streak
12-24-2008, 06:05 AM
'The Kawasaki engine's a massive improvement over the first version, as its bottom end sluggishness has been sorted. I spent a lot of,time makiDg-them better at low revs for disapp0~d owners. They'd bought one thinking "stick it in top, plonk the wife on the back, no problem". But it didn't work, there wasn't the expected big-bike bottom end. But the changes they've made for emissions, better response and part-throttle performance work, are all credit to them. It's the bike we wanted two years ago. No more power, but what you have is usable.
'But it's no match for the long-stroke Suzuki. The GSX is designed to pull and even Kawasaki's similar capacity can't equal the Hayabusa's drive. And there's development to consider. The ZZR engine is a couple of years old - you can trace it to the ZX-I2R and ZZ-RIIoo but, in effect, it's a newborn motor butthe Suzuki is almost 10 years old. They've taken a good engine and refined it to perfection. There's nothing radically new, just constant evolution, as with the GSX-Rs.
143
'But it's BMW that's the leader when it comes to new technology. I always say it, but the firm's injection is steps ahead. It doesn't always translate into feel and throttle response that's as good as Japanese rivals, but BMW is thinking of the future. Trucks are on the Euro 5 emission law at the moment - it's water and fresh air spilling out the back - and in comparison bikes are dirty. There isn't the space for umpteen catalytic converters and most bikes haven't the control over combustion. But BMWs have. The KI200 has knock sensors, so it backs off the ignition when you're cruising, stops fuel whenever it can, monitors what you're asking for, and pumps more fuel and advances the ignition when you crack open the throttle. It even caters for different grades of fuel. Eventually all bikes will need to do this and BMW will head the game.'
'But it's no match for the long-stroke Suzuki. The GSX is designed to pull and even Kawasaki's similar capacity can't equal the Hayabusa's drive. And there's development to consider. The ZZR engine is a couple of years old - you can trace it to the ZX-I2R and ZZ-RIIoo but, in effect, it's a newborn motor butthe Suzuki is almost 10 years old. They've taken a good engine and refined it to perfection. There's nothing radically new, just constant evolution, as with the GSX-Rs.
143
'But it's BMW that's the leader when it comes to new technology. I always say it, but the firm's injection is steps ahead. It doesn't always translate into feel and throttle response that's as good as Japanese rivals, but BMW is thinking of the future. Trucks are on the Euro 5 emission law at the moment - it's water and fresh air spilling out the back - and in comparison bikes are dirty. There isn't the space for umpteen catalytic converters and most bikes haven't the control over combustion. But BMWs have. The KI200 has knock sensors, so it backs off the ignition when you're cruising, stops fuel whenever it can, monitors what you're asking for, and pumps more fuel and advances the ignition when you crack open the throttle. It even caters for different grades of fuel. Eventually all bikes will need to do this and BMW will head the game.'