Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126997
Thefork is a 43mm cartridge-style Showa, featuring 12 compression and 12 rebound dam ping setti ngs and 15mm of preload ; 10 weight fork oi l is used. T he pac kage resul IS in a very stable, highl y-adjustable front en d. T he rear sus pensio n is of the single sh ock variety wi th no eccentric cam system . Th is year a lever linkage system is incorporated; usi ng a gas / oil sh ock with four rebound settings. T he fron t brake is anchored by two 3 10mm rotors (the same size as the 1100) and four piston calipers. T he rear brake is u ncha nged for 1988. The 1988 Suzuki GSXR750 features cas t alum in um wh eels with a hollo w, three-spoke design. Bo th -w hee ls are 17-inches in diameter with the rear carrying a width of 4.50 a nd the front 3.50. T he Suzu ki is fitted with Michelin radials (120/ 70VR-17 fro nt and 160/ 60V R -17 rear) but un lik e the bikes tested a t Laguna; production models will not fea ture ra ised wh ite lett ers. T he ga s tank 011 th e Su zuki ho lds I 5.5 gallons a nd fea tures a n adaptor ready to accept a quick-fill system , The 1988 GSXR750 uses 36mm flat slide Mikunis in which the f loa t and needle va lve are removed as a unit instead of separately. The-new GSX R750 is also a wenhandlin g package. Initial laps on the bike proved that th e rear suspension ' was set u p too soft. causing the bike to ground badl y throug h at least two of Laguna 'sleft-hand corners. The lowness o f the bik e co u ld prove to be a problem , but th e ri de height can , a nd must be, adjusted for the race tra ck. With the rear suspe n sion stiffened. th e o n ly thing that touched ground was the kicksta nd : a pro blem that was solved by Suzuki technician s by removi ng it. T he brakes 0 11 the GSXR750 are solid a nd have excellent feel. With a cla imed dr y weight of o nly 429 po unds. the new Su zuk i is easy to ride, and easy to cha nge directi ons o n; the left / ri ght tra nsition th ro ugh the co r kscre w was seemi ngl y effort less. ' L ivin g w i th t he 1988 Suzuk i GSX R750 (read. co mm ut ing to a nd from work) ma y prove to be a n un bearable task , but when it comes to the race track the new Suz uki, as sho uld be proven in Super bike a nd club raci ng, may be un beat a ble. ,. The cylinder is basically unchanged but the pistons are smaller. shorter and lighter; the dome on the new pistons has also been redesigned. On the track Suzuki GSXR750J Wh en vou first climb aboard th e new GSXR7 50 you feelas tho ugh it 's a G P bike; the weight is forward and yo u get th e feeling you're righ t o n to p 'of the fro nt wheel. One th ing tha t is noticed immediately in com parision to earlier GSXRs is the lowness of the !?as tank; this one doesn 't give th e rider th e impression that he's riding beh ind the hump of a one-h um p ca mel. Rid in g the bike around La guna's n ine- turn race track doesn 't give the opera tor m uch of a cha nce to no tice comfo rt, and race track com fort is entirely diff erent from to ur ing-type comfort. The GS XR 750 seems to be designed for race trac k comfo rt . T he new Suzuki G SXR7 50 is in a word - fast; the claimed 11 1.5 horsepower defini tely gets th e bike ' from turn A to tu rn B in a heartbea t. As in the case of Laguna. the Suzuki 's power was evide nt exiting turn fo ur and heading up the hill tow ard th e corkscrew . List Price •••••••••.••• $5199 Displacement .•.•..•••. 749cc Engine type ••..••.• Air-cooled. DOHC. four cylinder. four-stroke -Bore x 'S troke •..•• 73x44.8mm Compression ratio ••.•.• 10.9:1 Camuretion ••• 14) 36mm Mikuni Ignition ••.•••.• •••• Transistor Transmission speeds. • • . . • • . • 6 starting system ••••..•• Electric Fuel capacity .....•... 5.5 gal. Wheelbase •••••. '• • . .• 55.4 in. Rake/trail ..•. 25 degrees/3.89 incha S!8t height •...• ••. •. 30.9 in. Front tire ' .•.. •.... 120/70x t7 Rea'fiire ..•...••• 160/60x17 Front wheel travel . . . 4.72 inches Real-wheel travel . .. . •. •. N/ A ' Front brake •..... . .. Dua ldise Rear brake • •.. . . • • . ... . Disc Fina l drive • . . . . . • . . • • . . Chain Claimed d ry weight •• •• 429 Ibs.