LOL! Oh, did you want to know that too??
OK,.. the KTM first, cos I rode it first.
I've never been on a full sized 4 stroke dirt bike before. I doubt I will be again. In all fairness though the bike wasn't set up for me, so due to height, I threw a leg over it, and when I stretched to get my right foot on the ground, I immediately gave myself a charlie horse in my right calf. (and in borrowed boots yet. PC supplied us with Thor boots, men's only of course, so they were heavy and bulky) That didn't start the relationship off well.
It was sheer fear of being "that girl that dropped the KTM before she even started it" that kept me upright.
Power delivery is significantly different from what I'm used to because of the 4 stroke and the SX type tuning. I found it more abrupt than the 2 stroke I'm used to, and it seemed harder to haul my ass around the track they'd built for the event than it usually is to ride my own KTM. The other thing that didn't help the test ride was the fact that I had been up for about 28 hours by then, with a 20 min nap on the puddle jumper plane from Toronto to London. Throttle control was not really in my bag of tricks that day. It felt like the bike was dragging my butt over the jumps and the landings were not that of the "nimble" 200EXC that I'm used to. I also learned while you can get away with it (as in only multiple bruises and a bit of torn muscles) to chop the throttle if you find yourself a little too hot into a jump at take off, doing this on a 4stroke can be a lesson in self mutilation.
Now, the GSXR750: It was an interesting "Controlled" ride,.. with speeds up to 160kph (100mph for you metrically challenged). This in a province I've never been in, on a bike I'd never ridden. Oi!! I was at the back of the pack, on purpose, especially because I wasn't riding a demo bike, I was riding the "personal" bike of the Suzuki rep. Getting on the bike it felt comfortable right off the bat. I could touch the ground with both feet, it seemed a little taller than my VFR was stock, so I was a little over cautious because of that. I especially didn't want to be "that girl who dropped the Suzuki Rep's Gixxer....". It corners beautifully. Of course I didn't push it too hard in the corners, I know that the Suzukis prefer to make life interesting more than the Hondas that tend to wait for the rider to do it. ;) Acceleration didn't seem as abrupt as the CBR600 I'd ridden, but I suspect that's on purpose with the bigger engine, more torque, etc. Braking was far more abrupt than m VFR's linked ABS brakes. In fact the first stop bordered on terrifying for me, but I quickly adjusted to it after that. Over all, it was a well behaved bike that I could see myself riding for shorter rides. For longer, I prefer my slightly higher riding position and smaller ground clearance.
Topic: What to do in London Ontario if you have 24hrs... ? (Read 15508 times)