Decisions, Ecisions... 600 Comparison
DECISIONS, ECISIONS... 600 COMPARISON
CW COMPARISON
CHOOSING THE BEST 600cc STREETBIKE
EVER HEARD OF THE RORSCHACH TEST? You KNOW, THE ONE WHERE A psychiatrist shows you inkblots and you tell him what you see in them? Well, that's a lot like trying to decide which 600cc streetbike to buy. Because while it's easier to see the similarities than the differences, each of the seven middleweights currently on offer are different. And your interpretation of each will likely differ from someone else's. What you see depends largely on who you are, and on what you expect from a motorcycle.
In order to determine just which 600 is best, Cycle World staffers Canet, Catterson, Edwards, Miles and Thompson, joined by freelancer John Bums and roadracers Nigel Gale and Doug Toland, recently assembled all seven 600s and embarked on a three-day test ride. Our route encompassed many of Southern California's best canyon and mountain roads, plus a smatter ing of freeways and hot laps around the serpentine, under1-mile Streets of Willow Springs circuit.
But before we announce our decision, we'll introduce you to each of the contenders in alphabetical order
Honda CBR600F2
We don't like to beat around the bush, so we'll just come right out and say it: The CBR600F2 was the favorite coming into this contest, having won last year's 600cc comparison against the Kawasaki ZX-6 and Yamaha FZR600. But that was a contest to choose the best sportbike, and this a contest to choose the best streetbike. Difference? Definitely. While we ex pect to sacrifice comfort for perfor mance with a sportbike, there's no room for uncomfortable bikes in com muting or sport-touring applications.
Thankfully, the CBR isn't uncom fortable. In fact, the CBR's designers should be lauded for creating a sportbike this comfy. They achieved this by shortening the seat-to-handlebar dis tance-not by raising the handlebars, but by reducing the length of the fuel tank. The result is a bike on which you sit very far forward, with easy to reach handlebars and relatively low footpegs. Yet ground clearance hasn't been sac rificed in the least.
Around town, the CBR's suspension is plush, soaking up pavement irregu larities with the help of its supple Michelin radial tires. Yet it remains composed on bumpy backroads and on the racetrack. With a short wheelbase, quick steering geometry and a V shaped front tire profile, the CBR changes direction easily. Ours shook its head a bit over high-speed bumps, but never broke into a tankslapper.
Like its chassis, the CBR's motor is excellent, with power building gradu ally from the midrange on up. Drive line lash is slight but noticeable, and the transmission of this CBR wasn't as smooth as that of our 1991 test 600, but neither trait was bad enough to be considered a problem.
We don't like the new graphics as much as last year's design, and the black-painted muffler still looks cheesy, but there's nothing else we can think of to criticize. Quick, fast and nimble, yet surprisingly comfortable, the CBR is easily in the running for Best 600cc Streetbike.
Kawasaki NINJA 600R
How times change. When the Ninja 600R was introduced back in 1985, it was by far the best middleweight sportbike, miles better than the GPz55O it replaced. It took the vaunted 1987 Honda Hurricane to unseat it. The Ninja received a makeover in 1988, and has remained in Kawasaki's lineup ever since, offering buyers a lower-priced alternative to the ZX-6.
As such, the Ninja is much as it was back then. Fitted with the 16-inch wheels that were in vogue in the earlyto-mid 1980s, the Ninja steers lightly but requires a slightly different riding technique; applying the brakes mid corner requires a more delicate touch than on one of the newer bikes or you'll be asphalt surfing in no time. Remember anti-dive forks? The Ninja still has `em, though riding the bike now, we can't remember why.
The Ninja's running gear was state of the art when it was introduced, but today it feels dated. Narrow, high-pro file bias-ply tires don't stick as well, and squirm more, than wide, low-pro file radials; dual front disc brakes with twin-piston calipers don't work nearly as well as the four-piston calipers on some of the other bikes; and pressed to the limit, the chassis flexes worse than a TV antenna in a hurricane.
One thing we do like a lot about the Ninja is its motor. Though down some 20 horsepower to the newer bikes, it's among the smoothest-running, and its transmission shifts like the proverbial gravy spoon through mashed potatoes. Why doesn't the ZX-6 shift like this? Have Kawasaki's engineers forgotten how to design a transmission? Or have the good ones all gone to work for Suzuki?
The Ninja is comfortable around town, narrow through its midriff and with bars that don't require the rider to lean into a racer crouch. Its seating po sition, however, doesn't allow much back-and-forth movement, tending to lock the rider into one position. Not a good thing on an extended ride.
If the Ninja 600R cost significantly less than the other bikes, it might have been in the running for Best Buy. But with a suggested retail price of $4749, it hardly costs any less than the Suzuki Katana or Yamaha FZR600. We'll pass on this one.
Kawasaki ZX-6
Ahh, this is more like it. The ZX-6 is essentially a third-generation Ninja 600, but with a slight realignment of its focus. Whereas the original Ninja 600 was aimed squarely at hard-core sport riding, the ZX-6 is biased more for sport-touring. Hot racetrack laps are not in its repertoire-never mind the fact that Scott Russell nearly won the 600cc supersport title on a Rob Muzzy-prepared ZX-6 two years ago.
The ZX-6 feels physically bigger than the other bikes here, more like a 750. Its seating position is fairly up right compared to the sportier bikes,
but the reach to its handlebars is still on the long side. Its footpegs are placed where footpegs should be-down by your feet, not halfway up your calves.
The ZX-6's motor also feels bigger than it is, not because of the quantity of its power but because of its quality. The 6 has the widest powerband here, making good power from 4000 rpm all the way to its stratospheric 14,000-rpm redline.
If the ZX-6 has one flaw, it is exces sive driveline lash. This makes the bike lurch when the throttle is cracked open and makes shifting notchier than it ought to be. Still, the problem is not as severe as on the original 1990 model, thanks to last year's redesign of the transmission and cush drive. Fortu nately, the ZX-6's wide powerband means you shift less often than on the other bikes.
For racing or spirited sport riding, the ZX-6's ground clearance is limited, dragging its sidestand, centerstand and footpegs. Part of the problem is its softly sprung suspension, which lets the bike sag too much. This also af fects ride quality, because the suspen sion spends much of the time in the final, harsh stages of its travel.
Kawasaki has a new ZX-6R repli racer waiting in the wings, so the fact that the ZX-6 is biased for sport-tour ing is no bad thing. Hopefully, Kawasaki will keep the ZX-6 around for awhile-like it's done with the Ninja 600R. The ZX-6 is, after all, one of the best all-around motorcycles in this group. But not the best.
Suzuki GSX-R600
"Biggest disappointment," best de scribes the new-for-'92 GSX-R600. After years of waiting, Suzuki finally built its first serious middleweight sportbike. But by basing the 600 on its new 750, the result is a bike that's overweight and-worst of all-over priced.
Still, the GSX-R is, we would argue, the best-looking bike in Suzuki's line up. And it still manages to work pretty well. Unique in this class is its fully adjustable suspension, which is superi or to anything in this class. The Honda comes close, but doesn't offer the same range of adjustability as the GSX-R. The only complaint levied against the GSX-R's suspension was from hard-riding heavier riders, who felt that the fork dived too much under braking. Otherwise, it earned nothing but praise, even on Southern Califor nia's bumpy concrete freeways.
Handling, too, is excellent, as are the brakes; the guy who designed them ought to be knighted. The guy who de signed the uncompromising riding po sition, however, deserves to be given the Hieronymus Bosch Memorial Pain & Suffering Award. "Best bike to own if your dad's a chiropractor or if you live less than a mile from one of the world's greatest roads," joked one of our testers.
As for its motor, the Suzuki is in the ballpark-at least at high rpm. On the dyno, it's down just 5 peak horsepower to the class-leading Honda. Below that point, however, it loses ground. The GSX-R feels anemic under 7000 rpm, much like its smaller brother, the Ban dit 400. Its transmission shifts smooth ly, but the more we rode ours, the more we started to miss second gear.
Is the GSX-R600 worth $500 more than the CBR or $550 more than the ZX-6? Doubtful.
Suzuki KATANA 600
Before we say anything else about the Katana 600, let's get one thing out of the way: We're not big fans of the way it looks.
Appearance notwithstanding, the Katana is a very good motorcycle. Roomiest of all the 600s, with wide, tall handlebars and lowset footpegs, the Katana fits tall riders best. As with previous GSX-Rs and Katanas, this Kat's engine buzzes, tending to numb its rider's paws on extended rides. Its engine is strong enough to be fun, with excellent midrange power, though it's a bit underpowered even if it did re ceive a new, GSX-R-style valvetrain this year. Though heavy, the Katana still weighs 20 pounds less than the new GSX-R600.
The Katana works pretty well in the twisties, but its fork pogos over brak ing bumps, and the bike feels tall and heavy on the racetrack. At a brisk, seven-tenths sport-riding pace, the Katana works very well, even with a passenger. We learned to appreciate the fork's simple, three-way-adjustable rebound-damping knobs, which let the rider vary the fork's action for chang ing road conditions without any tools, even on the fly. More bikes should be so equipped.
Still the Katana is starting to feel a bit old-fashioned. But it is a satisfying ride, and it's priced right-a combina tion that's unfortunately uncommon in today's motorcycle marketplace.
Yamaha FZR600
The FZR600 was a stop-gap Yamaha threw together in 1989 from existing parts to challenge Honda's Hurricane. Essentially a bored-and-stroked FZR400 in a lower-cost, steel Deltabox chassis (the 400, which cost more, fea tured a beautiful aluminum frame), the FZR600 enjoyed a few seasons of su persport roadracing success prior to the arrival of the CBR600F2.
Today, however, the FZR is dated. Suspension is, at best, a compromise, with the only provision for adjustment being shock-spring preload. The fork dives easily and shudders over braking bumps. Steering, however, is extreme ly precise; only the GSX-R feels better turning-in on the brakes.
Ihe FZK's motor is a torque-mon ster. With a longer stroke and smaller bore than anything in the class-save for the Seca II, which doesn't rev near ly as high-the FZR has the highest pis ton speed, a fact made obvious to the rider by the incessant whirring noise between his legs. But it also has the strongest bottom-end power of any bike in this class. Shifting is good by Yamaha standards, but not up to those of the GSX-R or Ninja 600R.
The FZR received a cosmetic makeover in 1991, including the fit ment of a slant-nose upper fairing with glassed-in headlight. And while we like the new look and the 1992 paint scheme a lot, some parts aren't so nice ly finished. For example, only the part of the muffler canister that shows is covered with stainless steel; the rest is painted black.
The best thing about the FZR600 is that Yamaha has seen fit to slash its price this year. At $4999, it's a pretty good buy. While we appreciate the price cut, we wish the bike came with better tires. The FZR's Bridgestone Cyrox radials are the worst sport tires we've sampled in a long time. Though they're very compliant on the freeway, they squirm when ridden hard on the street and turn greasy on the racetrack. Add $250 to the FZR's price to cover the cost of fitting premium rubber.
Yamaha Seca II
If there's one bike in this class that stands out as being different, it's the Seca II. Throughout our testing, a de bate raged over whether the Seca is a bargain sportbike or a sporty standard.
Its styling-swoopy haif-fairing blending with gracefully arched, painted frame tubes and acres of red paint-screams "sportbike." But its exposed, polished engine and upright seating position whisper "standard."
Whatever it is, the Seca II is priced right. "Any time you can buy a fullsized motorcycle big enough to carry a passenger for under $4000, you've got to consider it a good deal," said one tester. At $3799, the Seca II definitely fills the bill.
Priced as it is, the Seca does not bris tle with the latest techno-trickery. Its air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder motor-with cylinder block angled forward to mimic FZR Genesis engine de sign-is down 30 horsepower to the bet ter bikes, and down 10 to the Ninja 600R. But it's got lots of torque, and its black-painted muffler emits a pleas ant, throaty growl.
Honda CBR600F2
$5699
Kawasaki Ninja 600R
$4749
Kawasaki ZX-6
$5449
Suzuki GSX-R600
$6199
Suzuki Katana 600
$47
HORSEPOWER! TORQUE
As a sportbike, the Seca II is too soft iy sprung at the rear, doesn't have enough ground clearance, and is lacking in the brake department. In the twisties, we dragged the footpegs without trying hard. On the racetrack, our test unit's single front disc brake overheated, faded, and then discolored-though it didn't warp.
Of course, the Seca II wasn't de signed for the racetrack. It's a street bike. And as that, it excels. When we got back from our test ride and re sumed the daily grind of commuting to and from work, the Seca was the bike most in demand. For commuting or light-duty touring, it's excellent.
Considering its price, the Seca 11 de livers a lot. But after riding it back-to back with the other 600cc streetbikes, we just don't feel it's in the same class. Enthusiasts, we're afraid, will soon outgrow it. The Seca II is a better chal lenger to the Honda Nighthawk or Kawasaki Zephyr 750 than it is to the CBR or the ZX-6.
CONCLUSION
Drum roll, please: As we said at the top of this story, which 600 is right for you depends largely on who you are, and what you require from your motor cycle. But if the choice was ours, we'd make tracks for our Honda dealer. The CBR600F2 has, above all, balance. It's the fastest in a straight line and around the racetrack. It's one of the most com fortable. It looks right, it feels right and it's priced right. What more could you want from a motorcycle?
Yamaha FZR600
$3799
Yamaha Seca II
$4299
BEST OF THE REST AND THE OTHER WINNERS ARE. .
O KAY, BY NOW YOU KNOW THAT THE HONDA CBR600F2 IS OUR CHOICE for the Best 600cc Streetbike. But does that mean it's the best choice for you? Maybe, maybe not. Depending on your mission profile, there may be a better choice. Following is a list of what we feel are the best bikes in each of a variety of categories.
BEST BUY:
At $4799, the Suzuki Katana isn't the least expensive bike here. But having the lowest price tag doesn't necessarily make a bike the best value. The Katana is versatile enough, and possesses performance and character enough to make it, we feel, the Best Buy in the 600cc streetbike class. At $3799, the Seca II certainly rates as a bargain, but experienced riders will soon want more engine performance. And the old-style Ninja isn't inex pensive enough to make up for its lackluster handling.
BEST COMMUTER:
The Yamaha Seca II. Face it, for riding to and from work you don't need tire-smoldering power or footpegs mounted up where the rear turnsignals ought to be. You want something comfy, with plush suspension, an up right seating position and a windscreen that's tall enough to hide behind for those times when the weather throws you a curve ball. And if the Seca II just happens to have a saddle that's roomy enough for two-up sport touring on the weekends, so much the better.
BEST SPORT-TOURER:
Kawasaki ZX-6. Most folks wouldn't consider a 600 optimum for sporttouring. But the ZX-6 is no ordinary 600. Ii feels and looks like a down sized ZX11. With a powerband as wide as the Grand Canyon, and a saddle that's cushy enough for two people to enjoy getting there, the 6 is the best bike here for long rides in the company of your Significant Other.
BEST RACEBIKE:
Honda CBR600F2. If you don't believe us, check the Daytona Super sport results. Of course, the GSX-R hadn't been released by then, but we've since ridden a Yoshimura-prepped supersport GSX-R600 at Laguna Seca and still don't feel it's a match for a prepped CBR. In our testing on the Streets of Willow Springs, the CBR. was almost a full second quicker than the GSX-R, and a second-and-a-half quicker than the FZR. The stop watch doesn't lie.
BEST LOOKING:
Suzuki GSX-R600. Let's not forget that this is the most style-conscious class in motorcycling. The GSX-R600 may be disappointingly overweight, seriously overpriced and downright uncomfortable, but it does have an un deniable style, and that alone will be enough to persuade some buyers. Just don't go racing for pinks with CBR600F2 owners.
BEST ANTIQUE:
Yamaha FZR600. Go ahead, name another motorcycle that has aged this well. The FZR is still lots of fun, and with some decent tires and an after market shock, it's still competitive in club-roadracing circles. Yoo-hoo, anybody home at Yamaha? Time to update this puppy. Give it some wide wheels, fully adjustable suspension, maybe some better brakes, and it might again be a winner. At least the price has been reduced this year. At $4999, the FZR was in contention for Best Buy honors.
