Top Gear CBR600RRRRRR versus Ariel Atom
Discussion
Did anyone catch this? It was a comparison between the Ariel Atom and a CBR600rrrrrrr in which they spanked the Atom around the track against the CBR6. The Atom came in 4 seconds before the CBR on their test track and Jezza concluded that the car was more exciting than the bike! What? Then Richard Hammond (a biker himself) actually agreed with Jezza!
I think it said it all in the "Faster" dvd when Kevin Schwantz talked about moving your backside 2 inches further along the seat to change the weight distribution of the bike.
I love my cars and dabble in slides every day, but a good thrash on the bike totally consumes my every sense like cars will never be able to do.
I think it said it all in the "Faster" dvd when Kevin Schwantz talked about moving your backside 2 inches further along the seat to change the weight distribution of the bike.
I love my cars and dabble in slides every day, but a good thrash on the bike totally consumes my every sense like cars will never be able to do.
You've got to expect this - afterall, Gezza doesn't ride, so how can he make the comparison? I expected more from Hammond though, my Suzuki mag said he had a gixer thou a while back - he must just be towing the party line. The atom did look a right laugh, but when I compare my track experiences in the car vs those on a bike, although both were enjoyable, the bike was a far more intense experience and I can't even ride that quickly yet.
Steve.
>> Edited by Steve_T on Monday 27th December 16:23
Steve.
>> Edited by Steve_T on Monday 27th December 16:23
I thought it was a bit of a strange bike to do a comparison with?
A V2, would have been better on a short circuit,with better low end torque for pulling faster out of corners.
I thought it strange that Clarkson was blabbing on about safety.Then not wearing a helmet?If a stone hit him in the face he would prolly lose an eye! You can't have a fast vehicle without the danger.If that Atom hit a tree at speed you wouldn't walk away!+ The cage cost £29000.,whilst a CBR600RR costs what 'bout £7k.Not much difference eh? I think in the real world on real roads, th difference would be down to rider/driver ability,& the cage would still get stuck in traffic.
A V2, would have been better on a short circuit,with better low end torque for pulling faster out of corners.I thought it strange that Clarkson was blabbing on about safety.Then not wearing a helmet?If a stone hit him in the face he would prolly lose an eye! You can't have a fast vehicle without the danger.If that Atom hit a tree at speed you wouldn't walk away!+ The cage cost £29000.,whilst a CBR600RR costs what 'bout £7k.Not much difference eh? I think in the real world on real roads, th difference would be down to rider/driver ability,& the cage would still get stuck in traffic.Guzzi Steve said:
I thought it was a bit of a strange bike to do a comparison with?
Completely agree. Met a guy who had a bumble bee hit him in the eye, he was only riding his mountain bike at 25mph, but he comfirmed it does smart a little. At 100 mph, there's no probably about it.
Clarkson just doesn't get bikes, so he did his usual and had a dig. I'm quite sure a CBR1000RR would have given the Atom a much closer run - and it's still 1/3 of the price!!
Hammond should have put up more of a case being a biker and he's went down in my estimation too.
Having said all that, the Atom looked a real hoot and would probably be the next best thing to play with if you were scared of bikes, Jeremy.....
Hammond should have put up more of a case being a biker and he's went down in my estimation too.
Having said all that, the Atom looked a real hoot and would probably be the next best thing to play with if you were scared of bikes, Jeremy.....
Both Hamster & James may are Bikers.
Top Gear is the Jeremy Clarkson CAR Show. He will not let bikes go on there unless to humiliate them.
A well ridden 600 should have flown past the atom, the rider was not trying hard, didn't seem to come out of the saddle and didn't lean the bike that far over, so wasn't really trying!! I guess as per JC's instructions.
If it is someone riding the bike who doesn't know the circuit to only finish 4 seconds behind, don't forget that although JC is know to be not a great driver, he has had 1000's of laps round that track, with the Stig's tuition.
Don't forget that Top Gear is a Car show.
Tim.
Top Gear is the Jeremy Clarkson CAR Show. He will not let bikes go on there unless to humiliate them.
A well ridden 600 should have flown past the atom, the rider was not trying hard, didn't seem to come out of the saddle and didn't lean the bike that far over, so wasn't really trying!! I guess as per JC's instructions.
If it is someone riding the bike who doesn't know the circuit to only finish 4 seconds behind, don't forget that although JC is know to be not a great driver, he has had 1000's of laps round that track, with the Stig's tuition.
Don't forget that Top Gear is a Car show.
Tim.
in terms of time round the track I suspect that it was a fair result.....I have an Atom 2 , similar to the one used ie set up for track use, and also a GSXR600 which must be almost identical to the CBR600rrrrr used by top gear in terms of performance
the scary thing about the car is not only the cornering, but the outright pace. It is as quick as the bike to 100 ( Gixer just under 7 secs, Atom bang on 7 secs) and a lot easier to push toward the limit without scaring the crap out of you
having said that, on a sunny day I'll invariably use the bike , the Atom can't compete for pure enjoyment
the scary thing about the car is not only the cornering, but the outright pace. It is as quick as the bike to 100 ( Gixer just under 7 secs, Atom bang on 7 secs) and a lot easier to push toward the limit without scaring the crap out of you
having said that, on a sunny day I'll invariably use the bike , the Atom can't compete for pure enjoyment
Firth Gear also did a comparison a while ago with the pride of the Honda Fleet
A powerboat
BAR F1 car
BSB spec Blade.
The Blade won the first racem, until the mechanics re-programmed the take off for the car.
But why didnt they use the RCV211 ??? Surely Hondas quickest bike ?
And the Top Gear test would have been better with a Blade and a good rider.
But the Atom will have much more cornering speed , it has 4 times the rubber being put on the ground.
Differnet though
A powerboat
BAR F1 car
BSB spec Blade.
The Blade won the first racem, until the mechanics re-programmed the take off for the car.
But why didnt they use the RCV211 ??? Surely Hondas quickest bike ?
And the Top Gear test would have been better with a Blade and a good rider.
But the Atom will have much more cornering speed , it has 4 times the rubber being put on the ground.
Differnet though
There are 2 threads running over in general gassing, but I thought Id put my 2p on the table and try and offer a balanced opinion.
Bikes: I've ridden many bikes on and off the track, and I own an R1. Hopefully this gives the ability to offer a good argument for the biking side.
Cars: Well I've driven countless cars, both on and off the track, and own the aforementioned Atom. Mine is slightly different than most though!
I think you need to ask yourself the question what do you want your vehicle for?
So why do I own I bike:
It gives a different perspective to driving.
There is a sense of camaraderie that doesn’t exist in the car world.
Getting a corner right on a bike, when you’ve cranked it right over, and your knee is dragging along on the floor is quite a buzz!
So why do I own a car:
My pug is warm, with heated seats and it runs on diesel!
I can carry a briefcase with a laptop to work everyday
Its fun to embarrass other road users in their sports saloons, when being overtaken by a oil burning car!
A corner is a corner, and can be just as much fun and technical what ever vehicle you are trying to get round.
Then there is the Atom. I drive that like I would my bike. It is fast: 0-60 is sub 3 seconds. At the cannonball run, I had a race with a Suzuki bandit 1300, and once my tyres had got some heat in them I beat it in a drag race. The top speed is 170, I've yet to get there, as I've had problems with charge temps, but we will see what it can do at the Ring at Easter
If I go out for a run in the Atom I do it because I want to have some fun. Yes you are in a metal cage, but unlike a normal run-around car, I can overtake when I want. I don’t need to wait for a huge stretch of road, much like a bike. Granted I cant filter between cars, but then again whilst I'm sat in traffic everyone around me is saying what the hell is that? And that’s worth more than getting to your destination 5 minutes quicker. But that’s the thing though I don’t really drive the car to places where you do need to sit in traffic. I certainly wouldn’t drive it through London again! I have a pug for that
I don’t think Clarkson was biased towards the car, I genuinely think the car is more nimble than a bike.
Lastly though just to get back to the bike thing, who actually does a courier job on their Fireblade? Why does everyone instantly say well a car cant filter so therefore it is crap? Well your Fireblade cant tow a car, but that doesn’t make it crap.
Bikes: I've ridden many bikes on and off the track, and I own an R1. Hopefully this gives the ability to offer a good argument for the biking side.
Cars: Well I've driven countless cars, both on and off the track, and own the aforementioned Atom. Mine is slightly different than most though!
I think you need to ask yourself the question what do you want your vehicle for?
So why do I own I bike:
It gives a different perspective to driving.
There is a sense of camaraderie that doesn’t exist in the car world.
Getting a corner right on a bike, when you’ve cranked it right over, and your knee is dragging along on the floor is quite a buzz!
So why do I own a car:
My pug is warm, with heated seats and it runs on diesel!
I can carry a briefcase with a laptop to work everyday
Its fun to embarrass other road users in their sports saloons, when being overtaken by a oil burning car!
A corner is a corner, and can be just as much fun and technical what ever vehicle you are trying to get round.
Then there is the Atom. I drive that like I would my bike. It is fast: 0-60 is sub 3 seconds. At the cannonball run, I had a race with a Suzuki bandit 1300, and once my tyres had got some heat in them I beat it in a drag race. The top speed is 170, I've yet to get there, as I've had problems with charge temps, but we will see what it can do at the Ring at Easter
If I go out for a run in the Atom I do it because I want to have some fun. Yes you are in a metal cage, but unlike a normal run-around car, I can overtake when I want. I don’t need to wait for a huge stretch of road, much like a bike. Granted I cant filter between cars, but then again whilst I'm sat in traffic everyone around me is saying what the hell is that? And that’s worth more than getting to your destination 5 minutes quicker. But that’s the thing though I don’t really drive the car to places where you do need to sit in traffic. I certainly wouldn’t drive it through London again! I have a pug for that
I don’t think Clarkson was biased towards the car, I genuinely think the car is more nimble than a bike.
Lastly though just to get back to the bike thing, who actually does a courier job on their Fireblade? Why does everyone instantly say well a car cant filter so therefore it is crap? Well your Fireblade cant tow a car, but that doesn’t make it crap.
I still think/know that the bike wins on the excitement and involvement factor. I mean on a tight twisty piece of road you can gas it, the front will pop up a foot or 2 in the air, then you have to back off, hit the brakes, hang off the thing throw her over and drag your knee on the floor through the corners. It's in another league to the involvement required in a car.
Cars can't wheelie...and wheelying is fun.
Cars can't wheelie...and wheelying is fun.
bennyboysvuk said:
I still think/know that the bike wins on the excitement and involvement factor. I mean on a tight twisty piece of road you can gas it, the front will pop up a foot or 2 in the air, then you have to back off, hit the brakes, hang off the thing throw her over and drag your knee on the floor through the corners. It's in another league to the involvement required in a car.
Cars can't wheelie...and wheelying is fun.
Actually thats not strictly true!
I put a Ford Essex engine in the back of a beetle That used to wheelie!!
driving the Atom is very involved, you cant stop concentrating for a second when you are on the pace
bennyboysvuk said:
I still think/know that the bike wins on the excitement and involvement factor. I mean on a tight twisty piece of road you can gas it, the front will pop up a foot or 2 in the air, then you have to back off, hit the brakes, hang off the thing throw her over and drag your knee on the floor through the corners. It's in another league to the involvement required in a car.
Cars can't wheelie...and wheelying is fun.
well I have just been out ona bit of a hoon and I can tell you not all 4 wheels were in contact with the ground at all times. and I have just outrun a bike , don't know which model I'm not a biker and can only recognise R1/6 and was not that. Really depends how hard you are pushing it in the car, I can get mine going along with wheels taking visits to the air quite often, ok so i cant pop a wheelie but that means you are going slow anyway so whats the point?
Interesting replies from the Atom Drivers.
If i had the funding i would be the proud owner of a TVR,Speed, Looks, that engine note.....
But i cant, but still want pace, speed , that cornering effect, so i bought a bike.
If people who own bikes had the funds to buy nice cars too, i think more would.
If i had the funding i would be the proud owner of a TVR,Speed, Looks, that engine note.....
But i cant, but still want pace, speed , that cornering effect, so i bought a bike.
If people who own bikes had the funds to buy nice cars too, i think more would.
RB Will said:
ok so i cant pop a wheelie but that means you are going slow anyway so whats the point?
I've only got a 600 and my best so far on the back wheel is 128mph in 4th. Not that slow, surely. On an R1 you can pull wheelies at 115mph in 3rd off the throttle. No clutch needed.
Bikes this time of year are tricky to use to their full potential. The surface is too unpredictable and the grip is changing all the time. Way too dodgy. I'd expect all bikers this time of year not to be hooning like you would on unsalted roads, which is fair enough.
RB Will said:
well I have just been out ona bit of a hoon and I can tell you not all 4 wheels were in contact with the ground at all times. and I have just outrun a bike , don't know which model I'm not a biker and can only recognise R1/6 and was not that. Really depends how hard you are pushing it in the car, I can get mine going along with wheels taking visits to the air quite often, ok so i cant pop a wheelie but that means you are going slow anyway so whats the point?
That's the difference between cars and bikes - you have a big cage around you to protect you in case thing goes wrong, add to this the imprezza's far more forgiving behaviour in what are frankly shitty conditions right now, it's quite possible you'd be willing to push harder than a biker. However where's the competition? I'm willing to wager the rider was just happy progressing at their own pace and wasn't interested in 'racing' you, there's far too much else to concentrate on. Most bikers aren't out there to compete with cars, they're just having fun, live and let live chap.
Steve.
>> Edited by Steve_T on Friday 31st December 10:42
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