Suzuki GSX-R 1000

The 2013 Suzuki GSX-R will once again prove itself to be legendary motorcycle with amazing throttle response, power, and acceleration at mid range engine speeds – all with great fuel economy. Engineering your dream bike to go fast is not the only priority at Suzuki. The ability to stop as you please, to turn as you command, is just as important to Suzuki as it is to you. The GSX-R line delivers outstanding braking capabilities with its Brembo calipers and heat-resistant stainless steel brake discs. The bike maneuvers like a dream with a solid chassis design and responsive suspension.

These are the foundations to GSX-R line and what it continues to be built upon – and will continue to thrive for generations to come. It is Suzuki’s passion for innovation and the global support for our Motorcycle that allow the year 2012 to mark the 1 millionth GSX-R to ever be built.

Simply put, the GSX-R1000 offers outstanding engine performance from idle to redline, smooth suspension performance, responsive handling, and superior braking to Own The Racetrack.

Powerful, compact 999cm³ 4-cylinder engine. Nimble chassis and responsive suspension.

A lightweight package wrapped with an edgy look. The latest generation of the GSX-R1000, delivering a renewed invitation for riders worldwide.

Key Features

Engine Features

A 999cc four-cylinder powerplant, with Bore x Stroke of 74.5mm x 57.3mm brings enhanced throttle response across the entire rpm range and high potential for racetrack performance.

Lightweight, durable forged pistons are designed with the Finite Element Method (FEM) and fatigue analysis technology and optimized camshaft profiles was developed using proven MotoGP racing technology.

Optimally shaped combustion chambers and a compression ratio of 12.9:1 promote low-range and mid-range performance and help realize a broad torque curve. 12-hole fuel injectors produce a fine fuel mist for more complete combustion, reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

Pentagonal shaped ventilation holes in the side of each cylinder bore reduce pumping losses, further improving throttle response. The shape of the ventilation holes - wider at the top, narrower at the bottom - matches the actual flow of the trapped air, reducing pumping losses due to internal crankcase air-pressure resistance to downward piston movement.

The 4-2-1 exhaust system, carrying a Suzuki Exhaust Tuning (SET) valve maximizing torque and improving throttle response, especially in the low-to-mid rpm range

Large, efficient radiator with a trapezoidal shape developed on factory team racebikes and a trapezoidal engine oil cooler both help reduce drag.

Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material (SCEM) plated cylinders integrated into the upper crankcase helps reduce friction, improve heat transfer, increase durability and provide better ring seal.

Suzuki Ram Air-Direct (SRAD) air intakes are positioned close to the centerline of the fairing to provide optimum intake efficiency. The intake-duct openings feature a louvered design that heightens intake efficiency, while also contributing to weight reduction.

Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) system uses two butterfly valves (primary and secondary) in each throttle body barrel. As the rider opens and closes the primary valve, the ECM reads the throttle position, engine speed, and gear position and incrementally adjusts the secondary valve to maximize the intake-charge velocity. The result is a system that realizes the benefits of near-linear throttle response and torque output across the entire rpm range.

Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) system allows the rider to select one of three fuel injection and ignition system maps, adjusting power delivery to suit personal preference. The mode selection switch is mounted on the left handlebar and its two buttons can be easily operated by the thumb and index finger.

Transmission Features

The crankcase carries a six-speed close-ratio transmission with vertically staggered shafts, to reduce overall engine length.

A race-proven back-torque-limiting clutch contributes to smoother downshifting and corner entry.  

Chassis Features

Lightweight and compact twin-spar aluminum cradle frame made of five cast sections and cast swingarm.

The compact engine allows a longer swingarm and shorter overall wheelbase for improved racetrack performance.

Lightweight, fully adjustable 43mm Showa Big Piston Front forks (BPF) with an endurance-race-proven design deliver superb feedback and responsive, stable operation, and are lightweight.

Rear shock absorber features adjustable rebound damping, spring preload, and both high-speed and low-speed compression damping allowing adjustability for a wide range of conditions.

Electronically controlled steering damper contributes to handling stability and a more alert and agile feel by increasing the damping force at higher speeds and reducing it at lower speeds.

The front disc brakes are equipped with the top-of-the–line radial-mount Brembo monobloc calipers.

The rear disc brake works with a single piston Nissin caliper mounted above the swingarm. The caliper's compact design contributes to a reduction of unsprung weight.

The front and rear tires tread patterns and lighter weight contribute to lower unsprung weight and sharper handling

Additional Features

Instruments include a silver-ringed analog tachometer with LCD speedometer. LCD readouts include odometer, dual trip meters, reserve trip meter, clock, coolant temperature/oil pressure warning indicator, gear position indicator, lap timer/stopwatch, S-DMS setting indicator and bar-graph indicating the instrument lighting level, or brightness.

The footpegs can be adjusted to any of three positions in a 14mm horizontal and vertical range. The rear brake pedal and master cylinder move with the right footpeg assembly, and the shift-lever linkage can be adjusted to accommodate changes in the position of the left footpeg.

Review

At a glance, the 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000 looks identical to its predecessor. There’s no sign of wheel speed sensors, ABS rings or other hardware suggesting the addition of electronic rider aids. Well, that's because there aren't any electronic rider aids. Styling is typical Suzuki too, with the time-honored GSX-R logo blazoned on a traditional blue/white or black side panel. But if you can’t see any disparity, you’re simply not looking in the right places.

A quick look out back reveals a new single-muffler exhaust. This isn’t merely a revised exhaust either; the 2012’s muffler and header pipe are all-new. The shorter muffler is titanium for weight savings, whereas the header pipe is stainless steel. The under-engine chamber’s been ditched, plus pipe length has been optimized to provide more low-end grunt and midrange power. The results speak for themselves; the GSX-R1000 has lost over four pounds in its latest redesign and has a much more linear torque curve.

Turn your attention to the front of the bike and you’ll notice the fork is slightly different. It’s shortened (7mm) for 2012, plus runs softer settings. It’s different visually too, with black tubes replacing the 2011 model’s gold tubes.

The more noticeable change up front is the new Brembo monobloc calipers which replace the Tokico calipers of yesteryear. Cue the Austin Powers character, Goldmember, screaming “I love gold!” The red lettering on the calipers blends well with the new pin striping on the wheels, which are otherwise status quo for 2012.

New Bridgestone S20 tires come standard. The biggest advantage, claims Suzuki, is weight; the front tire alone is 200 grams lighter than the BT-016 it replaces. The S20 also features a newly developed tread, with wider grooves designed to increase grip in the wet and side grooves for improved feel at increased lean angles.

There are more changes for 2012, but they’re not as easy to spot. The engine features new pentagonal-shaped crankcase ventilation holes, 11-percent-lighter pistons, new valve tappets and a redesigned exhaust cam profile that reduces valve overlap. The ECU has also been reworked. According to Suzuki engineers, the primary goal for 2012 was to boost the low-to-mid rpm range. But there are other benefits to the changes, including improved fuel economy and throttle response.

Suzuki chose to launch the updated GSX-R1000 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. The 2.21-mile road course is typical of a track designed within a NASCAR oval, with two extremely fast corners that bring you off the banking and into the infield. There is a mixture of tight and fast corners in the infield, which would give us the chance to test the new Brembo brakes and Suzuki’s claim of increased midrange power.

The changes for 2012 seem rather small, but the new GSX-R1000 works quite different on the track. The more rigid monobloc calipers take a few laps to get used to, but prove to be better than the Tokico brakes in every way. There’s plenty of power, even though the brakes are somewhat high effort. Feel at the lever stays extremely consistent on the track too, with zero brake fade to knock the confidence out of you. For instance, we even ran a 25-lap stint during the press launch without the lever moving a hair closer to the bar.
 
We’re hard pressed to find a reason why Suzuki wouldn’t be selling a handsome amount of bikes this year...
 
There are additional benefits to the new brake setup on the 2012 model, and that’s reduced weight. The front calipers and rotors are 130 grams lighter than the 2011 setup, and are paired with a 38.9-grams-lighter front axle design that cuts weight even further. Thanks to its reduced weight (front and rear) and more forward center of gravity, the 2012 Gixxer steers noticeably quicker in transitions, with less effort required to get the bike from right to left and vice versa. Turn-in is exceptional as well thanks to the bike’s extremely short wheelbase (55.3 inches), and the Suzuki remains stable mid-corner.
Credit for the bike’s new-found agility must also go to the Bridgestone 190/55 R10 race rubber that was spooned onto each GSX-R test bike prior to the event. The S20 rear tire that comes standard will be a shorter 190/50.

The gearing on the 2012 model feels a bit tall, and we rarely got the bike out of third gear on either of the road course’s straights. The added midrange power is discernible though, and allows you to use second gear rather than first in tighter corners. The GSX-R doesn’t have that absurd hit like the Kawasaki ZX-10R or BMW S 1000 RR, but there’s an admirable amount of power up higher in the rev range. And its new, more linear torque curve makes the bike easy to manage on a tight course, something you can’t always say about the 180-plus-horsepower bikes.

With all the attention placed on the revised components, it’s easy to overlook some of the parts that were simply carried over. The back-torque-limiting clutch still deserves some love for instance, since it kept the rear wheel of the 2012 model from chattering on the brakes lap after lap. And the adjustable footrests proved advantageous once again, providing enough adjustment to make taller riders comfortable.

Review: Sports Rider