'08 Literbike Comparison Test - Turn It Up To 11

Suzuki GSX-R1000: 88.3
Yes, you read that right: The GSX-R carded third-place scores on our street ride. The bike that was so dominant in years past definitely loses its luster when ridden in the company of the Honda and Kawasaki. The Suzuki's monster motor is still incredible and still offers the most linear power delivery with the smoothest off/on throttle response of this foursome. But jump on the GSX-R after riding the CBR or ZX, and it seems, well . . . a bit slow. Likewise, the chassis that last year disguised its weight so well still does just that and has almost impeccable handling manners thanks to light, neutral steering from the OEM Bridgestone BT-015 tires, a natural ergonomic triangle and well-sorted suspension bits. But try and throw the GSX-R from side to side as quickly as the Honda and Kawasaki are capable of transitioning and you'll soon wear yourself out. The GSX-R is only a few pounds heavier than the ZX-10R, but just as the Suzuki felt lighter than the scales showed last year, the Kawasaki goes one better. "The GSX-R doesn't really do much wrong," writes Kento in his notes. "It's just that in this company its few faults really get amplified." Add in the wooden-feeling brakes of our test unit-the only real flaw in the overall package-and you've got a third-place bike.

Honda CBR1000RR: 90.3
"Honda kept its promise of giving the 1000 the same makeover as the 600," notes Siahaan. "And that's a good thing." All our testers raved immediately about the CBR's impressive midrange power; you don't need a dyno chart to know the Honda is Charles Atlas-strong in the middle and lunges off corners almost as aggressively as Mikolas leaps for his ringing cell phone. Honda's trickery to reduce engine braking and improve the off/on throttle transition-a new slipper clutch, the Idle Air Control Valve and the Ignition Interrupt Control System-works on the street, and the CBR has smooth throttle response in most situations. Work below the rpm range of the IICV's operation, however, and response is very jerky and abrupt, making idling around town frustrating. It's easy to see that the CBR needs that trickery, having plenty of driveline lash. The CBR is the lightest bike here by a whopping 23 pounds, and the svelte chassis transitions from side to side quickly. Combine that with top-rated ergos and crisp brakes and the CBR is capable of making serious time down a twisty road. While one of our riders rated the CBR highest for street use, it's in the details that the Honda loses out to the Kawasaki: The OEM Dunlop Qualifiers require more effort than we'd like, and steering is not overly neutral. Suspension is a definite notch below the ZX-10R's, with harsh high-speed damping that leads to flightiness over rough patches. And the stomping midrange is offset by a soft bottom end that calls for additional shifting on a tight road, a situation not helped by a clutch and tranny that are a bit clunky compared with the Kawasaki's and Suzuki's bits.