Wouldn’t it be sweet to write for a moto rag? Even if you were the low man at the office, say, the guy writing a Chinese scooter shootout, it would still be great. You’d be at the front lines of motorcycle journalism, reviewing garages of bikes in ideal locations, documenting rides through exotic places, dissecting engines, influencing thousands.
The creme of it all would be the camparo- the 600 or big bore shootout. I can see it now: six bikes, the hills of Sonoma as backdrop, each contender knifing through the twelve turns of Infineon, each journalist smiling like pubescent boys at the Mustang Ranch, all glad they didn’t listen to their mothers who wanted them to be doctors.
For us regular people, our comparisons exist on paper. Either we read about them in the mags, or we dream them up on little blogs. In my opinion, there are two bikes that could give the Ducati 848 a gnarly run for its money. For less money, actually, than its $13,000 asking. The one that really has me wondering, from the company that hasn’t made a crappy sportbike in a long time: the Suzuki GSX-r 750.
Classic good versus evil is white versus black. Its Luke versus Vader, Peter versus the Black Knight at the Renaissance fair, Ken versus Ryu (if you hit the punch button to select Ken). Its the ultimate showdown.
On paper, its quite a battle. The bikes are incredibly similair. The chassis measurements, the wheelbase- pretty close. Same suspension. Bigger brake rotors on the Ducati (320mm vs. 310mm), and 4 piston Brembos versus Tokico four piston calipers. Different engines, inline four against a larger displacement twin. Different frames (steel Trellis vs. casted aluminum alloy). I’m telling you, though, the bikes on paper are not that different.
When you start looking at specs that matter, however, you begin to see which bike might have the performance edge- on paper, anyway. The 848 is pushing around 135 horses and 71 lb-ft at peak; the Gixer is more like 121 hp and 56 pounds per foot. Grunts out of corners with more to give in the stretches? Damn son, the 848 might have it.
But then, consider cost. The Suzuki is priced to sell at $10,500. The Italian, well… plus 2500. Add only half that in accessories and mods to the Gixer- full exhaust, power commander- you gotta nasty bike. I’ll be the first to say it would probably dog the Duc, on paper and otherwise.
All things considered, its a sweet match up, one for the ages. I hope some lucky moto journalist bastard gets the idea and opportunity to run these two head to head, making this wannabe wish he’d chosen a different profession.
8four8.com 
Except the GSX-R750 has 150 hp, not 121.
I’m curious where you got that spec John. I would really appreciate it if you sent me a link or a reference.
It’s true, the GSXR has not made less than 120hp since 1995 when the SRAD came out.
The current GSXR-600 makes a claimed 125 hp, and the 750 boasts 148hp with 64 ft/lb of torque.
The 848 is a hot bike there’s no denying it, but the 2 cylinder L-Twin will always be a hindrance ’round the race track when being compared to a more linear inline 4. (even with a 100cc displacement advantage)
They have packed a lot of power into these tiny modern engines, and in either bike it still astounds me.
Not to mention the Suzuki makes peak HP at 13,200 RPM and peak torque at 11,200 RPM
Where the Ducati only pulls up to 10,000 RPM peak HP and 8,250 RPM peak torque.
It is amazing what kind of power numbers modern engines are putting out. At the cutting edge, we’re talking about 200 horsepower per liter of displacement. Unbelievable.
But so were on the same page, what the manufacturer claims when it comes to horsepower specs often differs to what the bike is measured at. I’m sure you know that. I just want to see a dyno graph measuring a stock gixer 750 at 150 horsepower.
As far as revs, less is typical for a twin, as is a higher torque number. That power down low is what blasts you out of corners. On the straights though, the higher reving engine acts like a slingshot- a later peak with comparable power will most likely over take the twin.
twin for the streets and 4-banger for the track…
i have a gsxr 750 and i hane a rapid bike programm , k&n air filter and full micron exhaust
system. i have 156 hp on the wheel.
there are both amazing machines made for one and only reason.a lot of speed and keep turning.hy from greece
italian bikes are for rich boys whos daddys make lots of money. stick with the gsxr 750.
Most of the 750’s out of the box are making around 135-140 hp at the crank, so it must be like 128-130 at the wheel, no 150.
To me, the gixxer is the most perfect bike ever created; it´s good tough that Ducati gives it some serious competition, since anyone else does.
Both great machines for sure, but i´ll stick with the gix.
“italian bikes are for rich boys whos daddys make lots of money….” IM NO RICH BOY NOR IS MY FATHER, NICE OPINION. PUT GOOD RIDERS ON EITHER BIKE AND YOULL HAVE A GREAT TIME
Interesting exchange of ideas.
What is the stat on the number of wins of superbike championships of 4 cylinder vs. 2?
I founf it!”Since the inception of the Superbike World Championship, Twin-cylinder motorcycles have claimed 16 of 20 series titles, including fourteen by Ducati alone”
credit to this page
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=5489&Page=1
The gixer750 does make more HP than ducati 848 at the top, But you have to wring the motor to 13,000 rpms to get that power.
Put the hp/torque graphs next each other and you will see that at ALL matched RPM’s the ducati make MORE power, at 3000 around town, 6500 on some back roads, and at 9500 just before redline on the freeway on-ramp.
lets get real. most us us would be fools to track day a brand new bike with $250 monthly payments for the next 4 years, so we get an old CBR600f2 or SV650 to bash at the track, or rent a 636 from kieth code at superbike school.
so for us financal mere mortals, the bike is our street showpiece, and on the street we ride at 75% the limit, because of traffic, potholes, gravel, and the girl on the back who doesnt have full leathers and whose daddy owns a shotgun.
Ohhh the girl thats right.
Go to starbucks with your GSXR jap anything, and what happens when a guy comes with ducati,aprilia, italian anything?
Well the italian bike gets the girls attention.
and gentlemen, its not what you out on the street, its what you ride at home that really makes for a quality of life.
Good night I’m off to ride my hottie, the ducati is put away for the evening, and a fine job it has done for this ugly dude.
Killer reply Douglas you had me rolling!! Look anything on two wheels is about passion, the belief that you travel in a four wheel cage and journey on two. I’m a working class U.S. Merchant Marine, not a spoiled, silver spooned kid. I did however purchase a Ducati 848 this month. Its the aquisition of the things we lust after that drives us all, lets try to keep that in mind, and leave the pettiness aside. As for the better bike, you’ll rarely hear of a Ducati rider yearn for a GIXXER but on the flip side……….
Well all i can say is i have owned both and i’ll take the 750 gix anyday and so i have making it my everyday ride. I ride canyons, track, freeway and anything else that gets trown at me an the gix is always the most dependable less cost bike to run. My turning in the twisties is better and top end the same…better.More fun & less $$$, and for the babes already got mine and dont need the fake.. love me for my duc kind of woman. If i cant get the hot chic on the gix then their probably not really that hot anyway. You want the fake get the duc…you want the real…get the gix!
Just gotta say had a duc and cost me a sh*t load of money tryin to keep it up, so i ended up selling it for a loss and went out an bought a Gix and its been the best ride ever! feels like i have more power and i dont have to listen to the dry sounding clutch!!! lovin the gix and still gettin the chics.
It seems like the GSXR folks here are hung up on the rear wheel horse power numbers. I ride street and track, but at the track it is very common to see guys on smaller bikes with less HP passing the big liter bikes with 150 + HP at the rear wheel or more. When it comes to the street we can utilize even less of the power that these bikes produce. When making mods to your bike for either the street or track the better ones to make are in the form of braking and or suspension first then power second. I have have had several inline 4 Japanese sport bikes pass me on the straights just to have me pass them back in the turns on a Multistrada.I have ridden both types of Bikes. Rode a 2004 GSXR 1000 for 5 days and 1500 miles in Death Valley. Great bike makes awesome power, but the power comes at high RPM’s. This bike rips and handles well, good confidence in the front end and turns in well. I own 2 Duc’s a Multistrada and a 998. I bought them myself, no rich daddy involved, and I was already married when I bought both of them. I prefer the power delivery of the Ducati 4valve engines as opposed to the inline 4’s, it gives me the power I want when I want it and it has power everywhere in the rev range. Riding the Duc you don’t feel the speed as much as you do on the GSXR, and the handling is hands down better on the Duc. Given the choice of a brand new GSXR 750 or a Ducati 848 I would choose the 848 and pay a little extra every time and it has nothing to do with the chicks.
damn these bikes are so close i can decide on wich one to get. top end or torque?ahhhh is the ducati that much more of a pain in the ass to maintain? cuz i live in LA and EVERYONE AND THERE MOMA AS A GSXR
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