Suzuki 2001
SUZUKI 2001
A bigger Gixxer, a slimmed-down 600, a retro cruiser, a 250 playbike and a fairing for the SV650
MATTHEW MILES
PRAISE BE TO TITANIUM. IHAT MIRACULOUS METAL IS showing up everywhere—even on production bikes. Latest beneficiary is Suzuki's 2001 GSXR1000, which has its exhaust headers, collector and muffler core fashioned from the stuff.
Suzuki hasn’t manufactured an Open-class repli-racer since 1998. And even then, the GSX-R1100 was long in the tooth. Hamamatsu’s latest time-warper is a clean-sheet design, but with many parallels to the current GSX-R750. It is powered by a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, dohc, 16-valve, 988cc inline-Four, and-thanks partly to the aforementioned use of ti—is reputed to tip the scales at 372 pounds, a mere 6 pounds more than claimed for the 750.
Why 988cc, and not bigger? “That’s a good question,” replied a company spokesman. “Target weight and power, plus the fact that they were basing the bike on the GSX-R750, probably dictated that displacement.”
New engine cases make room for a vibe-soothing counterbalancer, a feature also found on the GSX1300R Hayabusa. As such, the engine is .5-inch taller and .2-inch longer than the 750 powerplant. The exhaust is a 4-into-2-into-l design, with a backpressure-altering butterfly valve-tf la Honda’s HTEV and Yamaha’s EXUP-located within.
Change is afoot in the chassis department, too. The aluminum, twin-spar frame has more conservative steering-head geometry-25 degrees of rake and 3.9 inches of trail. Wheelbase is 55.9 inches, .4-inch longer than the 750’s. Fully adjustable Kayaba suspension is employed front and rear, with the front stanchion tubes coated in slippery titanium-nitride. Brakes comprise differential-bore six-piston calipers (“the lightest we’ve ever used”) and 320mm discs.
Looking for something even more feath ery? A near mirror-image of CWs Ten Best-winning GSX-R750, the ’Ol GSXR600 shares its engine cases, seating position and most of its bodywork with its bigger brother. Ditto its dual-throttlevalve fuel-injection system. The cylinder head and block, camshafts, clutch, crankshaft, pistons, rods, valves and transmission gears are unique to the 600. As with the GSX-R1000, no claimed horsepower or torque numbers are available.
“It should make ample horsepower,” said the spokesman. “Class-leading horsepower.” As for the chassis, the twin-beam alloy frame has 24 degrees of rake, 3.8 inches of trail and a 55.1-inch wheelbase. As reported previously, the Showa fork is conventional and the swingarm unbraced. Four-piston calipers and 320mm rotors provide stopping power. Wheels are 17 inches in diameter, a 3.5inch front and a 5.5-inch rear. Claimed dry weight is an anorexic 359 pounds. Mama\
Volusia County, Florida-home to cruiser-central Daytona Beach-serves as namesake for the VL800 Intruder Volusia. Rolling on 16/15-inch wheels and sporting fat fenders, a low seat, shaft drive and “the longest wheelbase in its class,” the retroed-out middleweight does not replace the chopper-esque Intruder 800, which continues to sell well. Both bikes share the same sohc, liquidcooled 45-degree V-Twin, but the old-style Intruder breathes through dual Mikunis, whereas the Volusia makes do with a single-carb setup. Expect big-time bottom-end. “Peak torque comes at very low rpm,” declared our source. A wide range of factory-designed accessories-windshield, leather saddlebags, chrome trim, rear rack, etc.-will be offered.
Not a lot is known about the new DR-Z250 off-roader, which borrows its power source from a Japanese dual-purpose bike. “It’s not a hard-core racebike,” explained the spokesman. “But I wouldn’t classify it as entry-level. It’s more recreational, a trailbike.”
The air/oil-cooled, dohc, four-valve Single wears an accelerator-pump-equipped flat-slide carburetor and an oil-cooler. Other big-bike features include electric starting, enduro lighting and damping-adjustable suspension.
Why here, why now? For one, the RM-yellow machine slots nicely between the recently restyled JR80 kid’s model and more competitionoriented DR-Z400s. “It’s not targeted against any other manufacturer’s model,” added the spokesman. “It simply fills a niche in our lineup.”
Not the most stirring new-bike endorsement, for sure. But when you’ve got a ti-piped potential race-winner in your back pocket, you can afford to be a little conservative.
