Race-ready for Rookies
Suzuki have a new Gixxer SF for the 2016 edition of the Suzuki Gixxer Cup One-make Championship. Ten of the fastest riders through the season will graduate from the Gixxer Cup to the Red Bull Rookies Cup, which is a precursor to the world of MotoGP. We go
THE 800-METRE STRAIGHT OF THE Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore feels like a lifetime but it also allows me to attain about 116-117 km/h before hitting the brakes for the entry into Turn One. Oh, didn’t I tell you? I was getting a taste of the new raceready Suzuki Gixxer SF that riders of the Gixxer Cup One-make Championship will ride through the 2016 season. Ten of the riders who prove to be the fastest through the season will get the opportunity to race in the Red Bull Rookies’ Cup, which is the stepping stone to the rarefied world of MotoGP. Suzuki’s aim with the Gixxer Cup is to eventually create a platform that will help young and talented Indian riders have a fighting chance of reaching premier class motorcycle racing. But that is the subject of another story altogether.
Back to the Gixxer SF race bike. To ensure that the rider gets a proper race riding position, the bike gets race position clip-on handlebars and rear-set foot-rests. Now, we had ridden this bike last year as well, which was the début year for the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, but the 2016 race bike has been updated, many of the updates coming about as a result of lessons learnt through the previous season. This season, apart from the rear disc brake on the bike (which is available to buyers of road bikes also), the race-prepped bike includes a racing exhaust system, a K&N air-filter, braided brake hose and specially made MRF soft-compound tyres. The bike also features a sharper steering geometry and a fork brace, the last-named to prevent the forks from flexing under heavy braking or during cornering. The bike has also been shorn of weight in an attempt to increase its power-to-weight ratio.
As you give it the stick on the track, it is evident that the Gixxer’s race-ready engine with re-jetted carburettor is more responsive than that on its road-going counterpart. Yet the extra responsiveness does not add intimidation to the equation, which is extremely helpful for a novice rider. That said, the novice will have to learn to carry speed through turns for a quick lap-time and there isn’t much chance of making up time on the long straight of Kari. Fortunately, the Gixxer’s inherently confidence-inspiring nature means that the Gixxer SF race bike is perfect for novices to learn how to carry speed through corners. As a result, flicking the bike through the chicane of Kari seems less difficult than it really is.
A regular verdict on this motorcycle would be entirely unhelpful since this is not a road-legal bike and cannot be ridden around as such. However, if you’re interested in a career in motorcycle racing in India, then you should know two things. First, the Suzuki Gixxer SF Cup is a great place to start since it is one of those championships that genuinely give you a chance at growth in a bike racing career. Second, the Suzuki Gixxer SF in race guise is a great bike for the novice to start learning the art and science of motorcycle racing.