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Sportbike Roadtrip Aaron Frank

Off The Record<br />Karma is a bitch. Just weeks after writing my "Crash Test Dummy" editorial, I unceremoniously binned our Ducati 1098. Wicked-fast with a race-ready chassis, the Duc obviously doesn't suffer fools. Yamaha's YZF-R1 required set-up attention, and its hairball motor made it a handful. More neutral handling and flawless throttle response meant the Suzuki GSX-R1000 better suited my particular skill set. The Kawasaki ZX-6R corners like a 250cc GP bike (good), but accelerates like one, too (not good). The Honda CBR600RR powers up more like a 750 and remained utterly composed no matter what inputs I threw at it. Quick, confident and unwaveringly predictable, it's everything I want a sportbike to be.Aaron frank<br />Age: 32<br />Height: 5' 7"<br />Weight: 150 lb.<br />Inseam: 31 in.

Class Of '07 - Cover Story

Off The Record
Karma is a bitch. Just weeks after writing my "Crash Test Dummy" editorial, I unceremoniously binned our Ducati 1098. Wicked-fast with a race-ready chassis, the Duc obviously doesn't suffer fools. Yamaha's YZF-R1 required set-up attention, and its hairball motor made it a handful. More neutral handling and flawless throttle response meant the Suzuki GSX-R1000 better suited my particular skill set. The Kawasaki ZX-6R corners like a 250cc GP bike (good), but accelerates like one, too (not good). The Honda CBR600RR powers up more like a 750 and remained utterly composed no matter what inputs I threw at it. Quick, confident and unwaveringly predictable, it's everything I want a sportbike to be.Aaron frank
Age: 32
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 150 lb.
Inseam: 31 in. View Related Article