2006 Supersport Shootout IV Street Photo Gallery

2006 Supersport Shootout IV Street

The twisty backroads surrounding our Southern Oregon headquarters would give us ample opportunity to test the latest crop of Supersports.

The addition of the cherry red Triumph Daytona livened up our '06 Shootout, with its smooth sounding Triple humming next to the heavy hitters in the 600 class, the reigning Shootout champ ZX and the always threatening Gixxer.

"So then I went braahhhhhhh!!!" We're a crack team of moto-journos here at MCUSA. Discussing our riding impressions as animated as possible is just part of the job.

While the Honda (red) and Suzuki (yellow) are fairly evenly matched, with the Kawi (green) a little bit stronger, the rest of the bikes have their own distinct powerbands. The Ducati (black) comes in and signs off early, while the Yamaha (blue) waits till the end to show off. (Click to enlarge.)

The Ducati clearly shows the torque advantage a larger cylinders provide while the R6's weak run demonstrates how it lags in street use. The Daytona splits the difference, proving to be much revvier than the Twin and more grunty than the Fours. (Click to enlarge.)

The ZX and Daytona ran neck-and-neck down the quarter, with the Trumpet pulling a lead out of the hole while the Kawi made up ground the rest of the way. The R6's respectable time was the result of teeth-clenching high-rpm launches. (Click to enlarge.)

The Daytona not only looks skinny, it also weighs in as the lightest bike in the class. The Ducati's full-size superbike roots are apparent on the scales. We checked our figures twice, but, yes, the ZX has more weight on its rear wheel than its front. (Click to enlarge.)

The Ducati 749S arrived at our Shootout a little late, but when we got the opportunity to add the $15,000 Italian beauty into the mix, it was an offer we couldn't refuse.

The Ducati shines away from traffic where its long legs and aggressive riding position combine to carve through fast sweepers with confidence. Around town, it feels like a bridled thoroughbred.

As the lone Twin in the group, our Duc was still able to hold its own on the dyno, where its 106.6 hp almost matched the Yamaha and its 55.1 lb-ft of torque stomped the others.

Although the 749 boasts adjustable footpegs and seat, the low position of the bars killed the ergos. The sleek lines of the Duc helped make up for a stretched-out riding position, but after a long ride your arms will ache.

The longer wheelbase of the 749 helps the Duc's stability to the point that it feels like you're riding on rails. The riding experience on the 749 stands apart from the more frenetic multi-cylinder bikes.

Honda's CBR comes into this fight unchanged for 2006. In a fashion contest, the RR holds its own, although not all our testers warmed to our bike's metallic pearl orange color and tribal flames graphic.

The CBR places its rider over the front of the bike, which is great for sporting duty but less so for comfort. A thinly padded seat reminds you of the bike's purpose.

Donny B at speed on the CBR. He says he felt confident and comfortable on the Honda, calling its riding position "aggressive but plush."

The Double-R proved to be a willing dance partner with whoever was aboard. Kenny (shown here) praised the CBR's appearance and excellent suspension and transmission, but said it feels "a little vanilla."

The CBR is a wonderfully cohesive package that gives its rider confidence, but it's now a half-step behind its fresher rivals. Still a solid choice.

The Honda may have gotten the lowest grin factor score out of the group, but that doesn't mean we didn't have any fun on it.

Now into its second year, our reigning class champ has all the tools it needs to compete, including a slipper clutch, radial-mount brake master cylinder and front calipers, and the most powerful four-cylinder motor of the group.

BC has always loved the ZX's "cheater" motor, as its 636cc provides more thrust throughout the powerband than the other Fours. "Putting out more horsepower and a much broader curve, you won't be left unsatisfied," he says.

Like all the bikes in this test, the ZX has plenty of cornering clearance for any sane street rider.

Compared to its stubbier competitors, the Kawi looks and feel long from nose to tail. However, it's still one of the class lightweights.

Not only getting good marks for its strong motor, the ZX was also highly rated for its suspension, brakes and ergonomics.

BC says the ZX is still one of his class favorites.

The paint scheme might look familiar, but the '06 Gixxer is a clean-sheet redesign that incorporates a slipper clutch, radial brakes and a MotoGP-style exhaust system.

Donny B showing the form that brought him success during his racing days. He praised the Suzuki's overall package, adding it is one of his favorites in the class.

One of the clever new features on the GSX-R is its adjustable footpegs. Shown here in their highest position, the pegs can be lowered for greater comfort when not scuffing the edges of its tires.

BC screams the Gixxer past our photographer. He described the bike's steady powerband as rider-friendly, adding he enjoyed its "raspy and slightly loud" exhaust note.

The Gixxer proved to be quite adaptable to different riders and various riding conditions. It's a bike that has few flaws.

The Daytona 675 might change the way we look at the middleweight supersport class. Not only stunning to look at, its three-cylinder motor is one of the best streetbike powerplants on the road.

With the most radical steering geometry of this group, the Triumph makes direction changes nearly effortless. A standard steering damper keeps things from getting unruly.

The Daytona looks and feels impossibly slim, and that impression was verified on our scales where the Triple weighed in at 390 lbs, the class featherweight.

"This is not your pappy's Triumph, people," Kenny says. "I had a blast riding this bike."

The Daytona's shrink-fit bodywork is full of lines, creases and slashes, adding up to one of our favorite designs in the class.

The 675's high seat and low clip-ons are one of the few things we found to complain about. Otherwise, this is one of the best new motorcycles of 2006.

The 2006 Yamaha R6 got a lot of attention when it made its debut, including the much-ballyhooed redline controversy, which saw the manufacturer offer to by back its '06 supersport crop from any unsatisfied customers.

The miniscule windscreen for the new R6 does little in the way of actual wind protection. Becklin can't even tuck in his 5'11" frame behind it.

In a job interview, the R6 would have to say its greatest strength is cornering. It's able to dice up twisty roads partly due to its 54.3-in wheelbase, the shortest in our group.

The R6's lack of low-end grunt caused Becklin (shown here) to snipe, "I'm used to 600s having a lack of bottom-end but this is ridiculous. Feels like you are riding a 125 two-stroke around town, just revving it to the moon."

The new R6 fell short when it was faced with everyday street challenges, making this Supersport a more track-oriented design.

BC thought the R6's low- to mid-range power left much to be desired. However, it didn't stop the resident MCUSA wheelie monkey from popping up the front end.

Our gang of six was evaluated in 15 different categories to determine which machine would take this year's title. For a closer look at the ratings.

If your checkbook can handle it and you have some curvy asphault lurking near home, the smooth V-Twin Duc might be just what you're looking for.

We dug on the R6's aggressive styling, but for use on the street the Yamaha came up a bit short and finishes our Shootout fifth.

Old reliable Honda does nothing wrong with its latest CBR600RR. It just lacks the pizzazz to crack into our top 3.

Nothing lasts forever; including the reign of the ZX as our Supersport Street king. In this ultra-competitive class, if you aren't drastically improving every year, you're heading backwards.

The GSX-R600 bested its Japanese rivals with a best motor of the true 600s, an accomodating riding position, and improved styling.

The Daytona 675's slender and distinctive styling played its part, but it's the lovely Triple that pushed this British beauty over the edge and into the Shootout record books as our '06 Street winner.