In the world of Internet journalism, a story can become old news quite quickly. Print magazines may have a six week lead time (from the time they test a product to the time it appears in print in your hands), but Internet journalism is lightening quick. Test and report. The sooner the better.
Well, one of the most important products to test in the motorcycle world in 2003 happened to be the Suzuki GSX-R1000. For reasons we won’t bore you with, MD didn’t get their hands on a test unit until approximately 1,473 tests/ride reviews had been written about the GSX-R1000. Frankly, at that point, we had more newsworthy things to report.
Nevertheless, we still received email from readers wanting our opinion on this bike. If you haven’t been in a cave in Afghanistan, you undoubtedly know that the press has offered glowing reviews of the redesigned 2003 GSX-R1000. Shootout winner, bike of the year. Yada . . . Yada . . . Yada. So, what do we think? We might have a different perspective on certain aspects of the bike, but our bottom line is the company line. This bike absolutely kicks ass! It’s performance is nothing short of stunning, even if it constitutes gross overkill for most street riders.
When the Suzuki GSX-R1000 debuted in 2001, it knocked journalists, and customers, on their ears. The power made by the engine leap frogged everything in the class, and the whole package really moved to the top of that class (open-class sportbikes). Just two years later, Suzuki thoroughly re-engineered the 2003 GSX-R1000, addressing the “weak points” of the prior bike (we are speaking relatively, of course, because there wasn’t much “weak” about the 2001/2002 model).
After a number of journalists wadded up earlier GSX-R1000 test units (thankfully, I was not among them), it became apparent that the power delivery of the prior model was a little bit severe for most mortals. Smoothing that power delivery had to become a priority for Suzuki, and they did an excellent job for 2003.
The earlier model also resisted direction changes, somewhat. Although light in weight, the bike didn’t feel very flickable, and was somewhat heavy steering. Suzuki took aim at this circumstance, as well, and the 2003 model feels remarkably more nimble. Bravo!
The technical wizardry that moved this already excellent machine forward for 2003 includes, among many other things, ventilation between adjacent cylinders designed to reduce internal crank case pressure, redesigned fuel injection throttle bodies, and a new, more powerful 32 bit CPU to control everything.
The redesigned bodywork is not only more aerodynamic, it also allowed Suzuki to reposition the ram air ducts closer to the center line of the fairing nose, the point of highest air pressure.
You can see the new bodywork in the photos. Also new is a black-painted frame and swingarm, and a fuel tank that is narrower at the seat, allowing additional knee room for the rider.
A new, lighter twin-spar aluminum frame was developed for racing (just ask Mat Mladin as he closes in on his fourth AMA Superbike title aboard this machine). Other changes include a new bolt-on tail section and adjustable swingarm pivot (again, this is a homologated race bike, remember?).
New, radial-mounted, four-piston brake calipers at the front attach to a redesigned fork and squeeze lighter, 300mm discs.
Without quoting the weight loss of each component on the bike, let’s just conclude that the 2003 GSX-R1000 is a claimed 4.4 pounds lighter than the 2002 version, and leave it at that. How does it perform?
The overall impression this bike leaves is that of a precision, highly refined instrument. Yes, it is even easier to ride than last year’s bike, but it is still a scalpel. It is not a bowie knife. It should be wielded by an experienced individual, not a ham fisted novice.
The power comes on smoothly and predictably, but ferociously, nonetheless (that sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?). The bike has huge torque, but that power ramps up more linearly than last year’s bike. Last year’s bike had, in the opinion of some riders (and tuners), a bit of a torque spike at low rpms that could cause the rear end to step out suddenly. No one would make that argument about the 2003 model.
That smooth engine not only has lots of torque down low, but it packs a wallop up top. Indeed, even a very experienced rider will likely stay away from the top end thrust this machine offers on the street. There simply is very little opportunity to use it on the street, but it is there, nonetheless. What you will use is a very meaty low-end and mid-range power delivery that gets you where you want to go as quickly as you want to get there.
Suzuki has a well earned reputation for smooth fuel injection systems, and the 2003 GSX-R1000 may be their best application of this technology, yet. All in all, this motor is superb.
Okay, so you are not surprised that the 2003 GSX-R1000 has an outstanding motor. Neither were we. What was a bit surprising was the handling. The older bike, even though it was very light for the class, steered a bit heavy (as we mentioned earlier). The new bike changes directions much easier, yet retains the stability the prior model was known for. Indeed, handling is probably the biggest area of improvement for this bike over the 2002 model.
The suspension worked well. The front end, in particular, was plush in dealing with small bumps, but firm enough to handle bigger hits and aggressive riding. The rear suspension worked well, also, but feedback from the rear tire wasn’t quite as plentiful as we would have liked (could have been the soft seat).
The brakes are simply amazing. Indeed, the brakes are probably more likely to get an inexperienced rider in trouble on the 2003 GSX-R1000 than the motor. Seriously. Initial bite is strong, and lever travel is very short (initial brake application to locked front wheel can happen in about half an inch of lever travel). If you are careful and ride the bike enough to recalibrate your right hand, these brakes are your friend. If you are sloppy, they are your enemy.
Another niggle would be the throttle return spring. It is too light. With this much power available with a flick of the right wrist, it would be nice to have a little bit more resistance when turning the throttle. This point was driven home when jumping from a competitor’s machine to the GSX-R1000. Again, you can recalibrate and get along with the light throttle return spring, but you shouldn’t have to.
Ergonomics is another interesting topic here. Suzuki GSX-Rs are not known for being comfortable, but with every other brand of sport bike going the “no compromises” route taken by Yamaha just a few years ago, Suzuki’s GSX-Rs are becoming the sport tourers of the category. This bike is reasonably comfortable and offers reasonable wind protection for the street. The reach to the bars is not severe, nor is the tucking of the legs. This bike now constitutes the middle ground in terms of sportbike comfort and, perhaps, leans towards the comfortable end of the spectrum. Times change.
It is no secret that Suzuki’s Japanese competitors are about to unleash new, competitive models, in a week, or so. Frankly, sitting here, in this time and space, it is hard to imagine that any of those bikes will be better than the 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000. From a customer’s perspective, it is hard to imagine that they need to be any better.
The 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 retails here in the United States for $10,499.00. Visit Suzuki’s web site for additional details and specifications.
