2010 Literbike Shootout: RSV4 R vs S1000RR vs CBR1000RR vs ZX-10R

[Paul Yates]

I was having trouble sleeping, thought everyone else might have been as well....

As for the erudite "newage", there is little new to me. This is my 14 bike, my 45th year, and you're 1,453,567th ****head I has encountered, so no, nothing new there either. New to writing to this forum, but I was reading here from 2003 or so. But thanks for the constructive comments however.

PY

Sorry for being touchy I guess...wouldn't have thought that a person.

[trenttheuncatchable]

They are referring to http://www.motorcycle.com/forum/memb...getwotone.html

[Dr_Sprocket]

Very interesting write-up. I was most surprised by the Aprilia's relative lack of torque (especially down low). Not at all what I would have expected for a V-4 configuration.

Congrats to BMW for upping the bar! It seems competition is, indeed, good for everyone.

Thank you for commenting on fit for taller riders. Usually, I take sportbike reviews with a grain of salt because the fit is usually for shorties. My only suggestion (repeated) would be to include projected first-year maintenance costs and/or maintenance intervals. Otherwise, thanks for the write-up, guys!

[Kenneth_Moore]

I've always had a fondness for the Germans, since we bombed them into the Stone Age back in WWII. Sure they killed a few million Jews, Poles, Gays..were the darkest force of evil on the face of the planet in two millenium...what have you. But darn it, they got right back on their feet and now they export more stuff than even the Chinese, all the while paying ridiculously high wages in a virtual worker's paradise (8 weeks paid vacation with lifetime health care, anyone?).

So now we have Der VolksBiken. 170+ horsepower, stunning brakes and chassis, electronic wizardry...what once the realm of $70k special edition RRRRR Ducatis, MV Agustas, Motorcycle Unobtanium, is now a sub-$260 bike payment away for anyone who can find their local BMW motorcycle dealer...and somebody dumb enough to insure it. It's the Beetle, all over again, only different.

Maybe we'll get lucky and BMW will buy Harley Davidson. Either that, or we'll have to bomb them back into the Stone Age again. We damn sure can't compete with them on a level playing field.

It's great fun to come back from a weekend in the Keys to find an excellent Fonzivideo and Ed in Chief shootout awaiting! Especially after reading the same article in 3 different print magazines while away. I swear sometimes I think there are only 3 guys in the entire world actually writing print articles, and the magazines just change the wording, names, and photos. But MO...the brilliant combination of video (set to music ) hi-res stills, and lots of good print. Maybe the I-Pad will finally replace paper in the "reading room," and I can drop all those subscriptions.

[Duken4evr]

Great write up guys. The great thing about this medium is seeing videos and hearing the bikes. A print mag can't give you that

The CBR has a very impressive powerband for us real riders. I suspect that Bazzaz guy might have a thing or two to say about restoring the clipped top end too. I would love to see Honda be more like Ducati here - just uncork the top end for CBR duty, and drop the motor into the new naked bike just as it is in the CBR. "Problem" solved. Pull off the kid gloves Mr. Honda.

As for the BMW. Wow. I am just blown away!

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

It's great fun to come back from a weekend in the Keys to find an excellent Fonzivideo and Ed in Chief shootout awaiting! Especially after reading the same article in 3 different print magazines while away. I swear sometimes I think there are only 3 guys in the entire world actually writing print articles, and the magazines just change the wording, names, and photos. But MO...the brilliant combination of video (set to music ) hi-res stills, and lots of good print. Maybe the I-Pad will finally replace paper in the "reading room," and I can drop all those subscriptions.

I love getting kudos. No, I loooooove getting kudos. But, Pete deserves credit for writing most of this shootout. Cool guy that he is, he suggested adding my byline when he noticed my additions during final editing. The whole MO team contributed to delivering a shootout this good as quickly as we did!

[fonzie]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

But MO...the brilliant combination of video (set to music ) hi-res stills, and lots of good print. Maybe the I-Pad will finally replace paper in the "reading room," and I can drop all those subscriptions.

Thanks Kenneth! With comments like that (and many more) I might just stick around!
-fz

[MOKE1K]

I'v ridden the RSV, I can't imagine the Bemmer. With the vastly hugh difference in horsepower, I can't wait to ride it. Great write-up and video guys. You boys ever make it over to Jennings let me know,would love to meet ya and possibly get the chance to ride maybe.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by MOKE1K

I'v ridden the RSV, I can't imagine the Bemmer. With the vastly hugh difference in horsepower, I can't wait to ride it. Great write-up and video guys. You boys ever make it over to Jennings let me know,would love to meet ya and possibly get the chance to ride maybe.

Jennings is a bit of a trek for us, MOKE, but I'm sure we'd enjoy spending time with an enthusiast like yourself!

[Ralenti]

Beautiful write-up, as usual, guys. If there's only one thing I'd like to see on the videos, is a sound-test comparison! Idling and revving, I want some more of that Aprilia sound pleeaassseee!