my bike was stolen in may of this year and am now looking to replace it. It was a 2003 CBR600 F4i and it was my first bike. I got really comfortable on and of course wanted more power, but never acted stupid and never dropped it in the 2 years I owned it. Now, of course, I want something bigger but my budget has gone down too. I do not want to spend more than $5000 and right now it is hard to find a bike. I did find this suzuki though for $5k with 10k miles. anyone know anything about these bikes?

http://images.traderonline.com/img/5/plcnad/4606168/80671461_1.jpg

9/8/2005 9:33:55 AM

massive torque
sounds great
they are a little porky looking but some people like how they resemble busa's. as far as performance they back it up
suzuki also makes SV1000 thats a little slimmer and still a v-twin with a liter displacement

9/8/2005 9:59:48 AM

The few times I've ridden one I was reasonably impressed. It's not a screamer like a lot of the inline four liter-class bikes, but if you swap sprockets, you can get crazy wheelie pulling power. Stock, it's geared a little high, I think.

9/8/2005 10:02:18 AM

2000+ R1's seem to have depreciated a lot. I see them all the time for $6000, you could probably work out a deal with someone

9/8/2005 12:09:47 PM

i would get that bike, im pretty sure it's fast enough to scare the shit outta u compared to ur old 600. i like the way they look a lot, that will be my next bike in a couple years of i stick with biking.

9/8/2005 3:27:25 PM

wow that thing IS pretty porky

9/8/2005 3:37:16 PM

^^i doubt it.

they're made to compete with a 750 I-4, but either of the last 2 generations (maybe 3) of GSX-R 750 will absolutely DESTROY a TL-R.

i'd much rather have whatever the hottest 600 i could is get for $5000.

[Edited on September 8, 2005 at 3:59 PM. Reason : ^yeah, it's a pig]

9/8/2005 3:59:00 PM

so ur saying it's pretty close to the 600, gotcha, yeah it's different that's prob why i like it.

9/8/2005 4:06:39 PM

it will have more low end grunt that a 600, but i doubt it will be any quicker (and likely not as fast) through the 1/4. it also won't handle nearly as well.

9/8/2005 4:46:13 PM

but that shit rumbles vtwin powah igors sounds like a mean machine.

9/8/2005 6:37:21 PM

if you want your $5k to sound good and wheelie easily, get the TL-R

if you want your $5k to haul maximum ass, get a 600 supersport bike (or a GSX-R 750 if you can find an '02 or newer model for that price. the '02+ 750s will FLY).

9/8/2005 6:39:32 PM

thanks for the replys. i dont want an older F4 or F3 honda because I hate the banana seat. I have found a couple r6's around the price range...usually closer to $6k. I want a FI bike which I 'think' this TLR is. so from what I am getting from you all, the R6, gsxr750 is the best bet? how are the older gsxr600's?? I have always heard to stay away from the smaller suzuki bikes ?

BTW, I am 6'5"/ 220, and always felt too big for the 600. I think thats why I like the size of this one.

[Edited on September 8, 2005 at 7:31 PM. Reason : btw]

9/8/2005 7:30:00 PM

all of the supersport type bikes are the same physical size (i.e., R1 is no bigger than R6). don't know about the TL-R.

9/8/2005 8:55:17 PM

Quote :

"BTW, I am 6'5"/ 220, and always felt too big for the 600. I think thats why I like the size of this one. "

You might want to look into a Honda VFR 750. Seriously. I'm 6'3" and 235, and I really like the fit. And you still stay with the torquey v-twin powah.

9/8/2005 9:11:29 PM

V-4, you mean.

yeah, the performance isn't there on the VFR like it is on a real race-replica machine, but they're comfortable as hell. motomikeh rode a VFR-750 to Zacatecas, Mexico and back.

if you want max performance for the dollar, it's gonna be from an inline-four supersport bike. if you want the V-twin torque and sound, get the TL-R. if you want something sporty but very comfortable, get the VFR. unfortunately, no single bike fills all the requirements.

9/8/2005 10:38:19 PM

Ooopsage, I stand corrected...and I used to have a f'n VFR. lolllllll Damn I miss that bike.

9/8/2005 10:40:18 PM

haha, my only experience with a TL-R was riding with this dude in johnston county who went out with r1pimpin and me. he could wheelie effortlessly at fairly low speeds with all of the torque (although my GSX-R 750 would power wheelie at 85 mph, which i don't know if the TL-R would do), but when we got to the backroads, i pulled on him pretty substantially. he was out of sight when i looked in the mirror after the second corner (that was rider disparity more than anything else, though). after about 5-10 minutes, i just pulled over and turned my gixxer off until i heard him coming.

ok, googling some numbers, it looks like the TL-R puts somewhere in the high 100-teens ground, compared to low to mid 100s for the newer 600s and mid 120s for the GSX-R 750. it also weighs a shit ton more than any of those bikes (the 750 weighs about the same as the 600s). 1/4 mile-wise, the 750 will smoke it, the latest crop of 600s would prob walk it, and 3-4 year old 600s would prob be pretty comparable.

the TL-R is a real brick, though. i know i'd have much more fun with an R6, 636, or GSX-R 750. i doubt it's any more comfortable, either. the only reason i can think of to buy one is just to listen to it, but i like the scream (and quick throttle response) of the I-4s just as much.

[Edited on September 8, 2005 at 10:54 PM. Reason : fasdfasdfasd]

9/8/2005 10:44:48 PM

despite all the required maint. i've had to do on 97gsxr 600 i've owned it's served me well, and it's pretty quick i think almost 100hp. and it's a bigger feeling bike bc it was built on a 750 chasis. it just looks fatter than other bikes, my friends 04 r6 definately felt a lot smaller when riding compared to my gsxr. also felt quite a bit quicker but i still have to get mine tuned right.

9/8/2005 11:07:35 PM

please clarify me if I am wrong, but isnt the TL-R in a completely different class of bike than the 600s and liter bikes..... up there with the RC51... noting that you (juicedgsr95) are a bigger rider, would you be comfortable throwing around a heavier bike? I think that would be the main thing to address here.

9/8/2005 11:22:59 PM

i don't know about the 750 chassis part, but an R6 is a very small feeling bike. also, a '97 is at least one full generation before the advent of the R6 and the really diminuitive bikes in that class that followed suit. a 97 is from the CBR-600 F3 era, so to compare it to an R6 isn't totally fair. a GSX-R of comparable years would be right there in the fight, although the GSX-R is generally a slightly larger feeling, more planted and stable bike than the Yamaha "R" bikes, which make their money with snappy responses and agility.

^yeah, it was made to run in the Superbike class (before they switched to 1000cc I-4s). its competition was the RC-51 (heavy, but much better chassis), GSX-R 750 (which will totally annihilate a TL-R), and i guess the ZX-7R, which was WAY outdated for the last several years it was produced. it's a totally different bike than a 600 I-4, but for what it costs, i think you'd be better of with a 600 of comparable price.

heavy is bad, no matter if you are big or not. it's not going to be comfortable, and you don't really throw a bike around. i'm sure it feels like a battleship compared to, say, an early kawasaki 636, which might very well pull on it in a straight line, too.

[Edited on September 8, 2005 at 11:27 PM. Reason : asdfadsfasd]

9/8/2005 11:23:20 PM

heh heh - guess "throw around" is a bad phrase to describe riding

9/8/2005 11:30:27 PM

As Duke said the TL-R was built so that suzuki could go superbike racing. However, it failed miserably for a few reasons. The most prominent of which were lack of development funds, down on power, and a rear suspension design that didnt give the necessary feedback. Its still a good bike though for anything short of fast track pace and you wont see a billion of them around. Just make sure you like the v-twin power delivery before buying one.

9/9/2005 12:29:49 AM

cool, well I am not hearing alot of positive feedback so I will most likely pass this one up. I do like the v twin because of its power but I like the responsiveness of the I4 better. guess I am just gonna wait around until I find a good R1, R6, or maybe a 636 (havent rode one yet though)

thanks for the feedback .

9/9/2005 9:04:50 AM

yeah it's a 750 chasis, i mean u just drop the 750 in and ur good to go, no changes other than the engine, and maybe something with the suspension, not sure about that, it's kinda cool though

9/9/2005 12:31:36 PM

NCSUZ28 had a 600 with a 750 motor.

9/9/2005 12:53:31 PM

i don't mean to imply that it's a piece of shit bike. just make sure that you're cool with it being so damned heavy, and i'd never get one for $5000 if i could get a fairly late model 600 I-4.

but then again, i'm extremely performance minded. if you just want a relatively powerful, sporty motorcycle, but don't insist on having an absolute thoroughbred of a machine, it might be the bike for you. it's definitely not the bike for me, though.

9/9/2005 1:57:39 PM

if i could make decent money off my 600 to afford the 1000 i'd go for that pig

9/9/2005 4:25:51 PM

^maybe you shouldn't have "invested" all that money into your bike. you dumped the same about as i paid for my cbr600

9/9/2005 4:28:44 PM

if i could read minds that my shit was going to break down constantly after i got it.. i would have not bought it. it ran fine on the test ride not until 1-2 weeks of riding after i got it did it start messing up all the time ... WHORE

9/9/2005 4:55:01 PM

http://richmond.craigslist.org/mcy/96482168.html

9/9/2005 5:56:53 PM

all this talk of motorcycles makes me want to go buy another one real quick

9/9/2005 6:04:34 PM

I looked at TL1000Rs before I bought my 748. I love the way they look and how they hug the front tire. I'd definately try to get as much prepurchase time with the bike as possible to decide if you like it. I am a huge V-Twin fan, and I would still like to get a TL to add to the garage. You cannot beat the sound of a TL with Yoshi pipes on it. It was aimed at a very specific market and it didn't do well. The one good thing I can say about twins is that you don't need to downshift at highway speeds to pick up speed very quickly for passing.

9/11/2005 1:52:14 AM

^you ride that yelow 748 always parked in the harrelson lot?

9/11/2005 9:03:41 AM

^When there is space, yes. Otherwise I am up at the lot near Hillsborough St.

One thing I forgot to mention in regards to the TL, early models had iffy fuel mapping. You might want to check into whether you can get a reflash to the 99 and newer fuel maps to solve any hesitation problems you might see on a 98.

9/11/2005 2:43:42 PM

i'm sure you can. i know that Kawasaki/Suzuki of Durham would flash GSX-R ECUs for a pretty reasonable price.

9/11/2005 7:23:23 PM

I didn't look at the picture before I posted, but that looks like it is newer than a 98, so no worries.

9/11/2005 9:25:44 PM

i saw a blue and white one headin down western it looked perty i couldnt hear the rumble that they talk about them though..

9/12/2005 12:27:23 AM

They're pretty tame sounding with stock pipes. Put something aftermarket on them and they are loud. When I first moved up here, I woke up every morning to the sound of a TL1000R rolling past and that was when I fell in love with twins.

9/12/2005 12:38:07 AM

I ride an RC51, and love the v-twin torque. I'm 6'4" 220lbs. and when i was looking for a bike i found that i couldn't get my knees/legs to mate up with the tank of any of the 04 model 600cc bikes. I bought the RC51 because it felt like the best fit even though reviews say its a no go for tall riders.

I've also riden a TL1000R, not nearly as refined as the RC, but plenty of power and handling for someone that does more traffic/commute driving than all out racing


ECTurbo--your 748 is badass

9/12/2005 5:14:00 PM

i will own an rc51 and a ducati one day

9/12/2005 5:33:30 PM

still2slow, you've parked your RC up at the lot near Hillsborough St. as well, right? I'd love to get a closer look. The RC51 is another bike that I must have. I can't say that I've heard one with anything other than stock pipes on it and I would love to hear one opened up. In regards to the 748, thanks. Like I said earlier, I'm a big twin fan and I would eventually like to own atleast an RC51 and TL1000R along with a number of the Ducati bikes (749 dark, S2R, 998, etc). Buells spark my interest as well. Juiced, what are you thinking in regards to the TL?

9/12/2005 5:44:08 PM

when did u get the 748, what year is it etc how much did u pay (if u mind saying), just wondering.

9/12/2005 8:16:20 PM

1997 suzuki TL1000s $4200 fyi

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/96969672.html

9/12/2005 10:12:48 PM

I got the 748 at the beginning of July. I had been looking at TLRs and RC51s since last winter and when it got down to it, I was only going to be spending a few grand more to get the Ducati. I was eventually going to get a Ducati anyways so I figured it would be worth the extra work now. Its also a smaller bike than the RC or TL which makes it a little easier since it is my first street bike. In regards to price, it was ~7000 and it is a 98. I got it from Matison Motorsports in north Raleigh and they did the 12k service which included the valve adjustments and all of that good stuff that makes owning a Ducati expensive. 7000 was the best price on the east coast at that time. As with every bike, the prices go down in the winter but I didn't have the means to get a bike last winter. I'm glad I didn't, because I would have picked up a 98 TLR from Barnetts that was sitting up there forever. It is not a comfortable bike at all. The seat might as well be a piece of vinyl over the plastic and you lean more than on any other bike I have sat on (I've heard an R1 is pretty bad but I haven't sat on one, so maybe someone else can chime in). I rode it to Charleston SC and back and will never do that again. The clutch takes some getting used to, its a dry clutch. The sounds is intoxicating, even with just the stock pipes, and then obviously the look makes the bike. I love it more with each day I have it and I am definately glad I bought it. They're not as unreachable as I thought they were before I started looking hard. If you own a 2000 or newer 600 and up Japanese bike, you can get on a Ducati supersport if you so desire. Mine was at the base of the superbike market, you're looking at bare bottom 6 grand to get a first year 748 if you are lucky. I rambled a lot, sorry. Back to the TLR.

Jeff, in regards to the TLS, totally different bikes. I don't remember all of the specific differences, but they both ride very differently.

9/12/2005 10:42:37 PM

no that's cool wanted to hear about it, dry clutch that's crazy wonder how that feels.

9/12/2005 11:58:54 PM

748 looks way hot (except for the square rear taillights, make it look like it's 80's or something). pretty small bike too, although still not as small as mine and the service intervals suck. I'd still love to ride one of them and check it out, i've heard they're nimble as hell

9/13/2005 12:05:00 AM

compared to the few bikes i've ridden, my bike handles like a fat sluggish bitch.

9/13/2005 12:06:01 AM

If you guys see me out there with the bike, I have no problem letting you sit on it and get a feel for it. I'm not to that point where I'll let someone take it out, I hope that is understandable. I love the Honda Hawk, I looked at those back when I was 16 and first looking. Anything with a single sided rear swing arm is pure sex. I was sad to see the 999 and 749 with the dual sided arm, but it is lighter since it doesn't have to be as beefy as the one on mine. The service is so so. I was just reading the manual and it says that oil change intervals is 6200 miles, which I am uncomfortable with, so I'm gonna do every 3000 or sooner. The timing belts, air filter, oil screen (not the same as the oil filter), and coolant have to be changed every 12,400 miles. The valves are supposed to be checked every 6200 miles as well. If you go through two valve inspections and nothing has changed over 12,400 miles, you can generally extend the period between checks. The Desmodromic timing system uses 2 rockers per valve, one to open and one to close, there by negating the need for valve springs. There is no redline on the bike technically, but the ecu starts killing things around 12,500 rpm. Power drops off after 11 grand though. It makes nice, solid power from about 5-6000 rpm all the way up to right after 11. I know it is semi the same, but I would like to get a 749 Dark to add to the collection. I really need a new car, but I can't get that bike out of my mind. They had a demo at Matison that had the Termignoni exhaust, ECU, filter, and Ohlins suspension on it. I didn't like the look at first, but it has grown on me. The 748 will always be an attractive bike, it has timeless styling, but the 749 looks cutting edge. I don't think it will be considered beautiful in a few years, but right now it looks bad ass.

9/13/2005 12:34:07 AM

tl1000s is still close, its still v-twin. btw, i do like your ducati, just it feels a bit uncomfortable for me.

9/13/2005 1:20:46 AM

i wants to sit on it...maybe if ur like u can take my gsxr for a spin... rofl bc it's such a fine piece of machinery rofl.

9/13/2005 8:44:55 AM