Suzuki GSX-R 750WN

This, their seventh son, their third generation GSX-R, is different. It had to be. Last year's M model was, almost indisputably, the best handling, fastest, most exciting road 750 ever built. But that doesn't include RC30, OW01 and ZXR-R exotica, and because of it nor did the GSX-R still attract the sort of world championship-winning publicity and imagery that Suzuki long for its 'racer on the road'.

So Suzuki has had a hefty rethink. Race competitiveness required more power, better cooling efficiency, less weight, better aerodynamics and, just as importantly, a more compact engine. (A race kit is to become available.) Continuing the GSX-R tradition, however, remaining faithful to more than 100,000 fans and, in short, not taking any gambles, also meant retaining the GSX-R's image,  its look, its twin beams and ally cradle frame.

So that's what the all-new GSX-R750WN has. The new water-cooled engine required to fulfil Part 1 of the brief retains some of the old GSX-R, its internal dimensions (bore and stroke stay 70 x 48.7mm), its 38mm slingshot Mikunis and, interestingly, an element of image-preserving oil-cooling. But that's where the similarities end. External dimensions have shrunk dramatically. The crankcases arc 57mm narrower thanks to moving the starter motor and generator behind the block. And the head is smaller, slimmer courtesy of a directly-actuated bucket and shim val-vetrain (bye-bye bulky rockers, hello doubled, 7500mile service intervals) and the use of a narrow, high compression combustion chamber with a 32 degree valve angle - down from 40.

To shed weight, lightened valves and pistons are used; to improve strength and reliability in the face of an extra two bhp (and lob some of that weight back on) conrods, clutch and gearshafts are all beefier than before; and to keep it all under control, yes, it's.now water-cooled. A massive, curved ally rad sits in front of the frame's downtubes.

The same sort of 'change what-it-is but not what-it-looks-like' thinking has gone into the chassis. In other words, it's all new, but it don't look it. It's the same characteristic GSX-R ally double cradle but totally redesigned, strengthened, beefed-up...heavier. The frame rails and down tubes are larger, thicker. The rear sub-frame is now a racer-style, bend-and-replace, bolt-on jobbie. The sandcast headstock is more substantial and overall torsional rigidity is claimed to be improved by five per cent. The smaller, more compact engine is carried lower and further forward than before, lowering c of g and improving stability. Then again, overall weight is unchanged: whatever weight the engine lost was regained with the water-cooling and heavier, stronger chassis. Wouldn't it have been better going for a Dcl-tabox-style twin spar frame? No, it wouldn't have been a GSX-R, then would it?

Suspension and brakes are the excellent — if not the best — kit as previously used on the M. Eminently twiddle-able upside-down forks and Full-Floater rising rate rear; 310mm discs and four-pot, dual opposed piston Nissin calipers. With one exception. To improve ground clearance the right-hand swing arm is now a skinny, pressed aluminium pent roof affair to enable the stainless four-into-two-into-one zorst to be tucked in even tighter.

While clothing the whole caboodle is a new set of bodywork from the GSX-R wardrobe. Again, it looks identical to the M — but isn't. Frontal area is slimmer, the number of panels and screws are fewer, the look (razzle-dazzle lightening col-urschemes apart) is somehow neater, simpler: clean, racy side covers over the frame rails, allegedly so's you can grip it wiv' your knees; a tasty, restyled rear light; a new, attractive console layout.

From the seat everything has that aura of a seven year's worth of refinement rather than the hit-or-miss experimentation you sometimes get with a new model. The riding position is quite different. Compared to the M the bars are 15mm higher, 10mm further back and the seat's 10mm lower. It feels slightly smaller, the bars (for shorties) less of a stretch. Even the choke lever (at last) is now handily mounted on the 'bar.

And it goes like bleedin' stink.

Thirty laps or so of Suzuki's Ryuyo test track won't tell you much about living with the bike on Blighty's hotch-potch of roads. That'll come with a full test. But it does reveal oodles about the new GSX-R's strength, its raison d'etre — its abilities as a pure sports bike on the edge.

Held wide open down the long two-mile straight produced an indicated 150mph, 1500rpm shy of the 13,500rpm redline (expect a genuine 150mph-plus with a slight tailwind.) From 8000 up to there it'd been progressive, distinctively less peaky than the M, less raucous, more refined, smoother and pulling almost as effortlessly, with a deep tenor growl from around six. But below that, forget it  buy a VFR. The gearbox and clutch are typical Suzuki — brilliant. In fact all the controls are brilliant. Small, dainty, max-control bar grips; a span-adjustable, brick wall-power, single finger-control front brake lever, and one of the most sensitive, most predictable clutches I've ever used. Ally that with a crisp, responsive (and very light) throttle action and the task of keeping the dancing tacho needle exactly where you want it is sheer revelry rather than a chore.

But best of all is its balance. The .riding position may be less extreme but, because of other design mods, more weight is over the front. The suspension may be unchanged (it was among the best already) and the steering geometry only mildy tighter with less trail, but the wheelbase is longer, the frame stiffer, the stability greater, and all combine to heighten further the response from the diamond front end. Brake, flick, carve, hold, nail...enjoy.

How much better it is than the M, after all those subtle mods, after all that work, is debateable. The front end is definitely improved  but it couldn't get much better. The engine is faster, smoother, more progressive — but it was the fastest in its class before. And you can argue 'til your teeth fall out about whether Suzuki might not have been better off spending all that R&D on a twin spar frame etc instead of persisiting with the GSX-R's double cradle. But as it stands, they really didn't need to. The best has just got better. Lumme, and I thought the old one was pretty good.