Adam Waheed, 34, Road Test Editor – 6’0”, 178 pounds – Suzuki GSX-R750
I’ve always been a fan boy of Suzuki’s GSX-R750. And as usual it proved to be the most versatile and well-rounded package and the bike I would ultimately purchase. But, I can’t lie—I did enjoy riding the Panigale more. Overall it’s a much better street bike than the 1199 and I was really blown away by how useable it is on the road. And if there wasn’t such a huge disparity between it and the GSX-R I wouldn’t hesitate pulling the trigger on a purchase.
Chris Northover, 27, Superbike Road Test Editor– 5’8”, 156 pounds – Racing: Ducati 899 Panigale
The Ducati was the big surprise on the road for me – its spread of power and super stable handling were really impressive. The dash and electronics are so well integrated, once you have them set up, that you can toggle between riding modes as easily as you’d flick on your turn signals or shift gear. The only place I felt it struggled was around the tightest hairpins, where its longer wheelbase and slower steering held it up. But it was definitely my favorite.
