Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

year was the fastest thing you'd ever tossed a leg over. With your eyes bulging, one looking for the painted marks, the other checking the horizon for the rogue seagull with a deathwish, you get into Doohan Corner a lot faster than you really want to. But when you flick it in, all feels okay in GSX-R Land. You're traveling at a high rate of speed, but the bike is a lot more comfortable with it than you are. After somehow pointing the Suzuki between the curb and the bumps, and scaring yourself sufficiently while doing so, it's suddenly time to start thinking about the Southern Loop, a left-hander that gives relief in that it's not overly fast but remains tricky nonetheless. The Suzuki goes where you point it, and it holds its line well as you start negotiating it toward the second set of curbs on the inside of the exit. By now you're back to going fast again as you head down Bass You know what? I was worried for no reason. Sure, the big Suzuki is very fast, but it also feels very stable, and it responds well at the speed of The subframe now attaches directly to the mainframe's spars. your choosing. That speed, at least on Phillip Island, is fast. Very fast. No matter the pep talk you give yourself beforehand about being careful, not getting caught up in the moment, etc. Watching a MotoGP or a World Superbike race on TV from Phillip Island doesn't do it justice. The front straight that looks so short, seems rather long ... though it does get shorter when you're screaming the GSX-RI000 down what is known as Gardner Straight, your neck straining to find the hump in the track and the painted marks that tell you it might be a good idea to start slowing down. It's here that you notice that the Suzuki is faster, or at least feels faster, than the thing you swore last More power, are you kidding? The G5X-R1000 features new radial mounted four-piston calipers squeezing smaller 1300mm), but thicker rotors. Using the same geometry as last year, the GSX-Rl000's frame is new for 2003. The wheelbase on the GSX-R remains unchanged at 1410mm. The frame now features extruded spars instead of the pressed and welded aluminum spars on the old bike. Inside each spar are two internal reinforcing ribs that essentially divide the frame into three compartments. The new design has allowed the engineers to tune the frame by making it rigid exactly where they want it to be. Visually the frame slands out because it's now painted black. One of the other changes noticeable upon inspection is the fact that the section on the previous bike's frame that the subframe attached to has been eliminated. The subframe now bolts to the frame rails instead of the flanges that used to protrude from the top at the rear of the structure. Suzuki says the new design will also make the frame less likely to suffer damage in minor racetrack falls. With the new frame, racers can now change the swingarrn pivot position by using the optional racing kit. The kit features spacers with a repositioned pivot shaft hole that replaces the stock spacers, allowing the pivot to be moved up or down. The swingarm remains largely unchanged for 2003 with the exact same length and similar structure. The rear Kayaba shock is mostly unchanged from last year's model, though Suzuki claims the shock's friction has been reduced by about 60 percent with changes to its internals. The internal changes have increased the spring rate by 15 percent while increasing the damping forces by 30-60 percent, according to Suzuki. The only real difference to the front forks on this year's GSX-R over last year's is the fact that the Kayaba 43mm inverted fork's inner tubes are now coated with what Suzuki calls DLC (Diamond Like Carbon). The '02 model's fork was coated with titanium-njtrade coating. According to Suzuki, the DLe coating provides less friction force and is more resistant to wear. This all adds up to a 10 percent increase in spring rates and a 20-70 percent increase in damping forces, Suzuki says. The front brakes have undergone significant changes for 2003, namely the fact that they are now radial-mounted (the bolts that attach the calipers to the forks attach in the same plane as the rotors rotate for less flex). The fact that the opposed four-piston Tokicos are radial-mounted means that the calipers' rigidity toward the front axle is higher than a normally mounted brake. This also means there's less distortion of the calipers. Despite the fact that the calipers have gone from six piston to four piston, braking force has been increased, Suzuki says. The four-piston calipers are also each 50 grams lighter than the six-piston calipers that were featured on the 2002 model. Because the new brakes are more efficient, the size of the discs can be smaller, and they are: down to 300mm from the 320mm discs found on last year's bike. Naturally, the smaller discs weigh less (80 grams each disc) despite the fact that they are .5mm thicker. The rear Nissin brake uses a 220mm disc, and the rear brake torque link has been removed from this year's model. The wheel sizes are the same as last year with a 3.5 x 17-inch front rim wearing a 120/70ZR17 Bridgestone BTOllFF (new tire) and a 6.0 x 17-inch rear rim with a 190/50ZR17 rear Bridgestone BT012RF (new tire). The overall height of the new bike is increased 1.135mm to what is now 1145mm (45.8 inches), a change that came about in an effort to improve aerodynamics, according to Suzuki. The new bike looks a bit different from the old, with the fairing changed enough to give it a different look while also improving its aerodynamics and ram-air charging system. The thing you'll notice the most is the new front section of the bike with its vertically stacked headlights. Because the headlights are stacked, the intake air ducts for the SRAD system is now located closer to the center of the fairing, the highest point of air pressure. Moving the ducts closer to the center increases the bike's intake efficiency, and that means more power, Suzuki says. The new headlight is also 80 grams lighter than the old. The fairing is also a bit thinner than last year, with the fairing wall thickness reduction taking an additional 100 grams off the bike. The view from the back is also a bit different with the new LED taillight and changed inner fender, giving the GSX-R1000 an altered look. Overall, the bike does look sportier than the previous year's model. Although the fuel tank is the same size in volume (4.68 gallons), it's narrower at the back end where it meets the seat and sits between the rider's legs. The tank was redesigned to give the rider a bit more knee room for everyday riding and to allow for an easier tucked-in position for Joe Racer. The instrument cluster has changed for '03, combining an analog tach with a digital speedometer. The cluster also gets a shift light for '03 that is adjustable from 5000 rpm to 12,000 rpm in increments of 500 rpm. When the revs hit the rpm that's been selected, the shift light flashes on. eye I e n eVIl's MARCH 5, 2003 25

• Cover