Why I started hunting for the fastest daily 600cc
My old Suzuki SV650 finally gave up after 50k miles of city abuse. Needed something just as tough but way quicker for highway sprints during my LA commute. Started digging forums and YouTube like a madman last Tuesday.
The dirty work of comparing bikes
First, rounded up usual suspects: Kawasaki Ninja 650, Yamaha R6, Honda CBR600RR. Hopped between dealerships all weekend doing butt tests. Made this quick checklist:
- Seat comfort (gotta survive 2hr traffic jams)
- Heat management (stop-n-go grill sessions)
- Wind protection (freeway winds hit different at 80mph)
- Parts availability (didn’t wanna wait months for fairings)
Real world speed torture tests
Stole test rides whenever sales guys blinked. Thrashed each bike through my exact commute route – potholes included. The R6 screamed like a banshee past 8k rpm but vibrated my fillings loose at 35mph. CBR felt smoother but cooked my legs in traffic. Ninja 650 surprised me – not the fastest but soaked up bumps like a champ.
The ugly truth nobody tells you
Checked service manuals like a creep. Found out chain maintenance on supersports eats weekends like popcorn. Insurance quotes nearly gave me heart attacks – sport bikes cost double to insure here. Almost compromised on Yamaha MT-07 until finding a used Ninja ZX-6R with commuting mods already installed.
Why my garage looks like this now
Ended up with the 2019 ZX-6R last Thursday. Added gel seat pad immediately. Been riding 100 miles daily since – throttle still puts dumb grin on my face while not murdering my spine. Sure, gets 10mpg less than my Suzuki… but watching sedan drivers’ faces when I blast past jams? Priceless.
