My first ride on an IL4 sports 600

Had a go on a GSXR600 k4 today. First time I've done much more than sit on a bike since my accident a month ago. Only had a helmet... apart from that it was t-shirt, jeans, walking boots, no gloves but it was either that or to just look at it and not have a go...

So I'm planning to just ride it for a few hundred metres but mate says to just go and rag it (a hired bike due to be returned soon). I take it one direction, til I'm nearly on the motorway, then back in another, then another, going down all the bits I'm familiar with.

It's so smooth, from when it starts pulling there's no jerkiness at all, lovely. Quieter than the SV at first as well. Gear changing up is almost non-existant below 50mph. On the SV I often changed up a few gears quite early, but this bike seems to thrive on being kept in lower gears. The only thing that persuaded me to change up was the engine howl, and even then it wasn't going much over 10000 rpm in first before I changed up.

It's definitely got less of a kick than the sv at first, but I opened it up in first on a brief open stretch and saw 67 on the speedo within a second or two and still not even near the red zone. Kind of like warp speed, I can see what people mean about the top end rush that they have

Steering was odd going slow at roundabouts (found out after it had a steering damper, which would explain that - felt kind of stiff, though only slightly). Brakes are stunning, light two finger pressure knocking off the speed very cleanly and smoothly, much nicer than using the engine braking on the sv... though there's much less engine braking on the GSXR so the brakes need to be good.

It's light, does exactly what you want it to do when it comes to cornering, well balanced... lovely.

The temptation to unleash what's there (and with another ride and proper biking gear I'd be keen to) would be hard for me to bear. I'd find it hard to commute on a bike like this unless I had trackdays and stuff to let it all out, and I can do those on an sv and still have fun. I get the feeling I'd want some sort of radar detector on it if I had one. I never pinned the throttle and it still had a fantastic burst of speed and the front could easily be made to go light without feeling it was going to actually lift up. Nice.

I was grinning ear to ear when I got off, and when explaining the ride to my mate, he was grinning ear to ear whilst his girlfriend and my wife had less excited expressions. Eye-watering acceleration and licence busting power not such a hot topic there.

Am still thinking about commuting or not on the bike again right now. If I did, it would have to be the sv... more fun more of the time and more power and torque where it's needed. I could sure have an IL4 600 for weekend use though, and I'd definitely like to give it a try for commuting... the smoothness has got to be good, even if the acceleration (up to town speeds) won't beat an sv.

Then again, I have my eye on a bright yellow firestorm down the road right now...

I'd definitely recommend trying an IL4 600 sports to anyone - really different bike. Way better at the top end and not as good at the lower end... think the sv offers more fun more of the time, but it can't beat that top end, grinning from ear to ear feeling you'll have when you get off the IL4.

And the riding position... can't say the gsxr600 is any more extreme than the sv650, not the k4 models at any rate... would have to ride the gsxr for longer, but it wasn't cramped or anything... and the screen and wind protection are far better than the sv...

mmm... gsxr...

nice bike, thinking of a change?

Footpegs are a lot higher on the GSXR, and you lean forward more. It may not seem it, but after about 60 miles or so you'd know what I mean...

Great piece of kit innit ?

.

*grumbles*

everytime i read what people have to say about sports 600's it just makes me want one more

[tigersaw]

I've come from sports 600's (and bigger) to the SV650 for a change. I can see the attraction of both the IL4's and V twins, personally I like singles too.
All bikes are fun, hopefully with enough time we will all get the opportunity to experience every variety

i like my SV but really want to dump it in favor of a 600.....

do it

<you'll have him after you!

I'll definitely have a sports 600 in the next few years.
I never got to derestrict the SV (got totalled just 1 week before my restriction was up) so I'm still keen to try out the full power version of that. Plus there were few times when I found the (33bhp) SV lacking, most notably once over 50-60 mph and from what people say on here, without the restriction that's no longer a problem. Insurance increases, the temptation to go faster (I know it's down to choice... the gsxr was crying out to be thrashed though...) and that in town I'd have to be far more on the ball/getting the revs up before the lights changed, etc. to get the same start as on the SV... it would definitely be more of a weekend/evening thing where I could just enjoy the ride and not have to worry about tiresome things like being at a certain place at a certain time.

In a nutshell, I'd say the gsxr was more a "biking" bike - for fun and pleasure. The sv is more practical day to day... and I'll need to think about what I want to do with my next bike before I choose. Good chance to test ride loads of bikes right now so I'll make the most of that.