Still got it
New variable valve timing engine Electronic rider aids Motogp-derived chassis 199bhp in a 203kg package
FLAT-OUT IN TOP gear with my head behind its screen and the bright blue ocean up ahead, the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000R is well into top gear and doing maybe 170mph when it flashes past the Phillip Island pit straight’s 200m marker. I sit up and squeeze the front brake lever. As the bike slows, a black GSX-R comes past on my right, its rider wearing a distinctive white, red and blue helmet, with a name in yellow letters on the back of the leathers: Schwantz.
The next turn is a fourth-gear right-hander and I’m directly behind the tall figure as he carves through the bumpy Doohan Corner. By the time I touch the brake and change down a gear for the following Southern Loop lefthander, the 1993 500cc world champion has already gained several metres and proceeds to pull steadily away with seemingly no effort.
Yes, Kevin Schwantz has still got it. And so has the GSX-R1000. After a day thrashing the GSX-R1000R – the more upmarket of two versions – round the Australian circuit, I’m not sure the Suzuki has regained its class-leading status of a decade ago but it’s back in contention.
The GSX-R’S vital statistics show a maximum output of 199bhp – an increase of 17bhp – and slightly reduced kerb weight figure of just over 200kg, along with the addition of ride-by-wire throttle control plus an Inertial Measurement Unit with its associated potential for traction control, cornering ABS and other electrickery.
That extra horsepower comes from a new engine with variable valve timing. Other engine mods include a higher compression ratio, new valve operating system (finger followers instead of bucket tappets) and removal of the balancer shaft. There’s a reworked ram-air system and a new intake set-up with two-part velocity stacks for the outer two cylinders.
The new exhaust features rev-dependent valves in the pipes connecting the downpipes of cylinders one and four, and two and three. Both models also get 10-way adjustable traction control plus three riding modes, all giving full power but with different throttle response.
From the 825mm saddle the view is of a new LCD display, low clip-on bars and a cut-away triple clamp holding broad, gold coloured Showa fork-tops. The motor fires with a single jab at the starter and the bike pulls away easily, with the help of Suzuki’s Low RPM Assist, which adds revs if necessary as you let out the clutch.
The sharpest riding mode is fine for track use, in conjunction with an engine that pulls cleanly from low down, feels respectably strong through the midrange, then kicks harder at the top end as that variable-valve device does its stuff, revving urgently towards the 14,500rpm limit while I snick through a deliciously smooth box.
Faster, harder-accelerating or more responsive than the new Fireblade and all the rest? The
Suzuki doesn’t pull high-speed wheelies like the Honda did at its Portimao launch a few weeks earlier, but that’s due to track topography not a lack of horsepower. The GSX-R is still pulling thrillingly hard at the end of the long Gardner straight, my attempt to cheat the breeze aided by a lowered petrol tank that gives more room to crouch behind the screen.
There is a nice raspy exhaust note to the engine and a slightly raw feel that gives a touch of old-school GSX-R character without seeming rough in the slightest. The traction control works efficiently but, turned down to level two, I’m sometimes unsure when it is cutting in as the standardfitment rear Bridgestone starts to slide around under acceleration in the heat.
I’m seriously impressed by the chassis which, like the engine, is similar to the old bike’s but essentially new. It’s based on a frame in which the aluminium main spars are now pressings, in Motogp fashion, with cut-down side supports. The frame is 20mm narrower and 10 per cent lighter than the old bike. It holds the engine at a 6° steeper angle, which allows it to be closer to the front wheel – this moves the centre of gravity forward to aid front-end feel. Steering geometry is also slightly steeper than the outgoing model’s, while at the blunt end, the rear subframe is lighter and a more extensively braced aluminium swingarm contributes to a 15mm longer wheelbase, for improved stability.
Suspension is from Showa’s Balance Free Front forks, complete with fancy remote reservoirs, and lightweight Balance Free Rear Cushion rear shock. It’s excellent kit, and contributes to the GSX-R’S impressively precise and stable handling. I opt to try Suzuki’s stiffer-than-standard track settings straight away and find the bike easy to turn and very controllable. It is even better with half a turn more preload on the shock, to suit my bigger-than-average body – and better still after lunch with the extra grip of Bridgestone’s R10 race tyres.
I come barrelling round the flat-out-infourth kink of Hayshed, the Suzuki needing a bit of force on the bars but remaining stable through the bumpy right-hander. Then I stand it up and touch the brake before flicking left and treading down a gear for the climb up Lukey Heights. Here the track veers left, its surface streaked with rubber and its edge sometimes worryingly populated by large geese. The Suzuki remains superbly controllable as it carves into the steep uphill turn, over the brow and down again, braking hard for the tight right-hand turn at the bottom.
Then it’s flick up a gear, climb back across the bike and tip into the next left-hander, with the GSX-R’S fairly roomy size helping to make it notably agile with this 6ft 4in rider on board. The seat-tofootrest distance seems relatively generous, so I hardly ever experience the familiar struggle to get boots set on the pegs in time for a bend, or to hook another gear while exiting a turn.
I’ve a feeling the Suzuki’s roominess might be as crucial as its power and weight figures to my enjoyment and even pace on track, though shorter riders might have a very different opinion. I’d also value the legroom on the road, where the GSX-R gains user-friendliness points with its light-action slip-assist clutch.
You can’t accuse Suzuki of a lack of effort with the updated GSX-R. It’s been a long time coming but they’ve given it their best shot. Maybe the styling remains a bit familiar and uninspiring, but that seems to matter less when the bike itself is so dramatically improved.
Whether the GSX-R1000R ends up being quicker than its rivals in motorcycling’s 200bhp sportsbike club remains to be seen, but it surely won’t be far off and should make a fine road bike, too. Equally importantly, it comes with that distinctive family character very much in place, and with a price tag that looks as competitive as its performance.
“The raw feel gives a touch of old-school GSX-R character”