Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NEW SU IS A PEACH... WITH ICE CREAM TOO
Thrilling news, devoted readers. I think I’ve cracked my entry for the Pun of the Year Awards.
At the launch of the new Suzuki GT in Scotland, one of the other bikers was talking about how he’d had a mild heart attack and had to have three stents and a fine mesh inserted through a vein in his wrist.
“Did you say to the surgeon afterwards ‘This is another fine mesh you’ve gotten into me?’” I said. Laugh? He was in stitches.
The good news is he was looking fit and well, and the other good news is Suzuki has just produced a brilliant bike. Climb aboard, and the seating position is both comfy and sporty – which used to be an oxymoron – but thankfully, gone are the days when fast bikes forced you into a head down riding position which meant you needed a physio on speed dial.
The high, wide bars fall nicely to hand, the mirrors are good, and the 6.5in TFT screen shows you everything you need to know at a glance.
This includes which of the three riding modes you’re in plus the state of the separate five-stage traction control and the switchable quickshifter. Mind you, why you’d want to switch it off is a mystery – because I found it a work of genius.
All three riding modes deliver the maximum power of 150bhp, with A the most aggressive means of getting there and C the mildest.
But they all share a delivery of power and torque as smooth and creamy as Mullin’s ice cream. If you haven’t tried Mullin’s ice cream, do so immediately.
Ignoring C mode as usual, I set off in B, and progress proved gloriously lusty from that peach of an engine, while handling was point-and-shoot precise.
The Brembo brakes, with big 310mm discs up front, provide a beautifully linear and progressive feel and bite, as does the rear for trail braking into downhill corners. With conditions damp, up to this point I’d been staying in B mode – but with a hint of sun breaking out, it was time for A which added a whole new level of urgency to my progress.
It is, as I said, the best sports tourer out there at the moment. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll finish off that entry form for the Pun of the Year Awards.
Wish me luck.