years it wasn't going to take a lot to blow my socks off. I still think it's a phenomenal machine though. Some very interesting recent changes have made the Australian offering even more tempting by offering the bi-directional quick shifter and a Yoshi slip on with the standard (non R) model. I can't say that any of the paint schemes tickle my fancy apart from the black and blue R model though.
If you ever get the chance to ride one, take it!
Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
2018 colours have been announced. I gotta say, I think the Black R model looks possibly even better with the grey accents. The all white version isn't my sort of thing but I'm sure some will love it. Finally a standard model variant that I don't mind either (the matt black with blue accents). As far as I know the new colours are going to be released in Australia around the 2nd quarter of 2018. A bit more time to save ...
Based on the video I watched, it looks a great ride for a race and offers a high-performance engine capacity. Have you ridden with this bike before? I want to search for a suitable bike for my racing track.
Joined Aug 2013
902 Posts | 508+
USA
unless you have extensive track and racing experience I would not recommend liter bike for track riding. At most of my local tracks, we typically see 600s setting much faster lap times, thats because they are easier to ride fast. A used Yamaha R6 or Triumph 675 can be found relatively cheap, and simple to modify for track use.
