ROAD TEST

22 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS DECEMBER 10, 2003
ROAD TEST
The one to beat
✪ SUZUKI GSX-R1000 96%
The 2004-spec GSX-R1000 remains king superbike –
at least until the new Honda Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-10R
and Yamaha R1 arrive. This is what they are taking on
BY MICHAEL NEEVES PICTURES HOWARD BOYLAN
T
HE GSX-R1000K4 is the first
of the 2004 superbikes to
arrive in the UK and it’s
ready to defend its mantle
of ‘best 1000cc sports bike’
against scorching new
tackle from Honda, Yamaha and
Kawasaki.
There are no mechanical changes to
the GSX-R this year, just new colours
and a list of bolt-on accessories (see
below), but then it didn’t need
updating – it’s simply amazing already.
The GSX-R1000 has comprehensively
beaten every challenger it has faced. In
the last year alone it destroyed not just
the R1 and FireBlade but also the best
V-twins money can buy – such as the
£20,000 Ducati 999R. In one MCN
test, it even decimated a 600bhp,
twin-engined Golf car in a drag race
over the quarter mile – on one wheel!
With all the hype surrounding the
newcomers from Honda, Kawasaki and
WHEELIES
come with the
territory
Yamaha it is easy to forget just how
effective the Suzuki is. But thumb the
starter and blip the light action throttle
and your memory is not so much
jogged as bludgeoned. A cold-blooded,
metallic rasp howls through the
titanium exhaust to announce serious
intent.
Engine response is immediate. It feels
fantastically free-revving; the rev
counter needle spins around the dial so
quickly that you can’t resist giving it
another blip just to make sure you saw
right the first time.
The GSX-R1000 is currently the
lightest superbike – and weighing a
Kylie-skinny 168kg dry will remain so
against its new 2004 competition. Mix
in an engine that unleashes 146 angry
horses through the rear tyre and you
have one very potent machine.
Acceleration is ferocious and
unrelenting all the way to the red line.
Crack the throttle open hard in the
first two gears and the GSX-R slams
you to the back of the seat while doing
its best to loop the loop. Keep it open
through third and even the smallest of
bumps is enough to have the front
climbing once more. The exhilarating
acceleration only really starts to level
off when you hit 150mph – just 12
seconds after you set off. Thankfully,
from here to 180mph acceleration
stops being brutal... and starts being
merely fierce.
Despite all that mind-altering speed,
the motor is actually very user-friendly.
Power delivery is smooth and the
throttle response is perfect. For
normal everyday riding it is possible to
forget the lower gears, snick into sixth,
and let the Suzuki’s big mid-range
power (available from as little as
4000rpm) and light weight provide
‘Crack the throttle
open hard in the first
two gears and the
GSX-R slams you to
the back of the seat
while doing its best
to loop the loop’
you with all the forward urge you need.
On paper, the GSX-R should remain
the most tractable of all superbikes
next year. The new Blade, R1 and
ZX-10 all have 988cc engines, the
same as the GSX-R – but different bore
and strokes. The Suzuki has the longest
stroke of them all (as well as being the
lightest) that should, theoretically, give
it slightly more midrange punch.
With its beefy tank and wide fairing,
the GSX-R feels a lot bigger than its
weight suggests – even when on the
move. But once you become familiar
with it, it starts to feel nimble, solid
and confidence-inspiring.
It has a very strong chassis (the stock
item is retained unmodified on the
Crescent Suzuki British Superbike
racers) and good quality suspension,
which responds well to damping and
pre-load adjustments so you can set it
up for your own riding style. This
affords the confidence to push hard
into turns.
But there are limitations. While the
standard tyres offer decent grip in
both wet and dry, they lack the extra
bite that is necessary to fully exploit
the GSX-R’s handling potential,
especially coming out of a turn. For
spirited riding and track days, stickier
rubber is still required.
The GSX-R is a very good handling
machine – but until now it has never
had to try that hard. With so much
power on tap you have always been
able to amble through the corners and
then blast out in a frenzy of tyre
shredding aggression – and still keep
up with your mates. But next year it
looks like it is going to have to dig
deeper.
The R1 will have more track-focused
handling with the power to match and
the Honda will probably be the last
word in user-friendliness and stability.
That just leaves the ZX-10R as an
unknown quantity. But if it handles
anywhere near as sweetly as the
ZX-6R, and if its 180-plus bhp engine is
as electrifying as promised, it too will
be right up with the GSX-R.
The only disappointing aspect of the
Suzuki is its brakes. Despite using the
latest radially-mounted four-piston
Tokico calipers the action lacks feel
and they need a big squeeze. After 10
hard laps or so on track they fade too.
All of this can be fixed (see page 15)
but the Blade has excellent brakes, the
R1’s stoppers get better every year
and the ZX-10R should benefit from
radial calipers and wavy discs, so the
GSX-R had better watch out.
It’s easy to guess how the GSX-R will
fare against its new rivals but we will
only really know when we test them
back to back in our much-anticipated
group test. But right here right now,
the Suzuki GSX-R1000 is still the
daddy – nothing even comes close.
TANK graphic is sweetly understated
BRAKES are least strong part of mix
LED rear light is familiar to R1 owners
NEW ACCESSORIES FOR THE GSX-R1000
THERE is an all-new
range of official
accessories available
to make your
GSX-R1000 just that
little bit more
special. They are
listed here with their
part numbers.
TANK PROTECTOR
Classic blue/white with
GSX-R logo (00900MA008) £19 or carbon-look with
GSX-R logo 00900-MA007 £18
TANK COVER Carbon-look vinyl,
embossed with GSX-R logo (9995064046) £26
TOP YOKE PROTECTOR Carbon-fibre
with GSX-R logo (99950-70441) £22
SPEEDO/GAUGE TRIM Carbon-fibre
(99950-70440) £19
FUEL TANK CAP TRIM Carbon-fibre with
Suzuki ‘S’ logo (99950-70442) £16
FRAME PROTECTORS Colour-matched in
black (99950-70523-BLK) or white
(99950-70523-WHT) £71
DOUBLE-BUBBLE SCREEN Lightly tinted
and 2in taller than standard with a GSX-R
logo (99950-72019) £59
REAR HUGGER Colour-matched
BS in blue (99950-70520YBA) or silver (9995070520-YD8) £213
GEL SEAT (embossed with
GSX-R logo (9995062183) £120
DECEMBER 10, 2003 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 23
‘It’s easy to speculate how
it will fare against its
new rivals. But right
here, right now, the
Suzuki GSX-R1000
is still the daddy
– nothing even
comes close’
2004 RIVALS
HONDA CBR1000R FIREBLADE
Engine: 998cc (75 x 56.5mm), in-line four, fuel injection.
Claimed power: 169.6bhp (176.6bhp [est] with ram air)
Claimed dry weight: 179kg
Pros: Should be even more user friendly than Suzuki.
Ram air may give it a top speed edge.
Cons: May lose out on acceleration, as it’s marginally
heavier and less powerful than the others. The shorter
stroke engine may mean less mid-range than the Suzuki.
MCN TEST: TUESDAY DECEMBER 23
KAWASAKI ZX-10R
Engine: 998cc (76 x 55mm), in-line four, fuel injection.
Claimed power: 172.5bhp (181.4bhp with ram air)
Claimed dry weight: 170kg
Pros: The bike most likely to beat the Suzuki in a straight
line. Diminutive dimensions could make it easier to flick
from side to side in fast turns, too.
Cons: Radical riding position may be a pain compared to
roomy Suzuki on long journeys. Will be playing catch up
on the track due to a year’s less development
MCN TEST: TUESDAY DECEMBER 30
YAMAHA R1
Engine: 998cc (77 x 53.6mm), in-line four, fuel injection.
Claimed power: 172bhp (180bhp with ram air)
Claimed dry weight: 172kg
Pros: Like the ZX-10R, it could knock the Suzuki off top
spot for straight line speed. R1s are always very track
focused – the Suzuki could find it hard to live with.
Cons: Revvy, short-stroke motor may make it less
tractable on the road. Extreme riding position will make it
harder to live with on long journeys.
MCN TEST: FEBRUARY 18
OVERALL LENGTH: 2070mm
SUZUKI
GSX-R1000
£8549 otr
HEIGHT: 1145mm
WIDTH: 715mm
830mm
870mm
410mm
WEIGHT: 168kg (370lb)
OVER SEAT: 1840mm
THE GSX-R1000,
now in 2004
guise, is still
smokin’
Available: Now. 24 months
warranty and 12 months AA
roadside recovery and
Alpha-Dot security marking.
Colours: Blue/white,
grey/black, yellow/black/silver
New for 2004: Colours, new
range of accessories
Insurance group: 17 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB
01892-707-001
SPECIFICATION
RAKE: 23.5°
FUEL: 34mpg, 18 litres , 135 miles
TRAIL: 91mm
Engine: Liquid-cooled, 988cc (73
x 59mm), 16v dohc four-stroke
in-line four. Fuel injection, six gears
Chassis: Aluminium twin spar.
Front suspension: Kayaba; 43mm
telescopic forks, adjustable for
pre-load, rebound and compression
damping.
Rear suspension: Kayaba; single
shock adjustable for pre-load,
rebound and compression damping
Tyres: Front 120/70 x 17, rear
190/50 x 17
Brakes: 2 x 300mm discs with
4-piston calipers front, 220mm
disc with 2-piston caliper rear
WHEELBASE: 1410mm
PROS ● Mind-bending acceleration and top speed ● Stiff chassis gives confidence-inspiring handling ● User-friendly
CONS ● Self-restraint required at all times if you want to keep your licence ● Radial brake set-up lacks feel
96%
COMING SOON
2004
SUPERBIKE
SHOWDOWN
HONDA FIREBLADE
v
KAWASAKI ZX-10R
v
SUZUKI GSX-R1000
JANUARY 7 2004
DON’T MISS IT!