1990 Ninja 750

[Jeff7181]

I'll be the 27th or so person to say get a lighter bike. My ZX6R isn't exactly heavy, but I'm recovering from a knee injury. Considering how top-heavy a sport bike tends to be, I'm afraid to get on it this spring. At this point I'm almost wishing it was a 250R.

 

[Greenman]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: rstrohkirch
sport rider dyno'd it at 82hp and 66ft pounds

I'm more of a cost vs performance guy so this item is still expensive considering an 08 gsxr does about 150hp and 70ft pounds stock but you are paying for the name. Obviously, these are not the same types of bikes but the MSRP on them is less then $1000 difference and the GSXR comes with much better OEM equipment overall. As with any twin, the torque curve is much flatter than the gsxr...but that HUGE increase in HP makes it much less of a penalty. Personally, I've migrated to fast singles so I don't pay attention to this stuff as much as I use to.

At least in the singles world, when you buy a more expensive KTM you get stuff like higher end supension...SS lines..FCR carb..lighter components. Sometimes with the Ducati models there really isn't anything you get extra for the money you're spending.

No bike ever dyno's at what the manufacturer claims their hp is and there isn't a whole hell of a lot of difference between 66ft lbs and 70ft lbs when you're riding on the street.

I don't really pay much attention to this stuff either but I have ridden a few super sports and their potential cannot be explored on public roads without seriously endangering your driver's license so really...what's the point unless you're tracking it? And if you do, can you even unlock the potential of the bike? Trust me, there is no shortage of fools who ride these street legal race machines who have little ability.

That's because every manufacturer measures horsepower at the crank, while the rest of the world measures at the tire.

I'm much more interested in torque numbers than horsepower. A bike that put's out 70lbs of torque and 150 hp can only do it by turning 12k to 14k rpm's. That's a lot of rpm's.

Do you guy's really ride around in the 8 to 10k range day in and day out?

 

[BZeto]

I test rode an 06' ZX-6R 636 yesterday and was pretty amazed coming from a cruiser. Until yesterday I haven't even riden an inline 4 but damn you really can tell it's a racing machine. Everything seemed so precise, from the throttle response to the brakes. I'm practically sold on one, I just need to find a buyer for my bike first.

 

[BZeto]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I'll be the 27th or so person to say get a lighter bike. My ZX6R isn't exactly heavy, but I'm recovering from a knee injury. Considering how top-heavy a sport bike tends to be, I'm afraid to get on it this spring. At this point I'm almost wishing it was a 250R.

Motorcycle related knee injury?
I vaugely remember you being the one to pick up the brand new ZX6 as a first bike for a great price last year. How is it working out for you so far?

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: BZeto
I test rode an 06' ZX-6R 636 yesterday and was pretty amazed coming from a cruiser. Until yesterday I haven't even riden an inline 4 but damn you really can tell it's a racing machine. Everything seemed so precise, from the throttle response to the brakes. I'm practically sold on one, I just need to find a buyer for my bike first.

Just wait until you ride a liter bike. I rode a '06 ZX636 (they actually aren't called ZX-6Rs because they aren't until 07 and beyond when they got rid of the 636 engine. =p ) for over a year before graduating to a ZX10R. It was amazing to go from a bike I had to make move, to a bike that simply lurched itself forward the moment I let off the clutch.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: BZeto

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I'll be the 27th or so person to say get a lighter bike. My ZX6R isn't exactly heavy, but I'm recovering from a knee injury. Considering how top-heavy a sport bike tends to be, I'm afraid to get on it this spring. At this point I'm almost wishing it was a 250R.

Motorcycle related knee injury?
I vaugely remember you being the one to pick up the brand new ZX6 as a first bike for a great price last year. How is it working out for you so far?

I only got a chance to put 15 or 20 miles on it before the snow and ice made me put it away for the winter.

I injured my knee getting into my car... slipped on ice... torn medial meniscus, ruptured ACL, and a few bone chips.

 

[BZeto]

Originally posted by: Saga

Originally posted by: BZeto
I test rode an 06' ZX-6R 636 yesterday and was pretty amazed coming from a cruiser. Until yesterday I haven't even riden an inline 4 but damn you really can tell it's a racing machine. Everything seemed so precise, from the throttle response to the brakes. I'm practically sold on one, I just need to find a buyer for my bike first.

Just wait until you ride a liter bike. I rode a '06 ZX636 (they actually aren't called ZX-6Rs because they aren't until 07 and beyond when they got rid of the 636 engine. =p ) for over a year before graduating to a ZX10R. It was amazing to go from a bike I had to make move, to a bike that simply lurched itself forward the moment I let off the clutch.

Pretty sure '05 and '06 (and maybe earlier) 636's were called ZX6R's while the 599's were labeled ZX6RR's.
Anyways, yeah liter bikes quite honestly scare me.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: rstrohkirch
sport rider dyno'd it at 82hp and 66ft pounds

I'm more of a cost vs performance guy so this item is still expensive considering an 08 gsxr does about 150hp and 70ft pounds stock but you are paying for the name. Obviously, these are not the same types of bikes but the MSRP on them is less then $1000 difference and the GSXR comes with much better OEM equipment overall. As with any twin, the torque curve is much flatter than the gsxr...but that HUGE increase in HP makes it much less of a penalty. Personally, I've migrated to fast singles so I don't pay attention to this stuff as much as I use to.

At least in the singles world, when you buy a more expensive KTM you get stuff like higher end supension...SS lines..FCR carb..lighter components. Sometimes with the Ducati models there really isn't anything you get extra for the money you're spending.

No bike ever dyno's at what the manufacturer claims their hp is and there isn't a whole hell of a lot of difference between 66ft lbs and 70ft lbs when you're riding on the street.

I don't really pay much attention to this stuff either but I have ridden a few super sports and their potential cannot be explored on public roads without seriously endangering your driver's license so really...what's the point unless you're tracking it? And if you do, can you even unlock the potential of the bike? Trust me, there is no shortage of fools who ride these street legal race machines who have little ability.

It's entirely about getting the most for your money. Whether or not you can use what your paying for doesn't really factor in to the equation. No different with sports cars or sport atvs or even a really fancy fishing pole.

Also, I routinely go to the track so I tend to pay attention more to technical specs when I compare bikes. Points like comfort and mpg don't factor into my purchases for the most part.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Originally posted by: Greenman

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: rstrohkirch
sport rider dyno'd it at 82hp and 66ft pounds

I'm more of a cost vs performance guy so this item is still expensive considering an 08 gsxr does about 150hp and 70ft pounds stock but you are paying for the name. Obviously, these are not the same types of bikes but the MSRP on them is less then $1000 difference and the GSXR comes with much better OEM equipment overall. As with any twin, the torque curve is much flatter than the gsxr...but that HUGE increase in HP makes it much less of a penalty. Personally, I've migrated to fast singles so I don't pay attention to this stuff as much as I use to.

At least in the singles world, when you buy a more expensive KTM you get stuff like higher end supension...SS lines..FCR carb..lighter components. Sometimes with the Ducati models there really isn't anything you get extra for the money you're spending.

No bike ever dyno's at what the manufacturer claims their hp is and there isn't a whole hell of a lot of difference between 66ft lbs and 70ft lbs when you're riding on the street.

I don't really pay much attention to this stuff either but I have ridden a few super sports and their potential cannot be explored on public roads without seriously endangering your driver's license so really...what's the point unless you're tracking it? And if you do, can you even unlock the potential of the bike? Trust me, there is no shortage of fools who ride these street legal race machines who have little ability.

That's because every manufacturer measures horsepower at the crank, while the rest of the world measures at the tire.

I'm much more interested in torque numbers than horsepower. A bike that put's out 70lbs of torque and 150 hp can only do it by turning 12k to 14k rpm's. That's a lot of rpm's.

Do you guy's really ride around in the 8 to 10k range day in and day out?

Generally, 1000cc I4 SS only have about 10-15ft of variance over their range. Nowadays, a 1k will have around 60ftlb @4krpm which is still more total torque then nearly any 750cc and under bike. The twins and big singles with their flatter curve seem to have more value when you compare them to 600cc SS I4 bikes or similar.

 

[Jeff7181]

I dunno... I don't have much experience on a bike, but one of the reasons I wanted an I4 was because I like the idea of having "minimal" amounts of power down low in the RPM range, but come on strong when you grab a handful of throttle and wind it out. It sounds to me like that would be a little more forgiving than a torque monster that'll break traction at 3000 RPM if you do the same.

I was watching the replay of the Daytona 200 last night and the commentators mentioned that the twins cylinder Ducatis, Buells and Aprilias were doing an extra tire change compared to the I4 Japanese bikes because the extra torque they have tore up the rear tires more.

*EDIT* Oh by the way... OP, if you do get a 250R don't sell it right when you decide to get a bigger bike. Trading it in won't take that much off the price of a bigger bike, and you may decide you like the 250 as a track bike. Having a low power bike to use at the track will really let you focus on developing your skills rather than taming 100-200 horsepower as you exit a turn. I can see myself getting a torquey 600-1000 street bike and either using my 600 as a track bike, or going with a smaller 250R track bike.

 

[cirrrocco]

Originally posted by: Saga

Originally posted by: BZeto
I test rode an 06' ZX-6R 636 yesterday and was pretty amazed coming from a cruiser. Until yesterday I haven't even riden an inline 4 but damn you really can tell it's a racing machine. Everything seemed so precise, from the throttle response to the brakes. I'm practically sold on one, I just need to find a buyer for my bike first.

Just wait until you ride a liter bike. I rode a '06 ZX636 (they actually aren't called ZX-6Rs because they aren't until 07 and beyond when they got rid of the 636 engine. =p ) for over a year before graduating to a ZX10R. It was amazing to go from a bike I had to make move, to a bike that simply lurched itself forward the moment I let off the clutch.

wow another zx10r rider. How is it going for you. I love the bike and its great accelaration. I dont think I have done more than 8K rpm's though.

I ride my ninja500 one week and my zx10r the next. [I know it is dangrous to keep changing bikes every week], but I love he comfprtable driving position on thekaw 500 and the aggressive position on the 1000.

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: BZeto

Pretty sure '05 and '06 (and maybe earlier) 636's were called ZX6R's while the 599's were labeled ZX6RR's.
Anyways, yeah liter bikes quite honestly scare me.

Not really referring to what they were labeled on the Kawi website. Moreso what the community refers to them as. If I recall correctly, the DMV and insurance variants for my bike had two options, "ZX636" and "ZX6R", and the ZX6R was less expensive, which logically implies it is the 6RR.

To be frank the entire naming convention at the time was pretty fucked, with the ZX6R vastly overpowering the ZX6RR. I have a guy at my old address that thought his '06 ZX6RR was more powerful than my '06 ZX636..

Amusingly, just when you thought Kawi would learn from it's past mistakes, they eliminate the 636 and then turn the former ZX6RR into the ZX650, so now you have the ZX6R and the ZX650R, and the ZX6R costs three grand more. 😉

To the average non-enthusiast, Kawi's naming convention is confusing as fuck.

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: cirrrocco

wow another zx10r rider. How is it going for you. I love the bike and its great accelaration. I dont think I have done more than 8K rpm's though.

I ride my ninja500 one week and my zx10r the next. [I know it is dangrous to keep changing bikes every week], but I love he comfprtable driving position on thekaw 500 and the aggressive position on the 1000.

In my time I've gone through many bikes. From a '83 CX650 Custom, to a '85 Nighthawk S750 Turbo (cruiser, cruiser!), to a Z750S (naked sports-cruiser), and then straight into super sport territory with a ZX636 and ZX10R respectively. I then used the ZX636 as a trade in for a 1098 Duc - drove it for about three months and simply didn't like it. Immediately proceeded to swap for the '07 ZX10R, and then I picked up and '07 Yamaha Warrior to be the "daily driver" if you will. I'd be hard pressed to say which one I prefer, because they both serve different purposes. I've made 1600 mile trek's on the ZX10R, and I'm sure my back will never forgive me when I'm older - but the Warrior is overall an extremely fun and comfortable bike. Amusing as hell to be able to leave rubber on the ground with a rear brake.

My ZX10R has had a massive amount of custom work done on it - racing cams, port, etc. The fastest I've ever gone in the ZX10R is 161mph, and it can reach 103mph in first gear. It's an absolute beast, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for that bike.