Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 19 MAY 13, 2014 P67 we would have a go on the track, but Suzuki had that reserved for its new MotoGP team. The Yo- shimura boys also showed up to get in some much needed test- ing as well. Plus the newly ap- pointed COTA ambassador Kevin Schwantz was going to put in some laps on a Superbike and the new MotoGP bike to warm- up before going to the Suzuka 8 Hour in July. While the weekend weather for the race was splendid, Suzuki ran out of luck when Mother Na- ture prevailed in our only day to ride the GSX-R1000. A massive storm rolled through the area, cutting our ride short. More than anything, the ride did, however, remind me what a great bike the GSX-R1000 is. As usual with a liter-class bike there was plenty of power on tap. As soon as we set out I was nailing it and before I knew it I was going way too fast for public roads. The throttle response was precise and smooth and shifting up through the gears was spot on. We made it a fair way down the road, but the sky was darkening and the wind was starting to pick up. When the rain started to fall I was happy to utilize the S-DMS, Suzuki's Drive Mode Selector feature. There are three power modes from which to choose, all available on the left handlebar controls via your thumb or index finger. I started the ride in the A mode, which is full power, but as the rain began to fall harder I switched to the B mode. With no previous riding experi- ence on the roads of Texas, I was erring on the side of caution and the power modes were a big help in those kinds of conditions. You can spin up a 1000cc sportbike easily and be on your derriere in a matter of seconds. The B mode has plenty of pow- er but the hit is not nearly as hard as the A mode - and the power curve is less aggressive. Perfect for wet roads. The wind, as I men- tioned earlier, was getting worse and at one point I felt the bike moving around on its own. Now riding in the rain is one thing, but this was starting to get sketchy. Braking was another concern with the roads being very slip- pery due to the fact that it had not rained there in a while. For- tunately for us, the stock Brembo front brake setup - equipped with mono-block radial mount four- MOTOGP DREAMS board in 2015. When asked what was the tough- est problem at the moment for the MotoGP project, he replied that it was fuel economy vs. power output. With only 20 liters of fuel available to the prototype machines, it's been hard to find a competitive balance within the confines of the current rule structure. After several passes around the two bikes, I noticed that each had a differ- ent frame design. Barely noticeable were the extra reinforcing plates featured on the upper frame rails just below the gas tank cover leading up toward the headstock on one of the bikes. Chassis-wise the new bike works well, but there's still more develop- ment left in it to find the optimum performance as dictated by the two different types of frames of the test bikes. There is still much to do before Suzuki can come out and compete at the current level of MotoGP. More power is always at the top of the list and equally important is how smooth the power can be put to the ground – all a matter of electronics. After clocking times within a few seconds of the MotoGP race pace set a few days before, Suzuki can feel as- sured that they are on the right track. Hopefully, we will get to see the bike in action sometime this year. The real question at the end of the day was: Is the next generation GSX-R1000 going to utilize some of the same design characteristics of the new MotoGP bike? If so, when can we have a go on it? Sooner or later all this new technol- ogy will make its way to the street mar- ket, which will justify the passion and expense of racing in the first place. I'm sure Suzuki's new GSX-R1000 will be a great leap forward for its GSX-R series. I just hope I'm back at Austin next year for a proper introduction. Test rider Randy de Puniet puts the bike through its paces at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin.

• Cover