2006 GSX-R1000 K6 v 2017 GSX-R1000R L7: The Verdict What to look for when buying a GSX-R1000 K5
NEW SUZUKI GSX-R1000R L7 Engine 1000cc 16v dohc inline four, l/c Power 200bhp (clmd) @ 13,200rpm Torque 86.7 lb.ft (clmd) @ 10,800rpm Transmission six-speed, chain, slipper clutch Front suspension 43mm usd Showa forks, 120mm travel, fully adjustable Rear suspension Showa monoshock, 130mm travel, fully adjustable Front tyre 120/70 ZR17 Rear tyre 190/50 ZR17 Front brake 2 x 310mm discs, four-piston Brembo monoblock radial calipers, ABS Rear brake 220mm disc, two-piston caliper Seat height 810mm Fuel 19 litres Kerb weight 203kg Electronics traction control, three engine modes, race ABS, launch control, quickshifter/auto-blipper have stalled. The next revision, 2009’s K9, produced more power and had an even more effective chassis, but still failed to match the K5’s weight target. And, in a repeat of the GSX-R1100’S fate some 20 years earlier, Suzuki then seemed to lose interest – the credit crunch and dramatic arrival of BMW’S S1000RR made the GSX-R1000 look expensive, crude and technically obsolete overnight.
Enter the 2017 GSX-R1000R, designed specifically to recapture some lost GSX-R kudos. This is the R version of the L7 – as well as the base model’s new, 200bhp, variable-valve-timed engine, redesigned chassis and Imu-managed traction-control electronics, the R also gets cornering ABS, top-drawer Showa suspension and a quickshifter/auto-blipper.
And today, with the new GSX-R reclaiming a place at the litre sportsbike top table, the question Trevor and I want to answer is simple: can the L7 do what no GSX-R1000 has done for 12 years? Can it match – or beat – the GSX-R1000 K5? As the dust settles from a blast along a twisty Northamptonshire A-road, Trevor and I are bursting to tell each other what we think of each other’s bikes. I’ve just ridden his immaculate K6 and he’s just been on the new L7. I bite my tongue and ask his immediate thoughts – delivered as soon as he takes his helmet off.
“I’m totally blown away by how small and light it is. That’s a bit unexpected. And it’s a totally different riding experience to mine; you can tell it’s a GSX-R but it’s very different,” he says. “And I think the throttle is rubbish. It’s on or off – no finesse.”
It’s worth pointing out Trevor’s never ridden a bike with Euro4 restrictions, or even Euro3 come to that – the K6 is one of the last mighty pre-euro3 sportsbikes. I tell him I think the L7 has got pretty good throttle response; one of the better contemporary litre sportsbikes – which is a sign either of how hard Euro4 restrictions have made riding them and we simply haven’t noticed, or how much more subtlety and care is needed to wring the neck of a modern sportsbike. Either way, the K6 definitely makes it easier to twist the throttle and not feel like a novice.
But Trevor is in full flow now: “The L7’s brakes don’t feel overly sharp compared to mine – I thought they’d be a huge improvement over the K6.”
That’s certainly true – there’s plenty of stopping power at the L7’s lever, but it’s not as direct as the K6’s twin-piston radials, which feel like you’re pinching the discs between thumb and forefinger. The L7’s braking is somehow indirect and managed, as if you’re squeezing against a sensor which then brakes on your behalf.
Trevor returns to the L7’s weight and steering: “It’s so light, and turns so easily compared with mine,” he says. “But is it me or is it not the most stable bike?”
He has a point – the new GSX-R1000R isn’t shy of letting its bars flick a little, though they’re a long way from instability or tank-slapping. In fact, technology sorts things out, as a speed-sensitive steering damper keeps the wheels in line.
“And I got used to the quickshifter and auto-blipper quickly!” he says. “It’s like second nature – it slots into gear really nicely. But at first the new engine felt wheezy beside mine. It really did!”
And the L7 has variable valve timing! For my money, the new GSX-R has a totally bonkers top end and a beautifully smooth, linear drive from the bottom end – but there’s no doubt when it comes to crisp, instant low-end grunt, the K6 – amazingly – has the measure of the new bike. That engine is still one of the most addictively muscular powerplants ever made.
Against its current rivals, the L7 definitely puts Suzuki back in the game in terms of its engine performance and spec level – it has every electronic aid under the sun, but with the added benefit of a humane riding position. You can better exploit the Suzuki’s colossal acceleration compared with, say, a Fireblade, simply because the GSX-R1000R has a fairing worth calling a fairing. And while it might get a bit lively,
“I’m trying to book myself a dealer demo ride...”
Not only did Suzuki build one of the most powerful and flexible engines when they developed the K5 powerplant, they also built one of the most reliable. Keep putting oil in, changing the filter at 11,000 miles, keep the motor stock, check valve clearances at 15,000 miles and, as but at very high speed, it’s as reassuringly rock stable as GSX-RS ever were.
Another difference is the riding position; you sit a little more ‘in’ the old bike and ‘on’ the new one. “Yes, the new bike feels a shorter reach to the bars across the tank but also feels like it has more leg room. It’s more comfortable than mine,” says Trevor. He has set his K6’s suspension on the firm side – the ride is harder and choppier than long as someone hasn’t crunched the gearbox and worn the input selector fork (it’ll jump out of third or fourth gear under load), the motor will run and run.
All GSX-R1000 K5 and K6s had a safety inspection (not a full recall) for frame weld inspection following reports of cracking – a brace was added under the headstock.
But other than that, your main concern will be buying a K5 or K6 that hasn’t been subjected to the whim of fashion and bedecked in an array of dubious bolt-on tat. Most buyers are at the K7’s plush Showa springs.
And then we turn to the new Suzuki’s looks: there’s no getting away from it – the old bike looks smoother, sleeker and more sculpted. The faired-in indicators of the K6 – the front ones in the mirrors, the rear in the tail unit – are cool and convenient; it means Trevor can fit a tail tidy to his GSX-R and not worry about where to put them. The new K7’s LED items are small and discrete – but they look a generation older than the 12-year-old bike’s.
As we wind the day up, I ask Trevor if OLD SUZUKI GSX-R1000R K5/6 Engine 999cc 16v dohc inline four, l/c Power 175bhp (clmd) @ 11,000rpm Torque 87 lb.ft (clmd) @ 8500rpm Transmission six-speed, chain, slipper clutch Front suspension 43mm usd Kayaba forks, 125mm travel, fully adjustable Rear suspension Kayaba monoshock, 130mm travel, fully adjustable Front tyre 120/70 ZR17 Rear tyre 190/50 ZR17 Front brake 2 x 310mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear brake 220mm disc, two-piston caliper Seat height 810mm Fuel 18 litres Kerb weight 201kg Electronics none the point where a stock bike is far more desirable (and valuable) than a GSX-R aftermarket Christmas tree.
Prices vary considerably, starting at £4000 for a scruffy K5 and rising to over £6000 for a clean, low mileage (around 10,000) example. he’s going to ride home on his K6 wishing he was on the new bike? “No,” he replies confidently. “Not at all. If I had lots of disposable income, yes, I would – but I’m not getting in debt just to have it.” But only a day later, Trevor texts me with a change of heart: “I’m in the process of trying to book myself a dealer demo ride. Watch this space.”
THANKS • Suzuki GSX-R1000 K5/K6 Facebook page • Mick at Black Art Suspension (07788 686665, www.blackart-suspension.co.uk)