For those who have owned both. 929 vs. 954

nedro · 12-30-2003, 11:51 AM

What differences have you found on the track? ie lap time, steering, braking, tracking durring hard breaking, stability in a high "G" carousel and so on.
What I'm getting at is, I would like to get your impression on the whole package as a racing platform. Obviously the HP on the 954 come into consideration, but I'm more interested in impressions of the way they handle against one another. Thanks.

ratter · 12-30-2003, 7:36 PM

I can't give you back to back laps times, But I can tell you that I felt more confident on the 954 and just that alone would probably help my laps times, even more so than the little extra power.

Zeeman · 12-30-2003, 11:33 PM

No 954 track time yet - but it is a little faster in the turning in department, and I think the brakes are just that touch better.

Z....

nedro · 12-30-2003, 11:43 PM

Ratter, is there anything in particular that you liked better about the handling?

Zeeman, are you pretty sure it's turning faster? Could it be that you haven't been on a blade lately? (not flaming, just asking)

ratter · 12-31-2003, 1:09 AM

I can't pin point why i feel more confident on it, I just do

I agree with Z, my 954 feels like it turns in a lot faster, but then again i had the damper a bit tighter on the 929, brakes feel more responsive with less finger pressure and the mid range is stronger.

nedro · 12-31-2003, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratter1

I can't pin point why i feel more confident on it, I just do

I agree with Z, my 954 feels like it turns in a lot faster, but then again i had the damper a bit tighter on the 929, brakes feel more responsive with less finger pressure and the mid range is stronger.

Did your 929 have any suspension work?
Has the 954 had any suspension work done on it?

I'm not going to race this upcomming season and am wondering how bad it's going to be if I use the 929 for 2005.

HondaGalToo · 12-31-2003, 4:41 PM

I've ridden my 929 and have done a few laps on HondaGal's 954. Both have DK forks and Ohlins rear, full Aratas with PCIIIs, Galfer lines. HG's has OEM brake pads, I currently have Galfer black pads. The biggest difference I noticed were the brakes. The 954's are much better. The 954's seating position puts you closer to the bars, so you have less of a reach, and feel more "over" the bars. The handling is pretty similar, although I feel perhaps just a tad more confident on the 954. The acceleration seems a bit crisper on the 954. That may be due to the fact that I have a CA map in my 49-state 929, while HG has the proper 49-state map in her 954. I like the 954 a bit more, but not enough for me to upgrade to one. Hope that helps a bit.

HondaGal · 12-31-2003, 11:22 PM

Well, my 929 had no suspension work and I'll try to help compare it to the stock 954 although my bike is no nowhere close to stock.

The steering feels lighter on the 954...not by much but enough to be noticeable to me the first time I had it on the track. High speed handling in the carousel and straights seems similar between bikes. They're both forgiving too. When riding, I feel like a part of the 954 whereas I felt like I was riding 'on' the 929. Both bikes ran stock tire sizes.

I don't race, only do trackdays.

Come to Grattan and I'll let you try out my 954.

ratter · 12-31-2003, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nedro

Did your 929 have any suspension work?
Has the 954 had any suspension work done on it?

I'm not going to race this upcomming season and am wondering how bad it's going to be if I use the 929 for 2005.

I don't push the bike hard enough to be any kind of expert, the bikes will always be more capable than me

The suspension was stock on both bikes, i have since had the suspension done on my 954 but have not had it on the track yet. i don't know if i'll ride it hard enough to see the difference, but again i feel a bit more confident knowing that it has been done and to suit my weight, so just the confidence will probably make me a bit quicker.