If you test all the ~600s...
won't that include the new Daytona as well? I could be kidding.
The most interesting thing about these shootouts is the bragging rights and brand loyalty they engender. I can't tell you how many happy hours I've spent listening to 6/10s riders carry on about the compression ratio of that supersport or the mass centralization of this supersport. Then I casually mention I recently changed brake pads and bled the lines, and the reaction is sheer disbelief. The mere mention of valve adjustment or swingarm bearing lubrication can send some into seizures.
Worse than this is leading a pack of T-shirt and sneakers types through your favorite twisties in clear and dry weather. They honestly think that you're riding a dog because they catch you on the driveway-riddled straights.
The most useful part of any MO ~600 shootout is the admission, that in virtually any street situation, any bike will do. The most important attributes are ergonomic and psychological. That is, what doesn't hurt and what makes you feel manly riding it.
Performance is a relative thing. Most manufacturers give most riders more than they need, regardless of what they want. I've had Boudicca for over three years and I still haven't encountered a street situation where I can push her to the limit, safely and sanely. Except maybe those drag races on the viaduct over I-395. Never been behind a car that cost less than $75K for more than an eighth of a mile. Mustangs are a snack. Corvettes are a hearty souffle. Porsches? Now we're talking main course. But what is the practical application of reaching 110 mph in third gear? It makes me smile for days.
1998 Triumph T595 Daytona, sound effects by Cosworth. Hey, buddy. Want to see something cool?