Comparison test of big bikes: Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, Suzuki GSX 1300 R Hayabusa, Yamaha FJR 1300 A

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Comparison test of big bikes: Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, Suzuki GSX 1300 R Hayabusa, Yamaha FJR 1300 A
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Comparison test big bikes: Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, Suzuki GSX 1300 R Hayabusa, Yamaha FJR 1300 A

Two fast, two furious

The hype is over. Nobody cares anymore about the 300 km / h number, Hayabusa and ZX-12R have switched to double X and FJR in the tourism industry and act like long-suffering tour guides, or? Let’s go to the character check!

The history of speed bikes is one of cruelty and misunderstanding. What has not been done to them: Honda’s double X once had to compete in a commercial for a duel with its nickname Blackbird, a martial spy plane. This dull black bird made the New York – London distance in under two hours in the 1970s. Average 2908 km / h. Honda’s Super Blackbird failed already at the 300 mark, although deeply crouched testers got a twist in the high-speed oval of Nardo / southern Italy, and even removed the mirrors in the fight against air resistance: Honda’s prestigious racer simply did not want to take the hurdle. And slipped as a result-
zeit model maintained and uncomplicated in the sports tourer drawer, combined with a downward correction of the performance. The former 164 hp are now
their 152.
Or the next, Suzuki GSX 1300 R. Better known as Hayabusa. It slipped through the sound barrier thanks to 175 hp and streamlined fairing. And then had to serve up all sorts of absurdities. A respected racing idol succeeded in thoroughly gaining its reputation through meticulously filmed hara-kiri overtaking maneuvers on the autobahn
ruin. And to silently increase that of the fast Suzuki. Since then, »Hayabusa« has been a branded item in the pacemaker category.
The Kawasaki ZX-12R did not become a branded product. Although she casually overcame the 300 hurdle at 308 km / h. So casual that the hustle and bustle was stopped and the entire high-speed troop voluntarily clipped their wings in early 2001. At 298 km / h. The magical three has not even appeared on the speedometer since then.
A problem that leaves the Yamaha FJR indifferent. Born as a clever tourer from the start, it puts the power of its 1298 cm3 exclusively in the service of tourism and not gigantism.
Have the speedies played out with it, or are they maybe even the better tourers, because of a sporty streak and such? MOTORRAD set out on a test trip via the motorway and country roads from Stuttgart to Lake Garda.

Bag and pack
Speed ​​trip with small luggage, i.e. luggage roll at Hayabusa and Co., suitcases for an extra charge of 710 euros at FJR. While retrofit luggage systems look like Heidi Klum’s braces, the elegant, lacquered containers fit the Yamaha line. If you don’t need the parts, you can remove them quickly; only four small receptacles, which can be closed with lids, tell of the existence of a luggage system – not even the forwarding professionals from Munich can do it that smartly. The FJR is targeting their clientele. On the one hand, with the comfortable seating position at the front and back, including a great windshield behind the electrically height-adjustable window. On the other hand with details like
an electrically locked storage compartment in the cladding and its small plastic luggage rack, which, however, turns out to be quite pointless due to the lack of hooks.
The others have practical luggage hooks for this. However, those who use them have to forego passenger operations. Not that tragic with the Kawa, its high seat, in contrast to the well-designed, wind-protected driver’s seat, attracts at most chewing fans to linger for a long time. Although the abundant reserves of the fully adjustable landing gear even allow two people to fly high.
Things are down to earth in the literal sense of the word on board the Honda and Suzuki. Sure, you trust the double X straight away
Passenger quality too, but the Hayabusa? And yet, it can. The separate rear cushion is sufficiently comfortable, even if passengers have to bend their legs vigorously, and support on the tank is also no problem. Passengers should only use the solid rear handlebar
Keep your fingers off if you don’t want to say goodbye while accelerating with a roller backwards. The pilot is good though
integrated, you shouldn’t have too high hopes for wind protection. Up to about 180 km / h there is an equilibrium of forces, at even higher speeds, even full cover does not help much. The Honda does a little better in this regard, its fairing is more human-friendly, the seating position is stretched and less frontal-
bike-oriented than for example the Kawasaki.
Exceeds in terms of chassis reserves
the Hayabusa the CBR clearly. Your full
The adjustable suspension elements can be trimmed tighter than that of the Honda, in which the non-adjustable fork in particular appears extremely soft when loaded.
This applies to the rear of the Yamaha, in spite of the fact that the spring rate can be easily adjusted in two stages using a lever
Spring that makes fumbling with the primitive tool kit on the nuts of the spring base adjustment as with the
other three saved. Nice if you can
can adjust something, stupid if you burn your fingers and / or get trapped. Example Honda: The adjustment screw of the rebound stage on the shock absorber
is so hidden that the hot off-
puff is guaranteed to grill your paws. Unless you take from the start
an extra long screwdriver. It is different with the Yamaha: Here the operation is carried out with a handwheel, only the spring base and compression adjustment of the cleanly working fork require – easily accessible – tools.
Booze and drink
Have you ever dreamed of being in control of the situation always and everywhere? Well, at prices between 12,690 euros (CBR 1100 XX) and 14290 euros (FJR 1300 A), this dream comes true. In fact
at any time and most emphatically. What every single member of the four-cylinder quartet does when pulling through is impressive, when fully loaded it is simply crazy.
In less than ten seconds, the 257 kilograms of the Doppel-X plus crew push up to 200. Nevertheless, their 1137 cm3 engine remains almost unnoticed, it goes to work so quietly, with little vibration and load change. The transmission is working-
tet precise and smooth, and even
dispensed with great fragrance brands
The four-cylinder: G-Kat and secondary air system filter effectively and pay for it
26 out of 30 possible points.
The G-Kat: in the case of the Suzuki Hayabusa, a double-edged sword. Since he’s on board, he likes the environment
breathe a sigh of relief, but Hayabusa connoisseurs groan. Where is the posh response behavior, have the virtuous manners of Suzuki’s power block gone? What it really is is difficult
To say, the fact is, in any case, that the current 1300 shows clear load change reactions, appeals in a rough manner and with the poorly metered clutch at low speed wants to be sensedly through stop-and-go traffic. And when things finally move forward, vibrations in changing timbre are a constant reminder that an internal combustion engine is working here. Nonsense, work – greed, burns, explodes. No other in the test field is already shooting in the middle-
ren speed range as relentlessly from the spot as the Hayabusa, no other wants to part the asphalt with such power. And no other celebrates sucking in the combustion air with such voluptuous tubes. Between us: up
Dignified running culture will be whistled by some if they are allowed to command such sensual, breathtaking performance.
Power. At this keyword the Kawasaki index finger rushes upwards. That’s right, the guys from Akashi have
inoculated her child 178 hp and it
thus made the most powerful production bike. And even promise an extra kick at high speeds due to the ram-air effect. Rumor has it over 180 hp. Regardless of whether with or without dynamic pressure charging, from zero to 200 it only takes 7.2 seconds. The 1200 pushes in almost the same time
the five hundredweight in sixth gear of
60 to 140 km / h. What actually runs under draft feels on board the
ZX-12R on like acceleration. With
the appearance of a jet taking off. Including the exhaust noise that turns into screams and the nose wheel detaching from the ground at three-digit speed. Condensate-
strip? Yes, but ugly. Kawasaki’s “Kleen” system consisting of U-Kat and secondary air system works quite well.
Yamaha has its top tourer
In addition to G-Kats, a heated lambda probe has even been provided so that the emission measurement is even more accurate and
the mixture can be dosed even finer. And it works, MOTORRAD awards 29 out of 30 points. Only the thing with the vibrations does not work perfectly, despite two balance shafts. A few components are also missing in the transmission. Five gears are one too few, especially when the last one is so short and the engine fails so powerful. Otherwise, the 1300 is a great partner, responds well, pulls through boldly and even remains on the heels of the infernal devices. On longer motorway trips, the Yamaha driver can
even pass by. A tank capacity of 25 liters and a moderate consumption even at high speeds create a range. In the saddle of Hayabusa and Co., the refueling interval can be reduced to half an hour in extreme cases – provided that the motorway is empty and the pilots are fully gas-proof.

Stop and go
If you take a leisurely stroll along the country road, you can take much longer.
The bandwidth ranges between 442 kilometers (Honda) and 311 kilometers (Kawasaki). Despite the sporty attitude of the Suzuki, the dull, callous brakes and the strong tendency to stand up when braking in an inclined position are disappointing. The steering damper also acts as a handling brake, for which the pilot can use the Suzi
chase a full can over the slope without anything twitching. On board
the ZX-12R requires the full throttle command
a little more foresight. On mogul slopes, she shakes herself like a glove
big wet dog. Apart from that, the well-fed Kawasaki can pull even the inexperienced under its spell, so solidly and predictably does it circle curves of all kinds, so linearly metered and effectively grip its front stoppers.
Downright nerdy and precise
True to the line, the Honda swings through them
Land. Braking is done by composite brakes with little manual force, decent deceleration, but a squishy pressure point when eating heartily. In addition, when braking late into corners and downshifting at the same time, the rear end comes across. Before anything crosses the FJR 1300 A, the ABS intervenes.
The stoppers work nicely in proportion to the hand force, and you can rely on the somewhat coarse control intervals
get used to. Somewhat difficult as well-
more due handling of the 283 kilograms-
Machine that doesn’t involve its pilot quite as well in the action as the other three because of the towering handlebar ends. Doesn’t matter, the FJR with its long swing arm hides the reaction moments of the cardan drive and only falls a little out of place when driving at an angle with early footrests. Shortly thereafter, the long fear nipples of the Honda follow. Hayabusa and Kawasaki can be even more weird.
W.It would be really bad if the former enfant terribles of the speed bike scene not only had to take the 300 km / h title, but also have the two model students take the butter off their bread in winding terrain. Fast or furious – ultimately a matter of taste.

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Comparison test of big bikes: Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, Suzuki GSX 1300 R Hayabusa, Yamaha FJR 1300 A

Comparison test big bikes: Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, Suzuki GSX 1300 R Hayabusa, Yamaha FJR 1300 A
Two fast, two furious

Technical data: Honda CBR 1100 XX

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, two balance shafts, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 40 mm, engine management, regulated catalytic converter with secondary air system, electric starter. Bore x stroke 79.0 x 58.0 mm, displacement 1137 cm3, rated output 112 kW (152 hp) at 9500 rpm, max. Torque 119 Nm (12.1 kpm) at 7300 rpm Pollutant values ​​(homologation) CO 0.35 g / km, HC 0.51 g / km, NOx 0.08 g / km Power transmission Hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring Chassis bridge frame made of aluminum profiles, bolted rear frame, load-bearing motor, telescopic fork, stanchion diameter 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum profiles, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, floating brake discs at the rear, Ø 310 mm, three-piston calipers, 256 mm diameter , Three-piston caliper, composite brake system. Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17 tires tested Bridgestone BT 57 G chassis data Steering head angle 65 degrees, caster 99 mm, wheelbase 1490 mm, spring travel f / r 120/120 mm. Dimensions and weights Seat height * 800 mm, weight with a full tank * 257 kg, payload * 173 kg, tank capacity / Reserve 23/4 liters. Two-year warranty with unlimited mileageColors black, blue, silver, redPower variant 72 kW (98 PS) Price 12690 euros Additional costs 180 euros

Technical data: Kawasaki ZX-12R

Water-cooled four-cylinder, four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 46 mm, engine management, uncontrolled catalytic converter with secondary air system, electric starter. Bore x stroke 83.0 x 55 , 4 mm, displacement 1199 cm3, rated output 131 kW (178 hp) at 10,500 rpm, max. Torque 134 Nm (13.7 kpm) at 7500 rpm Pollutant values ​​(homologation) CO 4.50 g / km, HC 0.73 g / km, NOx 0.11 g / km Power transmission Mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring Chassis Monocoque frame made of sheet aluminum, load-bearing motor, screwed rear frame made of aluminum profiles, upside-down fork, guide tube diameter 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum profiles, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, Double disc brake at the front, floating brake discs, Ø 320 mm, six-piston calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 230 mm, two-piston caliper. Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 200/50 ZR 17 tires tested Dunlop D 208 J Chassis data Steering head angle 65 degrees, caster 98 mm, wheelbase 1450 mm, spring travel f / r 120/140 mm. Dimensions and weights Seat height * 830 mm, weight with a full tank * 248 kg, payload * 180 kg, tank capacity 19 liters. Two-year guarantee with unlimited kilometers. Colors red, blue, black. Price 13595 euros. Additional costs 105 euros

Technical data: Suzuki GSX 1300 R

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, a balance shaft, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 46 mm, engine management, regulated catalytic converter with secondary air system, electric starter. Bore x stroke 81.0 x 63.0 mm Displacement 1299 cm³ Rated output 129 kW (175 PS) at 9800 rpm Max. Torque 138 Nm (14.1 kpm) at 7000 rpm Pollutant values ​​(homologation) CO 2.39 g / km, HC 0.74 g / km, NOx 0.13 g / km Power transmission Hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring Chassis bridge frame made of aluminum profiles, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, slide tube diameter 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm with upper pulls made of aluminum profiles, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front Brake discs, Ø 320 mm, six-piston calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 240 mm, two-piston calipers. Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 190/50 ZR 17 tires tested Bridgestone BT 56 J Chassis data Steering head angle 65.8 degrees, caster 97 mm, wheelbase 1485 mm, spring travel f / r 120/140 mm. Dimensions and weights Seat height * 820 mm, weight with a full tank * 251 kg, payload * 179 kg , Tank capacity 22 liters.Warranty two years with unlimited mileageColors silver / gray, blue / silver, blackPower variant 72 kW (98 PS) Price 12,810 eurosPrice test motorcycle1 12,910 eurosAdditional costs 140 euros

Technical data: Yamaha FJR 1300 A

Water-cooled four-cylinder, four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, two balance shafts, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 42 mm, engine management, regulated catalytic converter with secondary air system, electric starter. Bore x stroke 79.0 x 66.2 mm, displacement 1298 cm³, rated output 105.5 kW (143 hp) at 8000 rpm, max. Torque 134 Nm (13.7 kpm) at 7000 rpm Pollutant values ​​(homologation) CO 0.70 g / km, HC 0.19 g / km, NOx 0.04 g / km Power transmission Hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, cardan shaft. Chassis, bridge frame off Cast aluminum, bolted rear frame, telescopic fork, standpipe diameter 48 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of cast aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring rate and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, floating brake discs, Ø 320 mm, four-piston calipers, Ø 282 rear disc brake, mm, two-piston caliper, ABS, tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17 tires tested Bridgestone BT 020 N chassis data Steering head angle 64 degrees, caster 109 mm, wheelbase 1515 mm, spring travel f / r 135/125 mm. Dimensions and weights Seat height * 800 mm, weight with a full tank * 283 kg, payload * 193 kg, tank capacity / Reserve 25/5 liters. Two-year guarantee with unlimited mileageColours Silver Metallic, Blue Metallic, Green Metallic Price 14,290 euros Price test motorcycle2 15,000 euros Additional costs 205 euros

Performance chart

Exemplary: the power and torque curve of the Hayabusa, which is only topped by the ZX-12R beyond the 9500 mark. Up to 8000 rpm, the FJR is right in the middle of it all, the CBR is actually only there the whole time in the round of potency men, despite the obvious revving pleasure.

1st place – Yamaha FJR 1300 A

The sporty motorhome. Overcome distances in a comfortable armchair, defy the elements behind the electrically adjustable window, and forward luggage in elegant suitcases. This is what FJR driving feels like. With the exception of the missing sixth gear, the touring bike, which is well thought out, does not even shy away from brisk pace and safely decelerates with ABS. And when it comes to travel cut, it counters exorbitant top speed values ​​with the best wind protection and long range.

2nd place – Honda CBR 1100 XX

The polished sports tourer. If there was a price for the smoothest big bike, the CBR 1100 XX sure would have it. A feel-good aroma when you sit on it, flawless cold running behavior at the start, gentle power development and exemplary target accuracy as well as comfort suitable for long journeys, that is the recipe for success. Okay, suitcases seem somehow slapped on the double X, but otherwise the Honda masters all tourist tasks with flying colors.

3rd place – Kawasaki ZX-12R

The gentle burner. Kawasaki ZX-12R ?? or the metamorphosis of a rough-and-tumble powerhouse. At the start of the job in 2000, the Greens have turned their top model into an all-rounder in the literal sense of the word. Incredibly bearish, finely adjustable performance, a confidence-inspiring safe and yet agile handling as well as the ?? listen and be amazed? Driver’s position suitable for long distances make the Kawasaki a tip for everyone who wants to race and travel. Solo only.

4th place – Suzuki GSX 1300 R

The roaring top dog. The Hayabusa was the first 300 km / h rocket and will always be number one for fans. Despite voluntary self-restraint. Especially in the special black paint, it is not only dark souls that come up with the idea of ​​making the Autobahn unsafe with the GSX. She can do different things, surfs the country road with a stable track, offers passengers a nice place and sings the song of displacement and torque with a deep roar.

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