Scott_in_FL
08-13-2002, 09:48 AM
For background, I have ridden bikes nearly 20 years and raced WERA #369 600 and 750 Superstock in the Mid-Central region for three years during the early 90's. I own an '02 Gix 1k and my girlfriend recently purchased an '02 Yam R1. As of today, I've ridden both bikes very hard on Mountain roads (a couple recent trips to NC) and these are my objective impressions.
The first thing I noticed was that the R1's brakes are amazing. Although the initial bite is probably a bit much for street use, the power of the Yam's binders is very welcome at serious sporting speeds. There isn't much progression though in the lever. It feels that full braking can be acheived in about 1/4" of front lever travel. In comparison, the Suzuki's brakes feel almost non-existent. This is no joke! Suzuki really needs to address this issue. Although the bike does stop, it takes a bunch of lever travel. The only benefit of this is that the brakes are very easy to modulate. You can scrub off 1/10's of a mph if you want to. With the Yam, it's tough to make very minor speed changes (i.e. corner entry) because they are so powerful. Advantage Yamaha.... big time!
Suspension is about even. Both bikes soak up all the normal stuff (paving changes, cracks/expansion joints, etc.) with absolutely no drama to the chassis. At full lean, both suck up the nasties really well and keep the bike planted. This is a dead heat.
Comfort sucks on the Yam. Damn, they could use a piece of wood for that seat and I wouldn't know the difference after about 30 minutes. After riding the Suzuki, I can't figure out any reason why the Yam seat need be so uncomfortable. Additionally, with the bars closer to you on the Yam, I felt the clip-ons strained my wrists more than the Suzuki. Perhaps it is the more extreme angle of the palm in relation to the forearm when resting your weight on your arms (i.e. highway riding). Advantage Suzuki.
Power is an interesting point. Down low and through the midrange, the Yam feels stronger. But over 7-8,000 rpm, the Suzuki feels much stronger. I chalk it up to the ram-air effect because the Suzuki feels like it continues to accelerate at an increasing rate all the way through the range. Whereas the Yamaha feels like it accelerates at a perfectly equal rate of acceleration without the Suzuki's top-end rush. The Yamaha is strong and steady for sure, but the Suzuki is just an absolute beast.
On some of the finer points, the Yamaha certainly feels smaller and lighter (like 30 lbs. lighter when you're riding it hard). It is more twitchy than the Suzuki at higher speeds, and wheelies seem a bit easier controlled on the Suzuki (although the Yamaha is just as willing to do them, if not more so). The Yam's stock Dunlop tires start to slide much sooner than the Suzuki's Bridgestones.
If you're a racer type looking for the best performance, I think the Suzuki is a better bet out of the crate. If you're willing to spend the additional money though, the Yam could be brought up to snuff. It needs a power infusion (exhaust, PCIII, etc.), steering damper, and tires right away in order to keep pace with a stock Gix 1k.
If you're more of a cruiser person, looking for a bike that is just right for those Friday night rides to and from the local hangout, then the R1 is for you. Hands down, the R1 is flat-out gorgeous. It makes the Suzuki look like it was styled back in the 80's. Build quality and attention to detail also seems a bit higher level on the R1. If you like customizing your bikes, I'm sure you could get an R1 to just drop jaws with some nice aftermarket pieces. Good luck finding someone to sit on that rear pillion for too long though.
I hope this was helpful for anyone thinking about purchasing either of these two machines. You will not regret your decision to buy either one.