ROAD TEST SUZUKI GSX-R600 SUZUKI GSX-R750

28 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 17, 2004
ROAD TEST
SO, DOES SIZE REA
SUZUKI GSX-R600
PRECISION handling, a
screaming motor and
eye-popping brakes
are the 600’s forte
‘The 600 needs to be thrashed
mercilessly to keep up with the
bigger GSX-Rs – but is more
rewarding to ride than the 1000’
820mm
HEIGHT: 1145mm
770mm
450mm
WEIGHT: 161kg (355lb)
TRAIL: 93mm
WHEELBASE: 1390mm
PROS ● Good midrange power and a screaming top end ● Light, agile handling ● Powerful brakes have loads of feel
CONS ● Relative lack of power makes it hard to stay with bigger GSX-Rs on fast A-roads
93%
OVERALL LENGTH: 2055mm
SUZUKI
GSX-R750 K4
£7649 otr
Available: March 2004. 24
months unlimited mileage
warranty. 12 months AA
cover
Colours: Blue/white,
grey/black, yellow/black
New for 2004: New model
Insurance group: 17 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB,
01892-707001
SPECIFICATION:
RAKE: 23°
FUEL: 17 litres
770mm
820mm
HEIGHT: 1150mm
FUEL: 17 litres
Engine: Liquid-cooled, 599cc (67
x 42.5mm), 16v dohc, four-stroke
in-line four. Fuel injection. Six gears
Chassis: Aluminium twin-spar.
Front suspension: 43mm upsidedown forks, adjustable for preload, rebound and compression
damping
Rear suspension: Single shock,
adjustable for pre-load, rebound
and compression damping
Tyres: Front 120/70 x 17,
180/55 x 17 rear
Brakes: 2 x 300mm front discs
with radial four-piston calipers,
220mm rear disc with twin-piston
caliper
OVER SEAT: 1800mm
SPECIFICATION:
RAKE: 24°
OVER SEAT: 1800mm
Available: Mid to late
February. With 24 months
unlimited mileage warranty,
12 months AA recovery
Colours: Blue/white,
yellow/black.
New for 2004: New model
Insurance group: 14 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB,
01892-707001
IT’S hard to upset the
750 – even at the
mental speeds its
banzai motor kicks out
‘The 750’s motor begs to be spanked
to the redline at every opportunity. It
feels as nimble and flickable as the
600, too... but with 23bhp extra on tap’
OVERALL LENGTH: 2075mm
SUZUKI
GSX-R600 K4
£6849
SUZUKI GSX-R750
450mm
WEIGHT: 163kg (361lb)
TRAIL: 93mm
WHEELBASE: 1400mm
Engine: Liquid-cooled, 749cc
(72mm x 46mm)16v dohc fourstroke in-line four. Fuel injection.
Six gears
Chassis: Aluminium twin-spar
Front suspension: 43mm forks,
adjustable for pre-load, rebound
and compression damping
Rear suspension: Single shock
adjustable for pre-load, rebound
and compression damping
Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front,
180/55 x 17 rear
Brakes: 2 x 300mm front discs
with four-piston radial calipers,
220mm rear disc with
two-piston caliper
PROS ● Only 2kg heavier than the GSX-R600 ● Handles just like a 600 but with another 23bhp ● Growling induction noise
CONS ● The GSX-R won’t stand out in a crowd – it looks too similar to the 600 ● Suspension too soft on standard settings
95%
MARCH 17, 2004 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 29
ALLY MATTER?
BY MICHAEL NEEVES PICTURES MARK MANNING
SUZUKI GSX-R1000
BALLS-OUT power
and a top speed over
180mph make the
Gixer Thou stand out
GSX-R750’s first UK road test
pits it against its smaller 600
sibling and brutish1000 big bruv...
S
UZUKI appears to have
all angles covered in the
world of badass,
cutting-edge sports
bikes. But where on
earth does its brand
new GSX-R750 fit into the great
scheme of things?
The GSX-R1000 serves to satisfy
even the most hardcore speed
freaks, with its insane 998cc fourcylinder motor, catapulting the big
Suzuki to 150mph in just ten
seconds and to a top speed of over
180mph in favourable conditions.
The new-for-2004 GSX-R600
with its pin-sharp handling, superb
brakes and a motor that seems to
be happiest when screamed to
within an inch of its life, make it one
of the most rewarding and giggleinducing bikes there is to tackle your
favourite empty, twisty B-road.
We pitched the 750 – in its first
UK road test – against its 600cc
and 1000cc brothers, putting all
three bikes through their paces in a
variety of road conditions, from fast
A–road sweepers, through to tight
and twisty B-roads and wind-swept
motorways.
We also headed off to
Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in
Leicestershire to let the GSX-Rs
loose on its fast and technically
demanding handling circuit, as well
as performance testing all three
bikes to establish top speeds,
acceleration and braking
performance. Finally we strapped
the bikes on to our dyno to record
their power and torque figures.
Read on to discover our verdict...
THE A-ROADS
‘The sheer neck-straining grunt each
time you accelerate out of a fast,
sweeping corner is enough to leave
the 600 and 750 trailing in its wake’
OVERALL LENGTH: 2070mm
SUZUKI
GSX-R1000
£8549 otr
FUEL: 18 litres
410mm
HEIGHT: 1145mm
830mm
OVER SEAT: 1840mm
Available: Now. 24 months
warranty, 12 months AA
recovery and Alpha-Dot
security marking
Colours: Blue/white,
grey/black,
yellow/black/silver
New for 2004: Colours,
new range of accessories
Insurance group: 17 (of 17)
Info: Suzuki GB,
01892-707001
SPECIFICATION:
RAKE: 23.5°
870mm
WEIGHT: 168kg (970lb)
TRAIL: 91mm
WHEELBASE: 1410mm
Engine: Liquid-cooled, 998cc (73
x 59mm) 16v dohc four-stroke inline four. Fuel injection. Six gears
Chassis: Aluminium twin-spar
Front suspension: 43mm
upside-down forks, adjustable for
pre-load, rebound and
compression damping
Rear suspension: Single shock
adjustable for pre-load, rebound
and compression damping
Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front,
190/50 x 17 rear
Brakes: 2 x 300mm front discs
with four piston radial calipers,
220mm rear disc with two-piston
caliper
PROS ● Mind-bending power all the way through the rev range ● Unbelievably free-revving ● Blood-curdling exhaust note
CONS ● Looks are beginning to appear dated ● Speed comes too easy ● Isn’t as involving to ride fast as smaller bikes
93%
SMALLER Gixer lags behind
750 is a more involving ride
T
‘Give the 750 a 600-sized tug on the
throttle and you could wake up with
a crowd around you...’
HANK God our GSX-R1000
was painted yellow and
black. This lurid colour
scheme isn’t to everyone’s taste
but at least you can quickly tell
it apart from the blue and white
GSX-R600 and GSX-R750.
Jump on one of the smaller
GSX-Rs and it’s near impossible
to tell the difference between
them. Not only do the 600 and
750 look identical, save for
subtle differences to the paint
(although a keen eye will see
the exhaust is fractionally
longer on the 750 to help it get
through emissions tests), they
feel exactly the same to ride at
normal speeds, too. They have
the same riding position, same
brakes and the same view down
to the blue tank and clocks.
But give the 750 a 600-sized
tug on the throttle pulling a
wheelie and you could wake up
with a crowd around you…
Sweeping A-roads are the
domain of the bigger GSX-Rs –
the litre bike unsurprisingly
happiest tackling the quick
stuff. With 144bhp at the rear
wheel, the sheer, neck-straining
grunt each time you come out
of a fast, sweeping corner is
enough to leave the 600 and
750 trailing in its wake. Power
delivery from the 998cc fourcylinder engine is deliciously
smooth, though.
But it almost seems too easy
to ride the GSX-R1000 fast, and
it can sometimes leave you
feeling unfulfilled – like the bike
is doing all the work for you.
The much less powerful
GSX-R600 is actually more
rewarding to ride, simply
because it needs to be thrashed
mercilessly in an effort to keep
up with the 1000.
That’s where the GSX-R750
comes in. It has 23 more horses,
THE 1000 can feel sanitised
which not only makes it faster
than the 600, but it’s clear after
just a few miles in the saddle
that they both share the same
raucous, addictive and grininducing character, making
them more involving to ride fast
than the GSX-R1000.
Like the 600, the GSX-R750’s
motor begs to be spanked to
the redline at every
opportunity. It feels as nimble
and flickable as the 600, too –
as it should with the same basic
frame dimensions and only 2kg
extra to lug around.
The GSX-R750 is as secure
and unflappable as the 600 at
big, knee-scraping angles, even
at insane three figure speeds –
a far cry from the head-shaking
GSX-R750s of the late ’80s.
THE GSX-R1000 may be the easiest to ride fast, but the 750 is the most fun
1st GSX-R750 • 2nd GSX-R1000 • 3rd GSX-R600
>> CONTINUES OVER >>
30 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 17, 2004
Accommodation
ROAD TEST
THE B-ROADS
T
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Motorcycle Accessories for the Road & Race Rider
IGHT, twisty and bumpy
B-roads are the GSX-R600’s
natural stomping ground. With
fewer long straights to contend with,
a hard riding 600 pilot will keep
bigger GSX-Rs in his sights.
Weighing in at just 161kg it’s the
lightest bike here. So with the least
weight to stop, it’s possible to brake
that little bit later and get back on to
the rear wheels of the bigger Suzukis.
And the 600’s brakes are superb,
with masses of feel, thanks to a new
radial-piston front master cylinder –
just like the new 750 – and big
stopping power thanks to the latest
radially-mounted Tokico four piston
calipers, like the 1000.
The 600’s chassis set-up is up there
with the best, and combined with
neutral steering lets you charge
through the corners at full kneescraping tilt, keeping corner speeds
to a maximum.
And riding it so the rev needle never
strays more than a few millimetres
from the 15,500rpm red line, the
GSX-R600 is still seriously quick.
It hits 60mph in just over three
seconds and will reach 100mph in six
seconds – almost the same time as
the 750, and just a second slower
than the 1000.
Riding the GSX-R750 on nadgery
roads is a similarly infectious
experience as the 600 and it’s
equally capable when hustled quickly
through the turns. But the 600’s
relative lack of power makes you
work harder to achieve your speed,
making it ultimately more rewarding.
Navigating the 1000 through tight
turns demands a higher level of
concentration than the smaller bikes.
With so much power, you tend to go
through corners slightly slower, safe
in the knowledge that you can claw
back any time lost with the tiniest
whiff of throttle.
On the GSX-R1000 you may still
pop out the other side of your B-road
blast before your mates’ smaller
bikes, but you can bet they’ve got the
biggest grins under their helmets.
1st GSX-R600 • 2nd GSX-R750 • 3rd GSX-R1000
Dealers/Bikes
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THE MOTORWAY
I
F your favourite piece of road happens
to be in the South of France or goes by
the name of the Nurburgring, you’ll
need to make your acquaintance with
these bland sections of Armco-lined
stretches of Tarmac to get there quickly,
whether you like it or not.
But despite their race track pretensions,
none of these mad, bad GSX-Rs are too
much of a pain for long stretches in a
straight line.
The GSX-R1000 is the best milemuncher here, and that’s simply down to
that big 998cc, grunt-laden motor. Cruise
along at 70mph and the motor is barely
spinning, indicating a lazy 4000rpm and
feeling smooth and relaxed.
Need to go faster? Well just twist and go.
There’s enough pull in top gear to give
serious acceleration into three-figure
speeds without ever having to touch the
gear lever.
With long stints in the saddle the riding
position can get uncomfortable on the
1000, though. The now trademark squishy
seat that’s fitted to all GSX-Rs, is derrierefriendly, but it’s a fair stretch to the bars,
leaving you draped over the tank. This
gives shoulders, arms and neck a hard
time after an hour or so in the saddle.
The newer 600 and 750 are more
compact than the 1000. They’re
slimmer overall and the tank is much
shorter. This allows more room to
fidget around in the seat and moves
you closer to the bars, giving a more
upright and comfortable riding position.
Their ride quality is slightly more refined
than the 1000’s, too – especially
noticeable over the bumps and overbanding found on motorways.
At 70mph the GSX-R600’s motor spins
smoothly at 6000rpm in top gear, the 750
at 5000rpm. But both bikes, the 600 in
particular, will need a good stir of their
slick-action gearboxes should you need to
accelerate off in a hurry. This constant
gear changing eventually tires you out on
a long journey compared to the more
relaxed engine characteristics of the 1000.
1st GSX-R1000 • 2nd GSX-R750 • 3rd GSX-R600
32 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 17, 2004
ROAD TEST
>> FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
POWER AND TORQUE CURVES
THE VERDICT
INSURANCE
FROM an insurance point of view, the GSX-R750 makes
the most sense. The yearly premium for fully
comprehensive cover is exactly the same as the smaller
GSX-R600 and £300 cheaper than the GSX-R1000:
THEY’RE like chalk and cheese but the
GSX-R600 and GSX-R1000 manage to
finish joint runners-up in our test. They
both excel in their chosen fields – the
sheer power of the 1000 has the ability
to scare the pants of you with its
absolute and unrelenting speed, no
matter how used you are to it. The
GSX-R600 is a scratcher’s delight,
combining a mad, growling, rev-hungry
engine with pin-sharp handling and
excellent brakes.
But the GSX-R750 manages to
combine the very best of both worlds.
It has the raw-edged power to
demolish all but the latest 1000cc
superbikes in a straight line, with the
GSX-R1000 Fully comp £794 – TPFT £297
GSX-R750 Fully comp £494 – TPFT £296
GSX-R600 Fully comp £494 – TPFT £254
Quotes based on 32-year-old man living in Norwich, holding a
licence for 10 years, containing three penalty points. He has three
years’ no claims bonus and the bike is kept in a garage with a
Thatcham-approved security device.
Thanks to Carole Nash (0800-083-7722)
IF you want to buy or sell a GSX-R750, 600, 1000 or
any other bike then check out MCN every week, or log
on to www.motorcyclenews.com
THE GSX-R750 raises
its head for a victory
wheelie
handling and bad attitude that’s usually
the preserve of 600cc sports bikes.
It’s got everything a sports bike
should have – a raw, angry and
powerful motor, exceptional
handling, dazzling looks and
race pedigree. It’s smooth,
comfortable (for a sports
bike) and user-friendly,
too.
And it makes sense from
a purely practical point of
view. For just £1000 more
you’ll get 23bhp more than the
600, more torque and just 2kg extra
and costs almost the same to insure.
Could the 750 be the new 1000?
1st GSX-R750 • 2nd= GSX-R600, GSX-R1000
Thanks to Fowlers (0117-9770-466) for the loan of the GSX-R1000
160
ACCELERATION
PEAK POWER
THE GSX-R600’s relative lack of power and weight make it the
easiest to launch of the line, reaching 100mph in almost the
same time as the 750. The GSX-R1000 is in a class of its own.
– SUZUKI GSX-R600 99.3bhp @ 13,000rpm
– SUZUKI GSX-R750 123.09bhp @ 12,300rpm
– SUZUKI GSX-R1000 144.4bhp @ 10,600rpm
now is the time for a
NEW ROMANCE
SPEED
(MPH)
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
140
120
GSX-R600
GSX-R750
GSX-R1000
TIME DISTANCE TIME DISTANCE TIME DISTANCE
(SEC)
(M)
(SEC)
(M)
(SEC)
(M)
0.77
1.44
0.60
1.28
0.67
1.21
1.30
4.96
1.07
4.37
1.13
4.24
1.83
10.83
1.58
10.17
1.57
9.19
2.32
18.47
2.10
18.37
2.10
17.51
2.80
28.10
2.65
29.35
2.60
27.70
3.32
41.03
3.15
41.60
3.09
39.57
4.10
63.60
3.92
64.20
3.60
54.48
4.82
87.77
4.53
84.73
4.12
71.87
5.77
124.01
5.49
120.88
4.77
96.51
6.74
165.34
6.44
161.32
5.60
131.82
8.06
227.43
7.46
209.53
6.25
162.54
9.57
305.38
8.62
269.03
7.10
206.45
11.67
423.03
10.18
356.60
8.04
258.64
14.55
597.10
11.96
464.12
9.31
335.44
19.48
918.88
14.59
635.77
10.72
427.14
18.50 906.95
12.78
570.10
15.34
759.56
TOP GEAR ROLL-ON 40-120MPH
and as every affair should begin with a gift:
choose low rate finance
0%
£800
or free accessory kit
FREE
FOR 12
MONTHS
Deposit £2400, total amount payable £12,000†
OR
1% APR £408
FOR 24
MONTHS
Deposit £2400, total amount payable £12,282†
OR
2% APR £282
.67
FOR 36
MONTHS
Deposit £2400, total amount payable £12,666.12†
SPEED
(MPH)
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
*
†
APR
IT’S clear from these roll-on figures why the GSX-R1000 is
such a good motorway cruiser. Just leave it in top gear, twist the
throttle and leave the smaller GSX-Rs trailing in your wake.
100
OR
accessory kit includes:
❤ carbon fibre front mudguard
❤ carbon fibre rear mudguard
❤ carbon fibre oil hose holder
❤ carbon fibre chain guard
❤ tank protector
❤ superbike windshield
kit worth
£640* RRP
80
60
GSX-R600
01179 793377
01296 655999
0161 366 5167
01202 824531
01268 775485
01363 774499
01624 812390
01233 665520
01732 863636
01634 855765
01162 442000
01522 511851
GSX-R600
GSX-R750
01745 822922
01437 768434
155.78mph
164.36mph
175.33mph
GSX-R1000
20
BRAKING 70-0MPH
PEAK TORQUE
bhp/Ł
ftlb
0
Time to cover 1/4-mile
TOP SPEED
– SUZUKI GSX-R600
– SUZUKI GSX-R750
– SUZUKI GSX-R1000
02841 772225
0131 258 5000
11.00sec
10.35sec
WE recorded top speeds on the same day and in the same
conditions. We’ve seen at least 5mph more from the GSX-R1000
and GSX-R600 before, but were faced with strong headwinds.
Expect a true 170mph out of the GSX-R750 on a good day.
Tornado Novecento Tre £12,000 OTR
0208 7482837
0208 520 1920
01302 814444
01782 861100
01473 257401
01444 248848
0191 2610121
01666 510456
01484 421232
145.49mph
Terminal speed
AWAKEN YOUR SENSES
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Garland & Griffiths Motorcycles Ltd
11.35sec
133.72mph
GSX-R1000
The press were overwhelmed.
See what they had to say at:
01534 736531
01481 246463
128.06mph
GSX-R750
40
CHANNEL ISLANDS
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Cheshire
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Kent
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Kent
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Kent
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GSX-R1000
STANDING QUARTER-MILE
Ask your dealer for more information. *No cash alternative offered. † All finance subject to status, written quotations available on request.
Total Amount Payable will include a £90 acceptance fee payable with the first payment, with the exception of the 0% cases. E&OE. Finance
available from Black Horse Ltd., 62 Player Street, Radford Boulevard, Nottingham, NG7 2FY.
Now it’s time to take your beautiful Italian model out. Call...
GSX-R750
THE perfect launch! Despite a strong head wind, this is the
fastest standing quarter we’ve ever seen from a GSX-R1000.
The GSX-R750’s time is up there with last year’s R1.
The Benelli Superbike comes with a 2 year, unlimited mileage warranty. Plus, in collaboration with Europ Assistance,
Benelli offers all Tornado Novecento Tre owners 2 years free 24-hour, 365 days a year breakdown assistance.
www.benelli.co.uk
GSX-R600
TIME DISTANCE TIME DISTANCE TIME DISTANCE
(SEC)
(M)
(SEC)
(M)
(SEC)
(M)
1.66
33.13
1.69
33.89
1.46
29.41
1.66
71.12
3.05
67.45
2.78
61.69
3.20
119.57
4.51
109.86
3.89
93.99
4.87
171.95
5.93
157.40
4.99
130.69
6.43
232.61
7.32
210.30
6.14
174.66
9.55
297.13
8.79
272.48
7.23
220.94
11.15
372.43
10.25
341.19
8.37
274.12
12.80
457.39
11.80
420.89
9.60
337.54
OUR GSX-R1000 is a good ’un as it stops four metres sooner
than any other we’ve tested before. It even out performs the
smaller GSX-Rs with their ‘better’ brakes and lighter weight...
44.3ftlb @ 13,000rpm
56.47ftlb @ 10,700rpm
74.8ftlb @ 9600rpm
GSX-R600
GSX-R750
RPM
4000
6000
8000
10,000
12,000
14,000
GSX-R1000
48.85m
49.92m
48.82m