Suzuki GSX-R 400

Twelve-second quarter-miles from just 400cc that's what you need to know about Suzuki's GSX-R. It's a motorcycle designed to devastate the competition in Japan's highly competitive 400cc class. And in most respects, the GSX-R does just that.

Radical engine technology isn't behind the GSX-R's phenomenal performance. Its engine is conventional by Japanese standards—a liquid-cooled, 16-valve, inline-Four that first appeared in Suzuki's more-civilian GSX400FW. There, it made only 50 horsepower, so it required a boost before going into something as racy as the GSX-R. That boost was brought about through standard hot-rod techniques: larger valves, more compression, wilder cam profiles. The hop-up wasn't entirely the work of Suzuki's engineers; Pops Yoshimura, who has close ties with the Suzuki factory, helped in the prodding of 59 horsepower from 400cc.

But it's not engine performance that distinguishes the GSX-R from its competitors; it's weight. The bike is a featherweight at 369 pounds, fully 75 pounds lighter than Honda's CBR400F. Even a U.S.-model RZ350 is about two pounds heavier. The aluminum frame of the GSX-R is an aid to lightness, but only attention to detail fully explains the lack of bulk. A perfect example is the twin headlights, which use lightweight plastic lenses rather than heavy glass.

Light weight pays off in more than just acceleration. On the racetrack, the GSX-R is stable while being wonderfully flickable, a combination resulting from what would be slow steering geometry on a heavier machine. The engine is noticeably torquey as well, arousing suspicions that its 59 horsepower is measured only at the brochure, and that its designers knew that removing weight would improve the power-to-weight ratio with less compromise than would leaning on the engine excessively.

The GSX-R works nearly as well on the street as on the track, with a few exceptions. The brakes fade in hard use, and never completely come back, and quick stops call for high lever-pressures. The clutch suffers a similar fate in traffic, becoming grabby and making smooth riding difficult. Those are minor annoyances, though, compared to the toasting the rider's upper body and hands get in hot weather. The blast of air from the radiator is hot enough to turn a pleasure ride into an endurance contest. Fortunately, Suzuki now offers ducts that direct this heat away from the rider.