2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000
That the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000 was coming in the new
year was no surprise at all. What was anticipated were the changes
that were going to be made to Suzuki’s flagship superbike, and it was well
worth the wait.
Top of the list is the variable valve timing (VVT)
system in the GSX-R1000. A completely mechanical system – as dictated by MotoGP
rules – a cluster of ball bearings is driven by centrifugal force to change the
cam orientation and affect valve timing for top-end power.
Suzuki claims the it will produce 199.2 hp
and 117.6 Nm of torque. According to a Motorcycle News report, it said that GSX-R1000 engine gets a power boost from “about 10,000 rpm.”
The GSX-R engine is also physically smaller, with
paired velocity stacks – long and short – in the inlet tract to produce both
mid-range and top-end power. The Gixxer comes in two flavours for 2017, the
base GSX-R1000, and the more race oriented GSX-R1000R.
Differences between the two include the suspension,
where the ‘R’ model gets Showa’s Balance Free Fork (BFF) and Balance Free
Cushion (BFRC) rear shock, while the base model makes do with the Showa Big
Piston fork. Apparently, Suzuki test riders did not find any advantages to a
semi-active suspension setup during development, so the Gixxer’s suspension is
an all-mechanical setup.
The electronics are now the norm in the world
of superbikes, and the 2017 GSX-R1000 is no different. There are three engine
modes, a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), traction control with 10
settings, and cornering ABS. The GSX-R1000R, in addition to the base model’s
electronics suite, also gets launch control and an up-and-down quickshifter.
Instruments in the Gixxer’s cockpit are also all-new
for 2017, with the base GSX-R getting a black-on-white dash, while the R gets
the inverse. Lighting now uses LEDs at both ends of the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000,
and the GSX-R1000R gets a pair of LED DRLs.
