The Legend Begins With The Suzuki GSXR K1
When the GSXR K1 came out of the factory back in 2001 it was voted instantly “The Best International Bike of The Year” by at least 13 bike magazines. At first glance it is almost identical to the GSXR-750 but just take a look at it closer. Although the frame is the same but it is 0.5mm thicker and it gained 10% in torsional rigidity. There were a lot of skeptics at that time because they felt that they were going to get a same looking bike as the little brother for more money. Let me tell you they were only skeptic till the first twist of the throttle and they didn’t care anymore how the bike looked like. The heart of the K1 GSXR is the 988cc fuel injected engine which has perfect power mapping and big low rev torque and it delivers this power through a six-speed gearbox. The engine produces around a 145bhp at the real wheel matched with 374lbs of weight. So you don’t have to be very smart to figure out that a bike with this parameters is going to be fast, very fast. The 2001 GSXR has 15% more horsepower at the back tire than the awesome Yamaha R1 just to give you some idea of what you can expect from this machine. Below 8000 rpm the bike is simply bloody fast but above 8000 rpm you have to be an experienced rider to cope with the power the engine generates and with the speed it can reach. If you like wheelies then I have good news: You can do with it. Here are some instructions on how to do good ones: Please do not bother the clutch because you won’t need it even in second gear and just try to play with the throttle. The perfect fuel injection is working for you smoothly without a single fault so it is really easy to lift the front wheel. However be careful in first gear unless you want to see the windshield in your face while you are lying on your back in pain. But if you want to ride it hard then the fact that it is really easy to do probably will make you smile. The handling is just superb compared to other bikes in this category. No matter what kind of corner is coming and with what speed you are approaching it, you will feel like the bike is moving on rail thanks to the well designed chassis and the excellent suspension. This bike is great in the middle of the city as well and you will find that the third gear is the perfect choice most of the time. Regarding the riding position the footrests may feel a bit high but actually you don’t have to worry about long distance riding because they won’t jeopardize the comfort of the rider too much. Finally, how fast is this thing? Best described by using a slang from race riders: “Stupid fast”! Twisting the throttle causes not just simple acceleration but teleportation!
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