Having bagged the Suzuki from outside the hotel something is worrying me. I love GSX-Rs because I'm a bit of a 600cc fan, and the GSX-R750 always offered everything I wanted in a 600 - light weight and great handling, with an added boost of power - but this one doesn't feel very strong, especially low down. The problem is I had ridden the latest generation of 600s just a few weeks earlier and they now match this 750 in engine performance. The 750 always used to have the advantage when it came to mid-range but now, with the high state of tune of 600s and the GSX-R600's lightweight engine internals (not to mention the Kawasaki and Triumph's over-sized engines), the middleweights have caught up with the older 750s. The latest GSX-R750 keeps ahead of the game, but this four-year-old model now feels a bit weak.
And this isn't a very good GSX-R. While at first glance it looks good, it has obviously lived a hard life. For a start the rearsets are too high, the brakes - never a real strong point on this model - are lacking in power and the engine feels rough, but not in a GSX-R way. While even new GSX-Rs have a certain harshness to them, this one feels thrashed and not at all well looked after.
"That's the problem with Suzukis," says Daryll. "When they're new they feel great, but this doesn't last long. You don't have to do many miles for them to feel second-hand and tip them over the edge."
After his first ride on it James comes to the same conclusion. As well as a rough motor, he notes that the clutch cable needs lubing and the chain is slack: "If only the previous owner had spent his money looking after it, not on a blue screen and rear sets."
There is nothing wrong with the bike itself. It steers really well and it could take on any 600, "but the new ZX-6R's engine is definitely stronger," reckons Niall.
Meanwhile, praise for the Blade is piling up. "The Honda's motor has dated really well," says James, "unlike the GSX-R's. I thought this model of FireBlade were shit. It's not, it's ace. Lovely engine, really sweet off the bottom and a light front end that steers good. I thought it would be too light but its solid through fast bends and has a good balance. Even the brakes are like new."
Its looks have stood the test of time too. Niall reckons the swingarm looks really trick; only the stickers and pinstripes let it down. "But have you ridden the Aprilia? he asks. "There's something not right. If we hadn't checked the tyre pressures I'd swear they were low. It understeers terribly."
James agrees, and thinks its problems may stem from the rear shock: "The Aprilia has a Sachs shock, which are crap. They lose their damping in about ten seconds and are notoriously weak."
"The rest of the bike feels like new. A two-year-old bike for over three grand off new price is a bargain. The engine still feels good, not much different to the new model, and the condition is superb but the handling takes the shine off it. It just feels top heavy to me and a bit agricultural. I don't really like them. The new model is better."
It is, but this one is definitely fixable. It would still be a great bike on track and for the road the fairing is huge, but the new model's updates have fixed all the little problems this bike has. It's a real bargain for someone who wants a good looking, virtually new Italian bike. Just check the shock out.
And this really is the problem with Italian bikes. Where the Japanese update bikes on a regular basis the Italians aren't quite so formulaic. Aprilia updated the RSV when it was in the financial position to do so, and sorted out all the niggles with the new model of RSV-R. Up until this point it was really the only update the RSV has had in its five-year life, bar a few fuel-maps here and there. And it's the same with Ducati. The 748 didn't really have any huge changes until it was phased out with the arrival of the 749. The 916-style of Ducati was uncomfortable and poorly finished, something Ducati has now improved on, and the price has always been higher. Which is why you don't get a minter for your five grand.
So, after riding all four machines for two days around the south of France was the GSX-R750 the winner we all predicted it would be at the start? No.
Time has taken its toll on all these bikes to one degree or another. As I have already said, for £5000 you'll struggle to get a real beauty of a 748; you'll get a workhorse. If you're only after a bike that will give you stunning feedback on a track, look good from a distance and start you off into the world of Ducati then this perhaps isn't bad. But remember it also comes with a crippling riding position and very high service costs.
"To own a bike as beautiful as the 748 you have to be proud of it," says Niall. "And that means spending the extra to get a good one. I just couldn't justify spending £5000 on a bike that looks as tatty as this, especially when you will see others that are just perfect parked up everywhere."
"The Aprilia was the best condition bike of the lot, but it's also the newest," says James, "but my money would be on the Honda. It's nearly the oldest bike here but has stood up to time so well it doesn't feel used, even though it has been. The only thing to watch is the gearbox, which is a bit weak. Apart from that I'm really impressed, which is strange as I don't remember them being that good. The Suzuki felt tired. It wasn't as fresh as the Honda and had too many faults, although many were owner-inflicted. A mint one would be a good buy but the Blade's motor would be better, it'd be more comfortable and would still handle. I'd have the Blade."
Niall's money would also go the way of the FireBlade. "Brand new the Aprilia would be tempting," he admits, "but the Suzuki was too rough and was only going to get worse. It's the old Honda build quality thing. They seem to make the bikes strong where they need to be. Because it has been updated so many times the price is right, the quality is right and you could use it every day."
And I'm with them both. For the money the Honda offers fantastic value. They are so solidly built that finding a good one isn't hard, and for £5000 it's a hell of a machine. The Suzuki is great, but just hasn't handled the years, and while I'd love to own a 748, it would have to be much better quality for the price. The RSV just didn't really excite.
Ironically, in updating their bikes in such an incremental and formulated way, the Japanese have ensured that even older machines are fairly close to newer models in terms of performance and handling. Which means that a clever second-hand buyer can land a stunning machine at a fraction of the cost of a new one. The bargains are out there. It's up to you to hunt them down.
SECOND -HAND OPINION
Buying a new bike is a simple process. Decide which model then choose the colour. Buying a used bike, however, is a whole different kettle of fish. Even a low mileage bike could have had a seriously hard life, so it's important to spot the tell-tale signs. You can get a really good idea what type of person previously owned a bike, and what sort of life the bike has had, by looking at the 'extras' fitted.
The Blade was a clean enough example, with the exception of the poorly-placed stickers that were obviously put on after a night spent down the boozer before returning home with a kebab in one hand an HRC sticker kit in the other.
However, in his drunken stupor the owner had neglected to place the stickers carefully, electing instead to take ten paces back and throw them at the bodywork. If he couldn't be bothered to line a couple of stickers up what hope was there of him ever checking the oil?
The Suzuki did look as though its owner was a reasonably caring type, if not a little colour blind. Why do people fit blue screens? It doesn't match the bike and just looks shit. Unless you're going to race this bike the rear sets are a waste of money, and damn un-comfortable. The cash may have been better spent sorting the overly stiff clutch. Priorities you see.
A look at the 748 revealed a tougher past. Yellow paint under the fuel cap, number boards have been added and the belly pan doesn't match anything. It may have been down the road at least once. And so to the RSV. The fact the number plate has 'Big Jugs' across the bottom and the screen bolts have been replaced with pink ones can only indicate one thing. But don't let the fact that it was once owned by a bird put you off. After all, it has probably never been thrashed or even leant over, although I would be wary of the clutch.*
*Daryll is joking. In reality he loves lady bikers and thinks they're great. They're all better riders than him, too
