Ill agree that the rider plays a pretty big factor, Ill easily smoke the newbie on the 1000rr or 600 down at the track or on the highway but against someone at the same riding level as me good luck chuck. find my post HELP I GOT OWNED and youll see where Im coming from. I raced the same 636 again this time we went till we topped out, he passed me again right when we started hitting tripple digits put about 4 bike lengths between us then at about 150 or so I started catching up and ran out of straightaway. If the other rider knows his bike, i.e. shift points and where all the power is than its a run for your money, consider this too, todays 600s
750s and thousands make the same if not a lot more HP and weigh a lot less than the 900s do so we're all had at the power to weight numbers...dont get your head down though, I heard a rumor from a friend at the suzuki dealership over here that honda might bring the 900 back.

 

Basically most of you guys are telling the same; comparison of the performance and the ability of the riders.

There will be very limited ocassion that you are going to tap the bike's power to max, so it does not really matter which bike is more powerful.

Anyway I really feel proud of you guys that manage to outrun newer bikes; atleast they know that we are not talkin cheap!

But I couldn't resist the digital meter, center exhaust, aerodynamic wind cutting look, superb suspension, hydraulic clutch, skimpy tail... list goes on.

 

The way I look at it, If you can handle a 900 you can handle any bike. There lighter, smaller and easy to handle. The 900 is a mans bike and it is old school but it is what started everything from stunting to racing. Johnny

 

So the guy on the CBR1000RR pulls up behind me all flustered and says "you are a quick bitch" after what I though was a mildly spirited ride.. It wouldnt be fair to say I wasnt trying, but I had been riding well within my limits, and as it goes the limits of the 900.

I know the guy well, and we ride with about the same skillset, and have a similar and healthy fear of death.. To enjoy a new litrebike you need to be a whole lot better than either of us posess...

I dont need 160 rear wheel hp to scare myself silly.. I can manage that with my 50hp Yamaha XJR400R, which as it goes, ties all the superbikes into knots in the city..

CJ

 

I used to think one nice thing was that our bikes were not thief magnets

Now I'm not so sure, with 900rrs still obviously popular, the less-law abiding may wanna ****** ours. [:@]

I have mine secured all the time.

 

I own a97 cbr900rr and a 07 kawi zx10r(sorry)and comparing these to is lke comparing a 07 z06 vette and a 70 454 ss chevelle not a model t. the only thing the 900 lacks is modern technology. i love my 900 and would not trade herfor anything. granted new bikes handlebetter but ive never had a problem keeping up with my friends on their new bikes especially around town. and wheelies, no clutch nessesary that oldgirl stands up like an erection on prom night. all i can say is the new bikes look great and handle well on the track but as for around town the 900rr is the king as far as im concerned.

 

WELL PUT FILTHY! +1

 

Newer bikes don't have that same "WOW" factor as the 900RR did back in the day. Forget the horsepower numbers and mods for a moment. When you're looking at a newer bike, nothing quite grabs your attention more than the "cat eye'd" 900RR. For me, the look was more mesmerizing than Kim Kardashian's azz (ok, maybe not). But man, when you saw one of these rolling down the street in 94, 95, or 96, and even today,it felt like time stood still for a few seconds...kinda like bulletime in the Max Payne game.

Over the years, I purchased 4 900's, a 929, and recently added a 1000RR. I'll admit, I picked these bikes because they handled well. And like many others here, with the additional mods, like ignition advancer, GMD computrak suspension setup, full yosh system, carb work, ram air kit,the two of us made it difficult for the big 1000's to run away, say on a run down I-20 into Atlanta or bending a corneron Riverdale Road.

In a way, I feel fortunate to say I've owned a 900RR, because it was and still is,in a league of its' own.

 

As a newb to the forum I thought I'd chime in. I've wrestled with this subject a bunch and love the newer bikes too. But I've noticednew bikesare getting a little porkier, get less MPG, are more complex (not always a better thing when you turn you're own wrenches) and make the insane HP/TQ but at a higher less street friendly RPM. And initial buy in will be higher as well as higher insurance. BUT they look great, have a better aftermarket following, do ultimately make more HP/TQ, brake and handle better, etc. I think for me, once my 900 is tattered and worn out (56,000 miles and still outruns the modern 600RR's, GSXR600's and R6's and 636's and a triumph 695 I have ridden with), I'll trade up. Rebuilding isn't much of an option for me, would rather sell someday and buy a little newer.

 

I know I have said a lot in defence of our old bikes, but I was out on Sunday with a group of about 15 bikes and we were on a long straight doing somewhere around 200kph. One guy comes up wailing on his 600RR, and I mean he was revving to the moon, full tuck and going for it. I just opened the tap, didnt even bother to downshift and steamed along in sixth and retook my "position" without any effort on my part or on the part of my bike.

My riding style has relaxed a little too, and instead of fighting hard and getting to the edge (and going over at times) of my bikes limitations to keep a following rider at bay, I ease off, let them pass, giving myself plenty of space, plenty of time, and then just rip on past on the next straight bit....and to think I was going to get an F4i if the Blade deal didnt work out..

CJ