Suzuki GSX-R750 Yoshimura, road test 2015

Suzuki GSX-R750 Yoshimura: you look at it before you get on it and if you are a two-wheel enthusiast, a shiver can't help but run down your spine accompanied by the same smile that a newborn baby gives when he starts to recognize his dad and sees him come back into the house. Then you get on it and think it's crazy that an object capable of giving you such intense emotions no longer has a large group of admirers and those few usually only use it on the track. Then the rational phase begins, you take a look at the speedometer and see numbers worthy of an arrest and some fear and doubt come to you. No ABS, no traction control, but as a motorcyclist born on bikes like this it's just a question of getting used to and getting back to the automatic systems that are now almost obsolete. However, the satisfactions are real ones, if you think that in a few years objects like this will have disappeared it is a huge shame. As long as you have a good head on your shoulders, they remain the most pleasant bikes to ride for a weekend ride.

Aesthetics and finishes:

rating:  

It shows its anger and all its determination even when stationary

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Just look at it, it is certainly not elegant or discreet, making a comparison with a woman she is not a model with sweet and delicate features, she is one of the best hardcore actresses, who could give unique experiences between the sheets. Aesthetic taste is a subjective concept, but it cannot be denied that faired sports cars, especially if brazen like this GSX-R even in the replica color of racing bikes, attract the looks of children who compliment you when they see you sitting in the saddle, but also women, some of whom are still today (fortunately) attracted more by a Gixxer than by a luxury car. Designed together with the smaller 600, the GSX-R750 still uses the SRAD (Suzuki Ram-Air Direct) pressurized air intake, capable of improving performance at high speeds and visible from the air ducts starting from the sides of the front headlight. The light unit is supported by the position and direction lights present on the mirrors. Even before you get on the line, you are struck by its compactness. Everything is designed to improve aerodynamics, including the position of the driver, who at high speeds has a recess on the tank at his disposal to insert the lower front part of the helmet, fitting perfectly into the fairing. Aesthetically, the matt black finishes for the frame, swingarm, fork feet and other details stand out, as well as the specific carbon look details for this version. Beautiful short exhaust with salami slice cut and two exit pipes, Yoshimura R11 with carbon finishes. Then other details attract attention, such as the Brembo radial calipers, combined with a bold radial pump controlled by the right lever, the dark upper triple clamp, with the adjustments and Showa branding. The instrument panel is compact and beautiful, but also complete. Dominated by the rev counter with the red zone from over 14 thousand up to 16 thousand rpm, on its right a large display provides all the other information, including that relating to the laptimer and stopwatch for use on the track.

Engine and performance:

rating:  

150 rabid horses with a truly exciting delivery

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This year they are The GSX-R has been around for 30 years, the first was a 750. For this reason and not only Suzuki was the only one to continue to believe in this cubic capacity, even when it essentially disappeared due to changes to the SBK regulations. Today it is a concentration of technology, with titanium connecting rods, double mapping selectable from a button on the handlebar, as well as features that also make it a park, if driven in the right way, but above all those 150 horsepower, delivered at 13.200 rpm, which still appear to be borderline power for road use of a motorcycle like this. The 86,3 Nm at 11.200 are instead a torque figure that makes a difference compared to a 600. The sister GSX-R600, for example, stops before 70. To confirm the "goodness" of the numbers, the 2012 updates focused on the chassis and weight of the Gixxer 600 - 750, but not the power, already considered optimal. And the seven-and-a-half does not disappoint expectations, i 150 horsepower is some of the meanest you can imagine and they seem like too many when driving on the street. It's been said for years that this is the best compromise, it was said at least when sports cars were either 600 or 1000, now the market has changed, but this bike still remains one of the most enjoyable. If after trying the GSX-S1000 there were any doubts that it was already too much for driving on open roads, compared to the "R" it is a tamed beast. Precisely the letter "R" after the three magic letters of the House of Suzuki elevates it to a charismatic object for people who are still looking for a tough and pure motorcycle, with few compromises. With your head on the tank and the intoxicating engine noise in your ears you forget you're at stopping speed, while the engine's output takes you back in time, together with the absence of ABS and most modern electronics . It becomes, or rather remains, a motorbike to ride. As the revs rise, when around 8 revs that explosion arrives which causes the front wheel to rise, you can perceive the taste also of a great sound, nothing artificial as we often experience lately, just to be clear, no fake pops on release, always the same...

Ride and handling:

rating:  

Rigid and reactive, but also sincere and intuitive

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Motorcycles like this used on the road are now seen less and less. A little is a good thing, because on the track you can go wild with more confidence, but the proliferation of enduros is almost excessive. The questions are always the same, given that the percentage of those who go off-road with those motorbikes is close to zero, so why not move towards more road-going products? The answers are equally obvious: comfort, the ability to be easily used even with luggage and more. After a good period of abstinence though Getting back on the Gixxer 750 was like reopening a Pandora's box. The joys are such as to justify any sacrifice. The riding position is extreme, but still human, you can travel 300 kilometers while descending, all in all still calm. What is surprising and a little scary at first is the old school style. At the first sharp braking we found ourselves on the front, because with ABS we end up developing bad habits, such as "hanging" on the brakes without fear, because the electronics work for us anyway. Once the rust and some of these habits of motorbikes that ride much more alone have been removed, the GSX-R750 is a lot of fun, in good safety. Once the fear has passed, and the desire to overdo it is satisfied a little, one becomes less of a hooligan and drives with common sense, without giving up the pleasure of some sporadic "shooting" when the roads and traffic allow it. The fact remains that an always high dose of attention is needed because, for example, an unseen patch of dirt translates into a lot of effort to keep it upright, while behind us the traveling companion with a tourist doesn't even notice anything. . The same thing happens with the hills, which for us are a great pleasure: with the throttle wide open there is always a hint of a wheelie. The more kilometers of our test pass, the more doubt there is as to whether or not it makes sense on an open road. Our answer is that the emotions it is able to give are superior to any defect, to the pain in the wrists after descending from an Alpine pass loaded on the low handlebars, to the inconvenience during transfers, because when you are on the right roads the joys and the exaltation of real driving with her reaches long-forgotten levels, as long as you have a good head on your shoulders and pay close attention to the points on your license. This is thanks to a chassis that is capable of a session on the track, but which also excels on the road. The fully adjustable Showa BPF (Big Piston Fork) front through the adjustments on the upper caps it seems to have come from the races, like the adjustment of the footpegs and the rear monoblock, again Showa. A great deal of work has been done on this series of GSX-Rs in terms of weight, which has dropped by a total of 10 kg compared to the previous one, with great attention also paid to the unsprung weight, which enormously affects performance on the track. For this reason the brake discs are large, but without exceeding (310 mm) and with limited thickness. We also find the gem ofelectronic steering damper, which makes the handlebar lighter or stiffer depending on the need.

h3>Price and consumption:

rating:  

12.990 Yoshimura included

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The price that separates it from its bigger sister is 2.000 euros (even if the 1000 boasts ABS as standard). In fact, the Gixxer 750 costs 12.990 against 14.990 of the thousand. Half the difference with the 600, which stops at 11.900. However, considering the economic aspect of the three, it is perhaps the most interesting choice. From the point of view of the product and its use, it is the most balanced and least extreme, as well as still being able to give great satisfaction. On the consumption front, our test paid little attention to saving petrol and we recorded a average value around 15 km/l.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
The flavor of "real" motorbikes, with still human power, image and performance on the road at the top, without forgetting use on the track

We do not like it:
The discomfort of a super sports car and excessively high performance without the ability to limit itself on open roads

Suzuki GSX-R750 Yoshimura: the Motorionline Report Card

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Photo of the test by “LINGEGNERE”
Test clothing:
Jacket: Dainese AVRO C2 LEATHER
Trousers: Dainese DELTA PRO C2 LEATHER
Boot: Dainese TR-COURSE OUT AIR
Helmet: X-Lite X-702GT