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bmadson
MCUSA Scribbler

Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 1038

Posted 4/21/2008 11:22 AM (GMT -8)

Read along as MotorcycleUSA.com samples the Suzuki GSX-R750 at Willow Springs. Check out our 2008 Suzuki GSX-R750 - First Ride

Desmolicious
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2004
Total Posts : 4618

Posted 4/21/2008 11:36 AM (GMT -8)

Nice!
The 750 is in a bit of a quandary. You can either see it as:
1/ the perfect balance between the 600 and the 1000, or
2/ doesn't handle as well as the 600, no where near as much power as the 1000.

What do other people think?
Personally for street use (where most peeps spend their time) I'd take the 1K as I lurv motors that have major low and mid range.

Børk! Børk! Børk!

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15451

Posted 4/21/2008 12:35 PM (GMT -8)

Depends on a butt load of variables. But, odds are high, the 750 is the sweet spot to hit.

If sweet is wanted

Focus the forces, Be The Force

RRSmurf
Smurfly yours

Date Joined Nov 2007
Total Posts : 11

Posted 4/21/2008 12:40 PM (GMT -8)

Agree with desmo, go big or go home.

Just wondering; almost every gsxr launch includes the 'Larger ventilation holes linked between cylinder bores' chirp since I started reading bike magazines in 1996.

How much damn metal have they got left then???

GAJ
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2007
Total Posts : 4763

Posted 4/21/2008 12:49 PM (GMT -8)

That is one fine machine and the one I would buy if I wanted to replace my current S'bike.

The excellent slipper clutch, electronic steering damper and adjustable pegs are icing on a very nice cake!

I'll take their word for it that the exhaust can looks better in person!

flickmeister
Registered Member

Date Joined May 2004
Total Posts : 1021

Posted 4/21/2008 4:11 PM (GMT -8)

My HUGE bitch is it's price. The 600 lists for $9399, and the 750 is $1200 more. It doesn't cost Suzuki $50 more to make the 750 than the 600. And the 1000's MSRP is $11499, only $900 more than the 750. Sounds like a rip-off to me. But, it probably is the best balanced machine on the sportbike market. I just can't see the 30+ lbs. heavier 1000. If I were gonna get a literbike this year, the only one I can see buying is the Honda. However, my '06 GSXR1000 is bought and paid for and, to me, it's the best literbike ever made. The only advantage the 750 offers is you can twist the throttle significantly more without looping it and you on your head. The '08 750 weighs the same as the '06 1000 but produces 30-35 less horsepower. Not too hard to understand why I'm keeping my '06 Gixxer thou'.....Cheers, Jack

Desmolicious
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2004
Total Posts : 4618

Posted 4/21/2008 4:15 PM (GMT -8)

With the weight gain of the 08 750, I'm thinking that like the 1000, the 06 edition is a better bike.

Børk! Børk! Børk!

Chaos
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2007
Total Posts : 989

Posted 4/22/2008 2:20 AM (GMT -8)

Desmolicious said...
With the weight gain of the 08 750, I'm thinking that like the 1000, the 06 edition is a better bike.

I'm not 100% convinced either. Seems to me Suzuki did just enough to stay in the game. I would be very surprised if they did not overhaul the bike completely for 2010.

flickmeister
Registered Member

Date Joined May 2004
Total Posts : 1021

Posted 4/22/2008 4:24 AM (GMT -8)

I really doubt anyone can tell the difference 5 lbs. makes. If the motor makes significantly more mid range and the suspension rates are improved, those could add a great deal to an already terrific motorcycle. If that extra 5 lbs. is in the exhaust canister, chances are the owner will take care of that. However, if there is an '07 leftover available at a really great price, that would be the way to go.

Chaos
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2007
Total Posts : 989

Posted 4/22/2008 5:19 AM (GMT -8)

I got confused when you said 30 + pounds.

YellowDuck
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 4130

Posted 4/22/2008 8:53 AM (GMT -8)

Really good article - nice to get a full run down of the tech spec changes. I especially agree with the comment about the exhaust - it looks great in person, very purposeful and racy. The bike sounds good too, as all Gixxers do. And, the all-black paint scheme is the first one ever that I thought looked better than classic blue/white on a GSXR. Also, the added suspension adjustments would keep me happily fiddling for years. All looks good to me.

If I was in the market for an inline 4 sportbike, this would likely be it. I find the Japanese 1000s to be way overkill for my kind of riding. I actually haven't ridden an up-to-date 600, so even that might do me - but I am thinking that 110-ish hp almost all in the top end would not suit me too well. A bit of midrange is nice, but not so much that you can't wring it out in first at WOT without landing on your head. 750 seems like a nice compromise to me.

Cynicism is what passes for insight among the mediocre - Joe Klein

flickmeister
Registered Member

Date Joined May 2004
Total Posts : 1021

Posted 4/22/2008 1:42 PM (GMT -8)

Chaos,

The 30+ lbs. was the weight gain of the '07 GSXR1000 over the '06 GSXR1000. In spite of all of the new exhaust regulations, the '08 CBR1000RR got lighter. I have a hard time with any new sportbike weighing more than the older version, but 5 lbs. is no big deal if the bike works better. The extra 30 the GSXR1000 gained is enough to rule it out for me.

AdamW79
MCUSA - Associate Editor

Date Joined Sep 2007
Total Posts : 26

Posted 4/22/2008 4:30 PM (GMT -8)

Well the good thing about the 750 on the street is that its physically as narrow as a 600. So for riders who enjoy the benefit of legal lane splitting--it's a nice attribute. Without a doubt, I love 1000s, but if I had to choose one sportbike for street, track, and general all-around riding I would go for the 750. I've owned three of them and they have always impressed me. They have the ideal balance of agility and power.

Desmolicious said...
Nice!
The 750 is in a bit of a quandary. You can either see it as:
1/ the perfect balance between the 600 and the 1000, or
2/ doesn't handle as well as the 600, no where near as much power as the 1000.

What do other people think?
Personally for street use (where most peeps spend their time) I'd take the 1K as I lurv motors that have major low and mid range.

EdbearNZ
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1047

Posted 4/22/2008 5:21 PM (GMT -8)

I like it! My favourite all-time-ever, sports bike!

They say you're only young once! I'm trying to make it last...

NinjaForLife
Registered Member

Date Joined Dec 2006
Total Posts : 31

Posted 4/22/2008 10:35 PM (GMT -8)

My 636 with full exhaust and PCIII is the perfect balance of power in my book (not to mention great comfort and looks). However, I'm not looking for balanced power... I want pure, unadulterated power. Raw power that makes your butthole so tight you couldn't pull a needle out with a John Deere tractor. My next bike will be a used 05 ZX-10R or 05-06 GSX-R1000. I know, I know, spoken like a true squid. But it's the truth, and I always wear my gear and ride relatively safe compared to lots of guys I know. I just want to own a true beast at least once in my life. Then, if I survive, I may look for something more civilized but just as fun, like say, a motard?

Chaos
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2007
Total Posts : 989

Posted 4/23/2008 12:33 AM (GMT -8)

flickmeister said...

Chaos,

30 Pounds is quite a weight gain. I see now why you prefer the 06 1000 to the 07. I wonder if they are going to try and shave some weight off for 2009?

YellowDuck
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 4130

Posted 4/23/2008 4:55 AM (GMT -8)

NinjaForLife said...
I just want to own a true beast at least once in my life.

Totally understand that. Last time around, I seriously considered buying a GSXR1000 or similar, just for the "been there, done that" factor. There *is* something appealing about having way more power than you can actually use, at almost any rpm. But then, after a test ride on a ZX-10, I decided it wasn't for me. 100 mph in first gear? Cool, but not real applicable on the roads I ride.

But still I get where you are coming from. And since 1000s are pretty common on the used market, it needn't be an overly expensive experiment.

Cynicism is what passes for insight among the mediocre - Joe Klein

Kevin Duke
Rubber-side Down

Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 1521

Posted 4/23/2008 9:13 AM (GMT -8)

NinjaForLife said...
My next bike will be a used 05 ZX-10R...

That bike could be my all-time fave literbike (the '05 had a revised suspension from '04). To this day I believe it's still the lightest literbike made, and it's power delivery wasn't electronically neutered to make it more rider friendly. It's a wailing beast!

-KD, Former MotorcycleUSA Editor

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15451

Posted 4/23/2008 9:41 AM (GMT -8)

yes I love it when someone knows what they are talking about :-)

Taking that lightest liter, un-neutered 05 ZX-10R, and doing a little conversion, in street fighter handle bars, Scotts Damper, drop the triple clamps 5/16ths of an inch down the forks to quicken the steering to instant hit the chosen line and hold it. And Pirelli Diablo Corsa III's to do it all like magic, and ya got what hasn't been produced in any factory even now, at any price. smilewinkgrin

Focus the forces, Be The Force

Post Edited (louemc) : 4/23/2008 5:51:20 PM GMT

GAJ
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2007
Total Posts : 4763

Posted 4/23/2008 10:01 AM (GMT -8)

How many miles on your ZX10 Lou?

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15451

Posted 4/23/2008 10:08 AM (GMT -8)

What's your point?

Focus the forces, Be The Force

Tros
Global Moderator

Date Joined Apr 2004
Total Posts : 7309

Posted 4/23/2008 10:41 AM (GMT -8)

Careful, GAJ... Asking some sportbike riders how many miles their bike has is sort of like asking someone how much money they make.

Lou might only have a handful of miles compared to another fella, but on the roads he rides, he had to work his arse off to get those miles.

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

louemc
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 15451

Posted 4/23/2008 10:54 AM (GMT -8)

That's very much it, Tros. My miles aren't normal miles (just normal to me). I put all the miles on, I choose. My ZX-10 is modified, just like my 87 GIXXR 1100 was, and I took a ride that lasted 4 1/2 months, living on that bike. That is what I chose to do on the GIXXR, what I choose to do on the ZX-10 so far, is day rides, they are 200 miles long (some times more, depending on where I go after crossing the Sierra).

ASk me how long a set of tires last lol

Focus the forces, Be The Force

Desmolicious
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2004
Total Posts : 4618

Posted 4/23/2008 1:56 PM (GMT -8)

How long does a set of tyres last Lou? And how many sets have you gone through (there ya go GAJ!)

Børk! Børk! Børk!

flickmeister
Registered Member

Date Joined May 2004
Total Posts : 1021

Posted 4/23/2008 2:43 PM (GMT -8)

I've had 1000cc bikes since 1978 and my current '06 GSXR1000 is so far and away the best bike I have ever owned--absolutely amazing. I did have a couple SV650's, Katana and GSXR750's, VFR800, and a GSXR600 along the way. I really loved the GSXR600 (2004) until I went to the Smoky Mountains and had to spend every moment shifting to keep it between 11,000 to 15,000 RPM just to keep up with a buddy on a GSXR1000. Way too much work. I'd love to figure a way to keep the '06 Thou' and buy a CBR or GSXR600 as a track bike. Or I could buy a GSXR750 or CBR600 and use it for dual duty. It would be nice to be able to use a bit more throttle when pushing it once in a while. I found my GSXR600 lacked power when coming out of fast sweepers. I rode an '05 GSXR750, and it really was the perfect blend of usable power and handling. There are a few '07 leftover GSXR750's around and I'm sure I could get a great deal on one but I'm just not sure I'm ready to give up my Gixxer Thou'. From what I hear, the '07-08 CBR600's may well be fast enough for both the street and track. Funny, after all of the years on literbikes, I'm giving some serious thought to something I could utilize more of it's capability than the GSXR1000 will let me do. With either the GSXR or CBR, I'd have to get used to lots more shifting and revving it up for maximum performance, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The problem is the '06 GSXR1000 is close to irreplaceable. Too many bells & whistles on the current crop of literbikes though I suspect the new CBR1000 would fill the bill if the GSXR or CBR didn't get the job done. And that '08 GSXR750 in the black and burnt orange sure looks sharp. All of these possibilities and a tremendous lack of motorcycle cash flow. Oh well. Walt (the guy with all of the exotic bikes) and I are riding tomorrow and I'm gonna have to split my time between his '07 MV Agusta 312R and the Ducati Desmosedici. More later.....

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