[snyder]

Seems every year they change all these bikes and the media hype burns thru the magazines. I noticed they couldn't get a zx9 to do the quarter mile as quick this year as in the past. I understand much of it is bike prep and rider input, but it got me wondering. Do you think that the bikes are actually that much better every year? Once in a while they seem to start a new generation but inbetween there seems to be just...fiddling... Any opinions? Or better yet, anyone think their older bike is better than the "new and improved" version?

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[Mr.TrevorClever]

In Popular Mechanics there was an article giving the length of time between drawing board and production among cars, planes, motocycles. Interesting that the MC industry had the shortest, 18 months it roughly takes from start to finish!! With how fast they rush development there will certainly be backlash and flaws that weren't there the production year before, but when bike mags stop nitpicking everything, the end product almost definitly kicks ass compared to previous models. My bike by no means compares to a 00 6R...stock that is.

TRevor

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[TEvo]

My $0.02 (at least as it pertains to sportbikes)...

I think it depends on the bike and the manufacturer.

If it's a big seller or a "flagship" bike, the mfr's usually tend to it more each year.
Look at the Suzuki GSXR750... they must've released several iterations of it since the debut of the water cooled model in the early 90s.

Also case in point, the CBR900RR- when it first debuted, people talked about how "un-Honda-like" that bike was. Rough, a bit quirky and somewhat unrefined by typical Honda standards. Over the next several years after its intro, Honda supposedly went and made gradual refinements to the bike right up until the Y2K 929RR debuted.

As far as being drastically better each year... I don't think you'll notice *that* big of a difference, not unless it's a major redesign we're talking about.

Lastly, there are also problems that the mfr's will address with each model. Such as the alleged instability with the Suzuki TL1000S which resulted in a steering damper being slapped (kludged?) on. Probably all models get some minor adjustments between year one and subsequent model years- to correct for problems and to refine a design.

Before I take up more bandwidth, let me point out that H-Ds have gone with the same engine for ages. Remember how long the Evo engine stayed around before the Twin Cam 88 came into the picture in 1998?

Oops... this is SportBikeWorld... hehe. Don't think y'all will know/care about those archaic air-cooled 45-degree V-Twins...

Have a good Fourth `o July folks!


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[BikerDad]

The development lead times of different industries just kinda makes me shake my head. For instance, the F-22 Raptor, the next generation Air Superiority fighter for the USAF has been under development since the late 1980s!! It won't be deployed for several more years.

18 months for motorcycles, 3 years for cars, 3-7 years for automobile engines...

70 days for the P-51 Mustang! (Faster than a 'Busa or Unrestricted ZX-12R, AND its designed so you can loop it!!)

Go figger.

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"It came to pass..."