Which of these should I buy?
Poll: Which of these should I buy?
Total Members Polled: 93
Discussion
and shouldn't be too uncomfortable on a 25 mile A / B road commute.
What a dilemna to have. 
I dont know much about the Fireblade on your list. The last 'blade I had was a '96 RRT and I loved it but most modern 600s make more power than it did and that was after a can, filter and jets. So not really relevent. It does mean Ill always have a soft spot for Hondas though.
The K5 is possibly the best bike to come from Japan since the original R1 and before that the original Fireblade, thats the company its keeps. Mega fast but very well mannered and easy to ride fast or slow. Feels like a 600 to sit on, the bars are low and close together, there is MASSIVE torque from low down (things start to happen at about 5000rpm), very easy to chuck and very easy to correct if youre in a corner but not really on the right line. Ive spent a lot of time on one. Even sem-comfortable for a pillion. Less comfortable for me over big distances than the R1 but not horrendous, by any stretch. Im 6'1, if that helps.
The '04 R1 (my current bike) is not as immediately capable as the K5. Its bigger between your legs, feels larger to lay through corners and softer sprung. To go as fast as the K5 on a brekky run, you will have to work physically harder and concentrate more. But when you pull up at the Little Thief, you really feel like youve rung its neck. Thats mainly because you have. Its geared long and its power is high in the revs. To keep up with the K5, you'll be changing gear and mainly have it over 10,000rpm and it doesnt really hitch its skirt up until about 7-7500rpm. Useless for a pillion. Excellent for touring. Best headlights in the business. MILES better than the K5 headlight.
I would say you will find the build and paint finish better on the Yamaha but even thats likley to be behind the Honda.
Where image is concerned, there was a time in the early part of the last decade when catalogue-man born-agains bought a new 'Gixer', slapped a load of bling on it, bimbled around for a year and then chopped it in for whichever the newest 'Gixer' was. Unfortunate. More unfortunate was at the same time, Honda was making amazingly capable, easy to ride bikes that were largely ignored because they werent chasing headline horsepower figures. Dont let the lack of fuss surrounding the blade put you off trying one.
I love the K5. It blows my mind whenever I ride one for how much easier it is to ride stupid fast than the R1. I'm s
te at wheelies yet Ive hoisted the K5 at 100mph with gay abandon (I cant scrape up the front of the R1 at that speed at all and attempting to results in an embarrassing clutch torture moment). But I love my R1 for all its imperfections and I think they have more attitude than the sheep's choice Gixer. If you stuck one of each in front of me of matching age and condition, I would take the Yam still because I feel like I identify with the R1 more. I know it sounds ghey but I honestly feel like it means something more to ride the R1. Back when they were new (up until the mediocre 2003), other bikers actually treated you with a sort of reverence for having the balls to ride one. Im not sure why. I had a 2000 R1 too and rode a couple of '98s and Ive never found them intimidating. To me, I just associate riding the latest Gixer with someone who probably subscribes to 3 different Bike Mags and has untouched sliders on his £1200 Crescent rep one piece leathers which he wears for going to get a loaf of bread (present PH company excepted, of course).
NB Please never refer to it as a Gixer.
Thats all just my opinion. And you know the trouble with opinions...
I dont know much about the Fireblade on your list. The last 'blade I had was a '96 RRT and I loved it but most modern 600s make more power than it did and that was after a can, filter and jets. So not really relevent. It does mean Ill always have a soft spot for Hondas though.
The K5 is possibly the best bike to come from Japan since the original R1 and before that the original Fireblade, thats the company its keeps. Mega fast but very well mannered and easy to ride fast or slow. Feels like a 600 to sit on, the bars are low and close together, there is MASSIVE torque from low down (things start to happen at about 5000rpm), very easy to chuck and very easy to correct if youre in a corner but not really on the right line. Ive spent a lot of time on one. Even sem-comfortable for a pillion. Less comfortable for me over big distances than the R1 but not horrendous, by any stretch. Im 6'1, if that helps.
The '04 R1 (my current bike) is not as immediately capable as the K5. Its bigger between your legs, feels larger to lay through corners and softer sprung. To go as fast as the K5 on a brekky run, you will have to work physically harder and concentrate more. But when you pull up at the Little Thief, you really feel like youve rung its neck. Thats mainly because you have. Its geared long and its power is high in the revs. To keep up with the K5, you'll be changing gear and mainly have it over 10,000rpm and it doesnt really hitch its skirt up until about 7-7500rpm. Useless for a pillion. Excellent for touring. Best headlights in the business. MILES better than the K5 headlight.
I would say you will find the build and paint finish better on the Yamaha but even thats likley to be behind the Honda.
Where image is concerned, there was a time in the early part of the last decade when catalogue-man born-agains bought a new 'Gixer', slapped a load of bling on it, bimbled around for a year and then chopped it in for whichever the newest 'Gixer' was. Unfortunate. More unfortunate was at the same time, Honda was making amazingly capable, easy to ride bikes that were largely ignored because they werent chasing headline horsepower figures. Dont let the lack of fuss surrounding the blade put you off trying one.
I love the K5. It blows my mind whenever I ride one for how much easier it is to ride stupid fast than the R1. I'm s
te at wheelies yet Ive hoisted the K5 at 100mph with gay abandon (I cant scrape up the front of the R1 at that speed at all and attempting to results in an embarrassing clutch torture moment). But I love my R1 for all its imperfections and I think they have more attitude than the sheep's choice Gixer. If you stuck one of each in front of me of matching age and condition, I would take the Yam still because I feel like I identify with the R1 more. I know it sounds ghey but I honestly feel like it means something more to ride the R1. Back when they were new (up until the mediocre 2003), other bikers actually treated you with a sort of reverence for having the balls to ride one. Im not sure why. I had a 2000 R1 too and rode a couple of '98s and Ive never found them intimidating. To me, I just associate riding the latest Gixer with someone who probably subscribes to 3 different Bike Mags and has untouched sliders on his £1200 Crescent rep one piece leathers which he wears for going to get a loaf of bread (present PH company excepted, of course).NB Please never refer to it as a Gixer.
Thats all just my opinion. And you know the trouble with opinions...
Edited by 308mate on Tuesday 15th February 23:06
Edited by 308mate on Wednesday 16th February 06:22
R1 Loon said:
R1 in Lava Red.
OP, LISTEN TO THIS MAN.Seriously have a look at a good'un, and try and tell me it's not gorgeous. Don't forget you get 6000 muile service intervals (4 on the GSXR)and an arguably better build quality. Underseat pipes have always given me an errection, nice and tidy.
However I do like the indicators in the the mirrors that the GSXR has!
308mate said:
I just associate riding the latest Gixer with someone who probably subscribes to 3 different Bike Mags and has untouched sliders on his £1200 Crescent rep one piece leathers which he wears for going to get a loaf of bread (present PH company excepted, of course).
This. I tried to put into words why I wouldn't get a GSXR but couldn't. You have summed up what I was trying to say perfectly. Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff