Cw First Ride 2017 Suzuki Gsx-R1000 Track Club Special

Ignition

BOOMIN' BASE MODEL: The base-model GSX-R1000 ditches the GSX-R1000R's higher-spec suspension and a quickshifter but still mpresses at the racetrack.

CW FIRST RIDE 2017 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 TRACK CLUB SPECIAL

BY THE NUMBERS

171 Peak indicated speed attained on COTA backstraight

7 Pounds of claimed weight loss versus the 2015 GSX-R1000

four Wins for the GSX-R1000 in the first six MotoAmerica Superbike races

Riding the base-model 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Circuit of The Americas and on Hill Country roads around Austin

Mark Hoyer

Club roadracing in America was built on a foundation of 1986 Suzuki GSX-R75Os. Suzuki would call it the first racer replica, and it would be hard to argue with that. As such, the bike pretty much became the ignition point for the club-racing growth in America that followed its release.

The 2017 GSX-R1000 is similar in spirit. While the GSX-R1000R is a fine top-line competitor, the bike ridden here rolls into dealerships with an MSRP of $14,599, $400 cheaper than the ABS model and well under the R model’s $16,999. Money-saving moves? A Showa Big Piston Fork and more basic shock in place of the Balance Free Fork/shock and no quickshifter or auto-blip downshift (latter will be offered as an accessory). The thinking here is to give racers, trackday riders, and even sportbike citizens of the street the option for a highperformance, lowest-cost 1000 as a ready-made platform waiting for your mods. Engine spec is the same. Traction control is there for you.

We had a dream testing day at Circuit of The Americas following the MotoGP and MotoAmerica rounds, where Toni Elias earned the 2017 GSX-R its first MotoAmerica Superbike wins. Riding with Suzuki Grand Prix World Champions Kenny Roberts Jr. and Kevin Schwantz was a major bonus. Even better, while I was chasing Schwantz I blew turn 19 and...Roberts zipped up the inside. Annihilated by two world champions on a MotoGP track! Oh, bucket list, you just got shorter.

The great thing about a new bike (and tires) is that there is so much headroom in performance that blowing a corner has, generally, much lower consequence than in years past. We are in the Golden Age of the sport motorcycle. Combine the Bridgestone Rio race tires Suzuki fitted for our day at CoTA with traction control and you have a recipe for success and tire life. I started the day in TC setting 5 (of 10, plus off). As the pace went up, I played with settings 1 through 4 and settled on 3. It allowed great drive with ample safety net.

Braking from about 165 mph down to 45 on the back straight and doing similar on the uphill entry into turn one made me wish I’d done more pushups the last few months. Or more track riding. Or both. The Brembo front brakes with radial master cylinder and radial-mounted Monoblock calipers gave strong but not overly aggressive initial bite and a firm lever. Once they were quite heated, the lever would move closer to the bar and go slightly spongy, though feel and control remained good. There was also an occasional high-frequency vibration when the brakes were at their hottest.

Power from the 999.8cc inlinefour is strong from 6,000 rpm, and the torque curve and drive are muscular and smooth. With the mechanical variable intake cam timing at work, I expected more top-end pull. The engine felt as though it continued to make power as it neared redline but in flat-line way after about 12,000 rpm until its 14,500-rpm redline. The engine feels precise, controlled, and fast but doesn’t deliver that oh-my-god-animal-scream on top like your SioooRRs and RSV4S. Claimed peak is 199 hp.

All three of the GSX-R’s ride modes deliver peak power but vary rapidity of throttle response. In mode A, there was a little abruptness coming off a closed throttle. B mode made it easier to hit smooth application but wasn’t as thrilling as getting it right in A.

Steering is light and trailbraking performance is excellent. The GSX-R1000 has lower-effort steering than the Yamaha YZF-Ri. While the Yamaha takes more effort to turn, it also exhibits an unflappable stability. The GSX-R feels a little edgier, the handlebars wagging on corner exits if you don’t place the front wheel down straight wheelying off turns, even with the stock steering damper. But of all the qualities that stood out about the bike, steering was tops. The GSX-R is a beautiful motorcycle to corner on.

We did a 120-mile street ride (on the factory-fitted RS10 road tires) out of Austin in Texas Hill Country. The bike was docile and snuggly as a gorilla in a lamb suit. It was completely civilized and offered a more streetable riding position than most of its competitors. I didn’t notice the seat once, and, as a 6-foot-2 gorilla in a cow suit, I found reach to the bars and footpeg height accommodating. Stock suspension settings were supple enough on the street. Comfortable? Yes, but with great control. The not-too-aggressive initial bite made the brakes your friend for the fast, flowing roads.

There’s a lot of performance per dollar here. The 2017 GSX-R1000 is remarkable for both the level of performance it offers and how perfectly GSX-R it feels. Suzuki’s soul is GSX-R, and it must have pained the company to wait so long to redo its flagship sportbike. The time spent working on this bike has been worth it.

2017 SUZUKI GSX-R1000

ENGINE TYPE Liquid-cooled inline-four

DISPLACEMENT 999.8cc

SEAT HEIGHT 92.5 in.

FUEL CAPACITY 4.2 gal.

CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT 441 lb./443 lb. ABS

BASE PRICE $14,599/$14,999 ABS