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/128368
L-2_0_0_5_S_u_zu_k_i_G_S_X_-R_7_0_0_0 _ The different colors of the G5X·Rl000. Superbike season, Mladin spat his dummy (that's Australian for a baby spitting its paCifier out and crying like... well, like a baby) repeatedly because his bike didn't have twin injectors per AMA rules that said since the old GSX-R didn't have them stock, the team couldn't use them. Honda had them. Suzuki didn't. Well, not anymore. The new 1000 uses a twin-injector system that should make Mat break out in a smile like never seen before. The SDTV system is ultimately controlled by the right wrist, but there are parts in between that make it work sweeter. Stuff such as an ECM that controls a secondary butterfly valve that opens and closes based on information (engine rpm, gear position and the opening of the pri- Shaving Weight When manufacturers redo their sportbikes, the first thing they try to do is make them lighter. Suzuki did just that with the new GSX-R I000, trimming weight from every conceivable place to get the bike down to just a whisker over 365 pounds. That's a loss of 4.4 pounds from last year and almost nine pounds less than the first GSX·R I000 that was introduced in 2000. The weight loss comes from everywhere. What you feel most, however, is probably the unsprung weight loss that comes from wheels that are now lighter (100 grams on the front, 400 grams on the rear) with much thinner spokes. The sizes remain the same and our test units were fitted with Bridgestone Battlax radials. The new frame is also a big weight saver, with the new construction and dimensions accounting for a loss of 1200 grams. The fuel tank is also 350 grams lighter and the foot· pegs weigh in 100 grams less than before. The electrical system was also a place where Suzuki shaved weight, taking 30 grams from the ECU system, 500 grams from the battery and 400 grams from the generator (Without sacrificing power output, Suzuki says). The engine is quite a bit lighter as well, thanks to lighter intake valves (5.4 grams x 8), exhaust valves (6.4 grams x 8), pistons (8 grams x 4), cylinder head bolts (5.7 grams x 10) and cam cover bolts (1.4 grams x 28). 32 MARCH 9, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS The headlights are still stacked vertically, but the turn signals are now incorporated inta the mirrors. The tail section is trick, with the turn signals also integrated into the seat cowling. mary throttle valve) the computer is giving it. The throttle bodies themselves are also bigger - up 2mm to 44mm - but more compact, allowing for a narrower airbox and fuel tank. The system works and works well. Roll-ons from slow speeds show that throttle pickup is smooth and clean and strong. Ditto for how the system works at high rpm as well. (That's when the multi hole twin-injector system is supposed to work best.) The new bike also revs higher than the old one, with titanium valves, chromenitride plate piston rings, lighter pistons and other minor changes allOWing the GSX-R to rev 1000-rpm more than the '04 model. So, the thing runs good, but how does it handle? Quite nice, actually. Eastern Creek is a racetrack that provides a bit of everything. It starts with a fast, downhill front straight that leads into a dauntingly fast fourth-gear left. From there, you brake hard into a tight left-hand hairpin, where you accelerate hard over a slight rise and into a fast right-hander. Those corners right there are enough to give you a pretty good idea on how the bike works when it comes to stability at speed, hard braking and accelerating. There are also a few sec- tions on the track where you're forced to change directions on the bike while at speed, and the Suzuki does that with relative ease. There are two spots where you exit hard from slow corners onto straights, and both proVide the perfect location for a powerful sportbike to shake its ugly head, but the GSX-R I000 didn't headshake - in spite of a short wheelbase of 55.3 inches (5mm shorter than last year's model). The steering damper doesn't hurt either. It was also extremely stable at speed, with the flick into the fast turn one giving you nothing but confidence. If increasing the rake to shorten the wheelbase was deSigned to make the bike flick easier, Suzuki got that right as well. For it to flick easier and also retain its stability (with 5mm more trail) ... well, they really got it right. One of the things that also helps in all of this is the fact that Suzuki worked hard to concentrate the bike's mass. The distance from the steering head to the crankshaft has been reduced (3mm) and the distance from the crank to the swingarm pivot has also been shortened (3mm), both making the whole package more compact. The swingarm pivot, like last year's model, can