Ridden: Suzuki GSX-R 750

The marshal waved the chequered flag frantically in the bright Spanish sun. Surely he's miscounted?

That can't be it? Maybe I could squeeze in just one more lap, no-one's looking and I'm on a roll.

GALLERY: Suzuki GSX-R 750

Suzuki's new GSX-R 750 has always been pretty special. It's like the perfect gourmet meal. You get the initial delight at the stunning presentation of the dish, then there's a tinge of disappointment as you notice the portion size, but invariably you're entirely satisfied as you savour the last delicious mouthful.

You don't have to 'loosen' your trousers to accommodate an uncomfortably swollen belly and you're not secretly wondering where the nearest MacDonald's is either. Everything's just right and you're left with a warm glow that says you'll definitely be back for more.

The GSX-R 750 is a gourmet bike. It sits midway between the supersport GSX-R 600 and the full Monty GSX-R1000 and, as such, it's probably the best package out there. Where the one-litre bike's aggression can be intimidating and the 600's softer in the lower rev range, the 750 is the best of both worlds.

And now it is even more user friendly with the addition of the S-DMS (Suzuki's Drive Mode Selector) which offers three different power outputs. Visually, the changes to the 2008 GSX-R 750 are fairly obvious and mirror the evolutionary step the 600 has taken by inheriting styling cues from the GSX-R 1000.

Sweets for my sweet

Restyled bodywork gives a sharper and more focused look and it is tidier overall, with subtle colour reversals distinguishing it from the smaller 600. As the slim 810mm seat curves out to the bike's petite rear end, the GSX-R 750's hips are colour matched blue as opposed to the 600's white sides. But other than that, they look like two peas in a pod.

The GSX-R750 has received such subtle improvements that it's hard to describe their influences individually, suffice to say the bike handles sweeter than a high calorie pudding and the brakes are equally as impressive.

I'd never ridden at Guadix before, but despite my lack of track knowledge, I soon had total faith in the bike and my lap times progressed much faster than I'd expected. There's an almost unquantifiable reassurance whether you're holding the throttle steady at full lean, tucking in for the straights or flicking through the chicane.

I trusted it, consistently and implicitly and that only means one thing - bundles and bundles of fun. There's a list of technical changes to the '08 model: an electronically controlled steering damper, refined front suspension, improved front brake disc, stiffer chassis and swingarm to name but a few.

Wild horses

The engine has retained the same peak power output, but the delivery's now reportedly more linear. However, with Guadix being 3,000 ft above sea level, the bike I rode was robbed of around 15% of its power. Not that I cared one iota - it was still very, very impressive.

Like every well-dressed woman, the Gixxer knows how to disguise a few extra kilos. It is 4kg heavier than before due to the new exhaust, but it hides the weight so well you'd be really hard pushed to notice it. There's absolutely no discernable compromise, as barrelling into one particularly interesting downhill right-hander proved.

I'd been getting steadily braver. More throttle and more lean equals better results and I was totally immersed in the ride. I'm no Nigella Lawson but I overcooked turn three so heavily, it made my Sunday roast look like it'd barely sniffed an oven in comparison.

As the bike threatened to run wide towards the gravel, I rolled off the throttle and gently pushed against the inside bar. It responded impeccably and simply tightened the line to the extent that I actually made the apex. That's the beauty of the GSX-R 750. It makes you feels so confident, so in control, that every single moment is a pleasure.

Easy as ABC

After steaming round on mode A which gives the full whammy of 147.8 bhp at 13,200 rpm, I forced myself to try the castrated mode C. In retrospect, it would've been far more sensible to start the day with the subdued power output and progress to unleashing the full beans as my track knowledge improved.

Having ridden the GSX-R1000 for the whole of last year, I found its S-DMS fairly useful, especially in bad weather or when traction was poor. And for the same reasons it's still valuable on the GSX-R 750 but in a more diluted sense as there's obviously less power to begin with.

Easy as ABC

Not only that, the power's so utterly smooth, I'd be perfectly happy riding in mode A through a typical British winter if the S-DMS was unavailable. But it is available and it's standard, so make use of it as a safety margin if conditions are slippery.

The GSX-R 750's power output in mode C is not dissimilar to the GSX-R 600's in mode A. With the engine capacity and front suspension being the only major differences between the bikes, could this new 750 detract from the 600's sales? I seriously doubt it (the 750's more expensive for starters) but only time will tell.

Verdict

Suzuki's GSX-R 750 is quite literally in a class of its own - and it rides with more harmony than a Welsh choir. It's good enough to eat and I'm hungry for more.

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