Ranking the 600 Sportbike

RANKING THE 600 SPORTBIKE

A buyer’s guide to Sunday-morning Specials

IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE’D ALL HAVE FOUR-BAY GArages stocked with every manner of motorcycle— linked by driveways to Montana’s Going-to-the-Sun Highway.

We’d get up early on Sunday mornings, pull the wraps off 600cc sportbikes and let their engines warm as we zipped into jackets, fastened helmets and wiggled into gloves. The sun, its golden light filtering through lush, green leaves, bouncing off rock faces and sparkling on the tumultuous water of Glacier National Park’s numberless waterfalls, would be high enough to heat the asphalt to tire-gripping temperatures, but not so high as to signal the onslaught of the park’s lumbering, visitor-bearing tour buses. In this perfect riding scenario, we’d each reel off a hundred or so glorious miles, return home and head contentedly for the kitchen table, where a hearty breakfast and a steaming cup of java would be at the wait.

Of course, this heavenly episode will never be a reality to most of us, but we all have a favorite slice of roadway, a place to brake a little deeper, lean a little farther, roll-on a little sooner. And 600cc sportbikes are Cycle Worlds vehicles of choice for such riding environments. Liter-class sportbikes and 750s may be faster, but on seriously tight roads—where their extra weight gets in the way and their extra speed can’t be utilized-the big bikes start to feel like runaway freight trains. The 600s, on the other hand, can sneak up on a corner, roll it up and stick it under their arms, and be gone before the poor, unsuspecting piece of asphalt knows what hit it.

So, when it comes to picking our favorite 600-class road tool, you can bet that while things like fuel mileage, freeway comfort and vibration control are all taken into consideration, how a bike performs on that cherished section of backroad is the determining factor.

1 YAMAHAFZR600

AMAHA’S NEW FZR600 IS JUST like the old FZ600. Only better. You remember the FZ600, a bike introduced in 1986 that soon established itself as the handling yardstick for the class, even if its air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder engine didn’t pump out prodigious amounts of bhp. By 1988, though, faced with bikes swinging an extra 15 horsepower, the FZ was straggling. That, together with its buckboard ride, brick-hard saddle and hemmed-in seating position, put the Yamaha at a disadvantage in motorcycling’s most-competitive class. No more.

The new FZR600 eschews the fashionable aero-look and stays with the old FZ’s angular, circuit-inspired styling, but almost everything else is fresh. The frame, while made of steel, follows Yamaha’s race-derived Deltabox pattern and is stretched in every dimension compared to the old bike. The seat, still no long-distance delight, at least has some cushioning. The engine, based on the FZR400’s, is liquid-cooled and has a 16-valve head, with its cylinders canted forward 45 degrees, allowing downdraft carburetors to be used. Our test bike was a California-model FZR, which means it came with Yamaha’s EXUP power-valve exhaust system. This combination is claimed to churn out 91 horsepower, a couple more than the 49-state, non-EXUP FZRs, and seven horsepower up on the rest of the class.

Out on the road, the Yamaha’s horsepower advantage is clearly evident, with a wide powerband that feels more like it came from a downsized, lOOOcc road-wrinkler than an uprated, 400cc tiddler. Only the Kawasaki, with its spot-on carburetion, bests the Yamaha in roll-on contests, but it can’t hang with Yamaha at the dragstrip or on top-speed runs. Throw in some twists, and the tautly suspended FZR moves cleanly ahead of its competition.

That’s not to say that the Yamaha is a panacea. With rear-spring preload the only suspension adjustment, the firmness that helps on backroads can’t be tuned out for freeway riding. and the FZR rider gets hammered on frost heaves and expansion joints. And this performance king of the 600 class has a couple of chinks in its armor: Our test bike’s clutch was fragged after eight dragstrip passes (clutch springs from the FZR400 race kit are said to help) and its tires (for cost reasons, Yamaha specified Pirelli Demons of different construction and harder compound than regular, replacement Pirelli Demons) start sliding long before the rest of the chassis is ready to throw in the towel. And the Cal-spec FZR will bushwhack a bank account to the tune of $5100, with the 49-state version costing $200 less.

No, the Yamaha FZR600 isn’t the least-expensive bike in the 600 class. Nor is it the most-comfortable bike or the best all-around bike. What it is, if you value performance and handling, is the best 600cc sportbike available.

$5099

2 HONDACBR600

HONDA’S FLASHY. WHITE-REDand-blue CBR600 won’t set any records for being radically changed this yearonly its color and model designation are new for ’89. But that doesn’t mean the CBR600 isn’t competitive or desirable: This same bike, with a different color scheme and “Hurricane” logos, was an instant hit when it was introduced in 1987, and it won Cycle World's 600cc sportbike shootout last year.

But this is 1989 and Yamaha’s new FZR600 proved faster in the quartermile and in top speed. Additionally, the CBR600’s slower handling and less-precise steering couldn’t match the FZR’s hard-edged, racetrackquick performance capabilities.

Even so, the CBR600 is no slouch, as our 1989 test unit bettered last year’s bike—quickest and fastest in CW's 1988 comparison—by twotenths of a second at the dragstrip and by three miles an hour in topspeed testing. The CBR builds power via rpm, with a powerband that hits softly at 4000 rpm, then kicks in harder at 6000, and gets really serious after the tach needle sweeps past the 8000-rpm mark. Between there and its 12,000-rpm redline, there’s

horsepower in abundance from the liquid-cooled, inline-Four. So, in terms of power output, the CBR falls behind the Yamaha-as does every 600 ever built—but is quicker and faster than the Suzuki or Kawasaki, though both those bikes post better top-gear, roll-on numbers.

Actually, that middle-of-the-road stance typifies the CBR. It can’t quite match the FZR or the Ninja in really tight going, but is steadier than those bikes at speed, though not as steady as the rock-solid Katana. In terms of comfort, the Honda beats the Yamaha, with its low handlebars, thinly padded seat and stiff suspension, but doesn’t quite cover the Katana, which has better ergonomics and more-compliant suspension, especially at the rear.

One area where the Honda seems to hold an advantage is in appearance. While many all-enclosed bikes take on a dated look very quickly, the three-year-old Honda design still is striking, especially in its new colors. Too, the Honda’s control levers and pedals all work with smooth, effortless precision, and they seem to fit different-sized riders equally well.

It’s the CBR’s combination of performance, comfort and good looks that make it a very appealing package. If Honda elects to stick with the CBR for another year, to have any hope of running with the FZR600, it’ll have to be equipped with the higher-output engine that European and Canadian CBR’s got this year, a powerplant claimed to have eight more horsepower than the U.S. model’s 83. And though the Honda gets second place in this comparison, a rider who prefers equal doses of comfort and performance in his sportbike will find the CBR600 a fine first choice.

$4998

3 SUZUKIKATANA 600

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A MOtorcycle as good as the Katana 600 could finish third in a shootout. That it does says less about the faults of Suzuki than about the strengths of the 600cc sportbikes that proved better.

When the Katana was introduced last year, its strong suits were its handling and overall ride quality, and for 1989, those areas are better, mainly due to improved suspension. While spring rates and compression damping remain unchanged, the fork now has a three-position, rebound-damping adjustment. Improvements to the rear shock include a stiffer spring and more compression damping, and it now has a four-position, rebounddamping adjustment, as well as seven spring-preload settings.

Those changes have given the machine a tauter, more-adaptable suspension, and the Katana retains the best ride in the class, with the fork providing a supple ride and the shock performing in an aimost-unnoticeable fashion.

The suspension modifications have contributed to slightly improved handling, as well. The Katana takes a little more effort to turn than do the other bikes, especially at low speeds, but then it carries more weight, almost 40 pounds more than the Ninja.

Still, at speed, the Katana tracks with stability, displaying no twitches or untoward movement. The bike is the largest of the group, really a scaled-down 750 whereas the others are beefed-up 400s, which contributes to its stability and allows a stretched-out riding position that’s the most comfortable in the class. On the down side, some riders felt that the Katana’s road manners were so smooth that it lacked the excitement of the other machines.

They voiced a similar complaint about the engine, which, for the most part, remains the same as last year’s. This 599cc, sleeved-down version of the oil-and-air-cooled, inline-Four GSX-R750 engine exhibits lowand mid-range power that comes up short compared with the other bikes, evidenced by its performance figures, the worst of the group; though above 8000 rpm, the Kat makes enough power to run with the pack. Still, its exhaust note is so quiet, and the power delivery so smooth, it feels like a family sedan rather than a backroad speedster.

Despite that, the Katana just missed finishing in second place. In nearly every way, it and the Honda are almost too close to call. The Katana loses points for its curious styling, excessive weight and lack of performance, but gains some back on ride quality and price—coming in $600 less than the Honda.

Its good points make the Katana 600 the best all-around motorcycle in this class. To appeal to fervent sportbike devotees, though, a weight-loss program and an increase in strength is in order. Or maybe Suzuki will get serious and produce a GSX-R600.

$4399

4 KAWASAKININJA 600

IN THE DARK AGES OF SPORTBIKES, say 1985, Kawasaki introduced the stellar Ninja 600, and the middleweight class has never been the same. Cycle World said then the Ninja was a milestone, because it pointed the way that manufacturers would have to go if they wanted to compete in the class. Now, though the Ninja has undergone several major changes, it has fallen behind and must play catch-up.

Catching up in the popular 600cc sportbike class won’t be easy for Kawasaki, but at least the Ninja starts with the most-exciting engine in the class. The Ninja’s 593cc, liquidcooled, inline-Four powerplant responds almost instantaneously to throttle requests, blasting ahead with the lightest of twists. It has respectable low-end power, but the Ninja’s strength is its snappy mid-range, where it spanks the other bikes.

And while the quick-revving engine is thrilling to use, it also offers the most refinement in the class. The powerband is velvet-smooth, gear changes are satiny and the engine exhibits less vibration than any of the other bikes.

That responsive engine perfectly matches the Ninja’s quick handling as well, because at any speed, it is the lightest-steering bike in the class. On twisty roads, the Ninja, also the lightest bike in the class, darts and slashes through corners, then blasts down straights with its potent engine.

On faster sections of road, however, the Ninja—the only bike in this group with 16-inch wheels—begins to fall off the pace. The steering becomes almost too light and the front end begins to send vague signals to the rider. But then, the non-adjustable, softly sprung front fork doesn’t really help matters at higher speeds. The rear end, on the other hand, offers an array of adjustability by way of a four-position rebound adjustment and air-adjustable preload. The shock on our test bike refused to hold air, though, causing adverse handling, and even with a replacement shock fitted, the Ninja wasn’t in the same league as the other 600s. Despite its high-speed handling deficiencies, the Ninja is a wonderful all-around streetbike, one with a charming engine, great low-speed handling and a reasonably comfortable seating position, despite a small, firm seat.

In fact, the Ninja has such wellrounded abilities that it would be a shame for Kawasaki to narrow its scope in order to turn it into an FZRbeater. To be competitive on the 600cc ultra-sporting front, Kawasaki only has to take a lesson from its onetwo punch in the 750 class, where the versatile Ninja 750 and the sporty ZX-7 co-exist nicely. That way, slight improvements would enable the current Ninja to compete with the Hurricane and Katana for riders who want an all-around sportbike, while a performance-heavy ZX-6 would be able to go head-to-head with the high-intensity FZR.

$4399