Few bikes possess the GSX-R750's legacy. When it was first launched back in 1985, it stunned the biking community with raw power and light weight. As such, it was one of the first bikes to carry the beloved “superbike” label. Fast-forward 26 years and the design philosophy is still the same – we took it for an 800 km road trip to sample it for ourselves (see Nieuwoudtville bike trip).
Odd Capacity?
750 cm3 may seem like an odd capacity if you are a young rider, while older riders will remember the heyday of the quarter-litre class with every manufacturer competing for a slice in the market. The World Superbike Championship also played its part as the Japanese inline fours were limited to 750cm3 competing against the Ducati litre twins. Today only Suzuki produces a four-cylinder superbike in this capacity with 600 and 1 000 cm3 classes being more popular with Japanese manufacturers. This is a shame because 750 cm3 may just be the perfect capacity for road riding.
A rev-happy 600 struggles with mid-range torque and a 1 000 possesses too much scary power for the road. That is where the 750 comes in, combining the light weight of a 600 with a bit of extra torque in the right places.
The new L1
Styling-wise the L1 is just an evolution of the previous K-series and follows the current trend of a rounder frontal design. Maybe it has lost a bit of the GSX-R identity, but it is still a good looking bike. Climbing on, you immediately feel at home and even tall riders will be comfortable. The bike weighs only 3 kg more than the GSX-R600 and the lack of weight immediately impresses. The modern instrumentation is clear and the gear indicator is a nice touch.
Starting
Fire her up and a rorty exhaust note breaks the air. The electronic fuel injection ensures crisp throttle response and the engine feels quite racy. Riding at a constant speed the noise is subdued, but when the throttle is cracked open a lovely induction noise combines with the screaming exhaust to inform the rider that it is time to hang on. Yes, the power delivery is more akin to a 600 than a 1 000 but this is a good thing. The rider can concentrate on the road and choosing lines rather than fearing an impending death wheelie or the rear tyre breaking traction.
Performance
Do not be fooled in thinking that the GSX-R is a slow bike – during performance testing a 3,69 second 0-100km/h was recorded with the 1 km sprint completed in just over 20 seconds (see performance table below). A drag race expert of smaller stature will easily be able to improve on these figures, though. Indicated top speeds of more than 270 km/h were seen on the test strip – are you sure you really need that 1 000?
| km/h | seconds |
| 0-60 | 2,28 |
| 0-80 | 3,02 |
| 0-100 | 3,69 |
| 0-120 | 4,45 |
| 0-140 | 5,52 |
| 0-160 | 6,58 |
| 0-180 | 8,12 |
| 0-200 | 10,29 |
| 1 km | 20,74s @ 236km/h |
Watch a video here of us testing the GSX-R750.
Touring
The most surprising aspect of the bike was the relative level of comfort. Even the suspension is capable of soaking up road imperfections and there is a lot of room to move around on the bike. Ok, it's no R 1200 GS but far comfier than the Italian stallion (MV Agusta F4 RR) that accompanied us on the road trip to Nieuwoudtville.
The fuel consumption during our trip came to 6,1 L/100 km which is remarkable considering the high cruising speeds we maintained combined with some…erm…spirited riding! Handling and braking is on par with modern machinery (four-pot Brembo callipers) and a well-ridden GSX-R will not get left behind in the twisties, regardless of what you are up against.
Summary
Is the quarter-litre "gixxer" the perfect on-road superbike? Yes, I think so, and well done to Suzuki to sticking to the original formula.
Specification
Engine: 750 cm3, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC
Power: 110 kW at 13 200 r/min
Torque: 86 Nm at 11 200 r/min
Transmission: six-speed
Suspension front: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped – fully adjustable
Suspension rear: Link type, coil spring, oil damped – fully adjustable
Fuel capacity: 17 litres
Kerb weight: 190 kg
0-100km/h: 3,69 secs
Price: R120 000
Warranty: two years/unlimited km
(The demo we tested is for sale for R105 000.)
Special thanks to Suzuki South (also an Aprilia, Kawasaki and Moto Guzzi dealer) for supplying this test unit.
Be sure to check out the blog on our nostalgic bike trip to Nieuwoudtville to visit Thinus Coetzer's stunning classic motorbike collection.
