We Ride the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000

After getting an earful of superlatives about the new GSX-R1000R from Associate Editor Michael Gilbert following his experience at Phillip Island, I was certainly anxious to get my turn behind the clip-ons of the new Suzuki. But I assumed that would have to wait until we got an actual testbike in our shop, and that wasn't going to happen for a good number of months.

Then Suzuki Motor of America came to the rescue by announcing it would be hosting a separate press launch for the standard model GSX-R at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, right after the MotoGP event. We would get to spend all day Monday riding on the fabulous 3.4-mile, 20-turn racetrack…and even sneak in a little street riding the following day as well. My bags were packed the day of my email RSVP.

Although basically identical as far as the engine and chassis are concerned, there are some differences between the R and standard model GSX-R1000 that allow the no-frills, non-ABS version to sticker at $2,400 less than the R, at $14,599 (the ABS model retails for $14,999; ABS is included with the R model). Chief among those distinctions is that the standard model’s suspension consists of Showa’s regular BPF (Big Piston Fork) and reservoir-equipped shock that debuted on the 2012 model, rather than the R model’s top-shelf Balance Free Fork and Balance Free Rear Cushion Lite shock.

The rest of the differences center around electronics. The standard model does without the R model’s launch control or Bi-Directional Quick Shifter system, and the ABS model lacks the R model’s cornering ABS feature that utilizes information from the IMU to adjust braking force while leaned over. The rest of the electronics suite remains the same, with the 10-level Motion Track TCS (Suzuki’s nomenclature for its traction control system) and Drive Mode Selector remaining identical to those of the R model.

Readily apparent when pulling out of COTA’s long, uphill pit-lane exit is that the new GSX-R has lost little of the strong midrange punch that endeared the Suzuki to so many racers and sportbike riders over the decades. But even better was when I began accelerating for the first time down COTA’s long back straight; it was pretty obvious the GSX-R is now endowed with a very strong top-end. You can feel a slight surge in power as the SR-VVT (Suzuki Racing-Variable Valve Timing) system engages at 10,000 rpm, but it’s not like a two-stroke hit or anything like that; the Suzuki simply pulls strongly in a linear fashion—because there’s no dearth of midrange power—all the way up to around 14,000 rpm before tailing off a bit before the rev limiter kicks in at 14,500 rpm.

I already know what a lot of you are asking: How does the new GSX-R stack up against the European powerhouses like the BMW S 1000 RR and Aprilia RSV4? A definitive answer will obviously have to wait, but I can say with certainty that the Suzuki won’t be getting left behind.

As Gilbert noted in his ride on the R model, I found the new GSX-R to not only feel physically smaller than the previous version but also that handling has taken a major leap forward in agility, without losing any of its characteristic comfortable handling feel. Turn-in and flicking the bike from one side to the other in transitions is significantly easier than the old model, and you have far less of that feeling that you’re wrestling with a big, heavy literbike (even though at a claimed curb weight of 441 pounds, the Suzuki isn’t the lightest of the big-bore machines). And once you’re leaned over and settled into carving the corner, the GSX-R still has that familiar friendly feel—not too stiff and harsh like a full-on racebike yet not numb and imprecise like a bike with too many street compromises.

The biggest handling improvement is the new GSX-R’s agility while trail braking into a corner. Even when hard on the brakes, you can easily change your line entering the corner without exerting the herculean physical effort the old model demanded. And front-end feel during these maneuvers remained excellent (our bikes at the track portion of the launch were shod with Bridgestone’s R10 DOT race rubber).

Speaking of brakes, the move to bigger 320mm discs (using Brembo’s T-Drive disc attachment setup) was a welcome change considering the increased steam from the new GSX-R’s engine room. Power, progressiveness, and feel were all excellent on the non-ABS Suzuki we rode (interestingly, Suzuki says the non-ABS model was developed specifically for and will only be sold in the US market, where riders still demand the choice).

Although the standard GSX-R1000 comes fitted with the lower-spec Showa BPF fork and shock, I really had no major complaints with the suspension on the track. Even over some of the gnarlier bumps on the COTA racetrack tarmac, the Suzuki remained mostly stable and confidence inspiring. Only when the aggression level soars into serious racing pace do some minor damping inconsistencies appear, but riders at that level will likely sport for some aftermarket racing components—or the R model.

We even took the new GSX-R for a short street ride through Texas Hill Country the day after the track sessions and had no real complaints during that time. The new GSX-R’s engine no longer has a counterbalancer, but we never noticed any excessive vibration, whether cruising on the highway or running at a spirited pace on a country road.

So is the standard GSX-R1000 or ABS model worth the $2,400/$2,000 discount from the high-spec R model? If you don’t want to spend the additional cash for ABS and the additional top-shelf suspension and electronics of the R model, it’s a definite yes in my book. You certainly won’t be disappointed either way.