600 vs. 1000., I

["Dangerous" Dan K]

No, not which should a newbie get, although I admit that probably played a part in my thought here.

I've ridden old liter bikes that were slow as hell.

I've ridden newer 600s that were MUCH faster.'

Is there a chart, or do any of you have an offhand idea, hp/weight/displacement crosses? It could be as simple as "anything 600cc 2003 or newer will smoke an early 90s/late 80s 1000" or I could need to pull specs on every bike to get an idea.

[oVTo]

This link provides a lot of the data you're looking for, but not all of it. And you'll need to reformat it make it usable for what you're looking for.

Edit - I took a quick look at the data. I expected that for things like 1/4 mile time, the 1000s would cross a threshold in year 'X' and the 600s would cross it 'Y' years later, with the time between each class crossing that threshold changing by a year or two. But that isn't what the performance data shows. This data was from 1996 to 2007, with most sport bikes in the 2000 to 2006 range when tested. Even the oldest 1000s/1100s had faster 1/4 mile time and better 60-80 roll-on than the newest 600s.

So for straight-line performance, it takes a long time for a 600 to match older liter bike performance. Around a track it would be different because weight and mass centralization will be a big factor. And for the last few years the big bikes have been getting small, reducing the 600s advantage. The '08 CBR1000RR weigh is about 10 pounds heavier than the 2008 CBR600RR. So comparing based on lap times at a few tracks for different models and different years would probably be a better measure. But I'll bet there's a big variation based on the track layouts.

One other thing to consider, if you were comparing old liter bikes to new 600s, the older liter probably had years of wear and tear on them and their performance probably wasn't the same as if you were to take one out of the crate right now.

re-Edit: I re-read your post and realized you were looking to compare late 80s/early 90s liter bikes to more current 600s. The Motorcyclist mag data doesn't go back that far. Still, it does show you have to go back a lot of years to see the 600s match the 1000s performance, at least for HP or other straight-line measures.

[BrianC]

Recently some Jamaican dude in my neighborhood was trying to sell his 04'zx10r so he let me take it for a ride. I jumped off my 06' R6 and onto his green machine so the feel of the 600 was fresh when I took his bike for a ride. The Kawi had over 20,000 miles on it and I could tell he didn't take good care of it because the brakes were spongy as hell and the plastics were kind of hammered. I saw it everyday I passed by his house and it was alway sitting outside in the rain too. I wound the zx10r thru its gears down the main street, then turned off onto a twisty side road that I was riding frequently, and other than a much beefier sounding exhaust, more torquey engine, and 2nd/3rd gear power wheelies, my bike still felt quicker. Not that the liter bike wouldn't smoke me in a drag race, but overall the bike just felt like a slug compared to the R6.

[Doc]

Then ya gotta throw the whole I4, Vtwin, 3 cylinder, Tumper debate in there.

I know the 750ss Twin I had was slower than my friends inline 6's. Different power delivery helped me to ride it quicker/easier though.

[gixxer72]

Good question and has had me thinking about some of the bikes I've owned and ridden.

I have had two 2007 gsxr's, a 1000 and a 600. The 1000 absolutely stomps the 600. No comparison.

But that same 600 holds it's own surprisingly well in several 2nd, 3rd gear roll ons we've done with a friends 2004 Ducati 999...I think the 600's accelleration would be comparable or a bit better than the TL1000R I had (2001). Kind of apples and oranges with the twins vs I4 but the same 600 would smoke the 1990 CBR1000 I rode a couple years ago, that thing was a pig.

[stoinkythepig]

All you need is the RWHP and wet weight of each bike you intend to compare. Add a fixed weight for operator and gear to the bike wet weight and then divide by the RWHP. The one with the lower resulting number will be quicker.

[oVTo]

All you need is the RWHP and wet weight of each bike you intend to compare. Add a fixed weight for operator and gear to the bike wet weight and then divide by the RWHP. The one with the lower resulting number will be quicker.

You have to include gear ratios too, and with traction control becoming more common, it will get even more difficult to compare because the manufacturers can overbuild the engine with throttle it back with electronics.