2006 Supersport Shootout IV - Street (Motorcycle-usa.com)
Model(s) covered: 2006 Ducati 749 S, 2006 Honda CBR 600RR, 2006 Triumph Daytona 675, 2006 Suzuki GSX-R 600, 2006 Yamaha YZF-R6, 2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R
The middleweight class of sportbikes is a sweet spot in the lineups of most manufacturers. Fast enough to rip off 10-second quarter-miles and 160-mph top speeds, the class is also cheap enough for most to get into and to afford financing. As such, it's no surprise this category is the volume leader among sport motorcycles. For 2006, the middleweight division has been infused with fresh new talent to tackle the reigning champ, Kawasaki's 636cc ZX-6R.
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2006 Supersport Shootout IV - Track (Motorcycle-usa.com)
Model(s) covered: 2006 Ducati 749 S, 2006 Honda CBR 600RR, 2006 Triumph Daytona 675, 2006 Suzuki GSX-R 600, 2006 Yamaha YZF-R6, 2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R
Among sportbikes, the middleweight class is the best-selling category for most manufacturers, making it a key (and profitable) segment. These bikes have all become so competent that it often takes racetrack testing to sort out the performance nuances. A sub-par track performance holds back a bike's overall rating in magazine comparison tests, and short-sighted consumers sometimes choose one bike over another because it was two- or three-tenths quicker around a road circuit. As a result, manufacturers have evolved once-pleasant middleweight streetbikes into racetrack rippers, often at the expense of streetability.
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