BLA FROMT PAS AS THE S
LAPPING UP THE BRI LLIANCE OF ATOP 10
SENIO RTT FINISH ING GSX- R1000…
THE KNOW LEDGE
TESTS
Blastfromthepast......................... 16
It’smadtothinkSuzuki nolongermakesa GSX-R1000…especially havingjustridden onethatfinishedtop10 at thisyear’sTT.
Wishtheywerehere...................... 28
Somanygreatbikes havecome andgone, buthere are nine we thinkshouldstillbein productiontoday.
Alternatively, scantheQR code on thispageand order your nextcopy today.Wewill send it directly toyou! 16 40
UsedBikeGuide.............................. 54
Whodoesn’tlovean’04Fireblade?Well, evenifyoudon’t, checkoutour usedbuyer’s guideonthis beast.
Project37:Part 2............................ 60
AfterTim’strackdebut on SuzukiGSX-8R,it’s timetotreatit to abitofblinginthe workshop.
COLUMNISTS
ChristianIddon 96
He’sridingsowell,Iddon’sneedingseveral newtrophy shelvesat home.
SteveParrish................................... 98 More madnessand wisdomfromthe man they call Parrish.
FEATURES
Whywegoracing 40 What’sthe bighookforbrandsto go racing? We find outfromHonda.
24hoursflat-out!............................ 68
Ever wonderedwhatit’sliketoraceina 24-hourmotorcyclerace? Well,Joe’saccount tellsyou everythingyoucould wishtoknow.
Upinsmoke
There’snothingcomparablewith theear-shatteringcackleofa 500GPmachine.Nomatterhow often Ihearone,itnever failstostartle meand rattlemy senses. IwasatSuzuki Live afewweeksback,being primarily theretotestthisissue’sGSX-R1000cover bike,butwhile Iwasatit Ifoundmyself mesmerisedbythefrequentfire-upsof TeamClassicSuzuki’sarrayoftwo-stoke GrandPrixmachinery.Thesound,smell andmechanicalmarvelofsuchbikes neverfailedtodraw acrowd,pullingfolk infasterthan aseagullspottingchips, buryingthembeneaththekindofhazy bluesmokethat’dbeassuredtoput hair onyourchest. Ihadtolaugh,becausefor allthegleeonpeople’s faces,therewere alsoplentyofonlookers withtheirfingers
intheirears,grimacingwithpaineach time revswereaddedintothe equation. Yet, for alltheirdiscomfort,theycouldn’t bringthemselvestostepawayfromthe source.I couldn’teither...thecloser Igot, themorealluringthesebikesseemed to be.Why? Iguessbecausetheyarea worldawayfromtheonewenowknow. Theysounddifferent,smelldifferent,and performdifferent.The engineering involvedisperhaps afractionas complex aswhatgoes intocontemporary equivalents,yet it somehowseems there’ssomuchmoregoingonwith thesebikes. One RGVhad itssidepanels offwhilebeingwarmed,giving accessto theside-mountedcarbsthatspatout atomisedfuel like adribblingdrunk. Ina worldwhereanelectriclawnmowercan beblamedforcreating aholeinthe ozone,machinery like thisissomehowso
refreshing andtangible, beingupthere withtheallureofa V12Merlin. Ilost track oftimewatchingthese bikes, notexactly knowingwhatI waslooking for or expectingtohappen;like allthose around, Iwas lostunder their spell, which wouldonlybreak following thehit of akill switch. Thenoisewouldstop, thesmoke wouldvanish,andthe crowdwould part andgoaboutdoingwhatever itwasthey weredoingbeforethey’dbeenlulledin. Andsotheprocesswouldrepeat with everyfire-up.Itnever gotold, andI don’t thinkit ever will.It’samazinghowfast technologyisadvancing, howimpressive newpowersystemsare, butactually sometimeswhatyouwant andneed morethananything is agoodrattlingof yourcochleaandcoatinginmicroscopic two-strokeparticles.Itworks for me. Enjoythemag,
...andepicwheeliepuller
Some things arebetterleft behind,but Fast Bikes isn’tone of them trustus. Fora start, we’d miss you, butit’dalso mean you’dmis sout on awhole
load of news,reviews,tech, talksand insightintopioneering protagonists.Justthink about theroad trips, theproject bike builds –and allthe excuseswe throwinwiththem. We want you on this ride,and we want your stories, your inputand guidance, so don’t be astranger! Check
outthe cracking dealswe’ve got here andlet’s getyou settled into anotherseasonof thegoodstuff from the UK’s leadingsport sbike magazine.
PL ANE T FAST BIKES –
BMWR1300 GS ADVENTUREUNLEASHED
It’sprobably aterriblestereotypetosaythatthe Germanslikeorderandorganisation –but they do likethingsto runonafamiliarschedule, wereckon. Hencethis:the newR1300GSAdventure,launched about ayearafterthenewbaseR1300GS. Asever,thevariant comeswith aslightlyweird comboofmore luxurytouringabilityandmore hardcore off-road chops,makingitlookmoresuited tothedirt,whileadding30-oddkg.Theidea, we guess, istosellthedream of super-long-range adventuring withyoursignificantother,while being abletotake on anyroute.How manycustomersend updoing any of that isanother question, ofcourse… Thebasics remainthesameasthestandard1300 GS:thelatestgeneration145bhp water-cooledBoxer engine,with thegearboxslung under thecrank, mountedto asheetsteelfabricatedframewithalloy rearsubframeandtheEVOversions of the Telelever and Paralevermonoshock suspensionsystemsat eitherend.TheAdventure has atougherrear subframethough, withsomeforged aluminium sections;allthe betterforcarryingbiggerloads,we imagine.
Themostobviouschangeistothefueltankand bodywork,whichlooks andfeelsmuchmore massive.The tankisaboxy aluminium30-litrejob, whichwill pleasethosewho hate stoppingfor petrol, andhas anew clip-onluggagemount systemthat letsyouaddbags andstorage netsonthe sides,as wellasthe usualtop-mount tankbag.You getmore weather protectionfromthewinder tanksurround, aswellas alargerwindscreenandextra wind deflectors,plusstandardhandprotectors which incorporatetheindicators now. BMW’s alsoadded somenewtrickLEDridinglightseithersideofthe
headlamp,which aresuper-flat andintegratednicely intothe bodywork.
The other big changeis on theequipment front. The Adventure comeswiththefirm’sDSAelectronic semi-activesuspensionset-up as stock, which isan optiononthe basebike,and there are afewother standardfitluxuries,like keyless ignition,tyre pressure monitors,hot grips,cruise controland enginebrakecontrol.Butthere’sloadsofnew optionstoo,including thenewASA automatic transmission, whichreplaces the clutchandgear leverswithelectronicactuators,givingautomatic andmanual-overridetransmission options.BMW has designed anewaluminiumhard luggage systemthat includesmagnetic USBpower connectors for charginginsidethecasesandfor extra add-onlights. Thecasescanalso be fitted with extensions for evenmore capacity.And the optionslistismassive, withtreatslikeforgedEndurowheels,radar-assisted cruisewith front andrearcollisionwarnings, adaptive heightadjustmentfor the shortofleg,and loadsofluggage,heatedseats,differentseatheights, emergencycall... younameit. It’sall controlledby thelatest6.5in colourTFTLCD dashboard with Bluetooth phone linkandthe BMW Motorradapp. Impressive stuff,then –but you’llpaythepricefor allthis,bothinterms of weight andRRP.The kerb massis now 269kg,32kgmorethanthe stockbike, thoughsome of thatwill be down totheextrafuel carried.And pricing startsat£18,870forthe standardGSA –but noonebuys astandardone,of course.The touring-editionR1300GSATEis£20,635 andthe TE withthe ASAauto gearboxis£21,300. The newAdventure isexpected tobeavailablein dealers by theendoftheyear.
DUCATIDESERTX DISCOVERY
We arebigfansoftheDucati DesertXhere –itlooksgreat, goeswell,andisrealfunto ride. Thefirmexpandedthe line-upwith aRallyversionat theendoflastyearandnow there’sanothervariant,the DesertXDiscovery.Asyou mightexpect,it’saimedat longer-distance work,witha selectionof add-onpartsthat includesome slick aluminium hardluggage, hotgrips,taller windscreen anda centrestandallfitted asstandard.The Bolognaengineershave
toughenedupthe off-road chopstoo,withbeefy fairing andenginebars,reinforced handguards,radiator protector and achunkysumpguard. Thatallcomesontopofthe decentstandardkitspec, includingthe21-litrefueltank, TFTdash,cruisecontrol, extensiveIMUassistedridingaids andLEDlighting. Performance remainsthesame too,withthe 110bhp937cc Testastretta engine,off-road biaschassis,21in frontwheeland long-travelsuspension. It’sintheshopsnow, pricedat£17,295.
KOVE MO TO HITS THEUK
Youmighthaveseenthe Kove namein acoupleofunusual placesoflate.TheChinese bikemakerhasfocusedon competition,enteringthree 450RallyEXbikesintothe DakarRallythisyear,aswellas competingintheWorld Supersport300championship withits321RRsportsbike, whereit’smanagedtoget podiumfinishestoitsname already.
AndnowtheChongqingbasedfirmhassetup aproper UKimporterwhich willbringin thefull rangeofadventureand small-boresportsbikes.It’s kickingoffwiththe510Xand
800XProadventuretourers, whichcomewithsolidspec on paper.
The800features a95bhp 799ccparallel-twinDOHC enginein alightweight185kg chassis,withKYB adjustable suspensionfrontand rear,21in frontwheeland acolour LCD dashasstandard.
Fancysomething abit smaller?The510X hasa 46bhp471ccparalleltwin engine,KYBadjustable suspension,Pirellityresand colourTFTdash.
TheUKdealernetworkis beingsetupnow:more infoat www.kovemotouk.com
YAMAHA SHOWSOFF AUTOMATICTRANSMISSION
Yamahawasthefirstto bring out anautomaticgearboxinrecent years;itsFJR1300supertourergot anautomated transmission back in2006, dubbedYCC-S.Andnow it’slauncheda modernversion, the YamahaAutomatedManual
Transmission– Y-AMT. Like the recent HondaE-Clutchand BMW ASAsystems,itused computercontrolledgearandclutch actuators,togetherwitha ride-by-wire throttle system,to provide anautomatic transmission,with manual override and a‘sport’ performanceauto mode.There’s noclutchor gear lever,justanup/ down switch on thebars,anda mode selectorswitch. No word on whenwe’llseethis,oronwhich bikes,butyou’dexpect itto featureon thelikesofthe Tracer 700and900adventure touring modelsfirst,plus theother MT models.
THEPACKTALKPRO
Building on therenowned PACKTALKseries,the PACKTALK PRO from Cardo Systemssetsa new standardfor intercom technologywithin-built crash detection, auto on/off functionality,and 45mmJBL speakers.
FeaturingCardo’sreliable DynamicMeshCommunication (DMC),thePRO connectsto15 users witheasygroupingand
auto-healing. Itfits anyhelmet withouttools,secured by Cardo’s magneticairmount,whichis glove-friendly.
The PACKTALK PROincludes waterproof IP67 rating, Bluetooth 5.2, over-the-airsoftware updates,fast charging,USB type-C,FMradio,a universal Bluetoothintercom, anda three-year warranty.
Pricedat£405, it’savailableas a single unit For more
HONDAUKCELEBRATES ADVENTURES WITH NEW AFRICA TWIN VARIANT
Hondahasbeen runningits AdventureRoads events since2017,withamazing toursto placeslikeIceland, Norway andSouthAfrica, andit’sreleased aspecial editionofitsCRF1100Africa Twinadventuretourer to markthe2024eventin Morocco.
Just75 of thelimitededitionbikeswill be built, 30 withDCTtransmissionand 45with amanualgearbox,
andtheyare being kitted out with aloadof genuine bolt-onaccessories.These include afull engineand fairingcrash barinstall, auxiliarylightsand radiator guard,aswellas numbered plaquesandspecial graphics.Thebikes are priced at£1000morethan stock:£15,699forthe manualbikesand£16,899 for theDCT versions.More infofromyourHonda dealer.
HONDAJOINS UP TO THETAKE ANOTHERLOOKCAMPAIGN
HondaUKisbacking asafety drivelaunched by threeScottish women,allofwhomlosttheir partners in bike crashes.The Take AnotherLook campaign,set up by TraceyMarsh,Maureen Rutherfordand Jacqueline Dickson,alongsideMotorcycle LawScotland, urgesall road userstostopandlook againat junctionsformotorcycles.
The Japanese bikeand car makerissetto double the campaign’sinitialreach. Leveragingitsextensivesocial mediachannels,Honda willalso rallysupportforthe #TakeAnotherLook petitionled by actorSamHeughan.AndHonda hasannouncedthatitwillstrive forzerotraffic collisionfatalities involvingHondamotorcyclesand automobiles globallyby 2050, launchingseveralinitiativesto supportitsgoals.
NeilFletcher,head of motorcyclesatHondaUK,said, “Tracey,Maureenand Jackiehave showntremendous braveryto stepforward.Their partnerswere allexperiencedmotorcyclists wholovedbeing outontheroad, andwehadno hesitationin supportingtheir campaign.
IAN SIMPSON AUTOBIOGRAPHY RELE ASED
He wasanenormous nameinbike racingback in the 1990s,with aBSB andBSS championshipdoublein 1994,andisstillthelastmanto win BritishSuperbikeon aBritish-built machine –theDuckhams Norton rotary.
Andnow the five-times British championandthree-times TT winnerIanSimpsonhasreleased hisautobiography,writtenwith legendary bike sportsjournalist StuartBarker.Thebook,called Forever Playboy,tellshowthe Scottish racerbeatlegendslikeCarl Fogarty,SteveHislop andJoey Dunlop,before nearlydyinginhis career-ending crashin2000. The bookcosts£20 andisavailable exclusivelyfrom www. iansimpson.co.uk.Simpson will also be signing copiespersonallyat variousbike eventsthroughoutthe year;details on the website.
“Roadsafetyiseveryone’s responsibility,from the manufacturers developing new safetytechnology to cardrivers and bikeriders,and themessage of the#TakeAnotherLook campaignholdsfor everyone.”
Speakingonbehalfof the three widows, Thomas Mitchell, partneratMotorcycleLaw Scotland, added: “Weare thrilled thatHonda,theworld’sbiggest motorcyclemanufacturer,is supportingthe campaign.
“Thecases our firm dealswith daily for motorcyclistsandtheir familiesshow clearlythat motorcyclistsare often victimsof otherroaduser’slapsesin judgement.
“So,weneedto remind motorists thateverytimethey get behind thewheel of acar, theyassume control ofa machinecapableofcausing harm to others.”
#TakeAnotherLook isalso supported by theBritish Motorcyclists Federation, Motorcycle ActionGroup,IAM RoadSmart,BikerDownScotland and RoadPeace. Moreinfo: www.TakeAnotherLook.co. uk
ALOHAFROM HINCKLEY
Oneforallyouold rock ‘n’ roll fans out there: Triumphhasreleaseda specialElvis Presley versionofits T120Bonneville to celebratethe Memphislegendbuying aloadof Triumphbikes forhis crewbackin the1960s.The Elvisbikesare officiallylicensed bythePresley estateandfeature the king’s signature on thetanks, as wellas special paint andnumbered plaques. Just 925 will bebuilt, costing£14,495 each.
ENDOFHONDA 50S
Oneofthosestories thatmakeyou realise how things are changing: Honda in Japanhasannounceditis ending productionofpetrolpowered bikes of 50cc andbelow capacity.E-bicycles,electric mopeds and otherurbanmobility productshaveunderminedthe marketfor 50ccpetrolunitsand tighteremissionshavefinished them off.Nomore Cub,Vision, MelodyorExpress50sfor 16-year-oldstolearn on –shame…
ALLTHE LATEST,COOLES
T&TRICK ES TPERFORMANC EPRODUC TS
FURYGAN K12X
Furyganhasrevampedits Kevlarreinforcedridingjeansfor2024witha newsingle-layerconstruction, adjustablekneeprotectorpocketsand astretchdenimmaterial.Thereare alsonew ‘Ghost’slimCEarmour panelsfromBritishfirmD3O,andthe straight-cut K12Xjeanshave aAAA protectioncertificate.Theycomein twocolours,carbonandmediumblue, insizes26-40.
RRP: £209.99. ww w.furygan.com
ALPINESTARS TECH AIR7AIRBAG
Motorcycleairbagsare becomingmorewidespread thankstofirmslikeAlpinestars, DaineseandIn&Motion,which areallexpandingtheir product ranges.Thisisthelatest high-enddesignfrom Alpinestars,aimedat race/track androad use,whichfeaturesa dualinflatorsystemso it can
RRP: £950
energisetwiceinabad or extendedcrash.Thegas generatorsareeasilyreplaced, andtheairbagworksasa standaloneunitorintegrated into asuitableAlpinestarssuit/ jacket. It protectsthe back, chest andshoulders,withan extendedbackprotectorpanel to cover thecoccyx.
SPADA TACHIBOO TS
ACE-approvedriding boot in aslicktrainer style, the Tachi bootfeatures anaturalgum soleandperforated synthetic upper withsilver3Mreflectivefabricand awaterproof membrane.There’sfullCEprotection,and extracomfort from aballistic nylonpaddedcollar.Concealedlaceloops and pull-on heeltabmakethemeasyto geton,andthere aresmooth heelandshifter overlays.
RRP: £139.99w ww.spadaclothing.c om
OXFORD RIDGEBACKRIDINGSHIRT
Areinforced ridingshirt perfect forcruising round town on asummernight,the Ridgebackshirtlooksgood, andismadefromAA-rated ‘Armourlite’ cotton/denim material.CEleveltwoarmour inshoulders andelbows,plus
beltconnectionloopsandan optional back protector pocketroundoffthe protection. It’sfleece-linedfor extrawarmthand comfort, andit hasasmart, urban style.Comesin blackorgrey, insizesS-5XL.
RRP: £139.99w ww.oxf or dproduct s.com
DUC ATI CORSE SOFT SHELLJACK ET
Ducatican’tdoanythingwrongin MotoGPatthemoment.But we’resureitwillbe appreciativeifyoushow yoursupportwith this tidywindproofjacket. It’smadefrom an elasticated soft-shell outerthatcombines threelayersofsmart material:soft-shell, windproofand breathablemembrane, microfleece.Super comfyandsupersharp.
RRP: £124.90w ww.ducat i.com
AGV ROSSIMUGELLO 1999
K1-S HELMET
He’sbeenretiredforagood fewyearsnow,but Valentino Rossiisstillthetopbikestar for many.Andfanscanstill celebratehisroyalGOATnesswith avarietyofreplica Rossilids.ThisAGVK1-Sisa budget-pricedroadlidwitha sportydesign,anditlooks aceinthis‘Mugello1999’ replicapaintjob.The shellis alightweightthermoplastic construction,withtwoouter sizesandan aero-spoiler.It’s fullyCE22.06approved,uses adouble-Dstrap,has aquickreleasePinlockMaxvisor, andwashableremovable liner.It’slighttoo,atjust 1500gclaimed.
LS2 ALBA MESH JACK ET
Okay,it’sbeena disappointingyearfor blazing temperaturesinthe UKsofar(and even more disappointinginAlba…),but there’sstillhope –anda mesh riding jacket is agreat thingto haveforthose super-hotdays, whenyou wantto stay coolbutremain protected.This LS2 Albaisa well-pricedoption:it’sfully vented withmesh panels front andrear,CEarmour, and hasanoptionalback protectorpocket.Impact areas haveextra layersof ripstopmaterial, andthere arefive pockets, including one that’swaterproof.Sizes S-5XL,in blackorgrey, with red highlights.
RRP: £119.99 (+£29.99 for back pr ot ec tor) ww w.ls2helme ts.c om
RRP: £210 ww w.ag v.com
HJC R-PH A12HELMET
Latestfull-carbonmid-priced sport lid from HJC,the R-PHA12 has anewaero design, revampedventsystem,and atwo-way pivot ratchet visor mechanism.There’san emergency cheek pad releasesystem to help first responders after acrash,removable washablelining,andsome neatdesign touches: agoldanodised double-Dringstrap andgunmetalventingframes.Comeswitha five-yearwarrantyandECEE22.06approval.
RRP: £499.99w ww.hjchelmet s.eu
GermanfirmLouis Motohasits own Rothewald rangeofgarage kitand tools,includingthis 180-piecemetricsocket set.It comesin atoughhingedplastic case,with 1in, 3/8inand 1in drive ratchets and sockets that willcover mostcommon bike jobs.You alsoget T-bars, extensions,universaljoints, spark plug socketsand arange of Torx,female star,hex and screwdriver bits too.A good basefor afirst toolkit,or ahandy upgradeforoldrusty kit, we reckon.
RRP: £169 ww w.louis- mo to.c o.uk
BL AST FROM THE PAST
Twoyears onfromSuzukicalling timeonitsiconic GSX-R1000, thisone’sjustfinished eighth intheSeniorTT.Here’swhy…
Freshfromthe track,breathing heavily andsweatinglikea drugmule in Heathrow airport, Icouldn’thelpbut question my ftnessandwhetheror notthat chocolateeclairforbreakfast wasthe smartestchoice.Maybe not,butI’m notthe onlyonetomakedebatablechoices, with perhapsabiggermistakebeingSuzuki’s decisiontoletgoofitsfagshipGSX-R1000at theendof 2022. Forme, it onlyseemslike yesterdayIwas spinninglapsonthisgame changeraroundPhilipIslandduringits launchin2017,lauding it for itsGP-derived engineering,torqueymotorandimpressively agilechassis.
As aroadbike, it wasprettydamngood, andontrackit wouldgoontowin domestic championshipsthe world over,plus aSenior TTinitsmaiden yearinthehandsofMichael Dunlop,wholappedtheIslandwitha 133mph average.Itwas neverthefastest,nor thesmartest,butitwas perhaps thebest overallpackageonthe sceneuntilthelast fewyears, whenthelikes ofBMW’s S1000RR, Ducati’sPanigaleV4andHonda’s CBR1000RRuppedtheirgames and rendered itobsolete,with anighon30bhp defcit compared to itsrivals.
Suzukihadtwochoices:goall-outtofnd morepower, lessweightand adashthat didn’tlooklikeathrowbackfromKnight Rideroracceptitsfateandbowoutwith dignity.Unfortunately,inmyopinion,it chosethelatter.But thestory hasn’tstopped there,becauseforallthosepeoplehungup onbighorsepowerfgures and shinytrick bits,thereare alsoanabundanceofracers andteamsthathave continuedtoseethe depthand versatilityofthisdiscontinued protagonist.
Forinstance,two rounds in tothe EnduranceWorldChampionship, itis Suzuki’sGSX-R1000Rleadingthe wayinthe standings…and abit closerto home,the
bikeyou see beforeyou hasrecentlyfnished this year’sSeniorTTinanimpressiveeighth place,ridden masterfully by my friend Shaun Anderson. Ifollowedhisprogress onthe TeamClassicSuzuki GSX-Rincessantlyand couldnothavebeenprouderof hissolidtop 10 fnish,mixing withthebigboys onthe factory-backedmachinesandachieving his ownPBofa130.7mphlap intheprocess. On paper,there’snothingtoo remarkableabout his result, whatwith him being acracking motorcycleengineer by dayand experienced road racerontheweekends,but it’sonly when youlook alittlecloser,listenthatbit morecarefullyandtakeinthemountainsized challengehefaced, youcan’thelpbut doff your hypotheticalcapto himandhis team.
Having ventured thewholesevenmiles frommyhouse toCadwellPark, Shaun wasn’tactually theretogreetmewithhis bike;instead, amanwhoknows itperhaps evenbetterthanShaundid wasonhand, warmingthe bikemeticulouslyin readiness formydebut.“Just keepan eye onthe temperature,”cameadvicefromtheteam’s front manandguru,Nathan Colombi.“Don’t letit go above 95°c,and ifitdropsbelow70, comeinandI’llput sometape overthe radiator.And by the way, remember there’s no wheeliecontrolortractioncontrol,sotake your timeto getused toit.”
At thatpoint, my stomachpromptly droppedtothefoor.The realisationhitme thatunlike thecomparablysoftand cuddly productionbikes I’mused toriding,this pricelesspieceofTT history, litteredwiththe stonechipsandsplatteredfies from itslast outing,was ameregreedythrottlehand away fromobliterationaroundany oneofthe circuit’stight and tricky corners. Abitof sense wouldhave seen methankNathan profuselyfortheopportunity,beforefnding aseatinthegrandstandwhile someoneelse
Right: Wheeliecontrol? Neverheard of it.
gave it athrashing.Butwisdomandsmart choiceshaveneverbeen my forte,soonI hoppedandoff Itrundled.
EvenbeforeIgottothetrack Iwas mindfulthatthisbikewas special. As frm as abrick,andwithbarsasbroad asa bodybuilder, itfelt every bitthepukkarace bike, withtheMotecdash reiteratingthat guise,tellingmethattheengine wasin warm-upmodeinbigletters, ensuringI didn’tjustpullthepinandblow theback doorsoutofitsBSB-spectunedmotor.
Theironywas that as much as thebike needed awarm-up,sotoodidI.It’dbeena goodwhilesinceI’d spunlapsaround Cadwellon aGSX-R,andthethoughtof gettingitwrongsentshiversdownmyspine –notleastbecauseNathan’sbiggerthan me and Iwouldn’tknowwheretohide.So, whenthegatesopenedandthetrack went live, Idugdeeptofnd abitof sense,easing my way intothe experience.
Thefunnythingisthatdespiteholding back,I knewinaninstantthatthis wasn’t
BO DY WO RK
“T he bo dy work is made by King Carb on,but this particular sethas b eenmodified quiteabit to suit theT T. Aestheticall y, thebikes till lo oks very much like as tandardGSX-R10 00,but to make it better forShaun, we fabric ated in afew newareas of fibreglas sto made thefront al area that bitw ider andt akethe pres sure of fthe rider, anditproveda massivehelpfor Shaunout on track. Otherw is e, thisis avery lightweightand strong setofb od ywork, no differenttow hatyou’d find on aB SB bike,for inst ance.”
SUSP EN SION
“Werun afullÖ hlinss et-upw ithFGforks andthe RSPrearshock.
They ’reabout as go od as youc an getonabikeofthisnature, but obviousl y, riders et-upmakes ahugedif ference. To help achievemore weig ht overthe front, we runthe forksquite throug hthe yokesand there’sagoo damountofprelo ad on thereartohelpachieve the desiredrideheight, whichinturnhas givenusalot more mechanic al supp or tand grip.T he of fs et yokesallow fors teeringheadadjus tability, andatthe rear we’veintro ducedanew shocklinkage to help achieve an improved feel.”
EN GINE
“T he engine is afullB SB -specengine, meaningthere areonly enhancements upwardsof thepis tons.Itmakes ab out2 06bhpatthe rear wheel, whichobviously meansweare down quitea bitonour rivals in termsofp eakp ower,so much of ourworkonthe bike has been on thethrot tletransitionand to be able to make themos tofthe poweratall times.”
thefre-breathingheadcaseI expected. For starters, Iwas impressed by howagileitfelt, turning sosharplythat Ihadtocorrect my line afew timesonthat frst lapforfearof givingthetracksidegrassa bitof atrim. Maybethat wouldchangewhenIcranked up thepace,but Iwas genuinelyshockedathow lithetheSuzuki was,especiallyconsidering thatthesizeable24-litretankinfrontofme was brimmedfortheday, sothebikewas weighinginatabout 200kilos…butitdidn’t feellikeit.AndbecauseIfeltsocomfywith the waythebikehandled, Istartedtolikethe wholepackagemuchquickerthanI’d anticipated.
With afew lapsinthebag, Ifredoutof Barnontothe startstraight,buryingthe rear Dunlopintotheground,whilethefront wheel’sMetzelerslickloftedthreetimes beforesettlingwhen Isnickedfourth.Damn, thisthingfeltfast,butthedeliverywas so smoothandlinearthat Isoonbeganto acclimatisetotheperformance,anticipating therushofenergythatpoweredthebike
UNDERTHE SK IN
There’snotwowaysaboutit,theTeamClassic Suzuki GSX-R1000is averyspecialpiece of kit. To hammerhome exactlywhat makesitsospecial,weaskedthebike’s builder, NathanColombi,totalk over afewofits key features.