Picked up my new bike last saturday, and was thinking about sharing my first impressions of it with you all (no need to post this in the other forums, yamaha and suzuki guys seem to spend more time in honda forum then their own...).
So, here it goes :
I AM IN LOVE !!! COMPLETLY AND UTTERLY ADDICTED. IT'S LIKE A DRUG !
Seriously, what I mean is ALL the spare time I have is directed to my new baby ! As you can see in my profile, I am a police officer (please, refrain yourselves...), and yesterday morning, when I was in court (cought someone driving with 3,54 alcohol ... the bastard could have killed someone!!!), I couldn't stop thinking about my new bike, and I couldn't care less if the guy was convicted or not, I just wanted to get the hell out of there and ride! When I did left, about 11H30 morning, I went straight to the garage to pick it up, and I just rode it ALL day, until 18H30 ! Didn't even get lunch ...
Just couldn't stop, it's that adictive.
So here are some informations and impressions:
Most of you probably don't know this, but the bike comes already broken in ! All it says in the manual is " during the first 300 miles avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration". There's no limitation in the revs or speed, as long as it's not too rapid . Great, uh ?
The engine is fenomenal, lot's of low down torque, you can ride in town at 20/25 MPH in sixt ! HUGE improvment from 929, which I had already ridden before. Just using 1/4 throtlle, you will see 125 MPH !!! And the straights here are very short, and the bike has done just 200 miles !!!
Another major improvment was the handling, a CBR600 was a lot better in corners than a 929, wich felt a lot heavier and required more effort to turn, personal experience. Not with the 954, that feels as light as the 600, in fact, Honda claims that the 954 is actually 2 kilos (4,4 pounds) lighter than the F4i, at least here in Europe. It really is like ridding a 600, so I was very very happy with it, because I live in an Island, and it's bassically all twisties, and I can have the power of a liter bike and the handling of a 600! The best of both worlds, in just one bike.
The gear box is very smooth, light and precise. Wind protection is, for a sports bike, rather good.
Braking is awesome, and from what I have read, it's the best. Don't know if this is true, haven't ridden the others, but I can tell you that with just one finger you will get sore shoulders just trying to hang on to the bike, such is the desacelaration rate!
Comparing to the opposition, i believe the R1 will have 3 or 4 more ponnies, and the GSXR probably 7 or 8. But what I can tell you, this bike is, at least for a uncompromising sports bike, confortable, and the ridding position amazingly good, way better than the suzuki and better than the R1. This means you can ride it for a longer period of time ... He He !
What I think is, don't talk s**t about the 954 just because it has less top end horsepower, I bet you can hardly notice it, and if you really need lots of horsies, then get a zx-12 or hayabusa ! If you are going to buy a r1 or gixxer1, you will be doing an excellent choice, but do it because of brand loyalty, looks, etc. Put a Micron or Akrapovic full system in a )54, and you will probably have more power than the oposition, and an excellent ROAD bike ! Afterall, that's where 90% of us spend 90% of our ridding time. To the other 10%, I have to admit you will be better off with the r1 or the GSXR, wich are more track oriented, but not by much thought, just like the power, the difference is small.
Believe me, the 954 even turns too much ! It just falls into corners, it is truly amazing. It's like it's on auto pilot. It's very easy to ride just from the start, and also easy to ride fast, it does everything on it's own, just like the F4I. A friend of mine, who if an excelent rider, upgraded from a bandit 600 to a R6, and told me he had to learn to ride again... Another one, who went up from a hornet600 to a Gixxer1, said the same ... and added the bike was too unconfortable in town... think about it ...
Please don't bash this wonderful bike, or at least ride one, and then tell us your honest opinions...
All of today's sports bikes are truly amazing, and it doesn't matter wich one you get, you will not be disapointed.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps people who are thinking about a liter bike, but don't know wich one.
From the 954RR owners manual :
"The motorcycle presents a challenge to master the machine, a challenge to adventure. You ride through the wind, linked to the road by a vehicle that responds to your commands as no other does. Unlike an automobile, there is no metal cage around you. Your reward is freedom ..."
Spend more time enjoying your "reward" and less arguing wich bike is better.
Wear your gear, ride safe and beware of the caged ones!
So, here it goes :
I AM IN LOVE !!! COMPLETLY AND UTTERLY ADDICTED. IT'S LIKE A DRUG !
Seriously, what I mean is ALL the spare time I have is directed to my new baby ! As you can see in my profile, I am a police officer (please, refrain yourselves...), and yesterday morning, when I was in court (cought someone driving with 3,54 alcohol ... the bastard could have killed someone!!!), I couldn't stop thinking about my new bike, and I couldn't care less if the guy was convicted or not, I just wanted to get the hell out of there and ride! When I did left, about 11H30 morning, I went straight to the garage to pick it up, and I just rode it ALL day, until 18H30 ! Didn't even get lunch ...
Just couldn't stop, it's that adictive.
So here are some informations and impressions:
Most of you probably don't know this, but the bike comes already broken in ! All it says in the manual is " during the first 300 miles avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration". There's no limitation in the revs or speed, as long as it's not too rapid . Great, uh ?
The engine is fenomenal, lot's of low down torque, you can ride in town at 20/25 MPH in sixt ! HUGE improvment from 929, which I had already ridden before. Just using 1/4 throtlle, you will see 125 MPH !!! And the straights here are very short, and the bike has done just 200 miles !!!
Another major improvment was the handling, a CBR600 was a lot better in corners than a 929, wich felt a lot heavier and required more effort to turn, personal experience. Not with the 954, that feels as light as the 600, in fact, Honda claims that the 954 is actually 2 kilos (4,4 pounds) lighter than the F4i, at least here in Europe. It really is like ridding a 600, so I was very very happy with it, because I live in an Island, and it's bassically all twisties, and I can have the power of a liter bike and the handling of a 600! The best of both worlds, in just one bike.
The gear box is very smooth, light and precise. Wind protection is, for a sports bike, rather good.
Braking is awesome, and from what I have read, it's the best. Don't know if this is true, haven't ridden the others, but I can tell you that with just one finger you will get sore shoulders just trying to hang on to the bike, such is the desacelaration rate!
Comparing to the opposition, i believe the R1 will have 3 or 4 more ponnies, and the GSXR probably 7 or 8. But what I can tell you, this bike is, at least for a uncompromising sports bike, confortable, and the ridding position amazingly good, way better than the suzuki and better than the R1. This means you can ride it for a longer period of time ... He He !
What I think is, don't talk s**t about the 954 just because it has less top end horsepower, I bet you can hardly notice it, and if you really need lots of horsies, then get a zx-12 or hayabusa ! If you are going to buy a r1 or gixxer1, you will be doing an excellent choice, but do it because of brand loyalty, looks, etc. Put a Micron or Akrapovic full system in a )54, and you will probably have more power than the oposition, and an excellent ROAD bike ! Afterall, that's where 90% of us spend 90% of our ridding time. To the other 10%, I have to admit you will be better off with the r1 or the GSXR, wich are more track oriented, but not by much thought, just like the power, the difference is small.
Believe me, the 954 even turns too much ! It just falls into corners, it is truly amazing. It's like it's on auto pilot. It's very easy to ride just from the start, and also easy to ride fast, it does everything on it's own, just like the F4I. A friend of mine, who if an excelent rider, upgraded from a bandit 600 to a R6, and told me he had to learn to ride again... Another one, who went up from a hornet600 to a Gixxer1, said the same ... and added the bike was too unconfortable in town... think about it ...
Please don't bash this wonderful bike, or at least ride one, and then tell us your honest opinions...
All of today's sports bikes are truly amazing, and it doesn't matter wich one you get, you will not be disapointed.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps people who are thinking about a liter bike, but don't know wich one.
From the 954RR owners manual :
"The motorcycle presents a challenge to master the machine, a challenge to adventure. You ride through the wind, linked to the road by a vehicle that responds to your commands as no other does. Unlike an automobile, there is no metal cage around you. Your reward is freedom ..."
Spend more time enjoying your "reward" and less arguing wich bike is better.
Wear your gear, ride safe and beware of the caged ones!