Cycle News

2014 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 FIRST RIDE P68 piston calipers and 310mm discs - was easy to control. The Brem- bo front brake master cylinder's action was very user friendly at the lever while at the same time you had a good sense of feel so it was easy to modulate pressure without locking the front up. A real plus in the rain. Eventually the weather went from bad to worse so we found an overpass to camp under be- fore we ducked in to a diner to wait it out. After about an hour and a half the weather started to easy up so we headed back out. The sun was coming out and the roads were drying, but there was still plenty of danger lurking around most corners. What little riding we got in was not enough to really test out the chassis. The 2014 GSX-R fea- tures the same Showa BPF forks and rear suspension package as the previous model. On some of the bumpy sections of freeway and back roads that we did get to ride on, the Showa suspension was compliant and felt planted but I'm sure there was a lot more to it. The back torque slipper clutch was another plus in ugly road conditions like the ones we were experiencing, making for easy down shifts without rear-end chatter or the chance of it coming around in the wet. One thing I will say is that the Bridgestone Bat- tlax BT016, which are standard issue for the 2014 GSX-R1000, worked well in the wet. As far as ergonomics go, the 2014 GSX- R1000 was comfortable enough, though I did have trouble reach- ing the shifter at times. I wish the nub was out just a little further. All the other controls were acces- sible and easy to use. The 2014 model features the same 999cc powerplant as did the 2012 model with initial en- gine design targets of weight reduction, increased low-to-mid range power, improved throttle response, and better fuel econo- my. A whole host of engine modi- fications were incorporated into the 2012 model - new pistons, cams, new valve-overlap timing, and back to the classic four-into- two-into-one exhaust system. In the end the GSX-R1000 still has the same peak power out- put of 185 horsepower with the same torque output as the 2011 model. The power power curve is increased and smoother in the mid-range on the 2012 and up through 2014 models. The new 2014 GSX-R doesn't even get BNG (Bold New Graph- ics). Usually you can count on that for an unchanged new mod- el, but I was wrong again. I wish I could tell you more about the new 2014 GSX-R1000, but that's all she wrote. CN Montano desperately wanted to ride the bike on the Circuit of the Americas, but this was as close as they'd let him get to the track. They obviously didn't know his credentials as the AMA Pro Thunder Champion in 2001.

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