A friend of mine let me have a go on one. Oh my! I tried to redline it in first ran out of room only got to about 12000rpm is started pushing me down the seat and lifting the front wheel off the floor. I only got to go on local roads but that was enough makes my J2 feel slow slow and heavy. I would never have believed the difference until I road one! My brother had a blade that was dyno jetted and had serious lowered gearing and it felt more violent than the blade even though on the dyno it was pushing 120bhp at the rear wheel. Seriously impressive and for those of you that have a C1 I am so jealous!
The one thing I will say is that it felt like it has a little less initial low down than the J2 and starts to go higher up the rev range but when it kicks in takes off like a mad thing! I didn’t like the mirrors and low screen. The ridding position felt quite comfy for which supprised me. I love it and want one only wish I wasn’t unemployed and I could afford one!
When I rode home on mine I still love it lots and lots cause it’s mine and I am so used to it now. However, it really is quite scary how much faster they have managed to make 600’s in the last few years.
I have the fortune to ride a B2. The shop I sometimes work as have a C1 on demonstrate so I have put a fair few miles in on it doing the demo rides with customers. I agree about the screen on the C1, you have to look down through it to read the speedo, you can not tuck behind it unless you slide right back in the seat. Other than that its a sweet bike.
Compared to mine, which has only been canned really the C1 does not pick up as well. The brakes for some reason dont feel so good. The initial suspension set up is better.
Its hard to keep the fronts down on either version but they are certainly powerful enough.
My personal preference has to be the B2, I reckon it looks better than the C1. But theres not a lot th choose between them for performance.
I find always hard to believe that a new bike can be better than the previous model, even after being following the gsxr750/1000 since the end of the 80s. But, it always does! I’m always surprised! I haven’t been on the new ZX yet but i can imagine it!
That’s actually a pain as I just finished to build my bike on the way I wanted and they had a brand new model, looking sharper, lighter as faster
I actually have never liked the look of the B1. I don’t like the front end think it’s ugly compared to the J model. With the C1 they have gone back to that classy look of styling much nicer.
I don’t know what all these letters mean, but the 2005 model seems to me to be geared more towards aerodynamics, for winning supersport races. The shape of it is very slick and reminds me strongly of the 250 GP bikes. The World Supersport bikes I saw at Brands at the weekend were even more accentuated with their fairings.
I think customer appreciation pays less and less a role in how the bikes are designed, with performance and race advantages becoming more of a priority (race wins sell bikes, being the theory).
Mmm, always thought the B’s looked sharper and a bit more aggressive. Mind you I still went for a J model so there you go! Would be boring if everyone liked the same bike I guess…! I still don’t think you can beat the ZX7R front end looks-wise, but I agree with Jay, the styling is increasingly based on speed and aerodynamics these days.
Thats 3 of us on the board riding the J model zx6r and all in different colpurs too…green, red and yellow. We all know which one would be faster, green obviously.
Well I got a B2 in green and its the muts. You will not persuade me that any other is as good. Great agressive styling. Better riding position than the new. I am a very happy bunny with mine.
all hail the 7R!!! being someone who will take handling over horsepower anyday its easy to see why the 7R was an obvious next step from my NC30 (not that the 7 is lacking in power of course…) how often can you really use 150+ bhp abyway?
I go with you, problem is I did it round the other way. Had the sweet ZX7 and then went for the NC30 as a runaround. Both very sweet handling bikes. The 7 was definately more planted at the front end, but then with all that weight its not surprising. Maybe I should get round t putting her back on the road now.
best thing you can do is raise the rear ride height, worked wonders on mine puts more weight on the front wheel, and gets rid of that annoying understeer when lent over gassing out of a bend… il have to give you a blast on mine when i get back
Matt, I have never suffered understeer on mine. It now has a Penske shock on the rear and is about 1.5 inches higher than it used to be at the back. I had started getting tank slappers on her, probably caused by the rear shock, thats partly why it was changed, I also fitted an Ohlins steering damper. The 7 is wonderful, I have had it from new and I am not going to get rid of it either. Its an incredible bike, why oh why did they not develop it further?
