- Which is better a 600 or a 1000? It's a question that's been
asked about a million times on just about every motorcycle
forum on the internet. In this video we're going
to go over the differences between the two on the track to help you better
decide on your next bike or maybe simply to settle the score with your mate once and for all. (motorcycle engines roaring) (gentle music) So for this, I'm not
going to be breaking down the merits of each motorcycle
in a traditional way to try and come to some
sort of solid conclusion. Instead, I'm simply going to
share some of my experiences of riding these two sizes of machine, along with some common talking points to help you come to your own conclusion on which is better for you. First, a look at my first
track bike, my 2004 Yamaha R6. I really loved this bike. I loved it because it
was a lot of fun to ride, but also because it's the bike that took me from my first
beginnings on the track, through all the groups, and eventually, comfortably,
into the mid-pack of the fast group. It was also the vehicle that I used to learn and become the rider I am today. So it's fair to say there's a
little bit of sentiment there. The bike ran in almost
entirely stock form, but even so I don't ever remember feeling that the machine wasn't
allowing me to do what I wanted. It turned as quick as I requested, went to where I asked it to, and held the line I was looking to take. And the screaming engine, while lacking outright power
to more modern machinery, made you feel like the
fastest thing on the planet. (motorcycle engine roaring) Then at the end of 2015,
I decided to make the jump to a bigger, newer bike,
a 2010 Honda Fireblade. My immediate feelings jumping to the CBR was that everything felt better in terms of steering and controls, but that shouldn't be surprising given the bike was six years newer and had upgrades littered all over it. From a handling point of view, it's pretty much incomparable to the R6 because not only was it newer, but it was running upgraded
suspension components too. So it turned sharper and
felt smoother as a result. I think the biggest take
away of that first session was the speed on the straights. I will always remember the feeling of getting onto the back
straight at Snetterton, opening up the taps and then thinking how much faster it was, only then to realize
that I didn't actually have the throttle open the whole way. For a very brief period,
it actually left me a little shocked because
it was more acceleration than I'd ever experienced before. After a session or two, however,
it began to feel normal. So what changed between
the 600 and the 1000? There's this notion that they are two very
different bikes to ride, but for the most part they're not. It felt a bit better to ride generally, for the reasons I just mentioned, but in reality they were
simply the sort of improvements you would expect from stepping up to a six-year-newer machine
with fancier components. The biggest difference comes
from the power at corner exit. On the R6 I could be a lot more aggressive with the throttle coming
out of the corners, and I would also be on
the throttle stop earlier with more lean-to, because a full turn of
the throttle on the R6 was giving me around 100 brake
horsepower in peak power. That's around 70 brake horsepower
less than the Fireblade. Being fast on a 1000 machine comes from the ability to use
the power at corner exits. And that's where I found
my biggest challenge, particularly early on. In lower gears, for instance, even when you're at a lean angle when you know you can apply full power without fear of losing the rear, you still have to be wary
of the front end lifting as you try to lay down as
much power as possible. Having more low-down torque
also means it's easier to spin the rear tires as
you begin to roll them more and start your exit phase. Now, a competent rider on a 1000 should be able to comfortably
out-drive a 600 at corner exit but with all the extra grunt it means the management of
how you get that power down becomes more difficult, particularly if you have little experience of higher-powered machines. This is why many riders
don't immediately go faster when they jump onto a 1000cc motorcycle. It's a challenge, and one that took me a fair
bit of time to overcome and to feel like I was getting as comfortable exiting corners
as I was relative to my 600. So what about this notion
of a 600 for corner speed, a 1000 for straight line speed? Maybe at top racing levels, but at track day level not so much. When you observe riders
at the top of the sport you will see differences in
the way they ride the machines, and in many cases the 600s will be running higher corner speeds
than the bigger bikes. That being said, it's not
so much because the 1000 is incapable of higher corner speeds but more so that the riders
are using the machine in such a way that allows
them to make better use of their biggest advantage, the power. In a lot of corners this means
scrubbing off more speed, entering deeper and turning tighter, and then driving out harder. On a 600 there's a little
more trade off at the exit where racers will look to run
more speed into the corner to carry more momentum through
and out the other end of it. They're essentially sacrificing an earlier throttle application for higher terminal corner speed. And this is something
you'll observe even more of as the capacity of the
engine gets smaller. However, at track day level this point becomes almost irrelevant. With modern tires and machinery, the corner speed potential
largely comes down to the rider and their confidence to run higher corner speeds, not from a limitation or
characteristic of the bike. In terms of corner speed potential there really isn't much of a difference between the speed of a
600 and that of a 1000. So which is best, a 600 or a 1000? By this point, you're probably coming to the right conclusion yourself. Neither. For me, the 600 was a fantastic tool to grow and improve as a rider. I've always maintained that
600s are a good balance of not enough power to scare yourself, but enough that you're not left behind by everything around you, and it gives you something to grow into. They're a lot of fun to ride
fast and very rewarding. And the screaming engine makes you feel like the fastest thing on the planet. Added to that is the fun of mixing it with bikes you probably shouldn't be, particularly on the tighter tracks. In terms of handling,
they aren't too dissimilar when talking about bikes of a
similar age and specification, especially as the machines get newer. They'll have much the
same steering ability, and much the same corner speed potential. The difference, and
challenge, largely comes from trying to get those extra
horses down onto the track, and dealing with the higher speeds and physical aspects that come from that. That being said, when you get to grips with a 1000cc machine, the
feeling of nailing an exit and taking off like a rocket ship is definitely a very pleasing experience. (motorcycle engine roaring) (gentle music) So what are your thoughts on
the 600 versus 1000cc debate? And what experiences do you have? Tell us about it in the
comments down below. And as always if you liked the video then be sure to hit the button and share it with others
to support the channel, and be sure to subscribe for more performance riding
videos moving forward. Take care. (motorcycle engines roaring)
