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Wednesday, 08 September 2004 |
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Page 3 of 4
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The motor obviously has some really high numbers stuck to it; a race track environment tends to suck that power away usually because there's no encumbrance to how fast (within reason) you want to go. A seat of the pants feeling tells me I don't know my arse from my elbow, however after spending some time of the 03' Gixxer, this K-bike will be right in the mix with quite possibly a nose in front. However, the motor doesn't seem to make its presence felt until the upper rev range. Sure with a 1000cc under its belt, it going to have all the torque you need, but it's not a stump puller like the Gix'. I'm not sure if this is a by-product of a very linear power delivery, because the power doesn't spike or because at the race track you spend a lot of time in the upper rev range. A street ride will soon confirm the delivery habits though.
By the way, as far as that power delivery is concerned, if you chop the throttle at the top of fourth it'll easily pick the wheel up and go as long as you are able to hold on for - Doug Domokos is smiling up there somewhere. |
| This bike does not and will not come with a steering damper (these bikes were pre-production). But before you go in search of your local rotary damper dealer, you might want to practice riding using your hips and heels rather than your forearms and palms. I found that roadracing the XR supermoto taught me how to avoid putting unnecessary input into the wide MX bars to avoid that wobbling/slapping sensation. Consequently my hands were only there to assist with some clutch and brake work and to provide the necessary countersteering input to help me through the turns. I've seen that same XR a wobbling mess, due to the borrower manhandling the front end. This 10R gave you notice every now and then, but it was a gentle one or two wiggle reminder rather than a confidence sapping slap. Nuff said. |
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Proof? OK, I wheelied the whole length of the front straight almost every time throughout the day, for two reasons; because I could, secondly, to show my disdain for speedway-style racetracks and because I could... Was that three reasons? My point is, I was accelerating hard all the way through to the 300-foot brake marker, landing, braking and turning in with no fear for life, limb or an errant headshake. It's not scientific, but proof enough - that is a stable chassis my fellow 2Dubs.
The bike shares a seat height with the 6R/RR at 32.5" with a not too long a reach to the bars. First off most of us requested the levers be rotated down to ease wrist break and that was the only real adjustment that I saw all day.
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