Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

1994Suzuki streetand off-road lineup wo-all new s treet bikes highlight Suzuki's 1994 motorcycle lineup, p roviding a breath of fresh air in w ha t w o u ld o therwise be a fleet of mostly unch anged vehicles. In th e sea of m od e ls that for th e most part r e ceive d o nly b o l d n e w g ra phics (BNGs), Suzu ki 's new RF600RR a nd RF900RR s ta n d o u t like a checkered flag at th e end of a lon g and g rueling race . Suz uki refer s to the RFs as "a new breed of sport bike," and a sharp-eyed reader might assume th at they are intended to fill th e g ap between the ra ce-o riented GSXR m odels a nd th e somewhat toned- down Katanas. Wh ile the GSXR and Ka ta na models lie on opposi te sides of the spectrum; the GSXR on the race side and the Katana on the all-day sport cruiser side, the RFs were designed to provide a sporty, h ig h perfo rmance ride that is at th e same time com fortable enough to enjoy for extended period s of time. Both RFs feat ure in-line, fou r-cylinder, four-stroke motors tha t boast liq uid-cooling, double-overhead cams, 16 valves, downdraft carbure tors and s tra ight intake tracts. The motors are wrapped in a tw in -s p a r fra me th a t so lid l y tie th e s teering h ead an d swingarm pivot for " o p ti m u m" han dli ng . Wh ile s pecifications fo r the RF900 are not as yet avail a ble , the RF600RR's engine displaces 599cc, ha s a co m p ressi on ratio of 12.0:1, and a 65.0mm x 45.2mm bore and stroke. The frames on both bikes are colorma tc he d to t he all-new "Ferraristyle" bodywork, and play an integ r a l part in the motor c ycle s' styling. The RF600 is ava ilable in red o r bl ack ; th e. 900 in red or blue. Ha n dli n g the sus pens ion duties is a single shoc k in th e rear and a p a ir o f co n ve n tiona l (right-side up) forks up front on both models . Both suspension units offer a wide ran ge o f adjustment, fr om s mo o th and supple for slower ridin g sty les, to firm and responsive for back-road sport riders. Both the RF600 and the RF900 h a v e 17inch alloy wheels, a nd trip le d isc brakes (dual front and si n gle rear). Suzuki s a y s the RF600 weighs a claimed 429 pounds dry, has a 4.5 gal Ion fuel tank, a 30.5 in ch seat he ight, 4.7 inc hes of ground clea ra nce, and a wh e e lba s e of 56.3 inches . Th e RF600RR's s uggested re ta il pric e is $6399, w hile th e RF900RR carries a $8099 price tag. As fo r th e res t of Suzuki' s s treet lineup, th e GS XR, Kata na , Intrud er, GN an d GS mod els have received only cosmetic cha ng es (alt ho u gh Suzu ki sa ys th e GSXR750WR h a s s h ed an undi sclosed a m o u n t of w eight; n o sp e cifi cat ion s we re a v a ila b le at p ress time). The increasingly popular d ual-sport DRS line welcom es a new member to the family in '94, the DR125SER. The sma llest DRS is in tended for beginning riders and has many of the sam e features as the larger DRS models. This T NEW BIKES e -rew sea t ewa -~ ~ Th e RF600RR (above) and RF900RR (left) highligh t Su zuki's 1994 lineup . Both bikes feature liquid-cooled, DOHC,l6-valve motors an d twin spar frames. Suzuki's "new breed of sportbikes" are intended to fill the gap between the com pany's GSXR and Katan a model lines. Th e D Rl25SER (below) is Su zu k i's new entry-level d ualsport machine. The bi ke shares many featu res with the b igger DRs, and its electric-sta rt motor gea rs it toward th e begi nning rider. year, all of the DRS models come eq uip ped with electric st arters, eliminating the need to know tha t "secret" technique for kick- starting single-cylin d er four-strokes. Un fortunat el y, the bikes w ill not come fitted w ith kicks ta r te rs fo r back -u p purposes. Othe r than the ad di tion of electric starting, BN Gs a re th e o n ly o ther cha nges . Su zuki ' s po p ular off- roa d RMX250R, DR35 0R , DS 80R an d JR50 R are unchanged . Theyhave, however, all undergo ne the inevitable yea rly price increases. Prices for the 1994 Suzukis are as follows: GN125ER: $2249; GSSOOER: $3649; Katana 600: $5499; Katana 750: $6499; GSXR750WR: $809 9; GSXRllOOWR: $9099; Intruder 800: $5599; Intruder 1400: $739 9; CD125SER: $2999; DR250SER: $3799; DR350SER: $3999; DR650S ER: $4399; JR50R: $999; DS80R: $1649; DR350R:$3999; RMX250R: $4749. ~ 33

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