In addition to my ’03 636, I have a beast-bike, a 1999 CBR1100XX Blackbird. While down twenty horse to the ZX12 and Hayabusa, it still gets up and goes with 1150cc of inline-four terror.
The astounding part is raucous acceleration above 120mph. The 636 accelerates well at speed, better than many bikes actually, and signs off at what: an indicated 155mph (roughly)? A Blackbird or other beast bike will just keep right on going. I’ve seen this from Gixxer 1000s at Pacific Raceways, time after time: at that venue on the 636, I peak at an indicated 151mph (moderate-distance front straight). Gixxer thousands blast on thru at 175mph, roughly. Turns are another story, of course, though one can hardly fault the handling of any Gixxer.
On the street beast bikes are pure murder. Punch the throttle at 120mph, the bike leaps forward. Quite the rush, except now you’re doing 140mph and still accelerating. Events occur very quickly at 140mph, faster than most minds can process. The ‘Bird tapers off at an indicated 175mph, in my case. I cannot imagine the speeds a Gixxer 1000, Hayabusa, or ZX12R obtain.
Most modern liter+ bike are the equivalent of arriving to a gunfight with a bazooka. I’ve never owned a better-handling sportbike than the 636, but know in other venues I’m just asking for trouble.
{ -=DRB=- }