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/128314
The GSX·R750's motor features a ll new head s w hich a llow the m oto r 10 rev to its 14,000 rpm redline, 500 rp m higher than o n t he old mode l. the bike would go on that second day was 290 kph due to the swirling winds, which wouldn't have been a concern if it were consistent. In the middle of the back straight, there was a break in the trees right about the point that the bike is hitting to p speed . On a couple of occasions a gust hit the side of the bike at that point and pushed the bike off line by as much as 10 feet. That'll get your attention in a hurry! The bike only did something approaching unnerving one time, when the front went into a speed wobble for about 50 meters, at the same point, caused by a hard gust. It didn't take long to learn to use the windsock , which at least gave some sort of indication of what was about to happen. One thing that was unique at Ryuyo was how effective the draft was on the back stra ight. I had never felt anything like it before. It didn't matter if you were 50 or 75 yards behind the bike in front of you, it wou ld suck you up and slingshot you past by the end with revs to spare. The GSX-R750's suspe nsion is very similar to the previous model. The front fork is a fully adjustab le 43mm inverted unit and was initially set to the factory defau lt set tings. The only adjustment I made was to the breeze. The bike's geometry numbers have changed dramatically - when Suzuki says that the new 7S0 handles like a 600, believe it. The wheelbase has been reduced fro m 14 10 to 1400mm, wh ile the rake is a steeper 23.25 degrees, and the trail has been reduced by 3mm to 93mm . The swingarm is largely unchanged for 2004, remaining the same length as the '03 version. All of this combined with the new 359-pound claimed dry weight (6.6 pounds less) makes for a flickable package. The seat height has been decreased by 5mm to 82Smm (33 in.), while the reach to the add rebo und front and rear, primarily to eliminate the chatter I was getti ng on the brakes slowing for the two slowest corne rs. O nce that was settled, the bike felt plush yet compliant. As for the brakes, the new radial-mount calipers mated to smaller, thicker 300 mm rotors and pumped by a new radial-piston master cylinder are excellent. Myonly complaint would be that the front lever sits higher than I like, and it can't be adjusted downward because it would then interfere with the instrument cluste r because of the new master cylinder. Feel and power are excellent, offering more than enough power to stand the bike on its nose at a whim . The GSX-R750 looks virtually identical to the 600, w hich is a goo d thing in the sense that it's a nice look. On the other hand I wish there was something that differentiated the two. The updates to the tail section with the new LED lights and the redesigned nose with the stacked head lights are a big improvement from a styling standpoint. Everything about the bike looks sharp and chiseled with purpose. The bike will be available in blue/wh ite, and yellow/black with a suggested retai l price of $9599. eN Oil-cooled motor , 1410mmwheelbase, double·cradle aluminum frame, 429-pound dry weight. www.cyclenew s.com CYCLE NEWS • MARCH 10,2004 31