Should You Ride a Motorcycle?

They are fun, fast, and give feelings of freedom and power. You can aggressively lean into corners, or just kick back. The experience is an open-air ride no car can come close to offering.
And for just about as long, marketers have been selling motorcycles based on these attributes, delivering up better and better machines. Riders too, have long recruited others, telling them how much fun and what a great lifestyle it is.
Nor is there any doubt. Riding can be a great activity – but it is not for everybody. Some people, if they in a moment of inner clarity would self evaluate, really ought to just say, “no thanks,” and forget motorcycling altogether.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, there are those who should stay off motorcycles for their own good.

This is according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), which in May published a Quick Tip sheet, titled “Should You Ride a Motorcycle?”
Yes, the organization sponsored by motorcycle manufacturers is saying there are those who should stay off motorcycles for their own good. The two-page sheet outlines several reasons that if ignored, could add up to trouble.
As it is, most of us know of people who refuse to ride because someone they cared for was injured or killed. And others have quit after they themselves were hurt, or had a close call, or an it-could-have-been-much-worse moment.
The MSF's Director, Special Projects, Ken Glaser, said he promoted the Quick Tip sheet because the need is there. In corresponding with rider coaches in the MSF's network of over 9,000 instructors, he said he periodically hears of certain rookies who showed up at a Basic RiderCourse (BRC) to get schooled. Back home, they'd tell the coach, they have an already purchased, not-yet-ridden motorcycle, in some cases, with price tags up to $20,000.
Their stories come up because these already invested people fail the course, or otherwise raise questions in the coaches’ minds as to whether they have what it takes to handle that big shiny machine just itching for its first ride.
The BRC is already considered a sort of go/no-go indicator. Glaser said some people have fun learning in the 101-level course, and others find it stimulating or easy. There are some though, who find it to be arduous and very stressful. People in this group may decide not to take up riding at that point. Others do just so-so, and may decide to soldier on anyway.

If you like to take chances can could endanger you or others, perhaps motorcycling isn't for you.

Glaser said he hopes if a person bombs the BRC that they seriously consider whether they belong on a motorcycle, and are prepared to accept all the risks. Now, the MSF is adding to the message with 10 questions it hopes newbies will ask:
On top of the list is one question that could seem ironic. It is “Are you a higher risk taker than others you know?”
A lot of riders might say, “Of course I am, and that’s why I love to ride!”
But what it really means, Glaser said, is can you manage and assess risk? Or, for example, are you a loose canon behind the wheel of a car? Do you like to follow too closely, or take chances that could endanger you or others? Do you use a cell phone in traffic? Do you often feel road rage, or have a personality that otherwise doesn’t respect hazardous boundaries that would carry over to two-wheeled riding?
If so, you are not alone. Nor would you be the first to discover that a motorcycle is a lot less forgiving if you make a mistake. What you might have gotten away with in a car may cost you on a motorcycle.
A bike is balanced on two thin tires, and has no crash cage. If you fall, the only protection you might have is gear and a helmet.
If you think accidents only happen to other people, that also is a risky attitude.
Another couple of questions are, “Can you ride a bicycle?” and “Can you drive a stick shift car?” Both of these physical tasks require good eye-hand-foot coordination.
Having experience on a bicycle – or for that matter, a dirt bike or motor scooter – teaches you balance on two wheels. A dirt bike can also teach you to handle a high power-to-weight ratio on loose terrain, which can impart several skills useful for street riding.

If you can't handle a manual transmission in a car, what makes you think you can handle it on a bike?

And as for manual transmissions, most motorcycles have them. If you can’t manage one in a car, you’ve just added to what you’ll need to learn on a motorcycle. If this seems like a big challenge, maybe an automatic transmission scooter would be better for you?
Also along the lines of basic physical competence is, “Do you see well?”
Seeing involves not just passing an eye exam, but depth perception, and spatial awareness, a finer ability that helps on the road. Can you catch a ball? Are you not too clumsy? Can you gauge speed and distance pretty well? Or are you one of the new breeds of drivers who pull out from side streets into traffic with only a few feet to spare?
As was recently covered, knowing your way around the workings of your machine doesn’t hurt either.
The MSF wants you to ask yourself, “Are you mechanically inclined?” If not, it could mean you’re not suited for a powered two-wheeler.
A couple more: “Are you safety minded?’ and “Do you respect machinery and other equipment that has risk?”
In with being safety minded, do you operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other drugs? Do you think you are OK, or function even better after a drink or two? Some do, but the MSF isn’t one of them.
And, as another gauge of your risk management tendencies, do you take unnecessary chances with power tools or machines that require safety gear like eye, head or hand protection? If cavalier about these, how careful will you be on a motorcycle?

Riding in adverse conditions takes more caution and focus on a motorcycle than in a car.

Another one is, “Can you focus?” That is, can you consistently pay close attention to a task at hand for as long as you need to? This would be an ability that you’d want to merge with your good spatial awareness, and eye-hand-motor skills.
On a bike, you want to pay attention to what gear you are in, where you are in the power band, how hard you are leaned, what the pavement is like when you brake, what’s happening with traffic, etc.
There are many individual variables and operations in riding, and you have to synthesize them all, and remain mentally sharp. While some of this involves skills you can learn, ability to focus is a prerequisite.
The next question is, “Can you handle a car in an emergency?”
Depending on how you interpret this, it may only be partially applicable because the skills that transfer from proficient car driving to motorcycle riding include monitoring your surroundings in 360 degrees, and driving defensively.
What do not carry over are operational skills that can be developed only by actually riding a motorcycle.
It has been argued that a proficient motorcyclist has a broader and overlapping skill set to a car driver, and these skills transfer one way, but not necessarily the other. 
That is, a great motorcyclist – who likely has some car driving experience – can usually handle a car very well. A great auto driver new to motorcycles, on the other hand, may not do nearly as well on a bike.
Why? One reason is if you can gauge braking and cornering traction well for two wheels, you can definitely do it on four. So how you approach handling your car in an emergency is important, but handling your bike in an emergency still involves learning new things you never have to think as much about in an automobile.
Lastly, “Are you willing to invest some time in learning to ride the right way before hopping on a bike?”
This is a pitch for taking the BRC, which is a good idea. Or you could seek independent rider training as well.
If you are a newbie, think seriously whether you are ready to commit to all the risks, and get the training needed to do it right. And if you are an experienced rider, and you know someone interested in motorcycling, you could help him or her decide whether to even begin the process of getting involved.

First Ride: 2002 Kawasaki ZX-12R

Suzuki had the Hayabusa, and it was absolutely tits. It had the highest top speed of any production bike and the quarter-mile times to match. It would be a tough act to follow, but Kawasaki was confident of its new machine, and the advertisements and general media hype indicated a changing of the guard. But then, much to the chagrin of the two-wheeled press (not to mention Kawasaki US), the suits in Japan started making decisions that affected things that should have been left alone.

The result? Before it even came to dealers' floors, the highly anticipated ZX-12R was - for all intents and purposes - stillborn.
The two largest print magazines ran the two heavyweight contenders through the usual gamut of tests and diagnostics. The result? The 12R fell short of expectations, and no amount of hype could overcome that disappointment. And though quite a few units were sold, there was no way to fix the damage that had been done.
It's now two years later, and Kawasaki is once again certain its ZX-12R will be an absolute smash. You see, they've changed tactics mid-stream, or so we think. Where they used to tout the bike's still-impressive horsepower and torque numbers, these figures seem to get second billing nowadays, just aft of the stuff that says something about additional user-friendliness and increased wind protection.

To show the press just what changes have been made to the flagship model, and to illustrate that these changes have, indeed, been a step in the right direction, we were flown to beautiful Monterey, California. Yes, the same town whose boundaries include that heavenly bit of pavement known as the Pacific Coast Highway. Oh, you thought we'd say Laguna Seca? That's not what this bike's about, old chap. Speedy travel on sinewy backroads, however, is the new bike's forte', and the coastal road was just the place to prove it to a bunch of jaded journos such as ourselves.
Externally, the bike doesn't look much different than before. About the only visual clues that jump out at you are the new colors and the windscreen which is now 20 millimeters taller. But once you're on board the new bike, things have a familiar ring to them. Though the handlebars are now situated a few millimeters lower, the feeling is familiar. There's a lot of bike beneath you, and the raspy idle hints at the power lurking beneath.
Leaving the parking lot of our seaside hotel, getting the bike moving is a no-brainer. The re-worked clutch and the amount of grunt available just off idle makes short work of leaving a light. And though we haven't had our test bike on the drag strip as of yet, a few impromptu drag launches confirmed a lot of positive feel at the lever. There wasn't any sign of fade or slipping after repeated launches, either.
The 12R's boingers have a tough chore, more so than most. There is a lot of weight they have to keep in check, and Kawasaki's engineers have done a pretty good job of things, but there's still room for improvement.
One of the changes Kawasaki made to the suspension is a stiffer front end, "to combat front-end dive," they say. But we'd gladly take a bit of dive and weight-transfer to the front end in place of the somewhat choppy feel of the stock front end. To get things to settle to our liking, and to better match the comparatively soft back end, we backed out one turn on the compression adjusters.

We left the rebound damping adjustments alone up front, though we did add a touch of compression and rebound damping to the rear. The end result of these changes is a more balanced ride. The chassis now feels more planted than it did before through abrupt left-right-left changes and mid-corner ripples at high lean angles. With the suspension changes made, everything stayed planted and on-line as it should. It certainly gave us the confidence needed to keep up a seriously quick pace by using the bike's stability and huge motor to drive us into the next bend.

High-speed sweepers are this bike's reason for being, though you can have some fun in the tight stuff, too. Coming down Pacific Coast Highway, we were totally content to let the big blue bike chug along in sixth gear, even down to 45 mph. The 12R has such copious amounts of torque and, mated to the best fuel-air mixers ever fitted to a Kawasaki, you really don't need anything but first and sixth gears to make rapid progress on this bike.
On the brakes after a long straight, you're reminded how large of a bike this Kawasaki is. Still, getting it slowed is never a concern as the revised Tokiko brakes do a wonderful job of getting things slowed down. Of course, the lever requires quite a tug to get seriously rapid deceleration, but that's to be expected. Thankfully, modulation of the binders, both front and rear, is quite easy since they provide excellent feel.

Despite the fact that we could run through miles of corners and straights in one gear, the Kawasaki's six-speed box is wonderfully precise and shouldn't be ignored.
Changing up or down was always clean, and there wasn't a missed shift to be had, with or without use of the clutch.
By the time we'd finished our photo shoot and continued our nighttime drone down the interstate, back into Los Angeles, we were going on a solid 10 hours of seat time on the new Kawasaki.

We'd seen an average fuel consumption of about 32.8 mpg over the course of the day, and in the following days spent commuting, that figure has changed little. It's a thirsty beast, but an impressive one that churns out the most power of any stock bike we've strapped to our dyno. The thing about this new ZX-12R is that, despite all its performance potential, it's a terrific all-around machine. We wouldn't hesitate to put a tank bag or some soft luggage on it and make a two-day, four-state tour, stopping at a few drag strips along the way. Kawasaki has done a wonderful job of refining its biggest bike, and at a suggested retail price of $10,999 US dollars, it's a lot of bike for the money.
Is it better than Suzuki's Hayabusa? We can only say it's going to be a very close call when we get the two bikes side-by-side.

2000 KAWASAKI ZX-9R

Kawasaki's entry into the Year 2000 Open Class War comes in the form of a completely redesigned ZX-9R.

At first glance we wondered aloud: "why only 899cc?" Open bikes are all about brute power, so why not go big? It turns out that the reason for the comparatively small displacement (giving away at least 30cc to its closest competitor) is that it allows Kawasaki to make the motor lighter.
In addition, Kawasaki's engineers are confident that they can extract more power per cubic centimeter than any other manufacturer which is why this is the fourth generation motor with this comparatively small displacement. Overall, Kawasaki feels that the newly stiffened frame, coupled with various suspension tweaks, will be enough to place them in the Winner's Circle. We wonder if they're right ...
The Hard Parts

One of the most noticeable changes to the Year 2000 ZX-9R is the addition of huge intake snouts. This system has been shown to increase power at racetrack speeds -- high wind velocity and revs. The new bike also wears more aerodynamic bodywork.
The motor received serious attention to ensure the ZX-9R's position at the top of the dyno charts. The 9R's bank of cylinders is 1kg lighter than last year's model and the bores have been electroplated to improve heat dissipation and piston-to-cylinder clearance. The compression ratio has also been increased from 11.8:1 to 12.2:1, necessitating the use of at least 90-octane gasoline. The camshafts are lighter and the intake lobe's profile and timing have been changed to increase mid-range torque.
A new 16-bit CPU replaces the 8-bit processor to better respond to the new ignition rotor that now has 24 projectors (six times as many as last year) for improved throttle response. New Keihin 40mm semi-flat slide carburetors (flat on the airbox side, round on the motor side) have been fitted and, on 49-state models, a titanium muffler caps things off.

"The ZX-9R has a new shift drum, reshimmed gears, and third and fourth gears now have back-cut engagement dogs."
The transmission received a few updates as well. The ZX-9R has a new shift drum, reshimmed gears, and third and fourth gears now have back-cut engagement dogs. A longer output shaft is also used so the countershaft sprocket is farther from the case, allowing the chain to clear the rear tire mounted to a new six-inch rear rim.
Since a kick-ass motor does not make a bike good all by itself, the hexagonal frame received a host of changes to complement the motor's newfound oomph. To improve handling, the main frame spars are 10mm taller and the steering head pipe is 12mm longer. Fork offset has been reduced from 35 to 30mm, and trail has been increased from 93 to 97mm.

Rake remains the same, while the steering head was moved forward to retain the same wheelbase. Also new is a removable subframe made of aluminum that eases maintenance and, should an accident occur, is much easier (cheaper) to replace than an entire frame.
The suspension settings on the Kayaba rear shock and front forks have been changed to compliment the stiffer chassis. The rear shock now has a screw-type ride height adjuster to go along with its new damping characteristics throughout its 135mm of travel. The linkage is also revised and is now stiffer during the first few millimeters of travel, softening up towards full compression.
The front end received complimentary damping changes as well as a ball bearing fitted to the steering head for quicker, smoother response throughout the fork's 120mm of travel. Both front and rear suspensions are fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping.

A new swingarm adorns the chassis and is ribbed internally to reduce weight while still providing ample rigidity. The swingarm's pivot shaft and the rear axle are now 25mm (up from 20mm) to decrease weight while maintaining the same strength as the previous units.
The brakes received changes as well, with the new front rotors growing to 310mm (from last year's 296mm units), while the rear brake caliper carrier is now thinner to reduce unsprung weight.
The Fun Part
What does all this technical mumbo-jumbo add up to on the road? Fun, plain and simple. We didn't have a chance yet to take the ZX-9R to the track (we're saving that for the Liter Bike Shootout), but we were able to put quite a few miles on the new 9R on local twisty backroads and we came away quite impressed.

We recently sampled the 929 and R1 and, while none of the bikes were ridden back-to-back, our mental three-bike, back-to-back comparo has the ZX-9R looking pretty good. Why? The bike makes a phenomenally entertaining day-to-day bike.
The 9R has wind protection that at least equals that of the 929 (which has better wind protection than an R1) and, as our graphics-guru Calvin Kim commented, "the motor is full of power and rambunctious energy." Indeed it is: It makes copious amounts of power from low revs up through redline and does so with a growl and a laugh, simultaneously.
The titanium muffler has a deep, throaty sound and the powerband has a nice linear surge to it that makes twisting the throttle a great deal of fun without threatening to "fun" you into an impromptu high-side. This motor has personality to the tune of 128.6 hp and 69.9 foot-pounds of torque at the rear wheel, and you feel every bit of it.
"The motor pulls cleanly from low revs and doesn't require clutch slipping in slow-going traffic."

Around town the motor is extremely smooth, not nearly as buzzy as some of Kawasaki's past efforts. The motor pulls cleanly from low revs and doesn't require clutch slipping in slow-going traffic. In these conditions the steering is a little heavy, but, in general, the bike's low-speed manners are perfectly acceptable considering that this bike was not designed as a commuter but rather as a high-speed flyer.
The recent suspension tweaks resulted in a pleasant surprise: Where past Kawasakis have been stiffly sprung, at times making anything but ice-rink smooth tarmac feel like riding through a lumber yard, this new ZX-9R feels couch-like in comparison. Kawasaki did a wonderful job with the new suspension settings.
The bike felt well-balanced and extremely plush (for a sportbike) over freeway expansion joints and road irregularities. A number of staffers commented on how amazing it is that a bike that is so fast in the canyons can be so comfortable on the freeway.

Despite this high comfort level, the suspension still allows the bike to be ridden in the twisties at an extremely aggressive pace.
Even when the chassis became unsettled, it was not caused by the suspension but by a glitch in the carburetion. As we leaned the bike into a corner after trailing off the brakes and gently rolling the throttle on we were greeted by a hesitation and then a brief surge in acceleration, no matter how smooth we tried to be.
This is something that plagued earlier versions of this bike as well. However, this trait is noticed only when excessively speeding on twisty roads at near-racetrack speeds and is not noticed during responsible, everyday riding.

Still, for a carbureted bike, hiccups -- however they occur -- should not be an issue. On the track where the 929 and R1 have flawless throttle response, this could be the ZX's downfall.
The revised brakes are some of the best we've sampled. Where one of our main gripes about the new 929 is that they lack initial bite, the front binders on the ZX-9R may have too much initial bite for some people. While most staffers couldn't stop raving about the fantastic brakes, one staffer commented that he could not quite get a good feel for them.
He felt that the brakes offered too much power initially and preferred something more progressive, yet more linear than the soft brakes on the 929 -- something more like the units on the YZF-R1, which everyone loves. Still, the ZX-9R's brakes work best when the bike is being ridden fast enough that abundant amounts of initial bite are appreciated. After all, it is the high speeds of a racetrack where this bike is designed to operate, and the ZX-9R seems well-equipped to do so with minimal concessions made for street use.
Conclusion

So how can a bike that is so competent at or near terminal velocity be such a joy at far lower speeds? We're not sure. Somebody had better go ask Kawasaki's engineers. This new ZX-9R drew comments from our staff such as "if this bike looked sexier, (he thinks it has a somewhat plain, UJM look) there'd be no need to consider any other sportbike." Those are strong words, but the new ZX-9R impressed us much more than we expected.
The ZX-9R has excellent wind protection, a thrilling (fun, but not scary) motor and it is able to competently play racer-boy on local backroads one day and pull double-duty as a sport-tourer the next. Very few other bikes offer that sort of flexibility. In fact, the only one that comes to mind is Honda's VFR800 Interceptor, but that motorcycle offers nowhere near the racetrack capability nor the visceral thrill of the Kawasaki ZX-9R.

On the street the new ZX-9R will be extremely tough to beat. The racetrack may be a different story, however. As an all-around package, the 9R is definitely in the hunt for overall honors. It's currently our favorite bike. As to whether or not it will maintain this shine, only a Liter-Bike Shootout will tell. Stay tuned. Things should get interesting soon.

H-D riffs on the Dark Custom theme with a new Softail

“Lean as wire, hard as iron, and dark as a tar road at midnight,” is how H-D describes what is essentially just a variation of the high-end Softail series, but the Blackline has several notable features that grabbed our attention when we saw it at its New York City media reveal last week.
The Blackline brings in a new “Black Denim” powerdercoating for its frame and swingarm, laced aluminum wheels with black-anodized rims, a fresh FX front end topped with a new “Split Drag” handlebars mounted directly to a thin upper triple clamp powdercoated black.

Harley-Davidson’s new Blackline was introduced to the world’s media in the SoHo district of New York City.

Inspiration for the Blackline came from H-D Senior Industrial Designer/Stylist, Casey Ketterhagen, who emphasizes the importance of the bike’s proportions, wanting it to look like “a person just riding a motor.”

The Softail’s typical tank-top gauge panel is replaced by a gloss-black die-cast trim panel that conceals the fuel pump hardware. A new multi-function gauge is set at the base of the narrow “Split Drag” handlebar.

To that end, graphics are subtle (with no raised badges), chrome is minimal (black is the main accent), and slenderness is emphasized. A Softail’s 5-gallon fuel tank is stripped of its tank-top instrument console to lower its profile and is substituted by a small gauge atop the triple clamp. The analog speedo is augmented with a miles-to-empty LCD readout, replacing the old fuel gauge that looked like a filler cap at the top of the tank’s left side.
Although the Blackline is fundamentally a familiar Softail, the H-D boys have made changes that pushed the legal limits. It all began by pulling the rear fender down as low as possible – the first thing done to this project – which helped bring the seat height down to 26.1 inches, the lowest two-up seat offered by the Milwaukee crew. Similarly, the mirrors are pushed inboard to the DOT minimum, and the upper triple clamp was made as thin (1 inch) as they could get away with while maintaining structural integrity.
“We tried to make it look as illegal as possible,” says Ray Drea, VP and Director of H-D Styling Department.
The minimalist theme carries over to the rear of the bike. A narrow (144mm) tire, borrowed from the pre-’08 Touring platform, is a middle finger to the tired fat-tire movement. Its rear fender is nicely bobbed and further cleaned up with Harley’s combination stop/tail/turn lights. A composite license-plate holder mounts to the lower edge of the fender. The rear fender struts are left in their raw forged finish and powdercoated matte black.
The stripped-and-lean theme is continued with the wide spacing of the FX 41mm fork tubes that make the 5.75-inch headlight look tiny, and a gap between the nose of the seat and the fuel tank exposes the top of the frame, contributing to the bike’s airiness.

The Blackline’s back end is narrow and trim, aided by turn-signals that double as the brake light.

The Blackline’s V-Twin is beautifully detailed with interesting surface finishes. Note the chrome lines leading into the horseshoe oil tank.

Just like other Softails, Harley’s counterbalanced TC96B powers the Blackline through a 6-speed transmission, but it boasts a fresh two-tone look. Its lower end is powdercoated gloss black, accented with silver powdercoat on the cylinder heads with machined highlights. Chrome brightwork is provided on its derby and timing covers and its simple, round air cleaner, followed by a chrome over/under shotgun exhaust. “Just enough shine to make the black parts look blacker,” says Harley.

Not Just Glides For Geezers!

Harley’s Mike Lowney on stage at Don Hill’s pub, preaching the Dark Custom gospel to media from around the globe. As the average age of H-D owners creeps upward, the MoCo’s Dark Custom line has been successful at reaching a younger demographic. Michael Lowney, Director of H-D’s Market Outreach, says Harley sold more bikes to the 18-to-34 year-old segment over the past two years than the total sales of Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Triumph and Victory combined! Harley now has the #1 market share position in all displacement classes among the 18-34 demo. Lowney says H-D’s 18-34 customers are split into thirds: first-timers, conquest sales, and repeat buyers. For whatever reason, younger riders are attracted to the black-intensive Dark Custom line, which includes the Iron 883, Nightster, Forty-Eight, Street Bob, Fat Bob, and Crossbones. But Harley has been proffering the dark theme for decades. It may have begun back in 1981 with the Sturgis, a blacked-out FX platform, followed more recently by the Night Train, which was dropped only a couple of years ago and also sold well among young adults.

The Blackline’s riding position is aggressive, with a fists-forward reach to the narrow, internally wired handlebar. H-D’s designers first tried to fashion clip-on handlebars, but they proved to be hard to fit while maintaining adequate steering sweep, and they’d also take away customization options. Forward foot controls are polished.
The axles of the 21-inch front wheel and 16-inch rear are set 66.5 inches apart, while the rake angle is laid down to 30 degrees. As is typical of Harley’s slammed cruisers, lean angles when cornering are quite limited: just 24.4 degrees to the left and 25.9 to the right. Rear-suspension travel is a decent 3.6 inches.
Braking duties are handled by 4-piston calipers biting on 292mm rotors front and rear, which should be adequate for the Blackline’s 683-lb fully fueled weight. Anti-lock brakes are available in an optional $1195 package that includes H-D’s Smart Security System.  

The Blackline’s riding position has an aggressive forward lean for a cruiser. The diminutive passenger seat demands a cozy grip.

Although the Blackline began as a side project for Ketterhagen, Harley’s team of 12 designers all had their input, including the legendary Willy G Davidson. Harley’s Ray Drea describes the styling process as organic, adding the team reviews everyone’s projects each week. “We expect to have the garbage can filled with ideas,” Drea says about the synergetic progression.
The Blackline is now en route to dealers, retailing for $15,499 in its Vivid Black base version. An extra $499 buys your choice of Cool Blue Pearl or Sedona Orange.

First Ride: 1995 Suzuki GSXR1100 (classic superbike)

When Suzuki's GSXR model line was first introduced way back in 1986, they were quintessential sportbikes. Light and powerful with superior handling, the GSXRs were the scourge of racetracks and canyons worldwide. Since then, the years have been cruel: The GSXRs, unequaled kings of the proverbial sportbike hill in the late 1980s, grew fat and complacent at the top.
Suddenly, it's 1994. And the GSXR lineup is pushing around a hundred or so pounds of extra pork that was nowhere to be found on the featherweight originals, and Suzuki is getting stomped in Superbike and unlimited-class racing the world over.

So Suzuki puts the GSXRs on a diet. The GSXR600 underwent the most drastic cutback - it withered away completely! The GSXR750 was run through the weight-reduction mill last year, dropping 24 pounds in the process. This year, thankfully, the GSXR1100 got put on a fast. And the results are spectacular!
If you cough up the $9549 (American dollars) suggested retail price for a 1995, you get 493 pounds of motorcycle - replete with an awe-inspiring 1074cc, four-valve-per cylinder powerplant - that is surprisingly comfortable: With bars mounted above the triple clamps, low-mounted foot pegs, and multi-adjustable suspension at both ends, this big Suzuki is surprisingly tour-worthy. Still, it's not for the meek - although we could see going coast-to-coast on a stock GSXR1100, we'd count on taking plenty of stops to stretch and relax aching body parts.
And the GSXR1100 sacrifices nothing for this relatively sedate riding position - ground clearance is more than abundant. Expect to never drag parts on a properly set-up GSXR1100, at least not on the street.
One caveat about the GSXR's suspension: The factory-recommended rebound settings are too slow, meaning the bike has a tendency to "pack" under braking, and therefore, to wobble over bumps.


And these rebound settings compound a perennial flaw in GSXRs: When honking along at racetrack-like speeds, Suzuki's GSXR line gets into slight, low-frequency wobbles when hard on the brakes - most likely from chassis flex. No worries though, as these weaves are only significant enough to scare the rider, and won't throw you as long as you don't panic. This year, Suzuki beefed up the frame in the steering-head area, reducing - but not eliminating - this tendency. The upper rails are also improved, and in a further effort to improve rigidity, the brackets now bolt the cylinder head directly to the upper frame tube.
The swingarm, too, has been beefed up, and now features a racer-like "bridged" brace welded on top. Additionally, the right side of the swingarm is now extruded (forcing metal, usually in the presence of elevated temperatures, through an aperture of the desired shape) rather than pressed (stamping sheet metal into form), resulting - theoretically, at least - in greater rigidity. Overall, Suzuki claims 5 percent greater torsional (twisting) rigidity without a weight increase.
But if you sit around complaining about the GSXR1100's minor handling problems and portliness, you're surely missing the point! The chassis and tires on this machine are merely instruments to connect the 1074cc mill to the pavement, no more, no less.

Need to squirt past some traffic in top gear on a busy rural highway while riding two-up with a trailer? No problem on the GSXR1100. The motor's been re-tuned for 1995 to churn out 10 percent more midrange, a good thing for any street bike, even if it is over-powered to begin with. And carburetion is flawless from idle to redline. Similarly, there are no surprises in the power delivery, other than that it makes gobs of horsepower, everywhere. So watch out--this bike is easy to get into trouble with, except in first gear: Suzuki has an ignition-retard circuit that, obviously, retards the ignition in low gear (it's a red-and-black wire located under the seat).
So for the sport-touring enthusiasts out there, you owe it to yourself to take a test ride on a Suzuki GSXR1100. Because if you like horsepower, you'll love this bike, and if any little aspect of the GSXR1100 bothers you, look to the aftermarket, which supports this vehicle with a plethora of parts. From high-rise bars to fairing-eliminator kits and trailers (or even Nitrous Oxide!), you'll have little difficulty building your dream bike out of a Suzuki GSXR1100.