Suzuki GSX-R 1000, “The King is back” not only in the slogan! [TRACK TEST VIDEO]

Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Suzuki returns to the top of the sports category with top performance, thanks also to one first-class handling. In autumn at the Intermot in Cologne, as well as at the Eicma fair in Milan, two-wheel enthusiasts were able to see with their own eyes and look closely at the sixth generation of the most iconic super sports car.

A motorbike that the company defines as its most powerful, lightest, most aerodynamic and ultimately most compact super sports car ever produced, all this thanks to the experience gained in over 30 years of competitions in the various championships, from Superbike, Superstock, Endurance (where the mechanical vehicle is also put to the test, subjected to countless stresses throughout the race) and finally the top class MotoGP, from where a lot of technology has been transferred into this new GSX-R1000. The engine is completely new and has been designed not only to obtain more power at high rpm. Suzuki has in fact developed a system variable timing (very similar to that of the motorbike also used by our Andrea Iannone) for the beautiful and easily recognizable 998 cc liquid-cooled inline-four with a double overhead camshaft, but let's take it one step at a time.

THESR-VVT (Suzuki racing Variable Valve Timing), the exhaust fume management system (SILK) and the injection one S-TFI they are three instruments that together form the Broad Power, designed precisely to increase performance at high rpm, without penalizing performance at low and medium rpm. The result? A propensity to reach out and, above all, aprogressive disbursement, favored by the mix of high power and greater delivery at every speed.

On the new super sports car from Hamamatsu we also find two valves on the exhaust connectors (SET-A), which open when the needle touches the top of the rev counter and add power at high rpm. The maximum power has been significantly increased and goes from 185 horsepower at 11.500 rpm to 202 at 13.200 rpm, with possibility of extending up to 14.500, speed at which the limiter intervenes.

The house declares that it is the most powerful engine ever mounted on a GSX-R, with an eye on performance at high revs, but without giving up lows and mids. Moreover, thanks to the system TFI (Top Feed Injector), the new GSX-R1000 features secondary injectors located at the top of the air box, which operate at higher rpm and deliver finer particulate fuel to the combustion chamber. The system too S-TFI it is developed to provide greater power at high rpm. The intake system then benefits from S-DSI technology (double-stage intake system), present on cylinders 1 and 4, which thanks to the physics of the air flow and the new layout, allows you to take advantage of both low and at medium speeds.

In the first portion of the power range most of the air flows through the longer funnel, increasing average horsepower and torque, at higher rpm the air flows around the base of the longer upper funnel and enters directly into the lower one , increasing maximum power and torque. The combination of two S-DSI funnels and two conventional funnels helps produce a wider, smoother, more seamless powerband throughout the entire rpm range. The engine is 22,2 mm shorter both in the front part of the head and in the rear part of the crankcase, reducing the tilt angle by 6 degrees, forward with respect to the vertical, in which the cylinders are placed. Thanks also to this change, the distance between the front axle and the center line of the swingarm pivot has been reduced by 20 mm.

The chassis has been completely revised, we now find a new aluminum double beam frame, lighter and very compact it's a new swingarm, also in aluminium, stiffer and lighter than the previous one (1 kg less). Suzuki also wanted to increase the feeling with the bike and introduced a electronic steering damper. As regards the suspension department, the choice fell on Showa BPF fork coupled with a traditional Showa monoinstead on the more track-oriented “R” we find a Showa BFF fork (Balance Free Front Fork), with the pressurized tank inert gas and balanced damping system, coupled to a mono Showa BFRC lite (Balance Free Rear Cushion lite).

Brakes chapter: the choice fell on the Bergamo company Brembo, in fact we find a pair of brakes in both models 320mm front brake discs, bitten by Brembo 4-piston monobloc calipers, at the rear we find a 220 mm disc, with a single piston caliper. All this is assisted by the system ABS serial which works in symbiosis with the inertial platform and, thanks to Motion Track Brake System, limits the lifting of the rear wheel during more violent braking. The rims are six-spoke aluminum, on which we find for our track test tyres Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SC2 for the rear and SC1 for the front, but the bike is for sale with Bridgestone RS10, 120/70ZR 17 for the front and 190/55ZR 17 for the rear.

After the engine and chassis, attention to electronics could not be missed. The new Hamamatsu super sports car is in fact equipped with an advanced injection management system, which interacts with the six-axis inertial platform, controlled by a 32-bit dual ECM processor. This system, which opens or closes the throttle valves, regulates the amount of fuel injected to work in symbiosis with the traction control system, thus ensuring more efficient combustion. The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) then allows the pilot to choose one of the three preset engine maps, selectable via a switch located on the left handlebar block, to adapt the engine power to the type of road and type of surface on which you are travelling.

The traction control, on the other hand, can be set to ten different levelsThis operation can be carried out both when the motorbike is stationary and when it is moving. The “R” version (which has not yet arrived in Italy) it also has an electronic gearbox, also active when downshifting, and Launch Control, which helps in faster starts, automatically limiting the engine speed and optimizing the available torque, ensuring the pilot can concentrate only on releasing the clutch, while holding the throttle "full throttle"!

Our track test in Adria

The scene of our test was the tortuous and technical Adria circuit, a slow but at the same time technical track, with second and third gear corners. Once we get into the saddle, the first thing that strikes us is that the GSX-R 1000 is narrow and with a height from the ground also suitable for "jockeys". At the same time we immediately realize that the torso is strongly inclined forward, It doesn't weigh on your wrists at all and makes you feel very pilot-like. Just a few turns are enough to realize how easy and responsive it is, immediately transmitting an excellent feeling to us. The total change of the bike has led to an effective improvement, from the power to the very effective chassis, which it allows us to immediately enter rather tight curves quickly, where the bike slides from the apex point to the curb, guaranteeing aexcellent stability and decision when descending into the fold, without ever letting yourself be caught off guard. The chassis gives a truly enviable balance and is simply sublime for the feeling of harmony it transmits to the rider.

Precision and speed in catching the rope are at the highest levels. Engagement is fast and stable, while changes in direction have never been so easy, as when riding the Suzuki super sports car; it is in fact both precise when entering curves and reactive when changing direction, the reward then comes in terms of stability on fast speeds and ease in holding the lines, playing with the throttle and leaving it without worries of mind. On the track we can give vent to all 202 declared horsepower, the engine runs smoothly and at medium speeds it is full-bodied, while at high speeds it pushes hard and does so without arrogance. It has a simply crazy reach, with a linearity that allows us to put all the horses on the ground and make way even in the long straight to the finish line. The Japanese gearbox is truly excellent; the transmission department can count on a silent transmission, smooth in the clutches and with a clutch without jerks or dragging and with a soft attack, which requires limited effort at the lever.

The suspensions, with their soft calibration, react excellently to the various bumps in the asphalt, just as the front brake was always up to par, with power and modulation that always remain at excellent levels, guaranteeing decisive braking when needed, but which does not undermine the ABS, which has never been invasive. For the test we used the Pirelli tires, Diablo Supercorsa carved with SC1 compound at the front and SC2 at the rear, of which we only adjusted the pressure, while for the suspensions, given my weight of 63 kg, we left the set -up as standard. The fork and the mono perform their task well, without ever being affected by the continuous load transfers and allow us to close the curves well without any uncertainty in inserting and widening the trajectories, allowing us to change directions quickly.

For the occasion the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa are among the most suitable for pushing on the track, they are very communicative and they allowed us to play out of corners, making us have fun on the curbs of the Adria circuit. Electronics and engine are tuned to the best to achieve maximum performance on the track; they are never invasive and cut the power at the right time. Despite this, you must always drive carefully, because the engine pushes very hard and stretches a lot, even if the electronics help keep the situation under control; the front end is always ready for take-off, but thanks to the truly fine-tuned controls, this doesn't happen. This bike, set up like this, has the handling of a 600, thanks also to a low center of gravity, but with a fuller and meaner engine, both at medium and high rpm.

A perfect motorbike? If we were to be really picky, especially on a tortuous circuit like this one in Adria, a shorter gear ratio would perhaps be needed, but this is an easily solvable problem and would disappear on other circuits. The only real flaw of the new Gixxer 1000 is the large terminal of the original exhaust, which both in photos and in person is certainly not a pretty sight. Also in this case the remedy is quickly done, given that much more compact after market solutions are already available and ready to make the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 MY 2017 even more beautiful. The motorbike has already been in dealerships since March, available in two colours: Blu GP and Nero Mat with wheels and decorations in Rosso Mat. The first takes up the graphics of the official MotoGP team such as those of Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins. The list price is set at Euro 16.590 FC for the GSX-R1000, while the “R”, which will arrive on the market in May 2017, It has a price of Euro 18.990, again FC Also available in two colours: GP Blue and Glossy Black with blue stickers.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Engine, handling, gearbox
We do not like it:
Optional QuickShift on basic version, muffler design

Suzuki GSX-R 1000 the Motorionline Report Card

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Handling:
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Test clothing:
KYT Replica Espargarò helmet
Spidi Track Wind Pro suit
Spidi Carbo 3S gloves
Stylmartin boots