Leaner Meaner Gixxer

SUPER BIKE:

Adhish Alawani Photography: Sanjay Raikar The next three corners, left-right-left, are clear and show no sign of traffic. Not a single soul. The speedometer is reading just above 120km/h in the third gear. The first left-hander arrives, downshift, throttle rolled, a bit of counter steer, weight transferred, on the gas again and within no time, the bike is exiting the left and getting ready for the right. By the end of the three-corner complex, something has changed in my life. Though its strictly not recommended, I am reading the speedo at the exit of the second left-hander. It still reads speeds above 120km/h. Images of the speed limit boards flash in my memory. I was not supposed to do what I had just done. It was a temptation very hard to suppress, but it had just created a new memory for me. My first knee scraping act on a litre bike, or rather a supersports/superbike, had been executed. And it meant a lot more than just that, because it had come on a bike that is not exactly regarded as rider friendly or a rather forgiving machine.

SUPER BIKE FEATURES

The GSX-R1000 K10 is an all-new bike. This is the first real all-new upgrade to the bike since its launch in 2001. The all-new implies the engine, chassis, suspension, swingarm, electronics and absolutely everything that would matter in a bike of its class. The cosmetics of the bike have been more or less the same ever since the Gixxer 1000 made it to the market. The one that we had for test here comes from Europe. Clad in white and blue, the GSX-R is nothing less than a seduction. The blue from the body panels flows on to the chassis and swingarm as well, in matte, and looks more than stunning. Sharp edges at the front flow and gel seamlessly with the razor sharp tail. The only curvature that you find on the bike comes in the form of the slightly arched twin exhausts. Special efforts towards attaining superb aerodynamics are clearly visible. Suzuki’s trademark stacked headlamps add to the aggression of the already menacing front end while the LED tail lamps are the final signature of the Gixxer’s new age style statement. The real deal, however, starts with the engine of the GSX-R. The new over-square, short stroke engine ensures free and high revving. Titanium valves for intake and exhaust come with two springs that ensure all the extreme demands from the engine are comfortably taken care of. The 999cc motor powering the Gixxer is not exactly refined. It has a grunt, a growl, which notifies us of its no-nonsense performance. The point to be noted here is that the engine does feel a bit lethargic low down at around 3000 revs. However, don’t mistake this as a negative. The beauty of this behaviour is that it makes the bike pretty rideable in city traffic since the jerky on-off power delivery is absent (a lot of credit for this also goes to the improved fuel injection) and the engine doesn’t ask for continuous toggling between the cogs in slow moving traffic. Nonetheless, past 5000 revs, under heavy wrist wringing action, the front rubber starts repelling the tarmac (yeah, I love that) and the floating front is a complete delight.

TAGS :- SUPER BIKE,SUPER BIKE FEATURES