Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

@[XJ§@@[XJO@ &§jl!lO~&§j OflJ!1§[XJl!lO§l!llg l!ltJ@@ l!l@rn;BCiJ Q Gregorio, how did the GSX-R 1000 feel when you first rode it? Different - very differentl After riding last season with the GSX-R750 using WP suspension, the first time I jumped on the new bike already filled with Showas, I could feel the handling was much beller - from the basic chassis standpoint, as well as the fact I could feel the suspension working much beller. But of course the engine is the biggest difference, especially the torque, where we'd been struggling in the past - particularly with the restrictors fitted, I don't need to work so hard with the gearbox. The first test with the factory specification in Sepang was really good: even though at that stage the bike was only a lillie more powerful than the final 750 I raced, it had a much wider powerband. But then as we've done more development, the peak engine performance is even beller. A Since it has all that torque, do you deliberately use one gear tower on the Suzuki? Or do you still rev it out like with the 750? For sure, it's a compromise. We have really strong midrange torque, especially under 10,000 rpm where you must be careful to pull the bike upright when you get hard on the gas, because it's easy to spin the back tire. But when that grips, you risk a big wheelie, which loses time, so it's beller to go over the torque at really high revs, anywhere from 11,{l00 rpm upwards, otherwise you just get torque and grip. I usually change gear anywhere between 13,200 and 13,800 rpm - I don't look at the tacho so much, just when it feels right. We don't need shifter lights on this bike! The faster the comer, the easier for me it is to use a higher gear through it, because with so much comer speed, you have the suspension compressed, and you cannot afford any more weight transfer by changing gear while still leaned over. That way, my bike keeps the good line. If you use a lower gear, it's more difficult because of the weight transfer, which pushes the front wheel. This is why I use just four gears here at Misano • the middle four, too, never bollom. I saw you used bottom gear in the chicanes, but then you got more wheelspin. It's better to keep second and get beller grip. Plus I saw you were shifting up after the last fast left onto the main straight, but I was already in fifth gear and had the bike more sellied for beller drive on the right line, whereas yours was moving about more. I saw you ran wide onto the dirt one lap - that was whyI Q older model, which seemed much more of a boat of a bike in comparison. This translates into a motorcycle that is sweeter-steering than before Handle with care: Riding the Corona Gluer requires judicious use of the throttle. There's a huge hit past 8500 rpm, and too much wrist can light up the rear tire. (and holds an even tighter line under power than the 999 Ducati), flicked balanced one, with quite a low ride from side to side almost as easily as height at the rear and pretty soft set- a V-twin in Misano's two tight chi- tings for the Showa suspension, canes - aided by the wide, flat-set which is one reason the GSX-R 1000 'bars that Lavilla favors, giving extra is, relatively speaking, easier to con- leverage when needed - and feels as trol when sliding than a stiffer setup confidence-inspiring and as agile as a with lifted rear end would be. Still, it twin, which is quite some doing with was better to shift into fifth before the a 988cc four. Greg's setup is a very last fast left onto Misano's back straight and to drive hard through it The Marelli fuel-injected inline four is perfectly mapped, and the Suzuki is very closely matched with its rival Ducati in terms of power management. The GSX-R also uses a new ramp-type slipper clutch that was developed on the GSV-R MotoGP machine. using the midrange grunt rather than scream the engine - the Suzuki held its line better and was more stable doing so. It did start flapping the A Q Compared to the 999 Ducatis of Hodgson and Xaus, where does the Suzuki stand? The Ducati seems to be struggling a bit with the front Michelin tire, whereas my Suzuki is easier to brake really hard into the tum and keep up corner speed and to change direction quickly in a chicane. But on the other hand, the Ducati still has more traction: the rear tire seems to be always more competitive than the Dunlop, especially with our more aggressive power delivery compared to a V-twin. I would like to be able to use the tires Dunlop make for the Kawasaki GP bike. but at the moment it seems we don't get these, which is a pity. A front wheel after that at first, in a determined tankslapper that I could only counter by standing on the The Suzuki does stop very well for a four. Do you use a lot of engine braking for this? When I'm most competitive against the Ducatis is when I can brake really hard into the comer, especially if it's a tight chicane where our bike changes direction so good. The slipper clutch on the Suzuki works very well. The brakes are excellent with a lot of feel and power, and the suspension also is helping a lot, because you can brake very hard while absorbing all the bumps. This is the very positive part of riding the bike. Braking, entering and cornering is perfect: we just need to work on the moment I need to open the throttie, which I believe is a combination of suspension and power delivery, plus maybe a lillie bit tire and definitely weight transfer, which is normal with Suzuki. I rode a Ducati for two years, so I know very well what I need to do to my bike to be competitive with them, and one of the good points of the Suzuki is the steering. Coming out of the chicane at Silverstone, for example, we could hold a very tight line because of the setup I had, but still the acceleration wasn't good enough· the Ducati was still a lillie faster. But the strange thing is that now, to me, it seems that I am riding a twin, and the Ducati is a four-cylinder - because they go into the corner with really high revs, I catch them up under braking and take the comer faster, but then they open the throllle, and when we lift up the bikes, they go quicker than me. It's vice versa - the opposite of what it should bel Q A Q Did you ever try riding your bike With~ut restrictors? Just for three laps at Sepang, but it wasn't a proper test, because the injection mapping and camshafts and everything else was made for the restrictors. For me, racing without them would make the power delivery much beller, not so aggressive. The only problem is that we would have to throwaway a lot of hard work and valuable experience we invested in this year, so if they do eliminate them, we will have to start all over again in some ways. But at least we have one year's advantage on the other four-cylinder bikes, so I hope I can stay with Suzuki and take the benefits of this! A cue I e n e vv s

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