[KarthikK]

Thanks for clarifying my doubt Aditya. The 650R seems like a very good option if I look at this segment and need to buy a bike that would fit it in to all purposes - city, tourer and sport. I read the t-bhp review of the Ninja 650R and loved the bike. However, I would still like to wait for a 4-cylinder powerhouse like the R6 or ZX-6R, if they are affordable for me. Going by current standards, is there any chance of either of them making it to Indian shores via the CKD route in the near future? Only rumours surface on the internet. Perhaps Auto Expo 2012 would provide some answers to these doubts.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Having ridden both the R1 and R6 - latest gen. Let me tell you both are neither comfortable city commuters - atleast not in Bangalore. With horrendous traffic.

But to solely have one in the garage both of them are equally good for regular joes like us. People who would probably never take these bikes to the limits they are meant for.

Thanks spitfire. The comfort part was the reason why I would prefer the 650R instead - its a more practical package overall at 5.5L (city, office commute, touring, track day, etc). But, at the end of the day, heart will somehow move towards the R6 again for looks + power +performance. And I agree on the limits part. Taking the R6 to the 10-15k rpm (its comfort zone) anywhere here is both suicidal and irresponsible riding. Seating comfort aside, what I was typically interested in was how badly behaved (in city) is the R6 compared to the R1 with respect to the wheel-lifting? Is it manageable?

[JayD]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Having ridden both the R1 and R6 - latest gen. Let me tell you both are neither comfortable city commuters - atleast not in Bangalore. With horrendous traffic.

But to solely have one in the garage both of them are equally good for regular joes like us. People who would probably never take these bikes to the limits they are meant for.

I completely agree. The R6 is a focused track toy. The best choice for daily use with an occasional blast on the tracks, in my personal experience is the CBR 600!

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Thanks spitfire. The comfort part was the reason why I would prefer the 650R instead - its a more practical package overall at 5.5L (city, office commute, touring, track day, etc).

Haven't ridden this bike yet. So I really don't have any comments on this. There is an official test ride somewhere and there is a member here who owns one in US. And he has very nicely listed his experience with this bike.

But, at the end of the day, heart will somehow move towards the R6 again for looks + power +performance.

The proof of the pudding is eating it.

Fulfilling our teenage dreams is always a big push for us to get that superbike. But the real fun is taking the bike out ever so often to ride it, to feel the power of these bikes and to truly make the maximum use of it.

Lot of people who buy these bikes use them as weekend bikes. Not because they aren't "riders" but due to the inherent nature of these bikes that make them well to put it mildly quite useless for daily use. They aren't practical.

A 600cc naked on the lines of the FZ would be a much better buy.

But frankly a 400cc naked twin with about 40 bhp and enough torque is all that I would want in my daily rider.

what I was typically interested in was how badly behaved (in city) is the R6 compared to the R1 with respect to the wheel-lifting? Is it manageable?

I don't get this wheel lifting ability bit that you are concerned about. I have seen some guys doing wheelies on that Honda scooter, the puny sharp edged one. I can never do it.

But I remember one of my friends wheeling my RX 100 and knocking himself out.

Rest assured if you know "how to ride" the R6 and R1 bikes are a gem to ride.

You and me arent meant to ride them hard. And that brings us to what I have been saying above. Its too much of everything which you will never use.

But purely to have lived I could someday buy an R1 and stare at it for hours together.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

The proof of the pudding is eating it.

Fulfilling our teenage dreams is always a big push for us to get that superbike. But the real fun is taking the bike out ever so often to ride it, to feel the power of these bikes and to truly make the maximum use of it.

True. I completely agree with your point. The heart (R6) v/s mind (650R) battle is really a tough one

I don't get this wheel lifting ability bit that you are concerned about. I have seen some guys doing wheelies on that Honda scooter, the puny sharp edged one. I can never do it.

But I remember one of my friends wheeling my RX 100 and knocking himself out.

Rest assured if you know "how to ride" the R6 and R1 bikes are a gem to ride.

You and me arent meant to ride them hard. And that brings us to what I have been saying above. Its too much of everything which you will never use.

I'd read on a lot of forums where city riders (elsewhere of course) were complaining about the R1's eagerness to lift the front wheel, owing to massive torque and power, and how difficult it was to have a sane ride at low speeds. I am never fascinated by stunts, so I am least interested in any of those wheelies or whatever. My concern was more about the bike doing it automatically, even with slight twitches of the throttle On that note, I thought the R6 might have been easier to handle in the city, hence the doubt

In the end what you say makes perfect sense - too much of everything which we never end up using. Thanks for providing those inputs Spitfire

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

True. I completely agree with your point. The heart (R6) v/s mind (650R) battle is really a tough one

Well would we have a release date for the R-6? This some 'happening' news that i have been listening for the previous 5 years. To be honest Yamaha Company are not spirited enough to go the distance in getting their house in order to launch a R-6. They are working on launching their scooters range to compete with Honda/Suzuki.
If at all they think of launching the FZ-8 should be an easy one to launch compared to R-6 considering the FZ has a 800CC. But again how much would the difference be in terms of price between the FZ-1 & FZ8?
My vote would be for practicality and it would be a FZ-8