The rear tire spin offered up by the GSX-R 1000, when I hit the gas entering Lukey Heights at Phillip Island, introduced the roar of this new beast, and what to expect from the claimed 185 horsepower (190 with Ram Air).
Well, yes, there is no teasing this animal; this ultra-new GSX-R 1000 has the same power as the most potent superbikes from about 5 years ago, as well as the now extinct two-stroke Grand Prix 500s. The difference is that you can buy it and tour the city with it. Suzuki has usually offered the most powerful superbikes, and this year when all of them are rolling with 180 horsepower, the GSX-R should, by tradition, go a bit farther. In order to test it, in-depth, Suzuki sent us all the way to the other side of the planet, to the racetrack that, without a doubt, is the most beautiful in the World, Phillip Island in Australia. A trip in which we invested more than 30 hours (we “spent” almost four days, round trip) has to necessarily justify so much beating, and the truth is that the place, as well as the motorcycle, is worth the effort. It may be the case that when I retire I will live in this small and peaceful land, Phillip Island (it’s not so peaceful when there is a race)… with a bike in my garage, certainly, and a wombat or a koala as a mascot.
As usual, Suzuki had mounted an impressive toy hauler for us and we were able to roll, luckily, for the second consecutive year, with the mythic champion of the world Kevin Schwantz, a man always associated with the Hamamatsu brand, always kindhearted and available to us. Also present was the quick and beautiful ex-racer from Germany, Katia Poenzgen, with whom we shared bikes and conversation.
Pandora’s Box
We asked ourselves how far the manufacturers will go with horsepower increases . . . not only the Japanese, but also Ducati, with its new 1098. But Suzuki is Suzuki, and it has a tradition of introducing the most powerful superbike of the moment. And it does not fall short when they say their new beast offers not less than 185 horsepower and more than 190 with Ram Air. Ohmygod… luckily, electronics comes to our rescue and this GSX-R 1000 ’07 offers a gadget that, without a doubt, will soon be imitated by other manufacturers, the S-MDS; that is, Suzuki’s Mode Drive Selector, which offers the rider a choice of three distinct levels of power. A great, simple, and very practical system of having three bikes in one. In a control box located on the right side, after pressing a button, for two seconds, we can move through the A-B-C programs that render three different power curve modes: A, the one that always functions as the default when you start your bike, accesses the full power mode; that is, without restrictions. B turns in all the maximum power, but with less power for low and medium revolutions, and C reduces power throughout, just in case you’re faced with adverse conditions (such as wet weather) . . . or you’re having a bad day.
The chassis of the 2007 GSX-R1000 is more compact and light than the previous model (although overall weight is up slightly), the swingarm is stronger and the fork has been improved a lot by a highly elaborate antifriction treatment, as well as both high and low speed compression damping adjustments. The new brakes feature 310mm discs clamped by four-piston, radial mounted calipers, powered by a radial master cylinder. The instrumentation is new, small and attractive, and it includes information on gear position and power map selection (A, B or C). The new 1000 looks like its younger brothers, the 600 and 750, and is of a smaller size, overall. The bike continues to offer a unique muffler system . . . this time two mufflers! According to Suzuki, this sytem offers the best performance at legal sound levels.
A circuit for the fearless
It’s not only our view, but for those who are familiar with the great tracks, there is no other as well designed and beautiful as Phillip Island, located in a wonderful natural landscape, by the seaside. But it is also a very rapid circuit, with a straight where one can reach more than 170 mph (even more… if you dare) with the 1000, a circuit that has 5th gear corners, blind ups and downs . . . and if that wasn’t enough, a species of large Australian bird decided to cross the road taking its sweet time, in the middle of my lap, mid-curve! I had to brake and adjust my line, not without a big scare. On another lap another bird flew inches from my helmet, and in another curve I saw a family of rabbits. Last year it was a wallaby that strolled in tranquility across the straight. Phillip Island is different . . .
During the first session we decided to use position C in the control box, the one with the least power; the feeling is that of being on a 600 with lots of torque, but top end is weak; toward the end of the first lap arriving at the straight, the other riders pushed ahead of us easily, and we decided to turn to B. Suzuki recommend a switch while on the straight and at a lower speed in order to avoid surprises. Power was significantly stronger in position B (still detuned from A), and we began to warm up a little. The engine gains revs rapidly and on top there is plenty of controllable power. We began to notice some vibrations.
The suspension works well, even though it was a bit soft for the circuit. The riding position, like a good GSX-R, is not highly radical and one feels comfortable. This year it is possible to adjust the position of the footpegs, both fore/aft and height, and it’s not difficult to adapt them to your liking. The feeling on top of the bike is that it really is smaller than the previous one.
Increasing the Rhythm
One more session and now we place the control box in the A position: maximum power. Now we will see how fast the beast goes. This new version of the 1000 is the most agile, in terms of its geometry, and being more powerful and compact requires a steering damper, now with a variable electromagnetic valve.
The truth is that this new superbike feels much lighter, changes directions far easier and initiates turn-in more quickly than its predecessor, but we noticed that it drifted wide on corner exits; nonetheless, this improved when we increased fork compression damping.
We liked the brakes a lot, great power and a good feel. It is possible that some would want that a bit more power for track days, and others would find that it has too much braking power for the road. We think they are just right.
But, let’s get back to the subject. We opted for the full power position in the control box and we received abundant power throughout the rev range. You can allow yourself to exit corners a grea high with no loss of drive — low end power is strong; indeed, with the power-curve selector in position A, you can light up the tire exiting corners in two, or even three different gears, just as I did near Lukey Heights at Phillip Island, creating a long and beautiful, but controlled slide. The problem is that position A is really too much power for many situations, including many situations on the street, and it is therefore good to have a choice. In fact, the new GSX-R1000 puts out so much power in position A that even the excellent Bridgestone BT-015 production tires cannot maintain grip on aggreessive corner exits.
The new champion?
The 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 is charged with the responsibility of re-taking the superbike crown for Suzuki, both on the street and on the track. Aside from its dominance of American superbike racing, Suzuki has taken a backseat to Ducati in WSB (where Bayliss has been superb), and lost the top spot in some of the magazine shoot-outs to competitors. In our opinion, however, this very powerful, but amicable, sport bike has everything it needs to compete for the top spot, both on the track and on the street, this year.
We Like:
The new GSX-R is an impressive motorcycle, with a very powerful engine. Moreover, it is easy to ride, and it possesses a certain degree of comfort that will be appreciated on the street. The suspension and the brakes are of high quality, and it includes something very innovative and interesting, the power-curve control box.
We Don’t Like:
A motorcycle that surpasses 190 horsepower with Ram Air is not for everyone, unless it is driven in the C position, always. The tires cannot cope with all the power in every circumstance, and on the road this phenomenon would be a reason to switch out of position A to a softer power curve. The front-end lacks some feel, and we also noticed some unwanted engine vibration.
A Brief Second Opinion from Vitor Martins,
Motojornal (Portugal)
‘The first thing I have to say is that the new GSX-R1000 is very easy to ride. It’s better every time, although when you ride using the A mode you have to have a lot of self-control. I think that mode B is the better choice. I like the brakes on the track, but I wonder whether they would be excessive on the street. It may be a question of the settings, but the front-end does not inspire a lot of confidence for me.’
