2009 Literbike Shootout

28040 Views 51 Replies 32 Participants Last post by Flynn, Mar 8, 2010

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Discussion Starter · Apr 27, 2009

It's been nearly 12 years since I began working as a full-time motojournalist, and I get wistful for those simpler days. Back then, the literbikes (CBR900RR, ZX-9R, GSX-R1100 and YZF1000) were separated by nearly 100 pounds of weight and huge power disparities, and ergonomics ranged from racetrack refugee to something we now call sport-tour-y. Even a neophyte motojourno could pick a clear winner.

But today, we're stuck in a world of finely honed and fully featured literbikes whose level of diversity is amazingly insignificant. They all haul ass around a racetrack, chassis geometry distinctions are measured in fractions, and peak horsepower differs only by about 5%. Unless you're a nationally ranked Superbike racer, each of these bikes is way better than you are, and saying one is significantly better than another is mere hair-splitting.

If a person could ride a bike blindfolded (maybe next shootout…), they'd be hard-pressed to discern which literbike they were on. Jumping from one model to another at the racetrack, it was astounding to be fully comfortable running quick laps immediately on another brand's bike, as they all have remarkably high performance envelopes yet are amazingly user-friendly for what are essentially road-bound missiles.

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21 - 40 of 52 Posts

frankrizzo

· #21 · May 13, 2009

It is really close to paid for so I got that going for me. I gotta say, the first time I say the '09 in person I was uninspired by the looks. Today, I was ogling a burgundy one at the dealer and got a little lustful. Just don't tell my '06!

Don't worry, pumpkin, you are safe in my garage...

chrisOH

· #22 · May 13, 2009

GET AWAY FROM MY BURGUNDY, and all will be fine :bitchfight

frankrizzo

· #23 · May 14, 2009

Now that you say I can't get it, I am all over it like stink on a monkey, Jerry! My burgundy will be able to beat up your burgundy!

MOKE1K

· #24 · May 17, 2009

Burgendy is deffinatly the ugliest color of the bunch! That color, on bikes, just doesnt go imo. The only bike I can think of burgandy that was ok was the Kawasaki ZX750R in candy. Cant remember the year though. 95 I think?

chrisOH

· #25 · May 18, 2009

Well I hate all black, and blue and white is just blah and tired of it (just like honda and all red)..

I always liked the odd ball color, and I wish Suzuki would give more then one option a year.

frankrizzo

· #26 · May 18, 2009

I too am a big fan of anything other than blue/white. Since my 01 750 in red/black, I have stuck with the red combo. Gotta say that the yellow 1000 in 05 was sweet, though.

chrisOH

· #27 · May 18, 2009

I liked the orangish 1k in K8 and the yellow from K7. Still my favorite is the blk/slvr/yellow from 2001

nitrous36

· #28 · May 18, 2009

Good article. One thing Im happy about is the gixxer didnt rank high on the poser list.:biggrin :lol

The article did seem a little biased to honda. But if I were to get a new litre bike. The CBR would probably be it.

live4speed

· #29 · May 18, 2009

frankrizzo said:
I still haven't seen any reason to buy a new bike. My '06 gixxer thou still blows my mind with its lightweight, overall competence, handling and mind numbing power delivery. It still makes me feel all googly inside!!!

haha you should be in advertising dude! now im looking at 06's lol JK

chrisOH

· #30 · May 19, 2009

Looks wise I like my blue and orang K6, but I can't get past the comfort of the K9...

Put an offer to a dealer yesterday.. Hopefully this will pan out..

frankrizzo

· #31 · May 19, 2009

live4speed said:
haha you should be in advertising dude! now im looking at 06's lol JK

You sure can't go wrong with one unless it has had a hard life... It is freakin amazing.

GSXR650EX

· #32 · May 19, 2009

MOKE1K said:
Burgendy is deffinatly the ugliest color of the bunch! That color, on bikes, just doesnt go imo. The only bike I can think of burgandy that was ok was the Kawasaki ZX750R in candy. Cant remember the year though. 95 I think?

burgendy ftl.

BeNnEtT

· #33 · May 19, 2009

I dont understand?? For the last couple months everyone said that the new r1 was gonna blow every other bike out the water, Thats all i ever heard, was how awesome this bike was going to be and it ended up dead last???? WTF??

chrisOH

· #34 · May 20, 2009

In street trim maybe. Heck I figured the race would be between the GSXR and the R1 at tha track due to the improvements (GSXR longer swingarm and BPF, and R1s new firing order to help apex to hard exit).

But their street form has seemed to come up short. I was worried on the GSXR motor as they shortened stroke and increased Bore again going for top end as they have almost every new generation.

FWIW, color is all opinion. I have been shying away from the main stream colors for awhile now. I just have no intrest in Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black unless other unique colors offset it.

foskamink

· #35 · May 25, 2009

AMA-R1 said:
It was a purely biased event with no pure winner based on performance, if it had been performance based either the R1 or GSXR would have won. I consider them to be incompetent at reporting after watching there horrible lines around Willow, I am a very competent racer at that track and they looked way off form.
scott

you mean the video on the link for the review, yeh even to a decent street rider it looked a bit lame

JustinTR

· #36 · Jun 8, 2009

well when I get a brand new bike, It would be a very very close choice between the zx10 and the gixxer 1k. I mean hell. my 93 handles well and is pretty good quality. Why SHOULDNT I buy a new 1000. The only bad thing is the location of the dealers. The nearest zuki dealer is bout 1 1/2 hours away and the kawasaki dealer is just down the road.

But I should just get a cruiser. Ive only had mine on the road ALMOST 2 months and im already getting myself into trouble.

dave6riv

· #37 · Jun 9, 2009

i just picked up FastBikes, a mag from the UK. had the rankings as follows

4. zx-10r
3. gsxr 1000
2. r1
1. cbr 1000

its all in the riders preferance

dave6riv

· #38 · Jun 9, 2009

damn i want that 1198s!

Qui3tStorm

· #39 · Jun 13, 2009

good for kawi.

Bob Wall

· #40 · Jun 14, 2009

Did I read it correctly, they did the comparison on OEM rubber! How can you evaluate handling on the junk OEM tires that come on the bikes.

21 - 40 of 52 Posts

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