Suzuki GSX-R 750
There’s a reason why Suzuki still perseveres with the GSX-R750 – you! The Seven-Fiddy has been outselling the GSX-R600 (and many other 600s) for several years now. This true middleweight brags the ultimate blend of power and control for UK roads, but new it’s become far too refined/boring nowadays. While maintaining the perfect blend ethos, this successor to the iconic SRAD swings the opposite way – it’s a little loose and you can’t but help riding like a complete and utter asshole!
Tagged as a hooligan, a thrashers’ delight, the K1 insists on naughty manners from the off. The GSX-R’s racy DNA is instantly recognised after thrashing the other fairies. Everything on the 750, from the gruff airbox growl to the high OE peg setting, is relentless. It makes the 2014 model feel like an ageing pussycat.
And its pace comes so effortlessly. While there’s no denying the 750 is a bit of a heifer, (it’s a big, wide bike) it’s also the lightest, most athletic bike here, and of its time. The K1 is so intuitive that you rarely have to think on a thrash, other than spotting scameras and fake village police.
Personally, I couldn’t wake up every morning to something so hideous on the eyes, but if function over fashion tickles your fancy, the Suzuki wins. Dynamically, there aren’t any faults in the 750’s arsenal.
We’d have to ask Stuart Hall to confirm, but the chassis certainly doesn’t feel like it's approaching its teens. It’s perfectly poised 100 per cent of the time, taut and über receptive. It steers like a race bike.
12 years later, the suspension feels as firm and well set-up as ever. It lacks the high-speed damping control of modern machinery, but that’ll only hamstring it on a circuit. Yep, it can sometimes get flighty over extreme bumps, but the stiffness aids its poise. The Gixer feels so much more alert on its springs, awaiting the next input.
While the Honda whispers, the Suzuki hollers. A rasping exhaust note encourages more skulduggery and, despite the cubic deficiency, the 750 produces similar power to the 'Blade – just in ripsnorting fashion.
The GSX-R, despite an honest midrange, gets better towards the redline. You’re always waiting for the revs to catch up with the throttle below 6,000rpm but there’s enough poke to avoid frustration. Beyond that, the 750 builds momentum with vigour, neatly shifting through the 'box – the gearing permanently feels bang-on and picks up beautifully, probably because the revs are at a permanently high level...
Suzuki bossed the early days of fuel injection and the K1 boasts silken juice transfer. The throttle proves you don’t need ride-by-wire or poncy S-DMS buttons of today; you might as well be holding the rear wheel in your right hand.
It boasts nothing amazing, but it’s the whole package that excites. If you’re after something without compromise for a blend of road and track work, the Suzuki is the kiddy. It’s your one-stop-shop to four-pot hooliganism. Silly cheap, too!