Bmw K1 Vs Honda Cbr1000 Vs Kawasaki Zx-11
BMW K1 VS HONDA CBR1000 VS KAWASAKI ZX-11
CYCLE WORLD COMPARISON
THE FAST, THE FASTER AND THE FASTEST
ONE MILLION YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN ISOLATED tribes of human beings are scattered over the globe and all the history books have long since been lost, they'll still remember 1990. That was the year, they'll discuss in reverent tones, of the Open-class sportbike.
Whether it's due to an alignment of the planets or pure chance, this year we have three different manufacturers springing three new and decidedly different 1000cc-class sportbikes on America. And what a trio of motorcyc1es~ From Honda, there's the new CBR 1000, a genetically im proved offspring of the Hurricane 1000 that blew into the States three years ago. From BMW, there is the K 1, a hightech nology version of the K 100, and the sportiest motor cycle ever built in Germany. And then there's the new Kawasaki ZX11, a faster, more-powerful version of what already was the fastest, most-powerful production bike in the world. What a year.
But even though all three of these new offerings fall roughly into the same category in the American market, each has a very distinctive personality, a different reason for being. To be sure, they all are Open sportbikes with the emphasis more on long-range adventure than on short rocket rides. But each approaches that function with a completely different philosophy.
The BMW K1 is different from any motorcycle that Japan has ever made, and, in fact, it’s different from any motorcycle that ¿?A71Thas ever made. That’s obvious from the way it looks and feels. Oddly enough, though, the way it looks and the way it feels are complete opposites. Its appearance would lead you to believe that it's a big, clumsy motorcycle with lots of weight high, lots of weight low and lots of weight in between. But in truth, the BMW steers like a tiny motorcycle. It's the heaviest of the three, but it hides its poundage well. Its steering is so responsive that sometimes you forget that you're handling a near600-pound motorcycle. In really tight turns, though, the BMW shows its weight. Once leaned over, it's best to let the K1 follow through on its own course. During mid-turn line changes, the machine’s mass makes itself evident.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Honda, with its slow, deliberate manners. It’s one of the most-stable-feeling bikes available—nothing ever takes you by surprise on the Honda. But by the same token, the CBR takes noticeably more input to guide through turns than does the BMW. And like the BMW. once you settle into a particular line and a particular speed, that's the line and speed you should stick with. The CBR rewards smooth, even riding technique.
The Kawasaki ZX is the easiest bike to handle of the three. Riding the Kawasaki is more like riding a 750 than an 1 100. The ZX is the lightest of these three, and it lets you get away with maneuvers that would be big trouble for the others; things like changing lines in mid-turn. The steering itself is much lighter in feel than the Honda’s, though it doesn’t have the almost hyper-active touch of the BMW. In handling, the ZX is in a different, moreracetrack-oriented league than the other two machines.
Another category that the ZX takes hands-down is power. But you need to keep this in perspective: These are three of the fastest bikes on the planet. All three are capable of traveling from Los Angeles, California, to the Mexican border and back during an extended lunch break. So, in a group like this, it really means something to say that one bike is a lot faster than the others. The ZX can make any other motorcycle seem tame: It’s 9 miles per hour faster than the next-fastest production bike this magazine has ever tested, the 1988 Kawasaki ZX-IO. Unmounting either the BMW ( 143-mph top speed) or the Honda ( l 56 mph) and then swinging a leg over the l 76-mph-capable Kawasaki is like getting out of a soapbox-derby racer and climbing into a Formula One Ferrari.
The ZX starts coming into its incredible powerband at about 5000 rpm with a noticeable surge. The BMW has no surge; it pulls cleanly and smoothly all the way from idle up. The CBR waits a little longer to get into the meat of its powerband, starting to pull strongly at about 6000 rpm and really coming on strong above 8000. All three bikes are completely at home stretching their legs and going fast for long periods of time. The BMW is perhaps the most comfortable at high speed, simply because it has the largest fairing. The Honda and the Kawasaki both offer good, but not exceptional, wind protection.
In overall comfort, though, we’ll give the nod to the ZXl l, which is a little more rangy than either the Honda or BMW, though all three have rather thin seats, rather low handlebars, and rather tight seat-to-footpeg relationships. Not as thin, low and tight as those of outright sportbikes, mind you, but it’s still best to leave the continent-crossings to Voyager XIIs, Gold Wings and KlOORTs. The ZX, CBR and Kl are much better at county, or maybe state, crossings. At legal—well, all right, slightly higher than legal-cruising speeds none of them vibrates at a noticeable level, and none of them is noisy, nasty or otherwise illtempered. All in all, each of the three makes an excellent traveling companion.
But that doesn't mean we can't have a favorite. It’s hard not to pick sides when one bike is faster, better-handling and more comfortable than the others. It’s hard not to pick a winner when picking a winner is so easy. The Kawasaki ZX-l l is the best bike of these three; no other conclusion is possible. Does that mean that the BMW Kl and the Honda CBRIOOO are losers? Not hardly. Those two bikes mean that this is a great year for Open-class streetbikes. And the Kawasaki ZX-l l makes it an incredible year. IS
