RE: Suzuki GSX-R1000: PH Fleet
Discussion
bass gt3 said:
JimClark49 said:
The K5 is the pinnacle of sportsbikes and is still the benchmark.....
Actually, have another.
Still the benchmark?
How?
The 2006/2007 blade trashed the k5/6 in handling, brakes and had midrange the k5 could only dream of!.
The 04-06 R1 had midrange to blast anything at the time.
Then came the 08 blade, which had tons more midrange (fact) and still has the best chassis of anything in the class.
Then came the s1000rr, which took a k5 motor, ripped it to pieces and started again. Oh and it's brakes, electronics made a K5 look pants.
And then came the kwak, infact if you had ridden an 08-11 zx10 you'd see that on every level it craps on the k5, and for anyone's sake we won't even mention the 2011 onwards, which, without doubt, is the king of the 1000cc castle, (but the blade still has the best chassis, however it sounds like the 2015 bmw may change that!)
The K5 was the best bike of its generation, yes, but it is looked upon with tinted glasses!
Lincsblokey said:
The 2006/2007 blade trashed the k5/6 in handling, brakes and had midrange the k5 could only dream of!.
The 04-06 R1 had midrange to blast anything at the time.
Bit early to be drinking? The 04-06 R1 had midrange to blast anything at the time.
Fact is (and its all gone a bit my dad / mate in the 6th form is bigger than your dad / mate in the 6th form) any of the 1000cc sports bikes built since 2004 will be great fun to ride and more than enough on the road. As for track work, ridden in isolation, I'd bet any of them with good tyres and a bespoke suspension set up isn't going to be found wanting.
If you have a complex about being overtaken on the straights on track by a faster bike then the latest and greatest is for you. If not save some money and buy the one with the prettiest colours.
I am sticking to my opinion that the K5 is a fantastic bike that set a high benchmark still valid today (see numerous comparisons of the K5 with newer bikes in the bike magazine of your choice - Fast Bikes did one not so long back).
I am not a riding god, but cover about 20k miles a year on bikes (on fast Welsh B roads and track) and would like to think that I know a thing or two about when I am riding a good bike. When I bought a K5 i kept an open mind....I was happy to be dissappointed and ready to dismiss the hype. But it honestly lived up to the hype and having ridden some (very) different sportbikes over the years including the 07 and 09 R1, 2010 blade, Ducati 848 evo, and 2014 hayabusa (which is not comparable to a sportbike of course)... none of these bikes gave me the feeling the K5 gives. The K5 feels like a 600, and I would know as I covered 30k miles in two years on a K1 600 before I bought the K5. One limitation to my tests is that I am not comparing bikes with the same tyres/brakes etc.
The K5 will likely become a classic in decades to come. I stand by that.
I am not a riding god, but cover about 20k miles a year on bikes (on fast Welsh B roads and track) and would like to think that I know a thing or two about when I am riding a good bike. When I bought a K5 i kept an open mind....I was happy to be dissappointed and ready to dismiss the hype. But it honestly lived up to the hype and having ridden some (very) different sportbikes over the years including the 07 and 09 R1, 2010 blade, Ducati 848 evo, and 2014 hayabusa (which is not comparable to a sportbike of course)... none of these bikes gave me the feeling the K5 gives. The K5 feels like a 600, and I would know as I covered 30k miles in two years on a K1 600 before I bought the K5. One limitation to my tests is that I am not comparing bikes with the same tyres/brakes etc.
The K5 will likely become a classic in decades to come. I stand by that.
Entertaining thread.
For someone like myself who is looking to upgrade a 98 R1 to something more track-able I see a natural ladder of 2004/2005 stuff as the next step (i.e. R1 and 1000K5), next stop 08 Blade (the sweet spot £ wise), S1000RR (more problems than it answers), lastly as the pinnacle the 2011 > ZX10 (unless we consider £14-15k 2015 tackle as track-able).
Main point someone else made earlier; if you're main use of the bike is as a road bike and you can get a pre reg 2014 model GSX-R1000 for £8500 - what an utter, utter bargain!
For someone like myself who is looking to upgrade a 98 R1 to something more track-able I see a natural ladder of 2004/2005 stuff as the next step (i.e. R1 and 1000K5), next stop 08 Blade (the sweet spot £ wise), S1000RR (more problems than it answers), lastly as the pinnacle the 2011 > ZX10 (unless we consider £14-15k 2015 tackle as track-able).
Lincsblokey said:
The 04-06 R1 had midrange to blast anything at the time.
Not sure how this rubbish crept in - they're rubbish until you put a full system on them. Main point someone else made earlier; if you're main use of the bike is as a road bike and you can get a pre reg 2014 model GSX-R1000 for £8500 - what an utter, utter bargain!
JimClark49 said:
I am sticking to my opinion that the K5 is a fantastic bike that set a high benchmark still valid today (see numerous comparisons of the K5 with newer bikes in the bike magazine of your choice - Fast Bikes did one not so long back).
I am not a riding god, but cover about 20k miles a year on bikes (on fast Welsh B roads and track) and would like to think that I know a thing or two about when I am riding a good bike. When I bought a K5 i kept an open mind....I was happy to be dissappointed and ready to dismiss the hype. But it honestly lived up to the hype and having ridden some (very) different sportbikes over the years including the 07 and 09 R1, 2010 blade, Ducati 848 evo, and 2014 hayabusa (which is not comparable to a sportbike of course)... none of these bikes gave me the feeling the K5 gives. The K5 feels like a 600, and I would know as I covered 30k miles in two years on a K1 600 before I bought the K5. One limitation to my tests is that I am not comparing bikes with the same tyres/brakes etc.
The K5 will likely become a classic in decades to come. I stand by that.
Lol, I've rode a few K5's, from standard to highly tuned and mildly fettled road bikes with Ohlins, I have rode them on the road, track and Nürburgring. Yes they were great when they came out but comeon....I am not a riding god, but cover about 20k miles a year on bikes (on fast Welsh B roads and track) and would like to think that I know a thing or two about when I am riding a good bike. When I bought a K5 i kept an open mind....I was happy to be dissappointed and ready to dismiss the hype. But it honestly lived up to the hype and having ridden some (very) different sportbikes over the years including the 07 and 09 R1, 2010 blade, Ducati 848 evo, and 2014 hayabusa (which is not comparable to a sportbike of course)... none of these bikes gave me the feeling the K5 gives. The K5 feels like a 600, and I would know as I covered 30k miles in two years on a K1 600 before I bought the K5. One limitation to my tests is that I am not comparing bikes with the same tyres/brakes etc.
The K5 will likely become a classic in decades to come. I stand by that.
Jumping from my 09 R1 on my mates K6 it didn't feel as torquey as my 09 and the riding position felt cramped handle bar wise.
I have come up against many K5's on track and I can't say they are any better than my R1 of a similar year, the newer stuff just kicks their arses, there is no if or buts about that.
Now, if we are talking about 04/05 Fireblades, all I can say is oh dear oh dear.
Shadow R1 said:
moto_traxport said:
Not sure how this rubbish crept in - they're rubbish until you put a full system on them.
Really ?Just end cans on mine.
Feel free to show me single line graphs with mid 150's and a big dent in the middle all day long.
You need a comparison of a 1000K5 std and tuned and an R1 with a full system on the same graph.
That said, personally I'd prefer an 04 R1 to K5.
I personally don't subscribe to the hype surrounding the K5...no doubt it is a fantastic bike, just like almost every bike produced in the last 10-15 years is.
I have a K7 GSXR1000 currently, which is considered an also ran in comparison to the K5 by most, despite being a more powerful update of the K5. I'm sure a change to single and or aftermarket exhausts on the K7 regain most of the renowned bottom/mid of the earlier bike, and ridden in isolation you'd not notice anyway. Is the K7-K8 an inferior bike? not in my opinion.
Is my current K7 the pinnacle of sports bikes? Of course not. Were my previous 09 and 04 Blades? Nope. But each of them were so capable that arguing over a few pounds of torque here and there is a waste of time. I'll go against the grain here and say that while the 04 blade is not as good objectively as my 09 blade, it made a better road bike for me as it always felt more stable and planted. I'm sure the 09 would be better on track, but I almost never ride on track, so that is wasted on me.
Sure, dropping 20K on the latest and greatest will get you round a track a a quarter of a second or so a lap faster, but diminishing returns say to me that spending 5-7K gets me 95% of the ability for almost a quarter of the cost.
I have a K7 GSXR1000 currently, which is considered an also ran in comparison to the K5 by most, despite being a more powerful update of the K5. I'm sure a change to single and or aftermarket exhausts on the K7 regain most of the renowned bottom/mid of the earlier bike, and ridden in isolation you'd not notice anyway. Is the K7-K8 an inferior bike? not in my opinion.
Is my current K7 the pinnacle of sports bikes? Of course not. Were my previous 09 and 04 Blades? Nope. But each of them were so capable that arguing over a few pounds of torque here and there is a waste of time. I'll go against the grain here and say that while the 04 blade is not as good objectively as my 09 blade, it made a better road bike for me as it always felt more stable and planted. I'm sure the 09 would be better on track, but I almost never ride on track, so that is wasted on me.
Sure, dropping 20K on the latest and greatest will get you round a track a a quarter of a second or so a lap faster, but diminishing returns say to me that spending 5-7K gets me 95% of the ability for almost a quarter of the cost.
f1nn said:
I personally don't subscribe to the hype surrounding the K5...no doubt it is a fantastic bike, just like almost every bike produced in the last 10-15 years is.
I have a K7 GSXR1000 currently, which is considered an also ran in comparison to the K5 by most, despite being a more powerful update of the K5. I'm sure a change to single and or aftermarket exhausts on the K7 regain most of the renowned bottom/mid of the earlier bike, and ridden in isolation you'd not notice anyway. Is the K7-K8 an inferior bike? not in my opinion.
Is my current K7 the pinnacle of sports bikes? Of course not. Were my previous 09 and 04 Blades? Nope. But each of them were so capable that arguing over a few pounds of torque here and there is a waste of time. I'll go against the grain here and say that while the 04 blade is not as good objectively as my 09 blade, it made a better road bike for me as it always felt more stable and planted. I'm sure the 09 would be better on track, but I almost never ride on track, so that is wasted on me.
Sure, dropping 20K on the latest and greatest will get you round a track a a quarter of a second or so a lap faster, but diminishing returns say to me that spending 5-7K gets me 95% of the ability for almost a quarter of the cost.
You make some good points. However (and there is always a however!), why was the K7 engine not used for the new Suzuki naked model to be released in 2015? They used a de-tuned K5 (i.e Suzuki took the best engine they have produced in recent years for this 2015 bike).I have a K7 GSXR1000 currently, which is considered an also ran in comparison to the K5 by most, despite being a more powerful update of the K5. I'm sure a change to single and or aftermarket exhausts on the K7 regain most of the renowned bottom/mid of the earlier bike, and ridden in isolation you'd not notice anyway. Is the K7-K8 an inferior bike? not in my opinion.
Is my current K7 the pinnacle of sports bikes? Of course not. Were my previous 09 and 04 Blades? Nope. But each of them were so capable that arguing over a few pounds of torque here and there is a waste of time. I'll go against the grain here and say that while the 04 blade is not as good objectively as my 09 blade, it made a better road bike for me as it always felt more stable and planted. I'm sure the 09 would be better on track, but I almost never ride on track, so that is wasted on me.
Sure, dropping 20K on the latest and greatest will get you round a track a a quarter of a second or so a lap faster, but diminishing returns say to me that spending 5-7K gets me 95% of the ability for almost a quarter of the cost.
Also, Suzuki Germany did not run a K7 in the 2007 superbike championship, they continued using a K5.
Finally, yes the K7 can be modified by changing exhausts and remapping to be similar to the K5 engine, but this is not a like-for-like comparison, as your comparing a modified engine to a stock engine. If I was to modify the K5 engine then it again would be the better of the two bikes.
I agree with some of the points made by others that you could be on an old litre bike and embarrass the guys on new metal - but that is not really the crux of the discussion that I am having. My point from the beginning has been that the K5 is highly-regarded even today by many people (and not just those that own them). I wont be able to change your opinions (and I dont intend to either), but I can certainly outline my case for why I think they way I do.
JimClark49 said:
You make some good points. However (and there is always a however!), why was the K7 engine not used for the new Suzuki naked model to be released in 2015? They used a de-tuned K5 (i.e Suzuki took the best engine they have produced in recent years for this 2015 bike).
Also, Suzuki Germany did not run a K7 in the 2007 superbike championship, they continued using a K5.
Finally, yes the K7 can be modified by changing exhausts and remapping to be similar to the K5 engine, but this is not a like-for-like comparison, as your comparing a modified engine to a stock engine. If I was to modify the K5 engine then it again would be the better of the two bikes.
I agree with some of the points made by others that you could be on an old litre bike and embarrass the guys on new metal - but that is not really the crux of the discussion that I am having. My point from the beginning has been that the K5 is highly-regarded even today by many people (and not just those that own them). I wont be able to change your opinions (and I dont intend to either), but I can certainly outline my case for why I think they way I do.
My understanding is that the k7/K8 motor is the same engine as the K5/K6 engine, albeit with some minor changes to the top end/exhaust/mapping (also the K7 introduced the power mode setting). Obviously the new naked has been retuned to suit so will arguably very little but the basic architecture with either the K5/K7 no matter what the magazines may have you believe.Also, Suzuki Germany did not run a K7 in the 2007 superbike championship, they continued using a K5.
Finally, yes the K7 can be modified by changing exhausts and remapping to be similar to the K5 engine, but this is not a like-for-like comparison, as your comparing a modified engine to a stock engine. If I was to modify the K5 engine then it again would be the better of the two bikes.
I agree with some of the points made by others that you could be on an old litre bike and embarrass the guys on new metal - but that is not really the crux of the discussion that I am having. My point from the beginning has been that the K5 is highly-regarded even today by many people (and not just those that own them). I wont be able to change your opinions (and I dont intend to either), but I can certainly outline my case for why I think they way I do.
Suzuki, in the change from K5 to K7 were chasing a bit more top end power to keep the headline figures in line with increasing competition, but also don't discount ever stricter emissions regs.
With all that said, ithey are all great bikes which are all more than adequate for road use.
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