Suzuki GSXR 1000 Review

“If you are under 35 or just a speed freak then this...”

Written on: 26/01/2008 by andy t (1 review written)

Good Points
Looks fantastic Handles great Engine, gearbox and clutch are fantastic Goes like nothing else (If you can handle it!)

Bad Points
Goes like nothing else! Not much good if you want to carry a pillion. You lose the sensation of speed until you are well over The legal limits.

General Comments
If you are under 35 or just a speed freak then this your machine!
After a 15 year break from biking, at 44 decided to get back into it so started on a CBR 600 f but six months on, decided I wanted to play with the big boys. So off I went and the next thing I have got a GXSR 1000 K7 in the drive!
Now I can't fault the bike - engine, gearbox, handling etc. The finish isn't quite as good as the Honda but sort of expected that.
The big difference is the speed factor! Its one of those bikes that is difficult to ride within the limits of what is either legal or in my case, safe! Anything after 30 miles feels like you have just taken a horse around a show jumping circuit - if you know what I mean! OK, so maybe I should have known it wasn't built for its comfort factor. Again, riding with a pillion, in my opinion made it feel weird, and I tended to find it hard on the arms and ended up over the tank with a pillion on.
I don't want to knock it too much, because if you want a well put together bike and if it isn't going to frighten the hell out of you, then go get one.
Needless to say that after a quite a fun and frightening filled 8 weeks I decided to take it back to the dealer and part exed it against a Triumph ST 1050 before I lost my licence or killed myself!
Like I said, can't knock the bike too much as it's a great machine and if I were 20 years younger then I would have probably stuck with it, but in hindsight should have gone for the comfortable option in the first place.
Just a bit of advice to all you forty something guys out there who have been out of biking for a while -don't buy one on ego alone! Regards

P.S. As for the power button with C mode supposedly the soft option - yeh right! Mildly tamer but still probably faster than anything else you have ever ridden!
The only reason I wouldn't recommend to a friend, is I wouldn't want to have to visit them in hospital or worse!