R9-t vs. Griso vs. CB1100

[pechorin75_imp]

I said this in the other thread on this subject:

The CB 1100 is just a drama free pleasure to ride. Why do they test all motorcycles by playing Ricky Roadracer? 600 super sports or hypermotards, sure run the snot out of them in the curves. For retros and cruisers it should be a leisurely ride out in the country. In that environment, 120 hp is a detriment instead of an asset

and let me add why..... because if you ride with any kind of sanity at all, with any regards for safety or the law, you can't use 120 horsepower on the street. Having owned several bikes in the 125 horsepower range, I found there is no place you can really open them up save for some empty spaces out west. I guarantee you, where they tested those 3 bikes as evidenced by the video, a rider with any talent at all on a 690 KTM Duke with 65 horsepower would blow them off the side of the road as he passed. My humble opinion of course

I guess I don't mind them playing racer with the bikes (I like going fast too), but with machines like these it'd be nice if a little more attention was paid to how they behave in day-to-day riding for people who aren't carving canyons or drag racing every weekend. 600 supersports? Sure, go wild. "Standard" bikes obviously aimed at a well-heeled, older crowd that's unlikely to ever take them to a track? Not so much.

But...that's clearly the riding culture the writers are steeped in. I mean, it's obvious there's a major difference in perspective. I don't think I realized quite how major until the first time I sat on a ZX-14R and discovered just how relative the phrase "relaxed, comfortable ergonomics" actually is.

And then there's the need to declare a winner (and I'm not just saying that because the CB came in 3rd here). I know why they do it--the whole horse race thing--but if I'm reading a comparison test, I'm really more interested in an honest assessment of the differences and similarities between the bikes, preferably taking into account different riding styles and preferences. Yeah, you end up getting that info out of most decent comparisons, but in my opinion the "Which is better" arguments just get in the way most of the time. Give me the facts and I'll decide which is better for me.

That said, it'd be great if more manufacturers followed BMW/Harley's lead on test rides. Then prospective buyers wouldn't have to rely so much on articles like this...