I agree with gixxereater 100% if i didn't get such a deal on my bike I would still be rocking my F3. I had a blast on that bike and most of the time in the twisties I was out running the 1000's until we hit a nice straight away.

 

In my opinion the 600's are great track bikes...easy to handle, lighter and nimble as well. It does have power but easier to manage.

 

What about the manageability of the different classes? Are the literbikes the suicide machines that people say they are? I totalled my 600RR last month and when shopping around for a replacement I found a dealer who was trying to get rid of a new 2006 ZX-10R for $8400 and was tempted to move up just because it was cheaper than any new 600 in town. A couple of friends of mine, each with 40,000 miles of sportbike riding under their belts, told me not to go for the literbike because it was just too much power. I ended up getting a replacement 600RR.

Back when I was riding my Shadow Aero, I thought a 600 would have too much power on its own, and was braced for wheelies and losses of rear wheel traction when I opened up the throttle. Now I am at 5,000 feet of altitude, but on my 600RR I have to work really hard to get the wheel to come up. Actually, I can totally wrench the throttle from idle to the limitin one massive flick and the wheel won't come up. You actually have to downshift and shoot straight to redline to get the wheel to come up, and even then it doesn't happen all the time. My accident was because of bad terrain and loss of eye control coming into a corner, not anything to do with the bike. I have never lost traction and never had the wheel come up when I wasn't trying real hard.

I have another friend, though, one that has a weakness for stories, who talked about his friend's 1000RR having the wheel come up with just a slight increase in throttle. When I frowned and commented that that was too much power, though, he confessed that it never did that to him. Again, back when I was on my cruiser I thought that the 600s were such that riding them wrong would get you killed with wheelies and spinouts and the like, and that a 1000 wouldcause even an experienced rider to lose control with a slightly careless rollon or other minor miscalculation. But now that I know my 600RR is so tame, I am wondering if the rumors about the literbikes are exaggerated.

So I am asking you guys out there with literbikes, how easy is it to spin out the back tire with too much acceleration out of a corner? How easy is it to bring up the front wheel with a healthy rollon? How easy is it to lose control of a literbike? Being a 35 year old family man who loves 90mph corners on a 350 lb bike more than going 200mph with a 400lb bike, I think I would prefer my 600 to a 1000 anyway. I think the 600 is more my style. But as I get more experienced and hang around with other riders, I kind of want to know what others are doing and whether I should advise a young kid who wants ultrapower to get a literbike or if I should tell him to only get such a bike after lots of experience on a 600 in the interest of keeping him out of the hospital.

So what do you guys have to say?

 

The 600 vs 1000 in the twisties talk is mostly bunk now... 20 years ago the 600s really were lighter and more nimble, but now they're almost the same. With the slipper clutches and the rest of the techno stuff - the drive out of the turn isn't as hair raising as it used to be. Getting the power down is getting easier. Meaning? The gap between the 600 and the 1000 in the tight twisties is closing... if it weren't people would stick a 600 in the 1000 class races and eat them up on a tight track.

The 600 is stupendously fast. The only time the 600 isn't fast is if you are in top gear, lower rpms, and you want to make a pass in a short window. On the 600 you click down 1 or 2 (or 3 for some REAL fun) gears and crack her wide open. On the 1000 this is purely optional as the additional torque will pull you out of the low rpms in a hurry...

Do you need a 1000 bike? Nope... but the same could be said of the 600 so it's a fairly weak arguement until you consider price and insurance... personally I love my F4 600 it is fast enoughand comfortable enough I can knock off 1100km with no problem.

If we're talking speed the 1000 wins. If we're talking bang for buck, the 600 wins.

Woot.

 

I love people who say they are 'bored' of 600's, and they dont have enough power. These idiots cant go round corners or use the bikes potential properly. Any jerk can go fast in a straight line.
And I love kicking those peoples asses on my wifes 400, and seeing the look on their faces.
600's deserve respect.

 

Hammer,

I haven't met anyone as eloquent or charming as you in a long time. And with such a cordial and comforting disposition! Thanks for the input. I am sure everyone who reads it will be energised by your wisdom.

 

My brother rides an '03 R1 and he told me he rode his friend's 600RR last week and he said the ride quality of the Honda was markedly improved over the Yamaha and now he wants to try a 1kRR if it is that much better than his R1. I barely rode his bike and have hardly ridden mine (I'm stuck out of state on training), so I can't make a direct comparison between my 1kRR and his R1.

 

Liter bike man, 600s are for teenagers and girls. Men ride 1000s..................................oh ****.

 

Thanks mate, I'm a real English gent at heart. And honest.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p..._045/Trio3.jpg

 

Old thread, I know, but my brother and I rode each other's bikes and now he keeps calling my CBR "the superbike". Handling-wise, the two are pretty equal.Given my CBRis a generation newer thanthe'03 R1,the power ofboth are pretty comparable, but the amazing low-end torque of the Honda makes it a lot more easy to ride around town.