If you haven’t noticed it already, we’ll just up and say it. The 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 is a cat. It shares most of the characteristics of the feline family and then some. Now you might think it ludicrous to have the most powerful litre-class sportsbike (in 2003) to be referred to as a tabby cat, but that is just how absurd the situation really is.
Get this, for instance. Throttle rolled to the stop, bum off the seat, body weight as far forward as it will go, I feel only the essence of the big Gixxer’s fearsome acceleration as the two of us thunder down this unused stretch of road at well over 200 kph. In fact, unlike my previous stints on various bikes, I roll off the throttle only when I think I’ve gone fast enough for the day.
And no speed buzz, even! A phenomenon probably caused by the flood of incoming data that comes with full bore acceleration that overwhelms the brain’s ability to process it. Sort of like alcohol, or MS Windows, whichever way you like to swing. But this Gixxer is so tactile, stable and returns enough feedback to keep you feeling in control and easily absorbing the world as it blurs by in double-time.
All this despite the fact that I’ve only been on the bike for a few minutes so far. I’m so comfortable! Already, I am beginning to see why the big Gixxer conquered every Sportbike of the Year award in 2003. To put a little background to it, the Gixxer evolved from the previous years’ bike with a few, critical mechanical changes. The tweaks begin from a new 32-bit ECU and 256 kb ROM which ace the eight ignition maps and eight injection maps. Then there are new throttle bodies to feed the better measured and timed fuel into the cylinders. The pots themselves get vent holes to cut pumping losses and there are lightened camshafts and a counterbalancer to complete the picture.
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