[warthog]

Originally Posted by anthmac

thanks on all the responses.. was changing my mind on which bike as i read down. i gotta say i am still leaning towards the 954.. it will be a bit cheaper and i havent done any track days yet and more then likely it will end up being an occasional track day until i get my skills down for whcih then hopefully ill be able to make a more informed decision on what kind of new bike i want. possibly seperate track bike. so yeh i think for the fact that ill be road riding more then anything and and just the general instinct i have. im going to go with the 954. maybe my work wall paper of a yellow and blue 954 i see everyday has influenced me anyone want to talk me out of it my ears are wide open.. though my mind might not be..

thanks again all..

What you might want to consider is test riding both as much as you can get away with....Youre not going to get much from a dealership - though some arent too bad. Try 2-3 just make it look like youre really interested in buying (its not a TOTAL lie after all) and get some time. Also consider joining the Honda Riders Club. They do track days regularly (Oct 1 at PI!) and bring along the test fleet. You should get a chance to try out the 600RR maybe the F5i (if youre doing track days a good second hand f4i might be a better bet though than the f5. Why did they have to remove the adjustable suspension.....), almost certainly a 1000rr - sadly the 954 wont be there. Might give you a better idea of the difference on track.
Another thing that you should think about is ergos. The most fun I've ever had in 15 mins was on the 600rr and zx6r (04). 16 mins and I was cramping like anything on both. The litres are just a little roomier at 6'4. Its really surprising how much difference 4-5cm makes. Thats another plus of the f4/5s theyre almost old litrebike size. If the f5 was still specced the same as the f4 i might have taken it over the 1000. If I was 2-3 inches shorter the 600rr would have been hard to go past too.