Hello , I have recently purchased a 2000 vtr1000 . I do not know much about these bikes , I was just wondering how they stack up against the inline for bikes of the same year .

Has anyone ever ridden both bikes or ridden with a friend who has a cbr600 , gsxr600 , r6 etc.. , what are the differences in power ?


What kind of top speeds do you expect or have you gotten out of these bikes .

How reliable have your bikes been?

any info is greatly appreciated

 

V-twin sport bikes are both very similar and very different to a 4 cyl sport bike. Our Superhawks are somewhat comparable to modern 600 sport/super sport bikes in weight & performance, but we get there differently. Our bikes generally have more torque but less top end. Riden to their strengths, they can get around a track very well, and will hit upwards of 148mph according to the magazine tests of that era. They are not racebikes, and are more of a general sport-touring ride. You can easily modify them to be more sport or more touring to your liking. Spend some time researching the forum. Lots of good info to be found. Primary areas of concern are the automatic cam chain tensioners and the voltage regulator rectifier.

If your bike has been converted to mcct's and a better R/R, then there isn't much you have to worry about besides the right tires, the best oil, and how fast it can go.

 

When they came out they were similar to the power output of a 750. This is why ducati 916's raced with 750's for years... They are not as hard edged as a 750 sportbike from the same year (compared to a zx7r or a gsxr 750).

The 750's have upside down forks, 3 way adjustable suspension on both ends, lighter weight components, better brakes, and clip-ons mounted below the triple clamps. These are the most obvious aspects of the 750's that make them a hard edged sportbike.

The vtr is still a sportbike, but a softer one. A bit more upright in the seating position gives an idea that this is not a dedicated track bike like a gsxr or zx7r.

I've owned a LOT of 4 cylinder sportbikes, from R6's, zx7r's, cbr900rr's, the list goes on. All of those bikes were fast, and railed corners in the mountains. But, thr vtr1000 is one of my favorites because of its character. The engine is amazing, tons of torque and high revs is a great combination. Quick revving and wheelie prone, not to mention the amazing sound from my Erion Racing cans make this one of my favorite bikes to ride. In all honesty it makes me forget about my previous bikes...

Enjoy the bike, you may not go back to 4 cylinders...

James

 

Too much talk of top speeds and you kinda miss the point of these bikes. Having said that Cycle World clocked it at 155 in '98 when it first came out, and 150 in '04 when they tested it again. Not sure why but later year Hondas of the same model always seem to get slower... It was the same thing with the VFR & the f4i, every test a year or so later was a few ticks slower... Anyhow, my buddy had his on a radar at 161 with just exhaust and jetted (or claimed to anyway). Similar to like year 600's but it's HOW the power is made. I could whack the throttle at 4k rpm on my '98 gsxr600 and nothing happened. Do the same on the Superhawk and the gas tank will smash you in the face... All that extra torque make it a lot of fun. Back in the day I did top end roll ons from say 60 or 70 and was dead even all the way to the top with my friends 916 and anothers older FZR1000. Walked on a similar year ZX6R and never saw him. I'm pretty sure the newest 600's will leave you in the dust on a straightaway as long as they keep the rpm's up. For the average decent rider the Superhawk is just plain easier and more comfortable to ride fast in the twisties at a 9/10's pace, which is what I believe was Honda's intention.

 

Another thing is you're not going to get a nice 600 that hasn't been beat to hell for near what you can get a clean Superhawk for.

 

Interesting about them getting slower... Anyone know why? Cam differences?

The later years had a more advanced ignition, which would have hurt top end of the rpm range...

James

 

Every test I've seen-the superhawk, vfr800, f4/f4i... If you look at the horsepower, 1/4 mile, top speeds. It's like they dumb the bikes down to make a larger performance gap when they come out with a new model or something.

 

Maybe the magazines get a ringer for the first model year test

 

The powerplant is sweet on the VTR. Its main downfalls are in suspension and brakes. Sort those and its an awesome machine

 

The SH is one of the best street bikes Honda has produced. As stated the suspension is a bit lacking in stock form, but the bike was built to a price point so it got not so great suspenders. It was never intended to be a track tool. Which is what all the super sports really are. There are I4's and I3's that are similarly suited for the street, but the USA market gets only a small choice of those because of the skewed consumer demand. Things are changing and we are seeing more of what the rest of the world gets for selection.
For me top end speed is really meaningless as is 0-60, 1/4 mi. times. The SH and other "slow" older bikes are still faster than all but a hand full of very exotic super cars. Go to jail speeds can be reached without even meaning to. For me it's not about outright speed, it's all about the fun factor.

 

Torque. I used to think speed speed speed but now being a more seasoned (5th year riding) 25 year old I find my self not trying to find speed but to be able to use that huge torque band all the pros here talk about.

Now after 4 years on my hake I understand what the older members love about these bikes. I won't go back to i4

 

VTR is a great street bike, as are many others out there. The V-twin does make for a bike that is narrow and compact in the mid-section and the engine configuration gives the engine a different feel. However, anyone who claims that I4s are all inherently peaky and top-end biased has never tried a Bandit 1250, for example, which will stomp any V-twin for low-end (I tested one a few years back and rolled it down to under 20 mph in 6th gear.... rolled on the throttle and it pulled away, quite forcefully). It's all about actual tuning, not architecture....... the old torquey low-end v-twin thing is an urban legend with no scientific merit... time for it to die.......

here, try this on the VTR, or any other V-twin for that matter: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1e...mp-puller_auto

 

And that's stock. Check out the dyno numbers on Holeshot.com with a few choice mods from a company that knows what they're doing. 130hp and 95 ft lbs! Who needs a shifter?

Agreed. I think that twin vs I-4 comparison applies better to liter twins vs 600 I4s. Similar horsepower but big torque difference. The newer liter I4s kinda $hit all over our bikes from any rpm range...

 

thanks for that Beau.... seems like the ultimate sleeper Makes me want to go out and get one.... I quite enjoyed it stock (as an everyday ride anyhow) and can only imagine how much fun it must be in Stage 2 tune.

Threadjack over.... obviously, I love my VTR (wouldn't have invested myself so heavily if I didn't) and don't plan on ever getting rid of it...