EJ
2006 Middleweight
Shootout
I
78
Points
VITAL
STATISTICS
Measured
wet weight:
434 lb.
Peak
horsepower:
1O6.68 hp
Peak torque:
43.20 ft.-lb.
\rt'reigtttopcrEr
ratir:
4.ffi b.7hP
FastEst
l+ tirc: z:CD.zl3
(Sorersenl
Quarterxnile
tjme:
10.793 @ 130.49
mph
Price:
$8799
ENGiINE
KEY CHANGES:
.
More compact 599cc
en8ine
.
New Shorty exhaust
.
Redesitned mm-air
system
.
Slipper clutch
.
Two injectors
per
cyiinder
The Suzuki comes
into this shootout
with a
whole host of changes
for 2006.
Not only was
the entine completely
redesitned
(see
C),cle
News, lssue
# 12, March
29), but also makes
considerably
more
power this year. Last
year
our Gixxer
made
100.53 horsepower and
45.04 ft.-lb. of
torque, while the
new model
churned
out 106.68 horsepower
and a
little
less torque
at 43.20 ft.-lb.
What
is interestint is that the
nature ofthe
bealt
seems completet different
than
the
engine
that we remember
from a
year ago-
The
previous
GSX-R
seemed to
rev a lot
more freely wiah the
tach snappint
across the
tachorneter.
The n€west iteration
of the GSX_R
revs more leiruret
Despite
the fact that
(he
new-generaaion
powerplant makes less
peak
torque, it
has a broader,
flaner torque curve
and
makes consideEbly
more torque lower
in
the
rpm ran8e.
"The
Suzuki
is less hyperactive than
the
Yamaha,"
Sorensen
said.
"lt
has decent
low_
end
grunt,
but
its not outstanding.
Like the
Yamaha,
it
is easy to keep the bike
in the
power
with
the slipper clutch, but
it do€sn't
rev as
quickly as the other bikes."
On
the street the torque
was more
usable
and
easier to access.
Pulling out of slower
cor-
ners the Suzukiwould
pull
from
low rPm with
ease. lt a.complished
the same
mission on the
track, br.rt feels
like it
quits pulling as hard in
the upper
rev range.
The Suzuki's
fuel-iniection system
i5 all
new and
features for the first rime
twin_iniec-
tor throttle
bodies. The throatle-body
assem-
bly
is much narrower,
which helped
make the
brke s middle se
