RednBlax
Well-known member
The past two weeks I had the opportunity to test ride a Gladius, GSX650F and a FZ6R during the demo days at Brampton Powersports.
I currently ride a GS500F and have been since May. I use it to commute to work every day (120 km round trip). Although the GS was a great learner bike it was not very comfortable for everyday long commuting. So I decided to take advantage of the demo days to decide what I should upgrade to next. Here's my opinion on these bikes:
Gladius:
- I found it to be nimble and very easy to handle. I could have actually started off on this bike alone...it was that easy to ride. It was a light bike as well. I can say this was the least intimidating bike and beginner friendly. Not to mention it looked absolutely stunning. It can easily be mistaken as a Euro naked.
- It had low end torque... Lots of it. But seems to taper off near the red line. The motor was very twitchy. Not smooth at certain power bands. No matter how smooth I tried to stay with the throttle it didn't help the jerkiness. Exhaust sound was weak.
- shifting was smooth and so was the clutch.
- it handles really well at the corners. I threw it at some tight rights and it was easy doing it.
- comfort was not a major issue. But due to no fairing, at high speeds my chest got hit with wind alot. Since most of my commute was highway, this bike would not have been a practical choice. But if I was commuting in city, this one would have been more than enough. I could take it on the track and have a blast. The suspension was ok for street riding. I would have changed them if I decided to track it.
- Seating was upright and pegs slightly back. My knees were flush with the tank. Seat padding is a bit thin. But I believe they did that in purpose to help shorter riders. My arms were nice and comfortable as the handle bars were up and back compared to the GS.
- The instrumentation was simple and basic. I don’t recall seeing a fuel gauge but had a fuel light. There was also a gear indicator which in my opinion is a luxury given my GS has none of those.
GSX650F (aka Bandit 650):
- First off, getting on it felt quite a bit heavier than the Gladius (by almost 100lbs). But since I'm 6'2" and 210 lbs it was a manageable weight. But my concern of its weight was immediately gone as soon as I started to ride it.
- The engine was soooo smooth, torqy all the way to 13Krpm. It was like poking a hot knife through melted butter smooth. This one wanted to be revved a lot to the red line and I did. On the long stretches I was able to keep up with a GSXR600 in front of me. The Engine was not at all twitchy like the Gladys. I felt this one torquier than the Gladys. The GSX keeps pulling and pulling as you twist the throttle more and more. And you can feel the torque a lot more than the Gladys.
- Shifting/ transmission were smooth and so was clutch. Taking off from a stop was effortless...just by easing off the clutch alone you're moving quickly.
- Handling.... I was expecting it would fail at the turns, but was shocked. It was quite nimble and sharp for a heavy bike. However, I would not take her on the track and expect record lap times. At slow speeds, however is not as peppy as the other two.
- Suspensions: The GSX has an adjustable one. But the one on mine was a bit on the soft side compared to gladys.
- Comfort was awesome. Since I'm tall, my legs were not at all cramped and my entire posture on the bike was relaxed. You can easily lean over the tank during acceleration or just to avoid wind gusts. My inseam is 31.5 and both my feet were planted flat on the ground.
- Instrumentation is where it shines compared to the other two. It has a fuel gauge, gear indicator, adjustable rpm indicator (adjustable from 6K to 13K), digital speedo, analog tach (just like the GSX-R models). Also the build quality was very impressive.
- FZ6R:
- I test rode the FZ6R just this past weekend. Getting on it, it felt light, given this is a 600cc motor compared to the Gladys and GSX being 650. I felt this one nimble and peppy like the gladius except less torque.
- The engine on the FZ was weak compared to the GSX. I couldn't feel that pull the GSX surprised me with nor the low end torque like the Gladys. Until you reach the higher power bands, it's complete different bike. This one was wants you to rev high. No point riding this bike under 6-7k rpm. Even at high revs, I felt it was missing that x-factor like the other two bikes. I also felt the throttle was the least responsive.
- Handling was sharp and also very nimble. As mentioned, at low speeds I liked the FZ as it was a lot peppier.
- Shifting was fine...no major difference from the other bikes.
- Suspension was better than the other two and felt tighter around the curves. So, yes I would track this bike if I wanted to.
- Comfort was on par with the other two. I felt the FZ a bit more upright than the GSX. GSX you're forward just a bit but not to a point you're hurting your lower back. I found the peg control cramped and small. I fumbled a couple of times using the rear brake and down shifting. My feet were nicely planted on the ground with the FZ. The seat is fully adjustable and so are the handlebars.
- Instrumentation was cheap and lacked some of the few things the GSX had. It has no fuel gauge and not as appealing as the GSX or Gladys. Plus the exhaust was underneath my right leg and felt very hot after riding a while on it.
Overall, I felt the FZ build quality sub-par compared to the other bikes. The engine lacked the oomph and didn’t quite like the looks in person. GSX looked ugly in photos, but much more beautiful in person. But the Gladys wins in my opinions on looks alone.
Conclusion:
I've always had my eye on the gladius. I would have settled with an SV650. So I was pretty adamant to stick with the gladius as the next middle weight upgrade. Before the test ride the GSX was my third choice, but I changed my mind making it my first choice just because it's just an all round perfect bike. I can ride it comfortably on the highway to work on it and is fast and nimble around the corners and heck a lot faster...at least it felt faster than the other two because it felt it had the most torque. Don't let the spec sheet fool you showing how heavy it is. That's what I thought and riding it proved me wrong. The GSX surprised me the most at what it can offer when you throw different scenarios at it: touring, sport, commuter and it just does it all well. I can attach luggage easily and take my wife for a long ride on the GSX with no complaints.
Second was the Gladius. I would have totally picked this one hands down if it weren’t for highway riding.
Third was the FZ...I liked this one the least.
Therefore, I went to the dealership and traded the GS for the GSX. I'll post a "long term" review after I hit the first 1000kms.
If I could give one advise to those upgrading their bikes...Don't pay attention to what others tell you what bike you should buy. If you get a chance, get out to the demo days and test ride your "potential" upgrades and check for yourself which one suits you the most. The above review is just my own opinion. Some may agree and some may not...but that's just how I felt riding those bikes.
Cheers.
BTW: I also test rode the Stryker (cruiser). Coming from sport/sport touring perspective, it was a good experience. I actually liked riding that cruiser. Made me feel like a 100% pure badass
I currently ride a GS500F and have been since May. I use it to commute to work every day (120 km round trip). Although the GS was a great learner bike it was not very comfortable for everyday long commuting. So I decided to take advantage of the demo days to decide what I should upgrade to next. Here's my opinion on these bikes:
Gladius:
- I found it to be nimble and very easy to handle. I could have actually started off on this bike alone...it was that easy to ride. It was a light bike as well. I can say this was the least intimidating bike and beginner friendly. Not to mention it looked absolutely stunning. It can easily be mistaken as a Euro naked.
- It had low end torque... Lots of it. But seems to taper off near the red line. The motor was very twitchy. Not smooth at certain power bands. No matter how smooth I tried to stay with the throttle it didn't help the jerkiness. Exhaust sound was weak.
- shifting was smooth and so was the clutch.
- it handles really well at the corners. I threw it at some tight rights and it was easy doing it.
- comfort was not a major issue. But due to no fairing, at high speeds my chest got hit with wind alot. Since most of my commute was highway, this bike would not have been a practical choice. But if I was commuting in city, this one would have been more than enough. I could take it on the track and have a blast. The suspension was ok for street riding. I would have changed them if I decided to track it.
- Seating was upright and pegs slightly back. My knees were flush with the tank. Seat padding is a bit thin. But I believe they did that in purpose to help shorter riders. My arms were nice and comfortable as the handle bars were up and back compared to the GS.
- The instrumentation was simple and basic. I don’t recall seeing a fuel gauge but had a fuel light. There was also a gear indicator which in my opinion is a luxury given my GS has none of those.
GSX650F (aka Bandit 650):
- First off, getting on it felt quite a bit heavier than the Gladius (by almost 100lbs). But since I'm 6'2" and 210 lbs it was a manageable weight. But my concern of its weight was immediately gone as soon as I started to ride it.
- The engine was soooo smooth, torqy all the way to 13Krpm. It was like poking a hot knife through melted butter smooth. This one wanted to be revved a lot to the red line and I did. On the long stretches I was able to keep up with a GSXR600 in front of me. The Engine was not at all twitchy like the Gladys. I felt this one torquier than the Gladys. The GSX keeps pulling and pulling as you twist the throttle more and more. And you can feel the torque a lot more than the Gladys.
- Shifting/ transmission were smooth and so was clutch. Taking off from a stop was effortless...just by easing off the clutch alone you're moving quickly.
- Handling.... I was expecting it would fail at the turns, but was shocked. It was quite nimble and sharp for a heavy bike. However, I would not take her on the track and expect record lap times. At slow speeds, however is not as peppy as the other two.
- Suspensions: The GSX has an adjustable one. But the one on mine was a bit on the soft side compared to gladys.
- Comfort was awesome. Since I'm tall, my legs were not at all cramped and my entire posture on the bike was relaxed. You can easily lean over the tank during acceleration or just to avoid wind gusts. My inseam is 31.5 and both my feet were planted flat on the ground.
- Instrumentation is where it shines compared to the other two. It has a fuel gauge, gear indicator, adjustable rpm indicator (adjustable from 6K to 13K), digital speedo, analog tach (just like the GSX-R models). Also the build quality was very impressive.
- FZ6R:
- I test rode the FZ6R just this past weekend. Getting on it, it felt light, given this is a 600cc motor compared to the Gladys and GSX being 650. I felt this one nimble and peppy like the gladius except less torque.
- The engine on the FZ was weak compared to the GSX. I couldn't feel that pull the GSX surprised me with nor the low end torque like the Gladys. Until you reach the higher power bands, it's complete different bike. This one was wants you to rev high. No point riding this bike under 6-7k rpm. Even at high revs, I felt it was missing that x-factor like the other two bikes. I also felt the throttle was the least responsive.
- Handling was sharp and also very nimble. As mentioned, at low speeds I liked the FZ as it was a lot peppier.
- Shifting was fine...no major difference from the other bikes.
- Suspension was better than the other two and felt tighter around the curves. So, yes I would track this bike if I wanted to.
- Comfort was on par with the other two. I felt the FZ a bit more upright than the GSX. GSX you're forward just a bit but not to a point you're hurting your lower back. I found the peg control cramped and small. I fumbled a couple of times using the rear brake and down shifting. My feet were nicely planted on the ground with the FZ. The seat is fully adjustable and so are the handlebars.
- Instrumentation was cheap and lacked some of the few things the GSX had. It has no fuel gauge and not as appealing as the GSX or Gladys. Plus the exhaust was underneath my right leg and felt very hot after riding a while on it.
Overall, I felt the FZ build quality sub-par compared to the other bikes. The engine lacked the oomph and didn’t quite like the looks in person. GSX looked ugly in photos, but much more beautiful in person. But the Gladys wins in my opinions on looks alone.
Conclusion:
I've always had my eye on the gladius. I would have settled with an SV650. So I was pretty adamant to stick with the gladius as the next middle weight upgrade. Before the test ride the GSX was my third choice, but I changed my mind making it my first choice just because it's just an all round perfect bike. I can ride it comfortably on the highway to work on it and is fast and nimble around the corners and heck a lot faster...at least it felt faster than the other two because it felt it had the most torque. Don't let the spec sheet fool you showing how heavy it is. That's what I thought and riding it proved me wrong. The GSX surprised me the most at what it can offer when you throw different scenarios at it: touring, sport, commuter and it just does it all well. I can attach luggage easily and take my wife for a long ride on the GSX with no complaints.
Second was the Gladius. I would have totally picked this one hands down if it weren’t for highway riding.
Third was the FZ...I liked this one the least.
Therefore, I went to the dealership and traded the GS for the GSX. I'll post a "long term" review after I hit the first 1000kms.
If I could give one advise to those upgrading their bikes...Don't pay attention to what others tell you what bike you should buy. If you get a chance, get out to the demo days and test ride your "potential" upgrades and check for yourself which one suits you the most. The above review is just my own opinion. Some may agree and some may not...but that's just how I felt riding those bikes.
Cheers.
BTW: I also test rode the Stryker (cruiser). Coming from sport/sport touring perspective, it was a good experience. I actually liked riding that cruiser. Made me feel like a 100% pure badass