i know opinions are like assholes , but lets have them about the new 1000s . kaw suzuki bmw, dookati ape , o yes honder and any others i have forgotten.discuss whats hot and whats not. and why.
Truth be told, they are all much better than we are. So it all comes down to personal preference on ergos, engine layout, price, etc.
while i agree with you , i guess i was looking for individual perspective on the bikes , like why you like a specific bike , ie panagale v4, or ape, beemer , or even honda. yeah not too hot on hondas. personal opinion.
Yeah it's hard because their all so good, I am planning on buying a newer bike near future will probably stick with Suzuki 2017 and up. I like the Suzuki cause I find them easier to work on, and comfortable. I am 6'. The Yamaha handles but is smaller. I had the Zx10 that was fun, but motor is a little high strung, the Suzuki is a more mid-range motor.
Up until 2015 I was pretty happy and loyal to the GSXR family. I've owned a 2001, 2003, and 2005 GSXR1000. The 2005, and I'm sure many will agree was the pinnacle for that bike as far as I'm concerned. (Sadly, my 2005 and I had a pretty messy breakup at Road Atlanta in 2013, and I haven't been to Road Atlanta since because that place hates me). After 2013, I got a sweet deal on a VERY well set up R6, because they were the 600 hotness, and I wanted to try something different. It was a serious transition in adapting to different ergos, but once I did, I loved it. The bike's handling was just telepathic. Problem was the rider. I'm not a good 600 rider. (Probably not that good of an anything rider, to be honest). I don't keep the motor revving near redline like I should on that R6. So big motor torque is my friend. I thought, If they would just put an R1 motor in this bike, it would be perfect for me. I have never really liked the R1. I rode a friend's 2002, and I rode a 2009, so I had a couple samples to compare. Just could not wait to get off of them. Then 2015 happened, and the current generation of R1 was released. I decided I need to have me one of those and give it a shot. Everyone was talking about how easy it was to go faster than they ever had on that bike. So, in 2016 I got one and set it up for track days. What a FANTASTIC telepathic bike!!!! I love the ergos. I absolutely love the torque of the motor. I don't feel worn out like I do with other bikes I've ridden/owned at the end of a 20 minute track day session. I even said "F*ck it" and raced it a bit this year and had an absolute blast putting a little tin on my office wall. (Senior Superbike A Novice....so don't be all that impressed....I got podiums in the Geriatric Novice races for cryin' out loud). It's by far the best bike I've ever owned or ridden. I absolutely love it. I'm 5' 9" and 240 pounds, and the ergos don't bother me at all. Getting parts for one should be relatively easy due to their popularity, too.
I swear I thought you were like 6” taller than me.........,and I thought I was 5’8”-ish...... I swear
2015+ R1’s handle great, insane midrange, love the exhaust note, and there are tons of aftermarket stuff available. I had a 99, 2012, and now a 2020. The quick shifter is butter-smooth up and down-shifting. Only current downside is no one has cracked the ecu yet so a flash to eliminate restrictions is not available yet. But that only applies to the 2020 model.
I've pretty much ridden them all and it come down to this^^^^ How the bike fits you, power band, chassis and suspension reactions, how the electronics work, price point and your stomach for maintenance and aftermarket parts. If you are looking for detailed information on each model as it relates to those characteristics, it's out there if you learn to read between the lines. Most of the tests we see nowadays, are by people that quite honestly, have no business testing bikes. The go-to standard is RRW and a few of the testers that have come from Sport Rider, Cycle World, etc. Ken
I’m partial to the new Suzuki. I want one, have no use for one and it makes no sense for me to even buy one. Really good friend got killed on a new generation model day after he bought it. Haunts me to this day 2 1/2 years later. I still have his helmet visor and piece of the helmet spoiler with the biggest piece of triton blue Suzuki bike plastic I could find from the crash scene.
I rode a 16'R1 last Sunday set up and the power is insane and rode it faster than my 05 gsxr 1000 without trying. I sold the 05 and getting a 16' R1 already set up next weekend. I cant freakin wait