We take the legendary Suzuki GSX-R 750 for a ride in the second part of our series, and discover why it still has the ability – 20 years on – to blow one’s hair back.
We take the legendary Suzuki GSX-R 750 for a ride in the second part of our series, and discover why it still has the ability – 20 years on – to blow one’s hair back.
The latest GSX-R 750 is every bit as advanced as refined as its modern counterparts, without being boring. Aggressive and fun, it is a hooligan’s favourite, eagerly delivering up to 95 kW on demand and only redlining at 14 500 r/min! the best way to ride a GSX-R is to thrash it to death, and the current generation, the K5, obliges in true spirit.
Will the 2006 K6 model be true to the heritage of its clan? While time will tell, its specification sheet looks promising. Power and weight claims remain unknown, but it has a new beam-frame to improve its rigidity and a steeper fork angle for better steering feedback. It also has a new engine, lighter wheels, bigger brakes and killer MotoGP-style stubby exhausts.
Is the Pre-Sling still as exciting to ride, 20 years after it first made its appearance?
The example I rode had a smoother throttle, but a disconcerting knack of not closing once released. As a result, I kept over-revving between gear-changes, though simply closing it manually remedied that problem.
Having adapted to the throttle-action, I could relax and enjoy the bike. I had no trouble keeping up with my riding mate on a new Yamaha R6, and snaking through a patch of traffic, we covered some tarmac extremely quickly.
Flatslide carburettors are normally found on racing bikes, but they are remarkably civil when used on the road-going GSX-R. The bike is very nimble at low speeds, though its power delivery felt somewhat flat until about 7 000 r/min. However, its above 7 000 r/min that all hell breaks loose – this machine has a serious appetite form high revs…
About 10 500 r/min unleashes a hundred storming horses, while risking another 500 r/min will carry it to the rev-limiter and 230 km/h. But the 1985 model is known for its instability at speed and Suzuki introduced a longer swing arm (perhaps to calm riders’ nerves), though the wobble I experienced was not worrying at all.
Any superbike worth its label has to produce some awesome straight-line speed, and the GSX-R has more than enough to satisfy any eager fan. It has a high centre of gravity but its light weight makes it very chuckable through a series of tight bends, which the bike easily leans into with minimal effort.
In comparison to newer designs, the brakes are very weak, though this is a characteristic most older models suffer from. While the pegs are low and the handlebars rather high up, the riding position is very comfortable. The fairing is enveloping and you sit in, rather than on, the bike. The tall, humped petrol tank reaches up to my chest, which forces me to hug the bike in the long reach to the clip-on bars.
The only thing saving this 20-year-old from being relegated to sports tourer status is its engine. At the time of its unveiling, nothing could rev like a GSX-R and even now, it continues to delight hooligans of all ages. Its throttle response is crisp and the howl on the wrong side of 7 000 r/min is musical.
Sophistication and ease are what the modern superbike is all about and while the Pre-sling often felt prehistoric, it certainly is a more engaging and lively ride than most modern offerings.
Ducati designer Pierre Terblanche recently conceded that the timeless 916 would be too extreme for the modern Ducati owner, and that the current 999 was designed to be more forgiving. It is clear that the modern biker does not want to be scared. As a result, newer generation Fireblades and R1s have also become softer and more forgiving in the way they handle and ride.
This could be a sign of the times, but don’t ask the never-say-die GSX-R!
