Best Superbike of 2017

[shakabeemer]

Wondering what everyone thinks of the 2017 Superbikes and what you think is the best street, track, and overall bike this year?  I'm leaning towards the Ninja because of the opportunity to get extra power from the race kit cams and it seems like its on par or above overall.  Its also currently leading WSBK, though that could easily change.  The Ducati also seems to have made extraordinary improvements.  There's lots to like about the Gixxer, and I really like the quality and innovation on the R1.  Motorcycle News picked the Honda overall but I like a bike with more power.  As much as I miss my 13 S1000RR, the unresolvable mis-shifting on my particular bike (most didn't seem to have this problem) and the false neutrals (many had this problem) are two items that have left a bad taste in my mouth.  But I'm probably going to buy a Ninja, Panagale, or R1 because I'm selling motorcycles now and those are the brands we have.  I noticed afterwords, that I posted this in the wrong place, so sorry for that but a seeming glitch kept me from posting where I wanted.  Thanks for your comments and opinions.  

[BikeSpeedman]

Closest I've come to riding any of them is the 2016 S1000RR from CSS. I thought it was great but IMO a superbike is an opportunity to go all out on a true dream machine and the Bimmer doesn't stir me at all. They're all really amazing machines and you could probably just buy whichever one set your heart a flutter the most and never regret it.

The Panigale will roast your nuts. That's a deal breaker for me.

The Kawi and Suzuki just look chincy IMO.

The R1 is amazing to look at and has slide control and is the only machine to knock the RSV4 from the top spot of nearly all SBOTY tests but the brakes are weak and lack feel and the throttle is snatchy. I suspect that would bother me.

The new Blade looks fantastic but it seems to be having teething problems with reliability to the point of making it dangerous.

The new RSV4 finally got a TFT dash and auto blip downshifts. IMO it's the best looking by far (at least in the black RR model. Can't stand silver so the RF is out for me). Everyone says it's the best sounding but I like the old F1 V10esque scream of the Blade more.

Still, despite a look that is great but mostly unchanged since 2009 and not being my absolute favorite sound, the RSV4 has it all and is the very top of my wishlist.

[Hotfoot]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 10:34 AM, shakabeemer said:

 I noticed afterwords, that I posted this in the wrong place, so sorry for that but a seeming glitch kept me from posting where I wanted.  Thanks for your comments and opinions.  

Where do you want it posted? I can move it for you.

[shakabeemer]

Tech, Tires, and Tuning?  Thank you!

[DamienC]

For the track, the R1...no hesitation for me...Note that my comments are ONLY for the track, not for the road.

I have tried a lot of them. I had an HP4, which I turned into a track bike, I rode the 2015 and 2016 s1000rr both here and at CSS, did give the RSV4 a ride on a track, as well as the new GSXR and the Kawa. Only ones I have not tried in the main models are the Ducati and the Honda.

So...Ducati: too expensive, and, at least here, lots of issues with getting spare parts etc...

The Honda: I have no clue.

The Kawa, I was very disappointed, and lots of people around here too. Great engine, great fork...but I just could not get it to work. And no, the one from Rea has nothing to do with the production one (-:

The s1000rr: amazing engine, probably one of the best. But at the end of the day, I don't really feel the vibe of a race bike (but that's really a personal thing)...and all the things that make me love the R1 are the things that I miss on the s1000rr (see below).

The rsv4: great bike, sick looking, sick sound. It has really only 2 issues: forget it if you are tall (yes, it's much more problematic than on the R1) and again, the after sale support here is just horrible. People have had their bikes stuck for months just because they could not get the right part.

And now the R1, which is my baby. On the road (yeah, I had to do 600 miles on the road to get the engine dialed in), it is the worst bike ever. Really. Why ? Because the guys at Yamaha (and that's an info I got directly from the guys at Yamaha) did not bother tuning it below 7000-8000 rpm. So when you are on the road, at low rpm, the throttle control is painful, the bike is not smooth, just horrible. The BMW is soooo much better. But when you get to the track, it's another story. First the R1 is made to be prepared. So much more than the R1 for the lambda person (of course, the HP Race department at BMW can do miracle with the s1000rr, but we don't all have the HP Race support right ? one good example: here, most BMW dealer have no clue about Power kit, RCK etc...when Yamaha guys know what to do with their bike to improve it for the track). It has a lot of factory limits, so some work is required to get it going...remove the cat, get a proper exhaust, get the YEC system (the equivalent of the RCK...just much cheaper) and most importantly, get it properly tuned by a pro. That makes a huuuuge difference. In particular because out of the box, the R1 has way too much engine brake. Everybody says that the R1 does not push like the s1000rr...true...above 15000 rpm (different engines). Below, my R1 is a rocket. The torque is actually higher than the 2016 s1000rr from my friend (which has also been tuned), the power curve is perfect, and I get 215 hp at the crank, 197 at the rear wheel on a very conservative dyno. So power ? Not an issue. In par with the s1000rr, better than the other guys I have tried. Then the electronics: they are just more advanced than on the s1000rr. it takes a bit of time to tune them as you have lots of possibilities, but once you are dialed in, they just work amazingly. And the best part of the R1...it is a 200 hp liter bike...and it rides like a 600. It is so much more agile than the s1000rr, even at my level, I just see the difference. My first day on the R1, I improved my lap time that I set with the s1000rr..by a few seconds ! It goes in the curves on to the apex like crazy. It is so easy to move around and with the torque, the corner exit is creazy. I think, for me, this aspect of the bike is probably the biggest difference with the BMW: it is so much more agile. So while the BMW will be a total blast in a straight line, because very high in the rpm you will have to juice, which the R1 does not have (need to switch gear), in the corners, the R1 is by far (to me !) the better bike. Last but not least, with all the mods I did on my R1, the total price is barely above that of a s1000rr with the minimum required to get it track ready... I love the s1000rr, but I think the R1 is currently the better bike for most riders who don't have an army of technicians and a lot of money.

 

Of course, the HP4 race is probably amazing...but we are not talking about a superbike anymore then...we are talking about something that costs 4 times the price...

 

My 2 cents...

 

 

[Jaybird180]

@DamienC,

I recall an interview with Tom Sykes where he mentioned that Showa gave them some love on the forks, so you have a point about the suspension.

[faffi]

If you go Suzuki there is power to be had

 

[Jaybird180]

An article I read recently about US vs Euro ECUs discussed that throttle plate restriction is one of the strategies employed to meet high RPM noise and emissions requirements in the US.

I didn't watch the entire video but many people are flashing their ECUs for this reason. Technically, it makes the bike DOT illegal and they're relying on a presumed government inability to enforce the regulations.

A viable question is: do you really need to unleash 210HP+ from a road legal 170HP "neutered" bike?

[DamienC]

On 12/07/2017 at 9:21 PM, Jaybird180 said:

@DamienC,

I recall an interview with Tom Sykes where he mentioned that Showa gave them some love on the forks, so you have a point about the suspension.

While I am not Tom Sykes (-;, I must say that the fork of the Kawa is definitively better than that of the R1. However, I did upgrade both rear and front suspensions (and still barely above the s1000rr price)... Thing is that at least here, support for the R1, spare parts, actual costs of OEM parts if needed (I mean, have you ever bought from BMW just a screw for the s1000rr ? It's just outrageous !) etc...are very reasonable, so you can really get an amazing bike for a really reasonable overall price (well...the costs of a superbike, even full factory, is not reasonable anyway). I have upgraded lots of things, and now my bike is killing it. I really think the R1 is the bike for DIY upgrading, which is not the case of the s1000rr. I only got professional help to get it tuned (no ECU flash from third party company, I went with the YEC system) and to replace the fork kit. I did everything else on my own. So I think also the R1 is a really fantastic platform if you are a bit into mechanics, electronics, without being a pro either. Because all of these superbikes can run better than any of the bikes most of us have, when in the hands of expert mechanics... They can all be incredible. But then, there is what I can do and how far I can bring a bike without selling my house and hiring a mechanic !

[faffi]

On 16.7.2017 at 4:05 PM, Jaybird180 said:

 

A viable question is: do you really need to unleash 210HP+ from a road legal 170HP "neutered" bike?

Of course you do. Not. IMO no current superbike make any sense for road riding; seating position, power, suspension and gearing are made for a different environment. A track. YMMV.