Suzuki GSX-S 1000A - first impressions and some comparisons

Well, the new bike is here and the Street Triple has gone... sniffle, sniffle!  I put the Triple on the NZ equivalent of eBay and the level of interest was amazing.  I could have sold it multiple times over but couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.  The new owners are a lovely young couple from Northland who did some thorough research and decided that mine was exactly what they were looking for.  I hope they have as much fun as I’ve had with it over the last 6 years.  Despite the prospect of a new bike, I was sad to see it go as it's done everything so well but it's gone to good people.  Hand-over was a perfect arrangement as it happened at the dealers in Auckland at the same time I picked up the Suzuki!

New owners Ray and Sandy, with Ray's dad - gone to a great new home!

Picking up the new bike on the Friday afternoon of a holiday long weekend probably wasn’t the smartest move with the Auckland Southern Motorway clogged with dimwits in cages hell bent on getting an early start out of the city.  Quietly filtering down the almost stationary traffic, it was really noticeable that there were plenty of drivers using their mobile phones and oblivious to what was going on around them.  I lost patience pretty quickly, dived out through the suburbs and went home the long way round through the countryside. After all, it’s about the journey, not the destination.... and certainly not clogged freeways full of knuckle-draggers!

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself……

I thought it would be worthwhile to record some initial impressions of the 190 km trip home on a new bike and contrast them where appropriate with the Street Triple and Blackbird before those thoughts become blurred.  Naturally, they are personal ones shaped by the bikes I’ve owned and the type of riding I’ve done over the years but here goes!

As mentioned in the previous blog post, the transition from Street Triple to Suzuki 1000 wasn't even on the radar, until a brief test ride two weeks previously which surprised me as the Suzy felt very similar to the Triumph in many important respects, albeit with a shed load more horsepower! Actually, I'd sat on a friend's "F" faired model the previous weekend and found that my feet could go flat on the deck.  That's what really started it so I blamed him to my wife!

About to leave the dealer and face holiday weekend traffic!

Travelling in heavy traffic on the motorway at slow speeds and indulging in a bit of filtering confirmed that despite the difference in weights (Triple ~170 kg dry, Suzi ~209 kg dry), the Suzy carried its weight very low and was ergonomically similar to the Triple – instant confidence!  I could also get my feet flat when the traffic stopped - important for an err... mature guy with stuffed knees! Rob, the salesperson at Holeshot Motorcycles reminded me before I left that the brakes would take some bedding in.  He was bang on the money – nowhere near as powerful as the Triple despite them being 4 pot radial Brembos so I added a few more lengths of following distance.  They slowly improved throughout the journey but have not yet reached the standard I’m expecting.

Reading ride reports on the Suzuki in the press, one common complaint is that it’s a bit snatchy from a trailing throttle.  That’s actually a fair call but the same complaint was levelled at the Street Triple when it first came out.  That gave me an advantage on the hand-over and didn't find it particularly intrusive on the trip home having got used to the Triple..  However, the new experience is only over 200 km so time will tell.

Leaving the motorway and getting out on to the country roads, it was nearly as nimble as the Triple, but not quite.  It did take a bit more effort to change direction through tight twisties .  It has a 190 section rear tyre compared with a 180 on the triple, a slightly longer wheelbase and more weight.  These factors will have some impact but as already mentioned, the difference isn’t huge.  Pushing it through the twisties as confidence grew saw the traction control activation light come on a few times.  Not a big deal as Rob had set it at "Old Fart" mode, the most sensitive of the settings.  I’d like to think that it was because the tyres were new rather than my age or perceived competence affecting his decision!

Stubby, raspy end can and chicken strips virtually gone in under 200 km

Handling over bumpy surfaces saw the bike skitter about far more than the Triple, but not in a particularly alarming way.  You certainly had to be a bit careful getting on the throttle!  It’s not a fair comparison at present though as the new bike running gear needs to loosen up before sag and damping can be properly adjusted for my weight.  I set the Triple up properly for my riding weight using quality aftermarket componentry and besides, international road tests say that not many bikes can live with a Triple in the tight stuff. 

The ride was in warm, dry conditions and the D214 sport tyres stuck well.  Rain grooves are minimalist and like most sport tyres, they require heat to make them stick.  From experience with the OEM Dunlop Qualifiers on the Street Triple, the prospect of riding in the rain in cooler conditions does not fill me with excitement, particularly as I have to do instructing in all conditions. The good thing is that the D214's should be dead pretty quickly and can be replaced with Michelin PR4's, which I love to bits.  Oh, and a real plus is that the turning circle is miles better than the Triple.  Having had to step off the Trumpy a few months ago when I stuffed up a feet-up U turn on a narrow country road in the presence of a rider I was mentoring makes me a bit sensitive to a lack of steering lock. Mercifully, the only significant damage was to my ego.

As the traffic thinned out, the ability to get on the throttle improved, even though running-in revs and engine loads were strictly observed.  The Suzuki has about 45 bhp more than the Triple but that’s nowhere near the end of the story.  If you do the math, the power to weight ratio of both bikes aren’t a mile apart.  Coupled with the wide torque spread of the Triple, it’s only when wind drag starts to kick in at (say) above 100 km/hr that the Suzuki has a significant advantage and clears off.  For everyday riding where corners, road conditions or other traffic impact on speed, the difference between the 2 bikes is nowhere as much as you might think.

Menacing in matte grey metallic paint

The muffler is one of those stubby Moto-GP jobbies slung low for mass centralisation.  It's got quite a bark too which is quite pleasing.  At certain highway speeds and a neutral throttle, there is a droning harmonic-type noise. Unsure at this stage whether it came from the airbox, muffler or both.  Will investigate further although it wasn't really irritating.

At about 3/4 distance home, my butt started to ache a bit, causing a bit of shuffling about on the seat.  It's far too early to draw any conclusions about this.  The seat may soften, my butt might adjust and if they don't; the fall-back will be an Airhawk pneumatic pad like I used for the Rusty Nuts 1600 km in under 24 hours organised event on the Street Triple (HERE). 

Old Geezer plus new bike photo op on Coromandel Wharf

The instrumentation display on the Suzuki is superb, although overwhelming at first glance!  As well as the normal speedo/odometer/tacho/temperature functions, there is permanent ABS and 3 stage traction control which can loosely be described as Old Fart (or rain if you prefer), spirited road riding (2) and trackday (1).  There is also "off", reserved for those who's surname rhymes with Rossi.  The rocker switch on the left bar also allows several fuel consumption options.  The one I particularly like is the one which counts down the km's before fuel is needed.  Let's hope that it's not wildly inaccurate!

View from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise

The Beast safely back at home!

So what now?  The main thing is to get used to it and get the break-in period over and done with.  With a few mentoring sessions already scheduled with the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the 1000 km service should be reached in about a week, then it will be time to see what she'll do!  Some matte 3M anti-scuff film will be installed at the service to protect the rear of the tank and the tailpiece from throwover bags.  The guys at Holeshot Motorcycles already installed paddock stand bobbins and a switched wiring take-off for my GPS and radar detector as part of the deal.  Just have to figure where to put 'em.  A front guard extender to keep the crap out of the radiator is already on order and engine crash protectors will be ordered shortly.  A small Suzuki screen is on back-order.

THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS SO FAR
As I've only done one 200-odd km run from the dealer plus a 45 minute demo ride 2 weeks previously, the thoughts are only first impressions.  Reading back through what I've written, I don't seem to be jumping out of my skin about the Suzuki.  That would be a wrong impression - I love it and am really looking forward to riding it how it's meant to be ridden.   If anything, it's a strong complimentary reflection on just how good the Street Triple is. Totally bullet-proof in the 6 years of ownership, sublime handling and the power to weight ratio means that it won't be embarrassed in bigger company - horsepower is only one side of the equation.  If I enjoy the Suzuki as much as I've loved the Triple, I'll be a happy man!

My thoughts also turn back to the 1135cc Honda Blackbird which graced the shed for 8 years before the Triple. The fastest bike in production when it first came out and also bullet-proof.  On the downside, it was a tad too tall for me and carried its weight pretty high too which is why it had to go as I aged - low speed handling and parking on big cambers could be problematic. Comparing it with the Suzuki mass centralisation and lower weight, sharper handling and modern electronics isn't fair to a bike that was at the top of the tree when first released in late 1996. It does go to show however, how far motorcycle technology has evolved in 20-odd years.  I'll still look back on the Blackbird with huge affection but then was then and now is now - time to move on.

Finally, a personal acknowledgement of the great service I received from Holeshot Motorcycles, right from the demonstrator ride through to riding away on the new bike.  Being gushy about their service would do them a disservice.  Suffice to say that throughout, Rob, the guy I dealt with was friendly, accommodating and utterly professional.  Looking forward to building a long-term relationship with them.  Oh, and they are also Triumph agents so if the rumoured 800cc Street Triple ever gets released, there might be the opportunity for more business (subject to Executive Permission from Jennie of course)!

Can't wait for the next stage of getting to know The Beast!

Addendum:  Nov 2018.  A 3 year, 45,000 km review of the bike can be found HERE