Spec comparison: 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R vs 2015 Suzuki GSX-R1000 vs Honda CBR1000RR vs Yamaha YZF-R1 vs Aprilia RSV4 RR vs Ducati 1299 Panigale vs MV Agusta F4 vs BMW S1000RR

Shubhabrata Marmar •
Jun 23, 2016 14:18 IST

Oh you're a player, eh? Well the cheapest 1,000cc and above sportsbike is a close toss-up between Suzuki's GSX-R1000 and the Kawasaki ZX-10R. Which makes the Kawasaki a no-brainer, really. It's the latest and greatest and when he rode the Rs 16.40 lakh (ex-Pune) Kawasaki ZX-10R Rishaad clearly wanted the bike to go to his garage rather than return it to India Kawasaki. That's saying something.

In any case, Suzuki isn't taking bookings for the current GSX-R1000 at this time. The new one is expected in July or August 2016. The unknown really is whether or not Suzuki will raise its price to the sky. Don't scoff, there is precedent for that.

The Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is also on sale but it doesn't feature in this dream garage for reasons similar to the Suzuki. The all-new 'Blade with electronics, traction control and more performance is expected to be the centerpiece of the 2017 model year and blow away all comers at the motorcycle shows around the end of this year. Honda should introduce that in India between March and June next year. Until then though, little point in buying this extraordinarily sweet, but long un-updated sportsbike.

Above these are sportsbikes that command ludicrous prices. Yamaha decided to take its smashing new YZF-R1 to a far higher price point. Sticking with the ex-Pune prices for comparability, the Yamaha YZF-R1 is Rs 22.72 lakh. Come to think of it, Yamaha decision to CBU import the MT-09 is as strange as the R1's price tag. The MT's been a global hit thanks to its tangy nature and its superb pricing. Except in India where since the 2016, neither hide nor hair of the MT-09 has been seen.

Above the Yamaha YZF-R1 by a small margin lies proper Italian exotica.Â The Aprilia RSV range sits between Rs 21.31 and Rs 23.46 lakh ex-Pune. The Ducati 1299 Panigales though are eye-watering. They start at Rs 35.33 lakh and go up to, wait for it, Rs 50.22 lakh! Finally, of course, there is the beautiful MV Agusta F4 which starts at Rs 26.86 lakh and goes up to Rs 50.01 lakh.

Here is a quick look at the spec comparo sheet of all the bikes