Riding a GSXR 1000 in NYC, Manhattan

I've had my Gixxer now for almost 9 months, and of course that means upwards of 9000 miles :) Most of those miles came from my cross country trip, and half of the remainder came from trips up to the Catskills and Adirondacks in the dead of winter. And the rest were logged in Manhattan.

So what's it like?

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Well, to begin with, people like me a whole lot less than when I had the Buell. There's something about people's knee-jerk reaction when they see a brightly colored "croth rocket" driving down the street. I'd say in general, that's not fun to deal with, but I get by.

Cruising
Someone once told me Manhattan's speed limit is 35 mph. Most of traffic goes around 45, with some crazies hitting 60 in straight avenues. Well, after 9 months, I now know what everyone means when they say, "you'll never leave 3rd gear". It's true, almost. 6th is for highway, and for getting 230 miles to the tank. 5th is for 9A, relatively straight riding. 4th gear is for the FDR, with a little more weaving traffic, and a greater need to change speed dramatically. 3rd is for 9A or the FDR, when I get a little nervous or anxious (like if there are lots of NJ BMWs around me). And I usually go between 1st and 2nd around the city. In truth, there's no reason to leave 2nd downtown, and 3rd on the highway. Up to 4000 rpms. That's ridiculous. In case there was any doubt, the answer is "no" - I don't use more than 10% of this bike's potential on a regular basis.


Handling
9 months, serviced twice, still turns like a charm. I was used to the Buell, which had high, wide handle-bars, so when I first got on the gixxer, I had some difficulty balancing sharp turns. But now that I've practiced, I'm just as good at turning small, tight circles as I was on the Buell. So it's not only possible, it's now second nature to me.


Braking
No complaints here. Sharp as a knife. Stops on a dime. Hydraulics and pads holding up perfectly after 9 solid months of rough stop-and-go.


Acceleration
There's no question about it - this motorcycle's gift is also it's curse. On the one hand, I can attest to 3 specific instances where the crazy acceleration of the 1000 got me out of tight spots (like a few weekend ago, when a cab was bearing down on my rear, and another cab decided to dart right - right into me). But on the other hand, I'm only in those positions to begin with because I'm on a motorcycle. So 6 of 1, half dozen of another. The morale of the story: if I'm going to be on a motorcycle, I want to be on a crazy fast one, for those times I need to get out of trouble in a hurry.

Overall
I've said it before, and I'll continue saying it. Riding a gixxer 1000 is like riding a scalpel. You cut from one place to the next. That's incredible, and for gixxer owners out there, you'll know what I mean when I refer to that insane 75% throttle whack on the highway that suddenly calms the bike as it moves into its power band, and suddenly the bike literally feels like it disappears out from underneath you. Simply amazing.

Yet somehow, something is still missing. It's too perfect, too clean, too sterile. It's all function, form, and perfection. It makes a BMW feel like a whale, a Buell feel childish, and a Ducati an unrefined drunken barman. But those characters are what I ride for... I'm leaning towards the inevitable evil: I need two bikes. The Suzuki is perfect for long rides through the countryside, out to Long Island, and back without and fear of breakdown, mechanical glitch, or hiccup. But the next bike, yet to be identified, will be for shorter rides, more adventurous flings, with a louder, growlier snare to it, and a bit more menace in the engine...