Doorag
Senior Member
So I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on my new Gixxer now that I've been riding her in anger for a week and have done almost 750 miles. Keep in mind that this is the only 'big' bike I've ridden other than my old Fazer.
- Speed 9/10 - Fast. Really fast. Dangerously, lose your license fast. I have no idea what the top speed might be but it should be the mid-170s. Gets a 9 (not a 10) because of the fear factor.
- Power 10/10 - Powerful. In 'A' mode (full power) I have to be very careful if there's even a hint of damp on the roads. (Seeing as this is England in the winter, you can imagine what that means - not a lot of riding in 'A' mode unless it's on the motorway.) Part of the reason I wanted to get a higher capacity bike was that sometimes the Fazer felt like it was straining a bit haul my fat arse around. Particularly in passing situations. Not so on the Gixxer. I can literally be in any gear at almost any speed and still get a good bit of stomp out of it. My God, torque is a beautiful thing.
- Handling 8/10 - I haven't had a chance to try the handling. See above. Gets an 8 because I'm sure it's awesome.
- Economy 9/10 - Currently averaging 38.1mpg over 5 tanks. I've tested in each mode (A, B, and C) for a full tank and I've also tried combinations (e.g. 'A' mode on the motorway and 'C' mode in town) and it all works out pretty much the same.
- Convenience 5/10 - The first day I rode to work I lost my rucksack off the back (yes, it was tied down). The only thing I was able to recover was my chain and lock. All the contents (crackberry, etc...) were gone, my bag was completely destroyed, and I lost my bike cover in the process too. Now I carry everything on my back. The Fazer was much more suited to carrying stuff with my nice 46L rear box. My first mod to the Gixxer is going to be creating a mounting bracket for a Givi box so I can carry my stuff. I know that's tantamount to blasphemy but I use it at least 100 miles a day so I need to be comfortable.
- Psychic Ability 9/10 - The bike seems to instinctively know what I want to do and it just does it by itself. For example, here's a scenario:
Think to myself, "Maybe I should speed up a bit." --> Look down at speedo and see 70mph --> Think to myself, "80 should do." --> Quick check of speed before accelerating and the bike is already going 82 with no discernible turn of the wrist.It knows. I'm sure it reads my mind. Gets 8/10 because it's usually 2-5mph over where I want to be. (I imagine this will resolve itself in time as she gets to know me.)
