The underseat exhaust on the CBR allows for plenty of ground clearance and it looks cool too.

The ZX-6R looks like it belongs on the track thanks to the racing green paint job.

The GSX-R forged on despite being tossed 30 seconds into the test.

Don, BC & Ken look over the extensive damage on the Yamaha R6 and begin thinking about the cost.

The destroyed R6 in all of its glory.

If you can get past the smoke that puked out the rear exhaust of the CBR under deceleration, you can see the scrapes on the tarmac from the R6 crash to the left of the picture.

Here is BC tearing up the backside of Pahrump about 20 seconds before losing the front end on the entrance to turn one.

The CBR is an awesome bike without a doubt.

The Michelin H2 tires we used in our track test barely shed any rubber during our first few sessions.

BC holds up his badge of honor and poses infront of the mighty Yamaha R6 that he crashed at over 100 mph.

Don, BC & Ken load the slighty destroyed R6 into the MCUSA super-van.

The front of the ZX doesn't look quite as sexy as the CBR or R6.

The R6 front end was a favorite among the test riders.

The bad-ass headlights on the CBR give it a decidedly aggressive appearance.

The GSX-R front end is more sleek looking than the ZX but not quite as shapely as the R6 or CBR.

The Spring Mountain Race Track is surrounded by beautiful views of the Nevada desert.

The GSX-R and the ZX-6R battled for top honors at the track all day.

Ken felt the stock gearing on the GSX-R was just about perfect at Pahrump.

BC can't even remember riding the ZX at the track other than that it had an awesome motor.

Kevin Duke puts in a hot lap aboard the CBR600RR late in the day.

The Yamaha is an excellent track back thanks to its composed chassis, smooth motor and awsome brakes.

The GSX-R600 is improved over last year's model and it showed at the track this time around.

The ZX-6R accelerates like a mean sonofa B.

Kevin and Ken take the GSX-R and ZX-6R out for a leisurely stroll around Spring Mountain.

BC reported that the CBR riding position suited his overly aggressive riding style.

Thanks to the fish-eye lens, Ken dwarfs the R6.

After crashing the Yamaha, BC is relegated to refueling status on the MCUSA test rider depth chart.

While the rest of the riders took a break, Don took advantage of the open track.

Kevin took a serious liking to the Ninja.

Duke Danger was getting along just fine with the R6.

Kevin, on the GSX-R, chases down Don and the CBR.

You can say one thing with absolute certainty about the GSX-R: it's one tough machine.

It was hard to get Don to reliquish controls of the Honda. But then the boss always get what the want dont they?

All afternoon Kev complained about the funk inside his helmet...we can only imagine.

The ZX-6R boasts the biggest motor, radial mount brakes and a hard to read tach.

Here is Kevin showing off the good side of the Gixxer while powering onto the front straight.

Kevin leads Ken followed by Don, around the track. During these sessions Kevin took advantage of his 50lb weight advantage over Ken on the straights.

Duke and the Honda got along together like coffee and cigarettes.

The Yamaha can be described as a bike that does nothing wrong...but it does a lot of things right - like railing!

Kawasaki stuffed a cheater motor into the ZX-6R and until the competition does the same they will always have that slight advantage over them.

After more than a month of planning, we finally arrived at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and were eager to get this incredible test underway...some of us though, were a bit too eager.

Although the acceleration times from 0-60 mph are fairly close, the 0-130-mph clearly shows how badly the ZX-6R has the power to continue to accelerate at high speeds while the other tail off. We were impressed with how well the R6 kept up with the new Gixxer.

In terms of horsepower, the mighty ZX just can't be beat. It came out on top with a peak of 107.1 hp @ 12,900 rpm. Also, note how badly the CBR and R6 get clobbered around 8500 rpm. (Click the picture for a full size image.)

You can talk about V-Twin torque all day long, but nothing so clearly demonstrates its advantage like this dyno chart. Note how the GSX-R has a couple of brief moments below 7000 rpm when it makes more torque than the big-bore ZX. And again, take a look at the 8500-rpm range where the ZX and GSX-R whip on the other 600s. (Click the picture for a full size image.)

The extra cubic centimeters in the ZX helps it attain the quickest E.T. and the highest trap speed down the quarter-mile. A weak clutch in the Ducati really hurt its performance this year. (Click the picture for a full size image.)

Kevin was obsessed with getting the suspension just right for our first experience testing on an open track.

The amazing Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch included a cooled garage area that would be our saving grace before the day was over.

Don keeps BC's head aligned while we set-up the GSX-R in the morning.