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Now that I've gotten the thing running well enough to ride it, I'd like to share my opinion of it. To keep this review all-Suzuki, I'll draw comparisons between my last Katana and the Hayabusa I rode around at the dealership (as well as I remember it).
Climbing aboard, it feels huge. Much like the Hayabusa, the reach to the bars feels like the length of a pool table, while the reach to the pegs is only barely acceptable for even a person of my height (about 5'8"). I believe that a set of rearsets would make this bike unrideable for me. Expecting mass to match this massive size, I find myself pleasantly surprised by its manageable weight. I can nearly flatfoot it on level ground, which is another nice surprise. Ergonomically, the Katana was far, far superior, even with the lowered bars and shaved seat. The seating position on the Hayabusa is very comparable to this bike.
I flip the Pingel fuel valve on, and turn on the ignition switch. Freshly tuned up, it fires with just a short stab at the starter button. In true oil-cooler fashion, the bike immediately comes alive with those old familiar vibrations, with the added charm of flatslides rattling away under the tank. Less charming is the exhaust, which is devoid of packing thanks to the bike's Harley-riding previous owner.
Despite being hydraulic, the clutch requires some force to pull. It snicks down into gear smoothly.... more smoothly than either Katana ever did. Starting from a stop on a gravel driveway is quite an event on this machine. With a bunch of torque available even at low revs, and a super-grabby clutch, it's a balancing act between stalling and spinning the rear tire. I opt for the latter and make for the road.
Out on the open road, the bike shows what it's made of. I calmly accelerate through first and second gear. The bike is unfamiliar, and I'm not ready to find out how quick the front end will come up just yet. A breeze through a small S-curve (the only one for miles around) makes on thing very obvious: this is no track bike. Even with the steering damper, it doesn't require too much effort to turn in, however, it doesn't much like to hold a line, and it always feels like it wants to stand back up again. In comparison, my Katana and the Hayabusa both handled better. The suspension on the GSXR feels more confidence inspiring while cornering than the Katana. While the front end of the Katana felt overly soft, this one feels just about perfect.
When the road straightened out, I gave it a bit of gas in 3rd. I might have opened it to 75% throttle, and let it run up to about 8k RPM before shifting into 4th. As I shifted, I glanced at the speedometer only to see the needle sweeping past 100mph. By the time I realized how fast I was going and rolled out of it, I had cleared 120. It accelerates so fast, and so effortlessly, that I laughed a little bit out loud inside my helmet. As of this writing, I still haven't had it wide open, in any gear. In comparison, this bike makes my previous Katana 750 (which ran a respectable 11.22 @ 124mph, mind you) look like a toy. It is not as fast as the Hayabusa was.... but from my memory, it's not too far off! Very impressive for a 20 year old motorcycle.
Speed scrubs off quickly without much pressure on the brake lever, and thankfully without much dive in the front end. The snappy throttle response offered by the flatslides is appreciated during downshifts, but that heavy clutch lever makes them less than pleasurable overall. In comparison, the brakes are much, much better than the Katana, but not as strong as the Hayabusa.
During my post-ride cigarette, I admired the lines of the bike. Despite being two decades old, it looks like pure sex to me. That big square perimeter frame, the dual round headlights encased in glass, the two square tail lights....... it all works for me. In my eyes, even in primer-grey it is far more attractive than either the bland Katana or the bulbous Hayabusa. It still takes the back seat to several other bikes that I find more attractive, but it's at least in my top 10.
Choosing the perfect bike is similar to choosing the perfect woman. Aesthetics alone won't get you very far: you need low maintenance, reliability, a fair bit of charm, a good fit for your lifestyle, abilities that can keep up with your own, and, probably most important, a fun ride when you're feeling frisky.
I like the bike. I've ridden faster bikes, but none that I liked better. It bombards the senses with input like an old bike, but it has more power than almost any other old dinosaur. It won't be setting any lap records, but it can take a corner without any drama. The ergo's are just short of awful, but I could probably do a couple of hours on it at a time without a problem. For myself, I can't imagine a bike much better than this.
Climbing aboard, it feels huge. Much like the Hayabusa, the reach to the bars feels like the length of a pool table, while the reach to the pegs is only barely acceptable for even a person of my height (about 5'8"). I believe that a set of rearsets would make this bike unrideable for me. Expecting mass to match this massive size, I find myself pleasantly surprised by its manageable weight. I can nearly flatfoot it on level ground, which is another nice surprise. Ergonomically, the Katana was far, far superior, even with the lowered bars and shaved seat. The seating position on the Hayabusa is very comparable to this bike.
I flip the Pingel fuel valve on, and turn on the ignition switch. Freshly tuned up, it fires with just a short stab at the starter button. In true oil-cooler fashion, the bike immediately comes alive with those old familiar vibrations, with the added charm of flatslides rattling away under the tank. Less charming is the exhaust, which is devoid of packing thanks to the bike's Harley-riding previous owner.
Despite being hydraulic, the clutch requires some force to pull. It snicks down into gear smoothly.... more smoothly than either Katana ever did. Starting from a stop on a gravel driveway is quite an event on this machine. With a bunch of torque available even at low revs, and a super-grabby clutch, it's a balancing act between stalling and spinning the rear tire. I opt for the latter and make for the road.
Out on the open road, the bike shows what it's made of. I calmly accelerate through first and second gear. The bike is unfamiliar, and I'm not ready to find out how quick the front end will come up just yet. A breeze through a small S-curve (the only one for miles around) makes on thing very obvious: this is no track bike. Even with the steering damper, it doesn't require too much effort to turn in, however, it doesn't much like to hold a line, and it always feels like it wants to stand back up again. In comparison, my Katana and the Hayabusa both handled better. The suspension on the GSXR feels more confidence inspiring while cornering than the Katana. While the front end of the Katana felt overly soft, this one feels just about perfect.
When the road straightened out, I gave it a bit of gas in 3rd. I might have opened it to 75% throttle, and let it run up to about 8k RPM before shifting into 4th. As I shifted, I glanced at the speedometer only to see the needle sweeping past 100mph. By the time I realized how fast I was going and rolled out of it, I had cleared 120. It accelerates so fast, and so effortlessly, that I laughed a little bit out loud inside my helmet. As of this writing, I still haven't had it wide open, in any gear. In comparison, this bike makes my previous Katana 750 (which ran a respectable 11.22 @ 124mph, mind you) look like a toy. It is not as fast as the Hayabusa was.... but from my memory, it's not too far off! Very impressive for a 20 year old motorcycle.
Speed scrubs off quickly without much pressure on the brake lever, and thankfully without much dive in the front end. The snappy throttle response offered by the flatslides is appreciated during downshifts, but that heavy clutch lever makes them less than pleasurable overall. In comparison, the brakes are much, much better than the Katana, but not as strong as the Hayabusa.
During my post-ride cigarette, I admired the lines of the bike. Despite being two decades old, it looks like pure sex to me. That big square perimeter frame, the dual round headlights encased in glass, the two square tail lights....... it all works for me. In my eyes, even in primer-grey it is far more attractive than either the bland Katana or the bulbous Hayabusa. It still takes the back seat to several other bikes that I find more attractive, but it's at least in my top 10.
Choosing the perfect bike is similar to choosing the perfect woman. Aesthetics alone won't get you very far: you need low maintenance, reliability, a fair bit of charm, a good fit for your lifestyle, abilities that can keep up with your own, and, probably most important, a fun ride when you're feeling frisky.
I like the bike. I've ridden faster bikes, but none that I liked better. It bombards the senses with input like an old bike, but it has more power than almost any other old dinosaur. It won't be setting any lap records, but it can take a corner without any drama. The ergo's are just short of awful, but I could probably do a couple of hours on it at a time without a problem. For myself, I can't imagine a bike much better than this.
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