Sport Rider Photos
The thrust chart shows actual driving force to the rear wheel by taking into account gearing and road speed. The top set of lines represents first gear, with each successive set showing the next gear. The CBR retains the old bike's strong thrust in the lower gears but now carries that advantage through the gearbox. Thrust approaching redline in each gear is significantly down from the Kawasaki and Suzuki, however. The Yamaha's tighter-spaced middle gears give it effectively shorter gearing than the others, with accordingly more thrust-which feels like more power on the road. The Kawasaki has a hefty advantage at peak rpm across the range, but there are gaps between the lower gears; each of the GSX-R's curves ends just as it crosses the next, indicating a gearbox nicely matched to the engine's powerband.
'08 Literbike Comparison Test - Turn It Up To 11