Rook asked me to rate my sportbike fleet in order of preference some time back and I'm just now getting around to it. This is tough, I love 'em all and they all have their pluses and minuses; but for the twisty backroad riding I like to do, here's how they came out. Disclaimer: Results might not be what you expect!

In first place, 2009 ZX-6R. Not the fastest but just plain the most fun to throw down into a corner and the high rpm soundtrack is true bliss! On top quality fresh rubber, this is about as good as it gets, light, nimble and as precise as a surgeon's scalpel!

Tied for second place, 2011 ZX-10R and 2015 CBR1000RR SP Repsol. Hard to split these two, although the Repsol is just a touch more refined in everything while the ZX-10R has a bit of edginess about it but both are an absolute hoot on a good road!

Third place goes to the 2012 CBR1000RR, very close to the Repsol SP but not quite as refined overall.

Fourth place goes to the venerable 2006 ZX-14, she can sure dance for a big girl!

In fifth is the 2016 ZX-10R. This is surprising as it has all of the latest bells and whistles and impeccable cornering manners as well as suspenders as good as the Repsol's Ohlins; but the lack of low end/midrange and the manic drive above 9000 rpm makes it a handful on a back road. On track, this might be King though.

In dead last and this pains me to say it, is the 2016 Ducati Panigale 959. This might be my quickest bike through a given section of road but it just is not as much fun to ride fast as some of the others. It is gorgeous to behold and the L-twin sound is music to my ears but the stagecoach ride and surging engine character just makes it feel unrefined and like a lot of work. For the true Ducatisti however, it's the only bike to own, I'm just not that guy.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/10/2018 @ 2:08 PM *

I imagine I'd rank them pretty much the same if I rode them all. I am surprised about the Ducati. I think you'd change your mind about the 2016 ZX-10 if you did whatever wire mod or what you have to do to derestrict the power lower in the rpms.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/10/2018 @ 3:05 PM *

OK now I will rate them ... having never even ridden most of them! ... even though nobody asked for my opinion, and I'm sure nobody cares!

1st 2016 ZX-10R KRT ... seems like 1 bad mutha! I hated that graphic scheme at first, but it has really grown on me ... like a digital jungle cord mess ... HA, really, I do like it Closest bike to this that I've ridden would probably be an ol' YZF R1.

2nd place tie 2015 CBR1000RR SP Repsol / 2012 CBR 1000RR / Red 2016 959 Panigale Red ... None of these knock my socks off, but all 3 seem to have an equal amount of many pro's and a few cons. Never ridden any Ducati. I owned two CBR900RR's in the mid 90's, so that's as close to what I've ridden relative to the CBR1000's.

5th 2006 ZX-14 Red ... VERY interested in big bores, but knowing the ZX14R is out there keeps this one from the top of my list.

6th 2011 ZX-10R Ebony ... meh, with the '16 available why bother with the '11 ... Modern problems

7th 2009 ZX-6R ... I'm just not interested in small bore bikes. At Bike Week in Daytona I test rode a YZF R6 and really didn't like the way it had to wind to oblivion to make any power. To each their own, of course. I'm sure I'm the oddball as I lean to lugging the ZX14 rather than winding it out.

Edit: So you're 1st place is my last place ... and your last place is my Tie-2nd, and your 2nd-to-last is my 1st. Other then that we're pretty similar HAHA! Oh, except I moved the Duc up.

OK, probably would help if I ride them all. What time should I be there?

* Last updated by: extrapolator on 5/10/2018 @ 5:10 PM *

Now THAT'S interesting! Thanks for the input, Kruz. I gotta say those are some beautiful bikes and the photography is excellent. Where do you keep them all??
Paul

and and and the VTX gets the most poontang for the win

Haha, 1Bad, you still owe me lunch, been over ten years I been waiting to collect and saving my appetite...lol

Still have the VTX, she's almost 15 years old now but still chugging along.

Now THAT'S interesting! Thanks for the input, Kruz. I gotta say those are some beautiful bikes and the photography is excellent. Where do you keep them all??
Paul

Hi Paul,

Two car garage, the Explorer stays outside, it's getting pretty tight in there.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/10/2018 @ 7:26 PM *

Most excellent!I'm not surprised about your Duc.They don't do it for me either.For sheer build quality,the Ninja's take it to the win.Your top pick sounds really cool.Maybe some day I'll get a small(?)ninja..a 600 or so.Just to feel that handling.Never been on a sportbike that was like 300 something lbs or whatever they are.Thanks man for your list.Great pics BTW.Good job on keepin yer ladies dressed up;)

Edit: So you're 1st place is my last place ... and your last place is my Tie-2nd, and your 2nd-to-last is my 1st. Other then that we're pretty similar HAHA! Oh, except I moved the Duc up.

I thought about this long and hard and my ratings were purely subjective based upon the question "If I was going riding right now, what would I most enjoy?"

I always look forward to riding the ZX-6R, fact, it's more fun on a twisty road than a barrel of naked ladies! You need to get off that R6, that is a top end only track bike, the ZX-6R has butch midrange and even a touch of low end. In fact, it will pull second off a stop light while the '16 ZX-10R struggles with 1st, feels like there's a shop towel stuffed in the intake until you hit about 7000 rpm and then it starts to scoot, from 9000 to the 14,000 redline it will pull your arms straight, not even the 14 can compare but that's not the best powerband for back road hustling. The '11 ZX-10R has more low end than any of them except the ZX-14 and the Ducati and has a totally linear powerband. It is also 18 pounds lighter than the '16 version and is smaller, feels more like a 600. The Repsol and the '12, plain Jane CBR1000RR are similar in feel but the Repsol is velvety smooth and ultra-refined with the Ohlins, Brembos and Pirelli Super Corsa tires on there, you can tell Honda really did their homework on this special edition model, some even say it's better than the new SP version. The Hondas are all about midrange, low end is so-so and the top end drive peters out beyond 10,500 rpm. The Ducati is an odd duck, it has a punchy low end drive, decent midrange and good topend for a twin, it'll pull hard until it hits the rev limiter. The suspension is like sitting on a rock pile though, no give at all and the frameless monocoque chassis is unique, as in different. Like there's a subtle touch of understeer right before it initiates turn in, just takes a little getting used to. If I never rode any other bike, the Ducati would be fine and it can get a hustle on, it has the strange quality of always feeling like it's moving in slow motion, probably due to the L-twin power pulses. Where the Ducati shines is mid corner stability, it's like it's locked on rails.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/10/2018 @ 8:06 PM *

Most excellent!I'm not surprised about your Duc.They don't do it for me either.For sheer build quality,the Ninja's take it to the win.Your top pick sounds really cool.Maybe some day I'll get a small(?)ninja..a 600 or so.Just to feel that handling.Never been on a sportbike that was like 300 something lbs or whatever they are.Thanks man for your list.Great pics BTW.Good job on keepin yer ladies dressed up;)

Grn, you have to experience a 600 supersport on a winding stretch of good road to really appreciate how much fun they can be. Forget that nonsense about the newer literbikes handling like 600s, they don't! I have a bunch of them and they are different. No traction control? No problem, the 43 lb-ft of peak torque will keep all but the most hamfisted rider with the shiny bits pointing up and the 110 rear wheel HP will keep all but the best liter bike drivers safely in your rearview mirrors on a twisty road. I remember buying mine on a whim as a leftover in 2010 for $7516 drive out and thinking "what the heck did I just do?" It has turned out to be the best investment I ever made on a motorcycle and is more fun than bikes costing double that price.

Haha, 1Bad, you still owe me lunch, been over ten years 

I don't recollect that i owe

BUT

I'll race you for lunch !!!!

PS i don't eat as much as i use to

I'll race you for lunch !!!!

I'll take that wager, we're riding in my neck of the woods....

PS i don't eat as much as i use to

That is good news, you were never what I would call a light weight....

I don't recollect that i owe

Somehow I always ended up with the check, except when you came up that time to buy my wrecked ZX-10R and hoodwinked your buddy into picking up the tab...

* Last updated by: Kruz on 6/12/2018 @ 10:43 AM *

BTW, you never transferred the title on that 10R, big guy down in Houston ended up with it and ran through a bunch of toll booths on it. I got stuck paying almost $150 in delinquent toll receipts, you owe me dinner at the Ritz Carlton for that little charade....

OK now I will rate them ... having never even ridden most of them! ... even though nobody asked for my opinion, and I'm sure nobody cares!

1st 2016 ZX-10R KRT ... seems like 1 bad mutha! I hated that graphic scheme at first, but it has really grown on me ... like a digital jungle cord mess ... HA, really, I do like it Closest bike to this that I've ridden would probably be an ol' YZF R1.

2nd place tie 2015 CBR1000RR SP Repsol / 2012 CBR 1000RR / Red 2016 959 Panigale Red ... None of these knock my socks off, but all 3 seem to have an equal amount of many pro's and a few cons. Never ridden any Ducati. I owned two CBR900RR's in the mid 90's, so that's as close to what I've ridden relative to the CBR1000's.

5th 2006 ZX-14 Red ... VERY interested in big bores, but knowing the ZX14R is out there keeps this one from the top of my list.

6th 2011 ZX-10R Ebony ... meh, with the '16 available why bother with the '11 ... Modern problems

7th 2009 ZX-6R ... I'm just not interested in small bore bikes. At Bike Week in Daytona I test rode a YZF R6 and really didn't like the way it had to wind to oblivion to make any power. To each their own, of course. I'm sure I'm the oddball as I lean to lugging the ZX14 rather than winding it out.

Edit: So you're 1st place is my last place ... and your last place is my Tie-2nd, and your 2nd-to-last is my 1st. Other then that we're pretty similar HAHA! Oh, except I moved the Duc up.

OK, probably would help if I ride them all. What time should I be there?

Been doing a lot of riding lately, my observations haven't changed much Extrapolator, the ZX-6R is still tops on my list for pure fun, with the Repsol right on it's tail feathers in hot pursuit but the '16 ZX-10R has moved up in my opinion, after fitting a new set of RS-10 rubber. I think this bike would be the one to beat on a track, it is blindingly fast on top end and the handling, brakes and suspenders are top shelf. It's just the general lack of low end and midrange grunt that rob it from taking the top spot on the road. I've noticed the Ducati, while still at the bottom for fun, is one of the quickest through any given corner. Somehow it manages to come out on bottom for fun factor while being one of the most capable, hard to explain, you would just need to experience it to understand.

"the general lack of low end and midrange grunt that rob it"...don't they have a factory accessory that kicks up the power output in those ranges?Thought I read that on the Kawi site or something.

I've noticed the Ducati, while still at the bottom for fun, is one of the quickest through any given corner. Somehow it manages to come out on bottom for fun factor while being one of the most capable, hard to explain, you would just need to experience it to understand.

Could it be the V-twin aspect? My '04 Honda RC51 was fun and fast ... really fast ... BUT, not as fun as an inline 4 with power band up top. In other words, linear power delivery might win races, might get you the early jump out of the game, but the thrill of a power band in the upper revs is what does it for me. V twin = fast and powerful but kinda boring. With a V-twin it's almost like you have no reference: It's just the same full on power from low revs all the way to redline. With an I4 the power gets better, Better, BETTER ...

@Grn, I don't know but have heard that there is a way to derestrict the '16, kinda like the old ZX-14 of the '06/'07 era. The 14 ran like a 600 down low until the secondary throttle plates were removed.... then a whole different ballgame, the '16 might be the same but I'm not sure exactly what needs doing. All of the pieces are there to make a really great bike, just needs some guts down low.

@ Extrapolator, you might have hit on something there, the 959 does seem a bit boring even though the speed is definitely there, might be a perception thing. Other than pounding your kidneys like a steak hammer over the bumps, it doesn't really do anything wrong. Power-check, cornering skills-check, brakes-check, all the pieces of the puzzle seem to be there but it somehow doesn't quite package it all together in a fluid manner. Kind of like it was designed by a committee. The ZX-6R and the Repsol are on a different level when it comes to integration of the total package, same can be said to a lesser degree for the older CBR1000RR, ZX-10R and the ZX-14, well balanced comes to mind.

BTW, you never transferred the title on that 10R, big guy down in Houston ended up with it and ran through a bunch of toll booths on it. I got stuck paying almost $150 in delinquent toll receipts, you owe me dinner at the Ritz Carlton for that little charade....

No i didn't forget to transfer Extreme Performance of San Antonio sold it without transferring our mistake was leaving the plate on it !!!! good news is you still own the bike if you ever want it.

also an FWIW the toll people will guess letters on a plate and send bills out to anybody with numbers close to it . guess how i know that

* Last updated by: Badzx14r on 6/14/2018 @ 8:43 PM *

Hehe, no hard feelings 1Bad, we're still buddies, I just learned another one of life's lessons, never even thought about taking that plate off.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/20/2018 @ 12:05 PM *

Well thought it was time for an update to this thread after getting all the bikes on proper track oriented rubber. They have all moved closer together now that they are on an equal footing so to speak. In the past I have been an ardent fan of BT-016 Pros for their good grip, fast warm up times, neutral but agile handling and decent life but have moved on to Bridgestone RS-10s recently. These are sticky, track oriented tires with a relatively short fuse but the payoff is sublime feel,especially when loading up the front tire in a corner.

The Repsol Honda is on Pirelli Super Corsa SPs, the Ducati 959 is on Pirelli Corsa Rossos and the rest of the fleet has been upgraded to the RS-10s.

Biggest winner here was the ZX-14 which is unbelievably good with track focused rubber under it, it felt almost as nimble as the ZX-6R in the corners with incredible corner exit drive.

My older ZX-10R and CBR1000RR are both crazy good now, both benefiting from the tire upgrade almost as much as the ZX-14.

The ZX-6R benefitted the least from the change, it was always good and felt just a bit more planted on the RS-10s when pitching it in.

The pecking order has now changed, I'd say the ZX-6R has been knocked off it's perch by at least a couple of the other bikes and the ZX-14 has moved up a notch or two but it's so close between all of these machines now that it is becoming hard to say which is better. Each one has a distinctive character but all are a hoot to ride, it seems there is no such thing as a bad bike anymore.... unless you're riding one of those Chinese knockoffs.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/20/2018 @ 12:28 PM *

Good one Kruzer!I just put a set of Conti Sport Attack 3's on my H2.I also adjusted the suspension pretty out there on the soft side.Preload's all the way out.On the front.Softened the rear up good too.This bike rides like it's on rails I swear.Fast cornering and leaning in is awesome.It just stays where it's put,and begs for more throttle.ZERO front end movement.Not even a twitch.Amazing really.Never had a bike that feels THIS in control...requires a good precorner setup for the line though.Gotta pay attention in a bigger sort of way...but she corners alright.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 9/20/2018 @ 1:50 PM *

In first place, 2009 ZX-6R. Not the fastest but just plain the most fun to throw down into a corner and the high rpm soundtrack is true bliss! On top quality fresh rubber, this is about as good as it gets, light, nimble and as precise as a surgeon's scalpel!

I know this post is old but I was hoping someone would know if a zx6r is a much funner bike to do wheelies on then a zx14. I can power wheelie the zx14 ok, but I feel as though I am beating on it to clutch it up. Plus in first gear the clutch up feels like it is going to pull my arms right off.

I have a VFR800 to sell and I was hoping to put the money towards a zx6r instead of upgrades for the zx14.

thanks
Joel

ZX-6R feels like a bicycle next to the 14, if you like power wheelies though, it's kinda hard to beat a liter bike.

Good on you Grn, sounds like you have that mean, lean, green machine dialed in to your liking! I have one bike left to setup and that is the Repsol SP Honda, it was so good out of the box wearing it's fancy Ohlins suspenders I've left it alone; but as my riding has evolved over time, e.g trailbraking the corner entries, I'm starting to see short comings that need to be addressed. She's a little loose in the rear end when the pace really heats up, needs a touch more preload, compression and rebound to set things right I figure. Front is close but needs dialing back a touch, just a tad harsh. Really nice for a stock setup though, I can ride at about an 80% pace and it feels dandy, only when pushing hard will it start misbehaving a bit. I setup my 14 a few years ago and it is one of my best, handles the bumps with ease and corners like cat claws on Velcro, really good all rounder.

Can't believe my ZX-14 is approaching it's 13th birthday next year, rode it this morning and it still feels like the day I brought it home, only setup a whole lot better!