Motorcycle specifications SuzukiGSX-R 1000 2009 The performance tool

efficiency before style. That's how you might describe the new GSX-R 1000. The queen of the track won't be undergoing a stylistic revolution for 2009; its innards are a different story.

after a major makeover in 2005, the Gex's look is now progressing in smallthe changes are just enough to refine the evolution, but not enough to cause astonishment. The eye finds its bearings again, and then we approach to go beyond the intrigue and understand why the features are lost in curves on the silhouette. Let's face it: from the side, the 1000 looks barely modified. Yet the drawing stroke is more tortured, forcing the eye towards the exhausts, whose design has been suitably modified. There are still 2 of them, but their shape is now both softer and more racing, reminiscent of Yoshimura or Micron products.
It's from the front and back that the biggest changes can be seen, with a strong influence from the recent 600 and 750 GSX-R. The rear end has gained in personality, menace and manga influence. The fork head has also been given a more complicated look, with a 750 headlamp dipped in mutagen. It's elaborate, sophisticated, cluttered and a little lacking in harmony, but you've got to admit it's got style.

design will always be a matter of taste. Pistachio riders and sports enthusiasts will be much more sensitive to technical evolutions. This is where the real GSX-R begins. And it's the engine that interests us at the moment. Has it evolved? No, it's changed completely.
At Hammamatsu, we started from a blank sheet of paper, with 3 priority objectives: compactness, reinforcement and ease of use. In the first case, there's no photo: the 999 cc 4-cylinder is 6 cm shorter - 59.6 mm exactly between the crankshaft axis and the primary driveshaft. They've redesigned everything, including crankcases, cylinders, connecting rods and pistons, for an engine that's even more super-square. The sides have been enlarged from 73.4 x 59 mm to 74.5 x 57.3 mm. Valves are also larger, by 1 mm. Intake valves are now 31 mm and exhaust valves 25 mm. Wait, I haven't finished. Compression ratio also increases, from 12.5:1 to 12.8:1. A special mention for the red zone, pushed even further to its limits, at 14,000 rpm. A veritable 7? revs...

how much power is there? Suzuki had whetted our appetites by claiming that this boiler would be the most powerful 1000 on the market. Almost... the ZX-10 R still holds the record for 3 horsepower. But the GSX-R boasts a hell of a lot of power, with 185 thoroughbreds in the boiler.
Where there's evolution, there's weight reduction. The 1000 had recently gained some, climbing to 172 kg dry weight for 2007-2008 models. What a memory. The Gex has picked up the pace again, shaving off grams wherever possible: 16 fewer screws to secure the engine, and 657 grams saved. Another 200 grams on the starter, a cable for the clutch instead of a hydraulic control, 410 grams on the front brake calipers, 720 grams on the fork... And our super pistarde now weighs 167 kg dry. A weight almost equivalent to that of the K5 model, the lightest in the GSX-R 1000 series. Equivalent, too, is the wheelbase. It loses 10 mm to 1405 mm, one of the lowest values in the category. Combined with its low weight and 23° column angle8 , the Gex should prove particularly agile. As for traction, there's no news of an electronic control system, as rumours had it, but a new, very long swingarm of 577 mm (+33 mm). Suz also takes the opportunity to redesign the frame, which is now more compact.
I mentioned the fork earlier. Lighter and more competition-oriented, it features a new presentation of compression and rebound adjustments at the top of the tubes; just one screwdriver for all adjustments...
The instrument panel gets a facelift too. More classy, the instrumentation features a larger digital window, better-presented indications, more sophisticated indicator lights, and an elegant aluminum ring to enhance the rev counter (as if 14,000 rpm weren't enough).

so be it! The race to the absolute shows no signs of stopping. We're fast approaching a full weight/power ratio of 1, whereas we reached a dry weight/power ratio of 1 just 4 years ago. As the standard-bearer for hyper-sportiness, the new GSX-R 1000 has taken another step forward, while the competition has barely managed to keep up. Well, it has to be said: the Gex only wins the vast majority of championships, with Superbike somewhat eluding it this year. The 2009 vintage looks set to do just one thing: knock out anything that moves. Starting with your wallet. Like its friends (except the Kawa), the Suz has broken the 14,000 euro barrier. And even though it costs 1,000 euros more than the new R1 cross-plane, the latter is so dangerous that the GSX-R won't sleep a wink.