Literbikes vs. 600s

[Uncle Coollis]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of literbikes and 600cc for street use only. Especially the gsx 1k and the r6.

[imprezive]

Originally posted by Uncle Coollis
What are the advantages and disadvantages of literbikes and 600cc for street use only. Especially the gsx 1k and the r6.

IMHO if it is for "street use" lighter is better. IOW a 600

[wako29]

Originally posted by imprezive
IMHO if it is for "street use" lighter is better. IOW a 600

w3rd
I have always said that lighter bikes are more fun to ride. Plus, a R6 is cheaper MSRP, cheaper insurance, easier to ride, etc. etc. Also, it gets to the point, where you don't even need a 1000 on the street, because a 600 is PLENTY of power for street use IMHO

[FreeBMW]

the poundage advantage of the smaller displacment bikes is nice....but the balls out power of the 1L+ bikes are mind blowing!

It all depends on how you plan to ride......if you are a stop light racer or drag racer then a liter bike is great......


if you are a twisty road knee dragger then the smaller displacment bike is for you.

[ms3p]

It depends of what kind of skill level rider are you too. You cannot put a n00b on a Hyabusa

[FreeBMW]

Originally posted by ms3p
It depends of what kind of skill level rider are you too. You cannot put a n00b on a Hyabusa

Heavy-bus-a

unless you want to drag it they are utterly useless.

[Sirkbac]

I find the liter bikes are easier to use in daily life. The low end grunt that 900cc or greater gives is very useful. I don't have to worry so much what gear I'm in on the 929, just pull the throttle alittle and no matter what speed or gear, the bike will move forward. On a 600cc you need to be more mindful of where you are or the motor will bog out alittle.

On that note, a Liter bike isn't something for a new rider. Also with a Liter bike you need to be careful of insurance, in some cases it will cost more for insurance than the loan per month on the bike. A 600cc bike is all you really need, hell...a 250cc is all you need for the street. But having a 1000cc ish bike is nice as long as you know how to controll it.

[imprezive]

Originally posted by Sirkbac
I A 600cc bike is all you really need, hell...a 250cc is all you need for the street. But having a 1000cc ish bike is nice as long as you know how to controll it.

w3rd

[DUG]

liter bikes are for the dragstrip and guys with ego problems. I've had a gxr 600 to 160 and it was still pulling. why the hell would you need more than that to scoot around on. besides, I've been on just about everything and 600s are where it's at. they are the fun-nest to ride and thats the point...............

[Ramsdale]

Hmm. The answer partially depends on the type of bike (sport, touring, etc). Presuming an inline four, and a sportbike for street use:

1000cc = More grunt at low-medium revs. Usually more power overall. Higher insurance, and can be thirstier (less gas mileage). With all the extra torque you can avoid shifts, and are less likely to feel the weight of a passenger or bags. You need a gentle throttle hand if you're going for it, however, especially on corners.

600cc = Can sometimes feel flat below 5-6k rpm. Usually a higher redline. You'll shift more to stay in the powerband. Still plenty powerful, and more forgiving of mistakes with the throttle. More insurance friendly, depending on your agency. Cheaper to buy new.

If you are new to sportbikes, I would recommend a 600 before a litre bike. Modern 600's have as much power as the litre bikes of old, and are a bit more friendly to learn on. You can get used to the power by keeping it below 8k rpm, and then dial it in as you adjust. Likewise, it's less likely to bite you on a corner if you get a little ham-fisted.

If you haven't ridden before, get something completly different. A used bike is best, and stay in the 400-600cc range. Learn to ride, and learn to ride smoothly, before jumping on a sportbike.

Enjoy,
KR

[m750]

IMHO....
If you have to ask the question, you shouldn't be even considering either one.

--
I don't have specific expierence with either an r6 or a gsxr 1k, but...
I would say for the street a modern sport bike is alot of bike. The 600 is more high strung though, and you typically have to wring it's neck to get much out of it. The 1k's are prolly have more low end, but are heavier, and have more power in general.
My recomendation, start small, and scratched.
AO

[Sirkbac]

Originally posted by DUG
liter bikes are for the dragstrip and guys with ego problems.

I don't think that is the case at all. If you were talking about a Busa I'd agree, but the 929, 954, R1 and so on arn't that much faster on the 1/4 then the 600cc's. I agree a 600cc is a great bike, and better than a Liter bike in some ways, but to classify all Liter bikes as 1/4mi missles for people with a small penis....would be pretty ignorant. At this point I have thrown a leg over about 40 diffrent bikes, all sizes, makes, and years. Everything has it's advantages, just depends on what you want from the bike.

[ColinL]

Originally posted by m750
IMHO....
If you have to ask the question, you shouldn't be even considering either one.

I mostly agree, the question is pretty scary, but giving the original poster some benefit of the doubt, everyone has to start somewhere.

Originally posted by Sirkbac
I don't think that is the case at all. If you were talking about a Busa I'd agree, but the 929, 954, R1 and so on arn't that much faster on the 1/4 then the 600cc's.

they're all fast enough that if you can actually launch one with professional competition ability you will win a drag race against someone that cannot. 9.90 vs. 10.30-10.50 ... meh

I can't launch one in that way because I have utterly no need to do so. not going to bash on those that like drag racing their bikes-- at a drag strip-- but it's just not my thing on the strip and especially not the street.

"any fool can go fast in a straight line."

[Sirkbac]

Come on CollinL, we all know you live your life a 1/4mi at a time...

The drag strip is fun to do now and then, guilty pleasure. But when people start setting up their daily ridden street bikes for the 1/4...stretched swingarms....NOS....etc, thats just a waste of a good sportbike.

[Dracon]

I have a 2003 R6... I've got a Micron High Mount, Power Commander III usb, Velocity Stacks, Slide Stops, and a Custom A/F Map, and it rocks... Great Throttle response, crazy fast acceleration, and she looks like a 16yr old on teen night, and with all my mods it still was cheaper than a liter bike.

I max out at an indicated 164 mph, I know there is a speedo error to take into effect, but my point is - it's damn fast. I've ridden friends Duc's - 748, 916, and a 748 with a 853 kit on it, and the R6 will Own them all, another friend with a 998 will take meon a straight, but not on the twisties We went to Barber Motorsports Park last year and I had the fastest track time of all of us, and there were ZX9's, CBR 954's, ZX6's, and a ton of other bikes... actually the 600's all did really well. I've ridden liter bikes before and many of my friends have them, but if you need/want a bike for the backroads and twisty canyon roads, the R6 is the bike you need.

What the other poster said about being more forgiving is also true, on a liter bike, snap the throttle without meaning to and you could be on your ass with a very expensive piece of wrecked metal... with a 6, you can still pull wheelies and other stunts, but you don't have to worry about flipping it.. Also the ins on a CBR954 (the liter bike I looked at) was more than twice as much as a 600 (599) bike.

[RoadRashed]

All I rode for 8 years were 600's. Had 5 of them.... Loved them all. They were perfect for street riding and as good as I got, I was never pushing them to their complete limits on the streets. A few years ago I moved up to a liter bike for a few reasons. The biggest reason was the wife. Riding two-up on a 600 SUCKS! On the 1000cc, I barely notice she is there. The other reason was comfort. I went with an FZ1 because of its riding position and the fact I can do 600 mile days and still not be crying (something I could NOT do on any of my 600's).

If I did not have the wife to haul around and I hadn't moved farther from the good mountain roads, I would probably go back to the 600's.... The insurance is MUCH cheaper as well as the bike itself. The performance difference you get for the extra dollars on the street is a "poser issue" in my mind. Every weekend I ride in the mountains (especially when I had my 600's), it was hilarious to watch the guys on their latest, greatest liter bikes get their asses spanked by almost anyone on a 600. If you aren't on the track all the time......you don't NEED 150HP vs. 100HP to go fast.....the 600's do it just fine.

If you are inexperienced.......screw the liter bike and get a 600. You will LEARN a whole lot more, a whole lot quicker on a bike that doesn't scare the crap out of you every time you crack the throttle. You can focus on handling vs. throttle control.......and for a newbie THAT is very important.

[Stanley]

As alluded to above, it really depends on what you want from the bike. I've got a 92 Couchasaki 1000 that would get smoked by any modern 600 which is fine by me because I can roll on the throttle at 2,500 rpms and she pulls with no complaints. The extra displacement is also nice when carrying the extra weight of a passenger. If you're thing is solo canyon carving, I'd think a 600 would be the size of choice.

[twinbrd]

Originally posted by Sirkbac
I find the liter bikes are easier to use in daily life. The low end grunt that 900cc or greater gives is very useful. I don't have to worry so much what gear I'm in on the 929, just pull the throttle alittle and no matter what speed or gear, the bike will move forward. On a 600cc you need to be more mindful of where you are or the motor will bog out alittle.

On that note, a Liter bike isn't something for a new rider. Also with a Liter bike you need to be careful of insurance, in some cases it will cost more for insurance than the loan per month on the bike. A 600cc bike is all you really need, hell...a 250cc is all you need for the street. But having a 1000cc ish bike is nice as long as you know how to controll it.

Word! I can keep up with Liter bikes on the 636, i just need to work much harder than they do. IMO a Liter bike is better for the street because of the torque...as stated above.

[Jimmy S.]

600's > All

hehehe no just kidding. Depends what you want. I can "Finally" keep up with most liters in the canyons now, and even with my crazy friend with his F1...

-SF

[mart242]

It depends on the use.

I rode 7000 km in 12 days with some luggage and my GF at the back on a CBR1100XX. There's no way in hell I'd have done that on my old ZX-6E !

Plus, the power was never lacking. Even fully loaded with a passenger, I never had to go full throttle. Twist it slightly and it goes from 140km/h to 180km/h in a few seconds!

Ah I miss that bike!

[theJrod]

I probably won't ever buy a 600, especially now that I'm used to my liter bike.

I like the extra torque - it makes riding around town a lot easier. On the freeway in sixth gear, I can just roll on the throttle and out-accelerate any car. On a 600 you can still out-accelerate any car, but you may have to downshift twice.

Oh, and my bike is a 1000cc v-twin - horsepower is right in the middle (130 compared to 105ish for 600s, and 150ish for 1000s), but torque is just as high as the 1000cc fours, but builds quicker.

[mart242]

Originally posted by theJrod
On the freeway in sixth gear, I can just roll on the throttle and out-accelerate any car. On a 600 you can still out-accelerate any car, but you may have to downshift twice.

Actually, you will want to downshift twice on the literbike too. Otherwise, it's not as impressive for the car you are trying to pass.

[twinbrd]

Originally posted by mart242
Actually, you will want to downshift twice on the literbike too. Otherwise, it's not as impressive for the car you are trying to pass.

duh, the front end won't even come up in 6th, pffff.

[Keshav]

Neither would make a good first bike. Someone's always gotta mention that, eh?

[theJrod]

Originally posted by Keshav
Neither would make a good first bike. Someone's always gotta mention that, eh?

Totally depends on the rider, but generally speaking, that is true.