'08 Literbike Comparison Test - Turn It Up To 11

Kawasaki ZX-10R: 92.3
Just one romp down your favorite canyon road will leave you breathless at how well the ZX-10R works in its element. The incredible mill has acres of torque over a wide spread and impeccable throttle response, leading Mikolas to score engine power as 10+ and write, "Holy crap! I couldn't fault it, even if I tried." While the steamy engine doesn't have the midrange of the Honda, its stronger bottom end propels it off tight corners harder. And while the Suzuki may have a more linear powerband-the ZX-10R goes a bit soft in the 7500-rpm area-the Kawasaki has better driveability and puts its power to the ground better. That silly-strong engine is matched perfectly to a lithe, well-sorted chassis. The Kawasaki's low-effort brakes offer great feel and feedback, and the suspension is firm without being harsh, soaking up both rolling bumps and sharp hits with ease. It's the closest thing to race suspension on a stock bike we've experienced yet. And underneath it all is a superlative OEM variant of the Bridgestone BT-016 that offers loads of grip and feedback with neutral, if a bit heavy, steering. It all adds up to a package that gives the Kawi's pilot loads of confidence and makes the GSX-R1000 feel overweight and underpowered by comparison. Take the ZX-10R out of the canyon environment in which it shines, however, and it does have some faults: Around town the engine is buzzy enough to put your hands to sleep. Ergos are the raciest of this bunch with a hard seat to match-the Kawasaki topped every category for street use but was ranked last in the ergo column. And the stiff suspension can make for an uncomfortable ride on a bumpy freeway.

Track
Yamaha YZF-R1: 88.3
With the most top-end-heavy powerband of this group you'd expect the R1 to tear up the track, but the Yamaha had the most difficulty dealing with Buttonwillow's mixed layout of fast and slow turns. With bottom scores in half the categories and the slowest lap time, the R1 carded the lowest overall track ranking. Our riders all raved about the bike's light-steering chassis, great front-end feedback, supple suspension and brakes that offer strong initial bite with brick-wall power. Just as on the street, however, the Yamaha's high-revving engine lets the agile chassis down when push comes to shove. Part of the blame can be placed on the track we chose: Several of Buttonwillow's turns on the west loop leave the engine languishing in its midrange in second gear or screaming near redline in first, where the other bikes power through with little fuss. The R1's powerband is simply so narrow that gearing plays a huge part in its performance, and our test track played to that weakness. "You can get around the track just as quick with the R1," writes Kent; "it just requires precision, intense concentration . . . and no slow corners that are too fast for first gear." Once again our testers were divided about the bike's ergos, with one calling the riding position too tight and another dragging the pegs and claiming they could be higher without sacrificing comfort.

Honda CBR1000RR: 90.2
We were as surprised as anyone when we added up the scores, but despite carding the quickest lap time by a comfortable margin and being one tester's pick for a track bike, the Honda ranked third in the continued on page 70 track ratings. On the plus side, the CBR's light weight definitely plays to its favor, as does its ultrastrong midrange. "The weight advantage the Honda has over the rest is amazing," notes Siahaan. "It feels like you're tossing a scooter from side to side. And once the engine is in its sweet spot, it just rips." On the minus side are a number of detail items that are individually minor but sum to make the big Honda a lot of work to ride quickly. The suspension is stiff and harsh over Buttonwillow's many rough sections. Top end is noticeably lacking on longer straights, especially stacked up against the Suzuki and Kawasaki. And while our Geek cited good throttle response at the bike's introduction and swears the off/on transition is smooth in most corners, our other testers argue it's too abrupt, especially in long sweepers. Literbike Hondas are typically polished and refined, but the '08 CBR displays some very un-Honda-like tendencies, further hurting its scores. Our test unit hung up in gear several times, requiring an opposite push on the shift lever. On acceleration and deceleration puffs of smoke can clearly be seen behind. And the starter sounds like it won't run for more than a few seconds before draining the new, smaller battery.