GSX-R1000 long time dream came true yesterday...

[manyrevs]

Yesterday, after so many years of wanting to own a top end 1000cc sports bike, I finally went and picked up a new GSX-R1000/A.. The Suzuki Summerfest or whatever you call it, did me a world of good in helping me to finally own one of them, with its very low prices. Of course it was only the R1000 and not the R1000R but for my style of riding, that suits me just fine. I'll never push it along fast enough to justify spending those extra thousands for the RR with its better suspension etc. At that price, who cares..!! I've only ridden it home and then parked her up for the day (37 kms on the clock so far,, the 1st 5 of them were done by the bike shop) but after some lunch, the rest of the afternoon was spent messing/tinkering around with things,, 1st, adjusting that annoying throttle slack out of it because that alone almost spoiled the ride home, as I struggled to get smooth clutch engagement without either almost stalling it or drag race style take-offs from all of the traffic lights, then I checked tyre pressures, oil levels, adjusted front/rear suspension a tiny bit, although they don't provide you a world of tools at all in the GSX-R, do they.? Hey man, I mean two allen keys and that's it, what the heck..!! In the manual they say if you want to adjust the rear shocks pre-load, they'd rather you take it in to your local Suzie dealer, like hell.. I'll look around and see if I can buy a couple of hook spanners. I do not fancy taking a 30 km / 20 mile ride into the city simply to adjust a spring tension, no way..!!

In that ride home (some street and some motorway), I learned one thing about this GSX-R,, it's a bike that you have to take charge of rather than letting it take charge of you, which it tries to, IMO.. For one thing, it has lightning quick steering. Leaning it even slightly into a rolling semi-fast corner, like exiting the motorway at moderate speed on some interchanges, can result in the bike taking charge and gliding through the corner its own way,, a bit unnerving on the first couple of corners like this, but I imagine that if you were ready for it at this and/or higher speeds, it would be a blessing as it seemed rock steady all through the bend as 'it' pointed 'you' in the right direction. I guess a certain amount of that was also attributable to the Bridgestone RS10's as they look to have quite a well rounded shape across the whole width of the tyre, front and rear, and look as if they're made for fast left/right's in quick succession. In my younger days, I would have loved this. Also, the GSX-R seems to beg to be able to use those ponies hidden away in that engine. Even though I rode home in engine mode C, it still showed signs of enormous power just waiting to get out, especially once you hit about 4000 + rpm. It nearly gave me a heart attack one time. I was adjusting the mirrors on the motorway more than once (not advisable in reasonable traffic). I noticed that I had slowed down a little to approx 75 km/h so I opened the throttle to speed up a bit, the roll on was not quick enough, so I chopped down one, two gears into 3rd and kind of whipped open the throttle and it simply launched into life and slightly whip lashed my head upwards for an instant. Holy sh*t, that was a wicked response man, and I'd say that I hit the speed limit in about a second and a half. No real panic, just a little unexpected - not any more, I now know what to expect. Geez, I gasp at thinking of what it's going to be like in B and A modes. I'll try those next time I get out just to put more mileage on the clock.

When I first decided to go after a sports bike earlier this year, I really had two bikes in mind. The Honda CBR and the Suzuki GSX-R.. Kawasaki's ZX10 and Yamaha's R1 are a little too extreme for my liking - too aggressive in their seating position for road riding, whereas the Honda and Suzuki were more than acceptable, the GSX-R just edging out the CBR for my sad bag of bones. As it turned out, in the end it was the right deal for me. I am now a very happy guy...

ManyRevs...

[OddDuck]

Good reading, thanks for posting that.

[Banditbandit]

Cool - enjoy

[AllanB]

Well done you.

Given setting up suspension sag with a couple of people is pretty quick it kind of annoys me that you drop $20k plus on a new ride and part of that is not a 15-20 min suspension sag set-up with the dealer.

Such is life.

[Navy Boy]

Nice work. That's a mint machine you have there - Enjoy.

As for setting up suspension sag - There's plenty about it on Youtube etc. Get a friend to help you out and you'll be fine.

[sidecar bob]

This sag thing is over rated.
I've worked with some top NZ, BSB & TT superbike racers & never had them request sag measurements once.

[manyrevs]

Actually guys I have to say, for me, I felt the suspension was not that bad as it was, and even though it was mostly motorway on the way home, I did go over a few small bumps 'n' lumps on it, especially in and around all these damned roadwork's everywhere on the south side of the city - what a pain in the fundamental orifice.. I purposefully hit some of the rough stuff to test the suspension and at least the front rear match for me was pretty darned good. On one particular bump I got a good bounce but not quite enough to leave the seat,, not quite.. Once we got off the motorway I went around a few rougher streets and even though the suspension was a little stiff for my liking, it seemed to work well.. Once home, I turned the rebound damping on the forks back by the equivalent of one graduation (these forks don't actually have any graduation marks on them) so I put a pencil mark where they were set and then gave each fork a tiny twist back and that was it. At the time I wanted to tone the pre-load down a bit on the rear but I thought I would give the bike a ride in the wild before I made any real adjustments..

Today, I went for a ride out in the countryside and turned off any main roads in favour of the real stuff. The unnerving feeling I spoke about in the first post of coming into a progressive corner, did actually turn out to be the blessing in disguise as I thought it might be. Just go with the flow and it will see you right.. Entering and coming up to mid corner, don't be scared to tease the throttle a bit to 'almost' put power into the rear wheel and then apply some power at about mid corner and while exiting, and all that unnerving stuff is gone (I always believe that by the time you apex a corner, you should have power going to the rear wheel, just not too much). I cannot believe how good this bike feels on nice tight but flowing corners. On more open longer corners, just pick your power and let the bike take you by the hand. As I thought, you really need to own this bike by putting your input into it during cornering. Roundabouts out in the country are about the only thing the bike felt a little cumbersome on, to me anyway, and I would say mostly because I was a little nervous about really leaning it over on brand new tyres. I am sure this will be gone in due course, but you have to remember one thing, I am no boy racer and I didn't buy the GSX-R to try to become one.. On the whole, I liked the way it handled today and I think rather that going through all the sag testing and setting up, for the meantime, I'll leave it as it is..

MPG, or should I say kmpl overall is at about 16.5 km per litre, but remember this is run-in time and as yet I haven't even used 6th gear. I've been dancing on the gear lever at every opportunity, up and down,, up and down, going through those gears and not settling on one rev range. I've made sure the tacho too is getting into the same rhythm,, and 'NO' loading up the motor by opening the throttle in higher gears, chop down a gear or two and rev it rather than load it.. So, I am 100% sure that the kmpl will rise in due course. So far I have only put about mid 80's km on the clock but I'm not scared to ride it on short but intense bursts, then let it cool 'til next time - TOMORROW...!!!

Fun fun fun...

ManyRevs

[reasonable]

Enjoy take care .
Awesome to hear the passion in your words don't let the cops spoil it

[Scubbo]

rad bike alright nice one! great deal too at the moment!

[manyrevs]

[ Awesome to hear the passion in your words don't let the cops spoil it ]...
You know, that's good advice (I mean about the cops) because this is probably the worst time for me to get pulled over,, but to be honest I haven't really been that much faster than the speed limit itself. Just once I had to overtake a milk tanker truck,, boy they are long when you want to get past them,, so I sped up a bit more than the limit, but most of that revving was actually done in the lower gears and with less than 90 kms clocked up, I am revving no more than about up to 6000,, usually a ceiling of about 5000 rpm then changing up and as soon as you get past, change back down to keep those revs up a "bit". That's mostly why I spent little time in 5th and no time in 6th gear in these early days/kms. In my opinion, it's much more important to rev higher in a lower gear than to sit at the speed limit (open road or in town) in top or even any higher gear and revving low. Early kms with high gear and low revs, is how you can turn a silk purse into a sows ear and make the bike run sluggish later in its life. On the other hand, you don't want to rev the guts out of it from mile "one" and have it rattling itself to an early grave.. I've seen this happen in the past, either way, and I've done it too.. The sows ear in my case was when I bought a new Honda VTR1000 at the same time as my brother did too. He rode his a lot better from the time we both picked them up, whereas I was a bit gun shy because I was getting over a major gut surgery a few years earlier, which refused to settle down. I promised myself I would celebrate by getting back on a bike once I was "better". Maybe I jumped the gun just a bit.. Anyway my VTR was a bit of a slugger compared to my brothers a few thousand K's down the line, yet a few years later I bought a big capacity 4 cyl bike, gave it the same sort of run-in I am doing now, and it was a friggin rocket by the time it hit about 3000 km. It used no oil, did great mileage and purred like a happy cat in front of the fire on a cold winters night.. I have run in quite a few new 4 cyl bikes of reasonable capacity (750 - 1000cc) in the past and believe me, there is a good way to run in and a not so good way and you don't have to break the sound barrier doing it. It's all a balance between gear placement and revs,, and nothing to do with speed.. The big secret is to slowly work your way up the rev range, in my opinion. If you want, you can start using higher gears along with more revs but as you mentioned, that's when the cops can appear from nowhere to rain on your parade - your call. The higher gears and higher revs might be a bit challenge with this GSX-R1000 though,, that could equal some very high speeds. I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it..

Once you take it in for that first service you can think about a more normal type of riding and once you get maybe 1500 - 2000 km on the clock, it's time to consider the 'job done' aspect. Ride normally from here.. That's the way I like to do things anyway. It's great to have a rant in here, as this time around, I guess I am quite a bit more excited than usual...

ManyRevs

[nzspokes]

This sag thing is over rated.
I've worked with some top NZ, BSB & TT superbike racers & never had them request sag measurements once.Maybe if they rode em on the road with stock suspension it would be a different story.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[manyrevs]

Progress report,,
Another small ride yesterday - only three rides to date. Power mode B, TC 3, using lower side of revs, maybe up to 5500'ish rpm max with one or two slightly higher squirts, only using gears 1 to 4 and making sure engine is never loaded up (eg, going uphill in top etc) and always trying to rev within rev range, changing gear as often as possible. Some real power starts pouring on at approx 4700 rpm where it literally wants to take off from under you. Am quite sure that engine has shown mild signs of freeing up, even if it is only slightly. Overall fuel usage is 16.7 km/l, approx 47 mpg, which is pretty good considering the run-in regime I am using at the moment and the fact that the bike has seen 5th gear four or five times and 6th only once (accidentally) so far. The biggest positive so far is that I am getting very used to feeling the way this bike handles and corners, and that's a huge leap forward for me. The bike turns so quickly and can be thrown from side to side as quickly as you can get your mind and body to do it, and along with proper throttle use, a good fast corner exit on the cards. It is capable of being leaned over more than I am at the moment. The Bridgestone RS10's have a huge round profile and are obviously made to be leaned right over when necessary,, "I" on the other hand at my age, am not. That means whatever chicken strip is on the tyre now will probably remain there for a good while yet. Suspension is a little hard for me but amazingly accurate and very good at keeping things on track. Brakes (front brakes anyway) are amazing while rear brakes, like any other bike, may as well not be there. Every now and then I press rear brake pedal down just to try and take the newness out of them, but basically I never use them, although on one super tight bumpy corner, leaned well over, I needed to dodge a stone about the size of an egg which was right on my line and I dared not use any more front brakes, so I actually applied some rear and this helped me to slightly lift up and change the line mid corner and re-lean without any nervousness, so they do serve a purpose some of the time..

So far, I am getting happier with this extreme bike. It 'IS' all sports and I might have to alter my riding style to suit it...

ManyRevs

[sidecar bob]

Sounds awesome, I banned myself off such bikes some years ago as while i was grown up enough to make that decision, i didnt think i was grown up enough to keep riding that kind of bike
Sounds like you are happy enough with the set up, & if so leave it alone until or if you find a characteristic you want to tune out
Dont just mess about with the settings because thats what all the cool kids are doing
Enjoy.

[nzspokes]

Buys a litre bike, worries about fuel economy.

[eldog]

I think I saw one tonight, bike and rider looked good from every angle.

it took off then I remembered this thread.

just for interest, what are the lights like at night?

[manyrevs]

Sounds awesome, I banned myself off such bikes some years ago as while i was grown up enough to make that decision, i didnt think i was grown up enough to keep riding that kind of bike
Sounds like you are happy enough with the set up, & if so leave it alone until or if you find a characteristic you want to tune out
Dont just mess about with the settings because thats what all the cool kids are doing
Enjoy.S'bob, For me, nothing about buying this bike was ever based on common sense or my capabilities. I always wanted to get a 1 litre current superbike. Any of the four Japanese brands (Yam, Kaw, Hon, Suz) would have done but I am glad it was Suzuki, because that is the brand I was riding when these types of bikes first came out. I had a few GSXR750's & FZ750 sporters and a few other drop bar bikes in the past and they sort of fuelled my decision because they were exciting to ride and I never really suffered from those drop handlebar aches and pains that many get. This one seems ok for me too, so why not. I didn't need it,, I just wanted it,, I've always liked these 1000cc sports bikes.. To be honest, I'd admit that about 90% of the decision to buy any bike I've ever owned has always been based on looks and the excitement it generated within me. In the motorcycle world, 1 litre sports bikes simply turn me on...


Buys a litre bike, worries about fuel economy.Silly isn't it,, BUT,, I actually bought this bike NOT to be a boy racer (could that be because I am just too old to be one - maybe..??). I want to ride a bike I like, along with my friends, and to be honest, more touring than canyon racing. I've never been good enough to be "king of the hill", although I've had my moments. That was way back then, not now, so yeah, fuel economy is about 10% worth taking note of - hahahaha.. In the long run, it's all for fun. Even if this bike remains mostly on the stand in the garage, it won't worry me a bit..


just for interest, what are the lights like at night?eldog, I haven't ridden in the dark hours yet so not sure, although in one video on YT the guy reckoned they, whoops - 'it' was ok, surprisingly good. It is LED and sure looks quite strong from front on but I guess that will have to be found out with experience in the future but summer time, night riding, and bugs just aren't really ME, so I'm not holding my breath to find out - hahaha..!!

Cheers all,,
ManyRevs

[Yokomama]

This is cool man. Good shit.

[AllanB]

I just like you that you purchased your 'dream' bike and are enjoying it. No need to justify anything to KB, just enjoy the machine and make it yours.

[caspernz]

I just like you that you purchased your 'dream' bike and are enjoying it. No need to justify anything to KB, just enjoy the machine and make it yours.

Yeah, that was my take on this thread as well.

Most posters on KB have bikes that are way more capable than the riders, I'll freely admit that of myself for starters.

Just enjoy your dream bike there "manyrevs" and keep learning whilst grinning :devil2:

[eldog]

eldog, I haven't ridden in the dark hours yet so not sure, although in one video on YT the guy reckoned they, whoops - 'it' was ok, surprisingly good. It is LED and sure looks quite strong from front on but I guess that will have to be found out with experience in the future but summer time, night riding, and bugs just aren't really ME, so I'm not holding my breath to find out - hahaha..!!

Ok, I was wondering, as the light was that current modern shape how it performed. Enjoy.

[manyrevs]

Cheers guys, all's fine here. I'm not upset in any way,, how can I be after buying this bike..?? I have a couple of brothers who think it's time for me to grow up, and think I am a bit nuts for buying that bike of all bikes but they're secretly happy for me because we all love bikes and we all got bitten by the bug oh so many years ago and to date not one of us has managed to recover,, don't want to..!!
Have a good one guys...
ManyRevs

[manyrevs]

Just a quickie tonight,,
Yesterday I took it for a very 'quick' squirt just to get a few more km's on the clock, around the back roads and then home on the motorway (well, at least for a bit of the way anyway)..
"Quick" as in two ways,,
1). Not very far as I wasn't feeling 100% well yesterday and besides, I only had limited gas left in the tank..
2). I got on the motorway and gave it a quick squirt,, I opened it up in 6th just as it was hitting 5000 rpm and I literally had to hold on for my life. This was a decent amount of throttle opening too.. Only god and I know what speed I got up to - and I'm not saying a word - but SH*T man, this bike has some serious boogie just waiting to get out and be used,, and it just keeps coming. I then let go the throttle and went back to a more normal revs/speed... First time I intentionally used 6th gear and first time I opened it up like that too..

Impressed, intimidated, scared, orgasmic or whatever - I simply don't know how to explain my feelings at the time - maybe just pleasantly shocked - something like a cattle prod up the ass I suppose...!!!

ManyRevs

[Stylo]

Cheers guys, all's fine here. I'm not upset in any way,, how can I be after buying this bike..?? I have a couple of brothers who think it's time for me to grow up, and think I am a bit nuts for buying that bike of all bikes but they're secretly happy for me because we all love bikes and we all got bitten by the bug oh so many years ago and to date not of us has managed to recover,, don't want to..!!
Have a good one guys...
ManyRevs

Enjoy your new bike mate , I'm 57 and riding my 3rd Hayabusa . Number three.

Not a big deal for me but , have fun.

[manyrevs]

Enjoy your new bike mate , I'm 57 and riding my 3rd Hayabusa . Number three. Not a big deal for me but , have fun. Geez, No3.. You sure believe in having some fun and I'm glad to hear it. As for me, it's sort of "here and now" mentality, just like it's always been,, live for the day man, for the day - Hahahaha...!!! Cheers Stylo..
ManyRevs

[manyrevs]

Final word (unless someone wants a reply etc) on this topic,,,

I've taken the bike for a few more small rides in the past week and I am starting to feel a lot more at home and used to it now. I'm get the urge to throw it into corners a bit more, knowing that I'll get a real good safe feeling, then roll that power on when I exit. I'm 100% sure that this bike needs to be ridden more towards the sportier side side of things than the touring side to get the best out of it. Strictly easy riding might be a bit harsh and maybe not the most pleasant feeling. I also gave it a few squirts (no full speed stuff,, just quick squirts),, that'll have to wait for another day, maybe another lifetime for now. Boy, it's got some serious horses in that engine just waiting to get out..

From here, it's just accumulating miles/kms to get the first service out of the way..

See you all on the other side. Thanks for listening...

ManyRevs

[FJRider]

Final word (unless someone wants a reply etc) on this topic,,,

Nothing's final until you're dead. No coming back from that ... :blank:


I've taken the bike for a few more small rides in the past week and I am starting to feel a lot more at home and used to it now. I'm get the urge to throw it into corners a bit more, knowing that I'll get a real good safe feeling, then roll that power on when I exit.

That's fine if you're doing on the very same roads ... as opposed to the very same sort of roads. The expectation of the roads being the the same standard of quality in each area is slim. Knowing how it reacts to seal imperfections and a loose surface might be your life saver ... been there yet .. ??


I'm 100% sure that this bike needs to be ridden more towards the sportier side side of things than the touring side to get the best out of it.

Riding "Sportier" often translates into not spending as much time looking for issues on and in the road. Deserted back roads aren't always deserted. People live and work down those deserted roads. Taking a racing line (on a right-hander) and meeting a large duel wheeled tractor ... can be a tad unnerving. You may also experience a little pain.


Strictly easy riding might be a bit harsh and maybe not the most pleasant feeling. I also gave it a few squirts (no full speed stuff,, just quick squirts),, that'll have to wait for another day, maybe another lifetime for now. Boy, it's got some serious horses in that engine just waiting to get out..


From here, it's just accumulating miles/kms to get the first service out of the way..

A south island tour ... ???


See you all on the other side. Thanks for listening...

ManyRevs

Other side of where ... :devil2:

[caspernz]

So FJ, are we both wondering the same thing? Where's the training/skill level at for the OP? Seems to me the new bike could do with an operator that's had a check-up and/or tune-up of his skills :cool::devil2:

[FJRider]

So FJ, are we both wondering the same thing? Where's the training/skill level at for the OP? Seems to me the new bike could do with an operator that's had a check-up and/or tune-up of his skills :cool::devil2:

Aside from the ability of the motorcycle (which should be a constant) ... the riders ability and confidence are the next two factors in gaining the most in forward momentum. To have one without the other (either one) ... it can't happen.

I think "To grow a pair" would be the terminology in this case ... "I'm get the urge to throw it into corners a bit more" suggests a confidence issue.

A skilled and confident rider ... put on a GN250 ... could out ride a majority of the experienced riders (on better bikes) on some roads.

A fast(er) and powerful motorcycle will not increase your own ability ... but will do more to highlight your shortcomings.

You (in most cases) go faster ... but at what cost .. ?? (Your) Personal safety is the first issue ... "Getting the urge" .. ?? is this the attitude of experienced motorcyclists ... ??

"Throw it into corners" .. ?? the faster you go ... the more precise you need to be. Situational awareness is knowing where you are on the road and knowing where you need to be. Usually knowing where you shouldn't be is part of that too. Get it wrong .. and "Throwing it away" becomes part of the dialogue.

Other road users ... remember them ... ??? I hope we all do. If we survive the accident (and killing other people on the roads is frowned on) ... the pain and cost of it all is seldom worth the minutes of fun that was the cause of it all.

For the machine the OP has and get the best out of it ... two things come to mind ... TIME and PLACE. To the OP ... Get some (more ... ??) track time to improve on the abilities you already have. AND ... Remove the risk of injury or death to and from those that do not even know you exist.

[manyrevs]

Hey guys - Woawwww..!!!
Sounds like you're reading wayyyy too much into what I'm saying,, but I guess that's your right/privilege. Never mind...

Guys, all I know right now is - I love this bike, I'm very glad and happy I bought it, and and it's here to stay...!!!

Oh,, ahh "the other side" of the "first service" that is - hahahaha..

ManyRevs

[caspernz]

Hey guys - Woawwww..!!!
Sounds like you're reading wayyyy too much into what I'm saying,, but I guess that's your right/privilege. Never mind...

Guys, all I know right now is - I love this bike, I'm very glad and happy I bought it, and and it's here to stay...!!!

Oh,, ahh "the other side" of the "first service" that is - hahahaha..

ManyRevs

Long may you enjoy your dream bike :cool:

For some of us reading your posts, it appears you're somewhat in awe of the GSX-R thou.

Forgive us for wondering whether you're suffering from "Born again biker" syndrome ;)

[manyrevs]

Long may you enjoy your dream bike :cool:
For some of us reading your posts, it appears you're somewhat in awe of the GSX-R thou.
Forgive us for wondering whether you're suffering from "Born again biker" syndrome ;)
"In awe" - Definitely..!! I always had been from a distance but now that I actually own one, it's finally come true, hence the title of this thread. I felt like buying one a couple of years ago but the GSX-R1000 series seemed to be losing its mojo, with just face-lifts each year and nothing revolutionary or evolutionary. I truly started wondering - when are they going to seriously update it ? At that time I had other things that needed my money and attention more importantly than bikes did but I remember saying to my brother back then, to watch this one because I think it is going to be a good one, and this latest series is just that. That's when I started saving for it...

"Born again" - Naaaa, just finally a realisation of a dream, well maybe not so much a dream, just that I've thought about it so many times since the R1000's first appeared.. Even at my age (even though I am not the oldest in here), real excitement can still happen in the form of two wheels, in exactly the same fashion it has done for all the other bikes I've had over the years, maybe even a bit more this time. Thought I'd just share it with you guys..

Anyway, maybe time for this thread to be consigned to the archives. Thanks...!!!

ManyRevs

[IronPawz]

Always great to see someone get their baby and get out there loving it. I finally got a 1000RR some years back and loved it. Going to an open track day and riding it in the no stress slow group was SO good and made my road riding a lot safer. It was getting a chance to try out corners and breaks more on track made the road just a lot more comfortable and controlled.

So it is a sweat machine and you don't have to race it. My advice is go to the track just to experience it a little more in a controlled situation, then if you over cook a corner sometime you'll have a better understanding that you can dig in and get around. Besides it is fun to just crank it on a few times with no fines in site.

[manyrevs]

Probably the last word on this thread (from me anyway),,

The bike is now performing and handling like I always thought it should. I adjusted the front and rear suspension a few times over the past 2 months and got it spot on to my liking - I just didn't realize how much softening up it needed to get it there,, almost maxxed out on the soft side of things in both springs and damping, front and rear,, but now it's more or less perfect for me and seems to handle all situations out there, with ease. The low speed turning in issues I 'had' back when I first rode the bike, have all gone with these settings, which is great. Turning slow speed is no issue at all now. I finally changed engine mode to 'A' and the low end torque that I somehow thought I was missing out on in mode 'B', suddenly appeared and almost blew me away. It's still a bit soft below 3800 - 4000 rpm in top gear, but at 4000 or anything above it, just hang on as you twist that throttle open, as a matter of fact, I loved the top gear motorway riding between 100 - 120 kph so much that I decided to see what this baby was capable of in fuel mileage. How much can I get out of her? Lets put it this way. I know from experience that I can get at least 260 km per tank (that was over the Kopu/Hikuai's) and there is still a bit of gas left in the tank. Trip meter says I can still get another 50 km on what's left, and that astounds me because that trip meter always seems to underestimate. Fuel usage on the dash was saying I was averaging 20.5 km/l.. BUT (and there's always a BUT) this was quite a speed legal trip, specially to see what distance a tank of gas would take me, so it was a little boring, just a bit now you hear...!!! I might have to take her out for a little blast soon, just to get the blood flowing again. The radiator got a bit of a blasting with tiny stones from the 7 or 8 patches of road works that were there, so a radiator guard is soon going on - should have fitted one the day I actually bought it (the guard I mean). A few bees and horse flies got a serious headache too, man they can make a mess of a radiator, can't they..?? Talk about bees, the Bridgestone RS10 tyres seem to be the bees knees - I really like them, although I might replace then with the S22's once they get to that point...

Well, there's not a whole lot more I can say about this bike. It seems to amaze me in almost every way possible. Soon I will replace the stock muffler (which looks like a giant plastic milk bottle), probably with a Yoshi R11-sq, then from there I'll just ride it when I like while we still have good weather. May as well get as much distance as I can for the $1200 insurance fee I had to shell out...

Thanks for sharing the thread... Big Smiles all round...!!!

ManyRevs

[kirsten9]

Amazing! So glad about you!

[Laava]

Amazing! So glad about you!

Lol!................

[roogazza]

Been a coupla months,traded the K6 1000 Suzuki . Brilliant bike and a very happy 10 yrs ownership.

Although a few thought it wouldn't work,I'm rapt to be back on this sort of beast. At 70 yrs old I reckon this bike has given me another 5 years of riding at least? Went thru and cranked up the pre load and damping etc.... Its like a big lazyboy ! perfect for me.
344870

Might be my age,but I always liked the big 70/80s naked bikes....

[ellipsis]

...a fantastic way out of the quagmire of choice...:banana:

[SaferRides]

Nice. Where did you find it?

[Drew]

Did anyone else have a giggle at "it really tries to take off around 4,700 rpm"?

At 10k it actually gets exciting.

[Brett]

Hey guys - Woawwww..!!!
Sounds like you're reading wayyyy too much into what I'm saying,, but I guess that's your right/privilege. Never mind...

Guys, all I know right now is - I love this bike, I'm very glad and happy I bought it, and and it's here to stay...!!!

Oh,, ahh "the other side" of the "first service" that is - hahahaha..

ManyRevs

It's Kiwibiker...of course muppets are reading into everything your saying...and everything your not saying, and everything that they think you are and are not saying but should be. Take the gremlins with a pinch of salt.
Enjoy the Gixxer, you never forget your first litre bike.

[Brett]

Probably the last word on this thread (from me anyway),,

The bike is now performing and handling like I always thought it should. I adjusted the front and rear suspension a few times over the past 2 months and got it spot on to my liking - I just didn't realize how much softening up it needed to get it there,, almost maxxed out on the soft side of things in both springs and damping, front and rear,, but now it's more or less perfect for me and seems to handle all situations out there, with ease. The low speed turning in issues I 'had' back when I first rode the bike, have all gone with these settings, which is great. Turning slow speed is no issue at all now. I finally changed engine mode to 'A' and the low end torque that I somehow thought I was missing out on in mode 'B', suddenly appeared and almost blew me away. It's still a bit soft below 3800 - 4000 rpm in top gear, but at 4000 or anything above it, just hang on as you twist that throttle open, as a matter of fact, I loved the top gear motorway riding between 100 - 120 kph so much that I decided to see what this baby was capable of in fuel mileage. How much can I get out of her? Lets put it this way. I know from experience that I can get at least 260 km per tank (that was over the Kopu/Hikuai's) and there is still a bit of gas left in the tank. Trip meter says I can still get another 50 km on what's left, and that astounds me because that trip meter always seems to underestimate. Fuel usage on the dash was saying I was averaging 20.5 km/l.. BUT (and there's always a BUT) this was quite a speed legal trip, specially to see what distance a tank of gas would take me, so it was a little boring, just a bit now you hear...!!! I might have to take her out for a little blast soon, just to get the blood flowing again. The radiator got a bit of a blasting with tiny stones from the 7 or 8 patches of road works that were there, so a radiator guard is soon going on - should have fitted one the day I actually bought it (the guard I mean). A few bees and horse flies got a serious headache too, man they can make a mess of a radiator, can't they..?? Talk about bees, the Bridgestone RS10 tyres seem to be the bees knees - I really like them, although I might replace then with the S22's once they get to that point...

Well, there's not a whole lot more I can say about this bike. It seems to amaze me in almost every way possible. Soon I will replace the stock muffler (which looks like a giant plastic milk bottle), probably with a Yoshi R11-sq, then from there I'll just ride it when I like while we still have good weather. May as well get as much distance as I can for the $1200 insurance fee I had to shell out...

Thanks for sharing the thread... Big Smiles all round...!!!

ManyRevs

You might find S22's a bit of s step down on RS10's (replaced by RS11)- depending on how hard you are working them. I currently have RS10 on the front of my supermoto and R11 on the rear. R11 is fantastically stick on the road, but wears out like a bastard!