.

[Rdslvr04]

What has been stated is all true, however in my honest opinion, they are not really comparing apples to apples are they? Would a truer test not have been between 2005 and 2020 GSXR? Or are the very least some other 2020 in line four. I think they were just looking for an excuse to ride a 2020 Ducati fast on a race track.

 

[2WheelNut]

What has been stated is all true, however in my honest opinion, they are not really comparing apples to apples are they? Would a truer test not have been between 2005 and 2020 GSXR? Or are the very least some other 2020 in line four. I think they were just looking for an excuse to ride a 2020 Ducati fast on a race track.

True. But I enjoyed the video regardless so it was a win, win.

 

[TWTim]

Also bringing this up makes me wonder what has happened to Suzuki. They used to be so good.

Suzuki never stopped being good. They've been awesome for decades and that's still the case today. It just seems like they aren't as good to you because all the hype surrounding them is gone. AMA Superbike is a shell of its former self. Umpteen-time AMA champ Mat Mladin and his teammate Aaron Yates are but distant echoes of Suzuki's past dominance. Moreover, liter bikes have lost a big share of their popularity to nakeds and other models as motorcycling in general suffers through a huge decline.

If I found the right deal on a brand new GSXR, I'd be proud to own one. Though this video (which is currently making the rounds in all corners of the motorcycling world) seems to show pretty clearly that speed technology in motorcycle design has reached somewhat of a stasis, and has been replaced with bells and whistles as the main selling point to lure buyers.

 

[blupupher]

I would be curious how a novice would do on the two bikes. I think all the bells and whistles could help a poor rider do a lot better.
The tech would allow a rider to be more confident and get closer to the limit without going over it (for the most part).

I remember as a 19 year old riding a mechanic friends GSXR 1100 in the late 80's, and that thing was scary fast. I got to take it on a lap at Texas World Speedway and was terrified I was going to wreck the whole time.

 

[snlsmith]

I would be curious how a novice would do on the two bikes. I think all the bells and whistles could help a poor rider do a lot better.
The tech would allow a rider to be more confident and get closer to the limit without going over it (for the most part).

What about a low- to mid-level expert? If someone wants to supply the bikes, i'll be happy to give you an answer. I have a perfect track (ECR) to test them on.

 

[snlsmith]

Agreed. Also......the lower budget makes it less of a risk to push a bit more.

I don't want to go down on any bike, but I'd much rather lowside my 06 GSXR 750 than my 2015 R1 because I have a lot more $$ tied up in the R1 and thereforethe risk is greater.

This is probably the biggest reason I'm faster on the GSXR.

This is also why most riders will go faster on the track when they get a track-only bike. You are willing to push it harder knowing that if you bin it, you haven't lost your daily commuter.

 

[Rdslvr04]

I know this is also going to be an over simplification but, when these two “Experts” tested the bikes they greatly omitted one of the key components of their test. Seems elemental but, track lay out is a major contributing factor as to which bike will ultimately prevail. On American horse tracks likes the one in collage station (TWS) inline 4 powered bikes and riders who aren’t afraid of top end speed are usually victorious and on more technical European style tracks, if you would, V powered bikes that excel in the point a shoot type racing style will usually win.

 

[MidlifeCrisis]

Barry Henning?! Is that what he used to call himself?

Anyhow, that long stroke K5 motor is one heck of a sporbike engine. So much so that Suzuki has based a whole line of current production liter bikes on it. It's just too bad Suzi doesn't do a proper sport touring version, or else I'd ditch my N1k for it in a heart beat.

 

[TWTim]

Seems elemental but, track lay out is a major contributing factor as to which bike will ultimately prevail. On American horse tracks likes the one in collage station (TWS) inline 4 powered bikes and riders who aren’t afraid of top end speed are usually victorious and on more technical European style tracks, if you would, V powered bikes that excel in the point a shoot type racing style will usually win.

I agree that there is some merit to this contention. But in the case of the V4S, it should be head and shoulders above a 15-year-old Gixxer in every performance dynamic. This isn't like the old days when 996cc Ducati twins struggled to keep up with 1000cc Japanese 4-cylinder superbikes on the AMA tracks.