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BIKES: 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Comes To SPEED
I would venture to say the 2012 GSX-R1000 is probably the best bang for your buck in the liter bike category.
Our goal is to build this in a way that can be followed and duplicated by anyone who dares to take the challenge. (Photos: Neale Bayly and Patrick Bayly)
My obsession started in my teenage years. I was 18 years old when I got the chance to swing my leg over my friend’s motorcycle and twist a throttle. It was a late ‘80s Yamaha FZR 250. Around his neighborhood, is where I discovered the direct correlation of throttle to adrenaline and mind bending excitement, taking corners at a blazing 15mph and burning up tanks of gas whenever I could. I knew I had to own one.
It wasn’t until I was 21 years old that I could first truly get the fix for my addiction. There was no parental unit telling me I would end up with no skin or donating my eyes to the kid down the street. I sold my wife on the concept that between great gas millage, and it being a “get to work” vehicle, it would be stupid of me not to get one. Although to hear her tell the story she was duped and I was supposed to be “watching” it for a friend who had just been deployed overseas. Thinking I was a genius I got my very first motorcycle, a 1999 CBR F4, and I was hooked!
Since early 2010, SPEED has kept my days packed full of fun challenges. As the Director of Product and Technology, I have the chance to work closely with my team to innovate and change how we deliver the latest motor sports content on the web, and any other connected devices. Outside of work my obsession doesn’t change much. Some of my friends share the same crazy obsession for tinkering and building things, and we always have a slew of projects underway. When Ole Big Nose, Neale Bayly, and I ran into each other at the SPEED offices it was evident that I had just met another one of those people that would share my interest and obsession over things that go fast. Working with him over the past few years it was hard not to become good friends instantly. Neale and I toyed around with different project concepts for a new SPEED bike. We had to build a fire breathing track monster that we could tame and take to the office, or out with a group of friends on a weekend trip to the mountains. For this project we couldn’t think of a better base platform - the newly redesigned and improved 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000. Suzuki has made significant improvements to this year’s model, and at the time of writing, I would venture to say the 2012 GSX-R 1000 is probably the best bang for your buck in the liter bike category.
Being my first test bike, you can imagine how excited I am to bring you on this yearlong ride as we take one of the most impressive marvels of engineering and build a motorcycle that will more than dominate the track. Yet, keep it versatile enough to take on a weekend trip to carve up your favorite mountain roads, or enjoy a casual ride in to the office. Having Suzuki, Yoshimura, GoPro, and Bridgestone on board, this will be a fun ride! We will bring you on-board video from our tests, as well as detailed build-guides to all the parts of the projects. Any technologies that we make we will open source and we’ll possibly even tap the community to be a part of this project.
There are some crazy ideas going around the office for the project, ranging from a replacement touch device dashboard to smart / auto tuned suspension and engine mapping based on user profiles, location, and possible weather information. Our goal is to build this in a way that can be followed and duplicated by anyone who dares to take the challenge.
It was late March of this year when I took delivery of the bike, and my first impression of the new GSX-R 1000 is, holy $!#^! Working at SPEED has afforded me the chance to broaden my pallet when it comes to motorcycles. I have ridden a handful of liter bikes like the Aprilia Dosoduro and Triumph’s venerable Speed Triple, but this one definitely caused me to do a double take right from the first ride. From the responsiveness of the throttle, to the nimbleness not experienced before on a GSX-R, this bike exudes technology improvements once only dreamed of from MotoGP. There is no dead spot in the power band whatsoever. The dual throttle valve system combined with the back torque-limiting clutch provides a bike that is not only nimble and has lightning response and power coming out of corners, while providing superb clutch control. The feel of the clutch is light enough that downshifting is quick and makes you think you are on par with Blake Young. The suspension is solid, but for someone of my height and weight will need some adjusting as I’m around six foot four and 240 pounds.
Riding the Suzuki around the back roads of small-town Waxhaw, NC, I really fell in love with the balance and handling of the bike. This is also where I changed my mind about the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS). First, thinking it was a waste to have a system to neuter the performance on a performance bike, now I find myself thanking them for the B mode or secondary mode. This has saved me from a hand full of tickets and lengthy conversations with the wife on how deceptively powerful the big Gixxer is. Going from 45 - 80 mph is, as expected, extremely quick. What will shock you most though, even after riding the bike for over 5 months now, is how you don’t notice the drastic speed change if you are not paying attention. With the improved-upon suspension, brakes, and engine enhancements Suzuki achieved on this bike, it is as smooth north of 80 mph as it is at 45 mph. So with the S-DMS, you don’t get less of that, just not all of it all at once. Basically, in the second mode (B) you get a smoother throttle response that isn’t as twitchy as the first mode (A), and it’s easier to maintain a constant speed. Bumps on the road do not translate into 5-10 mph jumps on your speed either, and when you hit the 50% mark of the power band the bike comes back to life. Admittedly, I only ventured into the third drive mode once when I was caught in a downpour on the way home from the office. It did as I expected, feeling like the power of a 600cc machine. So far I’ve only ridden on the street, and the mountains, but have plans to attend my first track school soon. Also we are starting to source parts and put a plan together to start tuning the 2012 Suzuki GSXR1000. Check back soon as I will post the list of modifications we have in store for this build.
Ciick the Image Below to See More Photos of the GSX-R1000:
It wasn’t until I was 21 years old that I could first truly get the fix for my addiction. There was no parental unit telling me I would end up with no skin or donating my eyes to the kid down the street. I sold my wife on the concept that between great gas millage, and it being a “get to work” vehicle, it would be stupid of me not to get one. Although to hear her tell the story she was duped and I was supposed to be “watching” it for a friend who had just been deployed overseas. Thinking I was a genius I got my very first motorcycle, a 1999 CBR F4, and I was hooked!
Since early 2010, SPEED has kept my days packed full of fun challenges. As the Director of Product and Technology, I have the chance to work closely with my team to innovate and change how we deliver the latest motor sports content on the web, and any other connected devices. Outside of work my obsession doesn’t change much. Some of my friends share the same crazy obsession for tinkering and building things, and we always have a slew of projects underway. When Ole Big Nose, Neale Bayly, and I ran into each other at the SPEED offices it was evident that I had just met another one of those people that would share my interest and obsession over things that go fast. Working with him over the past few years it was hard not to become good friends instantly. Neale and I toyed around with different project concepts for a new SPEED bike. We had to build a fire breathing track monster that we could tame and take to the office, or out with a group of friends on a weekend trip to the mountains. For this project we couldn’t think of a better base platform - the newly redesigned and improved 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000. Suzuki has made significant improvements to this year’s model, and at the time of writing, I would venture to say the 2012 GSX-R 1000 is probably the best bang for your buck in the liter bike category.
Being my first test bike, you can imagine how excited I am to bring you on this yearlong ride as we take one of the most impressive marvels of engineering and build a motorcycle that will more than dominate the track. Yet, keep it versatile enough to take on a weekend trip to carve up your favorite mountain roads, or enjoy a casual ride in to the office. Having Suzuki, Yoshimura, GoPro, and Bridgestone on board, this will be a fun ride! We will bring you on-board video from our tests, as well as detailed build-guides to all the parts of the projects. Any technologies that we make we will open source and we’ll possibly even tap the community to be a part of this project.
There are some crazy ideas going around the office for the project, ranging from a replacement touch device dashboard to smart / auto tuned suspension and engine mapping based on user profiles, location, and possible weather information. Our goal is to build this in a way that can be followed and duplicated by anyone who dares to take the challenge.
It was late March of this year when I took delivery of the bike, and my first impression of the new GSX-R 1000 is, holy $!#^! Working at SPEED has afforded me the chance to broaden my pallet when it comes to motorcycles. I have ridden a handful of liter bikes like the Aprilia Dosoduro and Triumph’s venerable Speed Triple, but this one definitely caused me to do a double take right from the first ride. From the responsiveness of the throttle, to the nimbleness not experienced before on a GSX-R, this bike exudes technology improvements once only dreamed of from MotoGP. There is no dead spot in the power band whatsoever. The dual throttle valve system combined with the back torque-limiting clutch provides a bike that is not only nimble and has lightning response and power coming out of corners, while providing superb clutch control. The feel of the clutch is light enough that downshifting is quick and makes you think you are on par with Blake Young. The suspension is solid, but for someone of my height and weight will need some adjusting as I’m around six foot four and 240 pounds.
Riding the Suzuki around the back roads of small-town Waxhaw, NC, I really fell in love with the balance and handling of the bike. This is also where I changed my mind about the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS). First, thinking it was a waste to have a system to neuter the performance on a performance bike, now I find myself thanking them for the B mode or secondary mode. This has saved me from a hand full of tickets and lengthy conversations with the wife on how deceptively powerful the big Gixxer is. Going from 45 - 80 mph is, as expected, extremely quick. What will shock you most though, even after riding the bike for over 5 months now, is how you don’t notice the drastic speed change if you are not paying attention. With the improved-upon suspension, brakes, and engine enhancements Suzuki achieved on this bike, it is as smooth north of 80 mph as it is at 45 mph. So with the S-DMS, you don’t get less of that, just not all of it all at once. Basically, in the second mode (B) you get a smoother throttle response that isn’t as twitchy as the first mode (A), and it’s easier to maintain a constant speed. Bumps on the road do not translate into 5-10 mph jumps on your speed either, and when you hit the 50% mark of the power band the bike comes back to life. Admittedly, I only ventured into the third drive mode once when I was caught in a downpour on the way home from the office. It did as I expected, feeling like the power of a 600cc machine. So far I’ve only ridden on the street, and the mountains, but have plans to attend my first track school soon. Also we are starting to source parts and put a plan together to start tuning the 2012 Suzuki GSXR1000. Check back soon as I will post the list of modifications we have in store for this build.
Ciick the Image Below to See More Photos of the GSX-R1000:
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