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/1546847
from 10-hole to eight-hole injec- tors but bumping up injector pressure, while retaining the system's four secondary injec- tors that spray fuel directly into the intake funnels from the top of the airbox. Perhaps the most important part of the package remains Suzuki Racing Variable Valve Timing. The mechanically actu- ated SR-VVT system uses a centrifugal mechanism on the intake camshaft sprocket to alter valve timing at high rpm, helping the engine retain its low- and midrange flexibility while delivering the hard-charging top- end expected of a GSX-R. The result on the road is an engine that feels distinctly old- school. Roll the throttle open at low rpm and there is useful ac- celeration, but the drive hits a big dip when the revs reach around 5500 rpm. This is most likely due to crappy fueling because of Euro 5+ emissions regulations, but once you're clear of 6500 rpm, drive is restored and the engine really starts to show its teeth. As the revs build north to 7000-8000 rpm, the GSX-R be- gins to feel increasingly urgent. The transition is progressive rather than a dramatic step in power, but the acceleration gathers momentum with every additional thousand rpm. Suzuki says the revised en- gine produces torque in a more linear fashion and is the most powerful and hardest-accelerat- ing engine in GSX-R history. That may be true, but the erratic low- to mid-range fueling is a bit of a concern. I'd really, really love to have a go on a '27 GSX-R when a pipe and tune have been thrown at it, as I know there's a ton of performance hiding behind that emissions paywall. If you're just cruising from traffic light to traffic light, the GSX-R's engine remains a smooth operator. The GSX-R's throttle connection is direct, but it is not nervous. You can feed the power in without constantly feeling as though the electronics are waiting to rescue you from your right wrist. Then there is the noise. Modern emissions regulations have unquestionably changed the soundtrack of production superbikes, but the GSX-R still delivers the familiar mechanical snarl and that trademark induc- tion roar that make a big-bore inline-four so addictive. Those winglets on either side of the headlight don't do much, but the street Gixxer bros will be pleased they're there. Suzuki's got the GSX-R through all the hoops it needed to jump to gain Euro5 compliance. As such, the engine is heavily revised from top to bottom. P104 RIDE REVIEW I 2027 SUZUKI GSX-R1000RS