i recently had to transport a '01 GSR 600 for a friend of mine, i know...i know, bad CBR owner...hehe. but the point i'm getting to is that, i understand its a 600 compared to a 900, is that this ride was so incredibly balanced feeling compared to my bike. i've been wracking my brain to try and figure it out. it no way shape or form had the ponies my 900 has, but it felt so at piece leaned over. i'm not an overally aggressive rider, but i do enjoy going into a corner and getting my max safest possible lean. the one difference i did notice was that it had a factory stabilizer on it. could it be making that much of a difference? well i figured i'd ask all my experts here and see if you guys and girls can shine some light on this for me. my '96 900 has really truely been my only bike, and i'm not getting rid of her for anything in the world, but if i can sharpen her up i'm all over it!!! thanks in advance

 

apples to oranges my friend. That 600 has a much better front fork, equal size front and rear tires, and overall better geometry and balance. Weight is also a consideration as well. The 600s are great handlers, and although I have never ridden one I am sure that they spank our 9s in cornering ability. If you want more out of your 9 then you should look at upgrading the internals of your fork with straight rate springs that match your weight to your spring rate. I think Traxxion and Ohlins makes good springs for our forks. They also offer different valving options that really improve the feel of our front suspension. A 17' front tire makes for better stability, and the rear suspension is also upgradable. You could go nuts and get an Ohlins front end, but thats more money than most want to spend on a street ride. Aftermarket steering dampers are a good idea for safety reasons. You will most likely not match a 600 perfectly but if you get close, the overwhelming power advantage our bikes have will definitely make up for it coming off turns. You should never have gotten on that 600, now you know the 900s shortcomings. I commend you for staying true to your machine though, 900s are way more fun than 6s.

 

well i've ridden my buddies 05 cbr 600rr but then again i was seriously green back then. hmmm i really do appreciate the input, it really has given me a good insight on what i may consider doing with my ride. I do see a steering dampener in my future tho
really this has been my only really true project anything, if that kind of explains how much i love my 900. I think i forgot to put in on the highway with my friends 600 i missed the pure grunt/power of my 900