What owners say…
MOST OWNERS ARE mature and experienced — not just with sportsbikes, as many have come through years of dirt bikes and touring as well. They all appreciate the way the GSX-R isn’t as single-minded as some sportsbikes. Garry Matthews is typical: “My preference is for sports bikes but my hips and knees are too stiff to ride them for long nowadays. Then I tried a GSX-R L2, adjusted the footrests to the lowest setting and it’s very roomy - the most comfortable of the non-rider-aided bikes. It has a great engine for road use and plush suspension too. I’ve been to the Eifel mountains as well as the Nürburgring and back to Belgium. Cruised at 90mph and averaged around 50mpg on the autobahns.”
Jim Vettrino’s another hugely experienced rider (he still has his Laverda Jota from the 70s...). “I had a GSX-R600, then a mate let me have a ride on his 1000 K7 and guess what — yep, smitten. I was fortunate that my wife bought me the new K8 for my 50th! It’s creamy smooth, very comfortable and great at scratching or touring. I use mine mainly for weekend fun and my Fazer for everyday use. It’s brilliant for weekends away, as it can carry a small amount of luggage if you are creative. The bike has three engine modes but I have never used any but full power, so no idea if they make a difference. They never break down — my friend’s K7 now has over 80,000 miles on it. They even crash quite well!” Stu Goodson knows all about that — his K8 went down the road but found a new lease of life... “I had a GSX-R750 K6 — I wasn’t even in the market for a new bike as I loved my 750, but went to Crescent Suzuki for a coffee and a look round and noticed that the 1000s were on offer and actually cheaper than the 750. The 1000s were reduced due to the new K9 model about to be released, so they wanted to clear the K8s from the showroom. The following year was
“A mate let me have a ride - yep, smitten” Jim Vettrino GSX-R1000 owner
when all the prices rocketed and I think the K9 was about £2000 dearer, so I got a bargain. In 2009 I did my first track day on it and was hooked. Unfortunately in 2013, I had a nasty accident on the road and ended up sliding back-first into a kerb and breaking all the ribs on my right hand side, as well as other bones. The bike damage was limited to the back end (tail, subframe, exhaust mainly) but even so it was a Cat C write-off. I bought it back from the insurers, sourced a race fairing and made it a track-only bike. In 2015, I started racing it with Thundersport GB. I’m now in my second season and the bike has been through hell and back but never missed a beat.”