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| Review |
Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8
Medium Term Test
Okay, we're approaching 4k miles on the Gixxer Thou, so what have we learnt that you won't read in the magazines, and that didn't make it into my first review?
The first 3k miles:
...were done cross country, climbing up and over the Pennines daily on empty roads ranging from a 150mph (as in, would be, on a quiet day, if the law allowed, officer) dual carraigeway to bumpy 30-60 mph unclassifieds.
The bike was in its element, lapping it all up, using all but the tiniest of chicken strips of the factory fit dual compound BT015's, and oozing astounding competence everywhere.
For that kind of mixed bag 70 miles a day riding, rain or shine, it's very hard to imagine a more satisfying bike, and it really confirmed it's status as an outstanding out-of-the-crate road bike.
The full on litre mid range out-drags 600's being gassed to within an inch of their lives, while barely breaking a sweat itself, and the progressive braking brings it all back down quickly and calmly, even backing it in a little if you like.
Trick dual throttle, dual injector, three mode injection:
The ECU is programmed to (just about) keep the front wheel down in first and second: the secondary, stepper motor driven, throttle butterflies make themsleves felt and keep it all very calm even in the default "A" setting. You're aware of the engine only really being unleashed in 3rd and above, and sometimes you wish it would let you play a little more in 1st and 2nd - sure, you wouldn't go any quicker, but you might get more of a feel for the chassis. As it is you really have to catch it out, point it uphill or take on a pillion, if the front wheel is to lift without too much prompting, but catch it unawares on a bump and you'll wonder if this ECU lulled you into a false sense of security!
So, in road riding "A" is set up for rapid progress, but possibly at the expense of some fun, with the secondary throttle not only stopping you from bogging, but also (mostly) stopping you from wheelying off the back. Settings "B" and "C" rein it in more, but are pretty much redundant unless there's torrential rain and cold tyres.
One way to dial in more fun might be to an extra tooth or two on the rear sprocket, but that wouldn't do much for the reasonably calm high speed touring capability, so the real answer may lie elsewhere, like an ECU tweak. Perhaps on the track, with good visibility and bigger lean angles, the stock "A/B/C" settings might actually make more sense, but on the road, where you ride to what you see, calm delivery is less critical, and to be honest I'd prefer to give the job back to my throttle hand. Of course there are plenty of aftermarket devices available to trick the ECU, basically by lying about which gear you're in, so maybe for my next review... Maybe Suzuki should have added a more aggressive program, available as a cheat mode perhaps?
Anyway, a nice aspect of the Suzuki system is the knowledge that you retain full and direct cable operation of the upper throttles. Unlike a pure fly-by-wire system, you are normally in direct control of the air supply, and certainly, you can always shut it off as and when the need arises.
Unlike traditional cable only systems, the secondary stepper motor throttles can also restrict the air supply and to maximise air velocity and stop the engine bogging, as well as making the whole A/B/C thing possible. The result is the best of both worlds.
Slipper clutch:
Don't buy a bike without one! This is a trully fantastic device. You can even (not that I'd really recommend it) make clutchless down-shifts without drama - certainly if you're slightly clumsy with the deliciciously smooth and light hydraulic clutch, then it's a real get out of jail free card. My only worry is that jumping back onto a bike without one could end up in a few embarrassing chirps from the rear, or worse.
Tell us a secret:
As shipped, the shift light is off. You want to set it to 6500rpm for running in. You follow the manual: push SEL, turn on the ignition and hold the button for more than 2 seconds... You think nothing happened, so you turn off and repeat several times, still to no effect. That's because the light was off so you saw nothing happen. Do it again, but this time press ADJ to toggle the light on. Hah! Now you can see it's working and you progress to the next stage (brightness and rpm setting).
Cost, reliability and mileage:
Problems - none, hasn't missed a beat. Oil top ups - ran in carefully, none needed to date. Tyres - one rear at 2700 miles thanks to a screw right bang in the middle, but it had less than 300 miles left anyway. Chain tension - barely changed but adjusted at 2500 miles. Fuel - covers 125 to 160 miles to the flashing light, with about a gallon in reserve, meaning 42 to 55 mpg depending on your right hand, and upto 200 miles range if needs be.
Feel:
Absolutely stupendous for something that weighs around 208kg all tooled up. I know, 173 kg says the blurb, but that's without fuel, oil, water, hydraulic fluids, battery, fairings, air in the tyres, etc... Yikes. If you were expecting it to only feel 7 kg heavier than the 750 then think again. My certificate of EC conformance states 208kg and I've no reason to disbelieve that until it gets weighed at its first MOT.
For those who haven't ridden a litre superbike recently, or at all, mass centralisation means you can feel that weight tucked up high underneath you. The benefit of this is that you can flick the wheels right under you from one side to the other in a blink of the eye, because there's so little mass down near the road, but it's worth remembering where that mass is when paddling about on the drive or on an oily garage forecourt.
Mods and extras:
Dual injector Scottoiler doing a nice job with the chain, once I got it set right, in my case about 2-3 normally and up to 4 in the rainy season.
Zero Gravity double bubble helps a little at speed, and looks nice too.
Aero R&Gs, together with the stock silencers, made a great job of saving everything else when my ACF-50 slicked hands dropped the beast on my drive (that's another story). Aftermarket cans seem expensive and likely to annoy my neighbours anyway, but now I realise the OEM jobs offer great crash protection at least until I upgrade...
Suzuki GSX-R branded tank pad may be a bit too stiff as a couple of corners are lifting.
Motrax reflective white wheel stripes are ace - look good and be seem!
Abba superbike stand is an awesome must have if you work on the bike solo.
The next 1000 miles:
Okay, change of job = change of route. A mere 30 miles a day, most of it on the motorway, just three roundabouts and all of it busy, doh!
The rear tyre, another BT015, is already showing it's appreciation, with a nice big flat strip down the middle, and the bike seems a litte pent up, like a race horse that hasn't been run for a while.
In these circumstances that 3rd gear can catch you out, blasting to 120mph in a way that 1st and 2nd never quite hinted at - you've got to be going some to hit 100mph in 1st, so that's easy enough to avoid, but you open it up a bit in 3rd licence losing speeds come oh so quickly!
Without open roads to enjoy the Gixxer Thou is starting to feel a tad over specified.
The sheer the lack of variety means the induction roar can seem to drone a bit in a way I never noticed when revs were always rising and falling. It's not like the hammering of the 750, but ear plugs beckon just the same.
In fact, for these runs a big fat sit up and beg street bike might make a lot of sense? I don't blame the Gixxer for this fall off in mood though, just the change of route.
On the up side all those original about-town plus points are still there: perfect fuelling, electronic steering damper that drops right out of it in traffic making for amazing low speed poise, low seat height well suited to my short inside leg, plenty of cubes for relaxed low speed manners, not a lot of width either so you never have to wait more than one cycle of the traffic lights...
And that engine... Just once in a while a CBR600RR or such might come alongside at the lights with an open road in front. Suzie says goodbye without even trying! On the road she's still the daddy.
Weather report:
It's rained a lot since the start of April. Now, maybe this applies to all modern super bikes, but when you ride hard for a while in the rain, then slow down or stop, the steam begins to rise. Water must trickle down from the tank, the fender and a few places besides, down onto the exhausts, the radiator and the engine. The moment you stop it comes right up like a sauna. You get your own personal cloud.
Open your visor and it'll steam up in an instant. The dash and screen are lost in condensation like a steamy shower cubicle and car drivers look at you like the thing's about to explode - to be honest, the first time it happens, it does make you wonder why you can't smell anti-freeze!
Your colleagues look on with similar concerns as you park the steaming monster in the staff car park and, cold though the weather may be, you start to take on that post coital glow...
And then, sometimes, the sun shines. Wow, is this one hot thing between your legs. In half an hour the heat has risen through the frame till its too hot to touch, on into the petrol tank (is fuel safe that hot?) and into pretty much all contact points. Keep moving is the rule, but with so much heat rising you do wonder how it can go so far on a tankful?
Talking of which, parting with fifteen quid and slopping in a dollop fresh, cool, super unleaded offers a level of relief I had never expected. Aim to refuel whenever the sun is shining, you won't regret it, but you do get some odd looks as you crouch low to hug the deliciously cool tank with everything you've got.
Still the perfect tool?
All of the above does absolutely nothing to lessen my respect for this awesome thing. They're characteristics, they're the way it is, and there's reason behind it all. I still don't think there's a better all rounder out there.
But is there anything that really should be improved, aside from adding a couple of cheat modes to the ECU? Yes, just one. It may seem a bit picky, but getting the headlight setup right shouldn't be so fiddly: I've yet to find any tool that really does the job, and there realy should be some simple way to counter the effect a pillion has on it. The headlight height adjuster is crying out for a remote cable, especially if you sometimes carry a pillion and you don't want to be forever dazzling and winding up the enemy...
The future?
Given the change of commute, a few good pleasure runs are called for, but I think a trackday or two is what she really deserves. She may be the perfect road tool, but I'm confident she won't be completely out of place on the track. |
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| bbstrikesagain in Stockport, Greater Manchester on 28/08/2008 |
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