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Whacking Permalink Archive 6 May 2004 Verbally incontinent muppet loses world title Anthony Mundine - the self proclaimed "world's greatest athlete" and "black superman"- seems to have a lot of problems actually winning against decent opponents.
Mundine also desperately needs to stop the Ali-lite verbal dancing. While Ali had the gift of the gab, Mundine sounds like a brain-damaged drunk trying to recite Tony Robbins. I've rarely heard a non-drinker so completely incapable of putting a coherent sentence together. I remember a TV appearance where he was asked why he wasn't fighting Danny Green, I think Mundine's poetic response went something like: "ya know man, when you get to the top of the valley...you become the mountain and you don't wanna, ya know, ah, be part of the valley looking up at the mountain. When you're Anthony Mundine it's all about being the Mundine and not being back in the valley". Mundine may have speed, strength and agility, but will always be limited by his lack of heart, a deluded ego and a glass jaw. Time to go back to playing rugby. 2004 has become a wet dream for any performance motorcycle fan, with all four Japanese factories releasing the most potent examples of performance engineering ever offered for sale to the general public, on two wheels or four.
Early this morning, I had the opportunity to test-ride two of these astonishing machines: the all-new Kawasaki ZX-10, and the totally revamped Honda Fireblade. The ZX-10 was first up. The bike that replaced the brilliant-but-venerable ZX-9 creates an extreme impression right from the get-go. The weight on your wrists, the compact dimensions and high footpegs tell you this baby is definitely road-legal racebike. The riding position is certainly not what you'd describe as "comfortable", but it's not too bad, and when you get to this level of no-compromise performance, you pretty much have got to learn to live with it. Besides, if you want comfort and easy vibes, go buy something slow and boring (Harley-Davidson should have something for you). The ZX-10 is about one thing, and one thing only: performance, and lots of it. And believe me, this baby delivers....... Cracking open the throttle on the big Kwak produces crisp, immediate, utterly ferocious, neck-snapping acceleration. I've not experienced anything quite like it. The experience is so addictive you'll find yourself slowing down just so you can crack the throttle open again. The horsepower on tap seems limitless. The bike roared to 100kph before I even had the chance to shift into second gear. There's simply an endless, huge surge of power whenever you twist the wrist. The fuel injection, despite some hunting at low revs, is smooth and predictable, with no drivetrain snatch. Smooth or not, horsepower of this magnitude requires a good degree of throttle control. Open up the taps too soon coming out of a corner, or on slippery tarmac or worn tires, and you're going to find out just how well your helmet works. make no mistake: the ZX-10 will bite you badly if you don't give it the respect it deserves. OK, so it's got a motor, but how does it ride? The riding position places a lot of your weight over the front wheel, which combined with the tight geometry makes for ultra-quick steering. It feels terrific in corners and holds a line beautifully. The suspension is well-sorted and it felt stable over some moderate bumps. I'd have to test it further on some real riding roads before making my mind up about it though. On my short test however, it felt razor-sharp without being twitchy. This aint no cruiser though. Blasting a bike like this through bumpy, high-speed corners is going to get a bit nervous a times, no matter how good a rider you are. There's fine line between a responsive sports chassis and a nervous, unstable bike. But from what I felt, Kawasaki have got the balance just right. What else? The brakes (with those odd-looking petal-shaped discs) are brilliant: progressive but hugely powerful. The instrumentation and switchgear are top-notch, and - amazingly for a sportsbike - the mirrors actually work. You can forget pillions. This thing really is not set up to carry a passenger. But is anyone who buys this bike really going to be looking for good passenger accommodations? The Zx-10. What a bike. An experience of overwhelming power and a knife-edged chassis.
Then came the new Fireblade, which is a rather different kettle of fish. First impressions were good: more legroom and less weight on the wrists made for a more comfortable mount, though the neck still gets pretty sore before too long. The power - whilst impressive - felt a tad anaemic after the loony ZX-10 motor, though as it turned out, this has more to do with the Honda's super-smooth power delivery than any lack of power. The salesman for both bikes told me a dyno test had revealed only a 2hp advantage to the Kawasaki, and that the Honda actually had a better midrange. Well I'll be damned.... What truly impressed about the Honda though was its extraordinary chassis. A high-tech electronic steering damper combined with beautifully sorted suspension components resulted in a bike with outstanding steering, stability, mid-corner tracking and traction. That's the key to the Honda's brilliance: it feels integrated. Every aspect of the bike feels perfectly suited to all the others. While the ZX-10 feels like a barely tamed beast on the razor's edge, the Blade oozes control and confidence. These things are, of course, relative. With it's linear power delivery and refined ride, the Fireblade feels slower, but odds are you'll go faster on it than on the big Z. It's a ball-tearingly quick bike which gives you the confidence to push it hard. You can wind on the power out of a corner without the feeling that the back end will kick out on you. I have no doubt that in any riding conditions, 9 out of 10 riders will go faster on the Honda than the Kawasaki. It's simply an easier, less tiring bike to ride. The brakes and gearbox are top-notch, and as with the Kawasaki, you can forget taking a passenger. The mirrors are not great, and the instruments don't work as well as the Kawasaki's. How about aural appeal? The Kawasaki sounds awesome at full noise, esp. with the aftermarket pipe my test bike had fitted. The Honda sounded wicked too, but the Kwaka gets the nod. Looks? Hmm. The Honda in black looks great, but the other colours are naff. The Kwaka is definitely an eye-grabber, but the nose still looks a little weird for me. The Honda in black it is. Final thoughts These might be the two most brilliantly engineered motorcycles ever made. I also know I wouldn't buy either of them. I'm not looking for a hardcore no-compromise sportsbike. In this age of the Road Safety loons and revenue cameras, I don't see the point in owning an expensive bike which can only be enjoyed when going mental. They're not suited to touring, carrying a passenger, or the daily commute. Having said that, it doesn't mean I don't want these bikes. So, if I could afford to buy a second bike as an occassional weekend blaster, which one would I get? The Honda. The Kawasaki is definitely a more exciting bike with more "character", which would make it more tempting. But my head knows that it wouldn't be long before I'd tire of fighting the bike while really pushing the envelope. The refinement and stability of the Fireblade would enable me to ride fast for longer while staying relaxed enough to really enjoy a day out riding. Then again, I'd still want to ride the Kawasaki. It's the most wonderfully mental bike I've ever ridden. Wanna be fast? Buy the Honda.
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Mundine
- the man who wants so desperately to be Muhuammad Ali, only he lacks
the strength, speed, chin and wit. Being world champ involves more than
trying to sound like an LA Gangsta rapper, converting to Islam and fighting
ageing bums. Just because you want to be Ali doesn't make you Ali. He's
also been dodging his strongest opponent - Danny Green - for two years
now. A loss to Green would deep-six his career and ruin his self-image.
