Photoshoot of the Week: October 5th-11th 2020 – Suzuki GSX-R1000 L4 & Ekaterina

Suzuki gave its iconic sportbike GSX-R1000 an overhaul in 2017 with a new liquid-cooled engine, a new frame, new ECM, new ride-by-wire throttle bodies and a host of other goodies to keep this ride current and relevant in its sixth generation. The engineers at the factory show their love for the GSX-R1000 by making it the most powerful and hardest accelerating Gixxer-with-a-single-R to date with a boost in horsepower that pushes the claimed figure up to 199 ponies at the shaft. Simultaneously, the engineers made the foundation both lighter and stronger so even more of the available power makes it to pavement. End result: more of what we expect from the Gixxer family.
You could call 2012 an update year for the GSX-R1000, but realistically, this is the first major update the liter Gixxer has seen in 9 long years. In short, the 2017 update for the GSX-R1000 and its ABS-equipped sibling are kind of a big deal. This dynamic duo leads the way with a barely-there fairing sporting two ginormous intake ducts on either side of the cyclops headlight that are part of Suzuki’s Ram Air Direct feature. The RAD utilizes pressurized air at the entry to slightly increase the volumetric efficiency of the engine. Since the frame was narrowed a bit for this gen, overall penetration is up as well and acts as a sort of force-multiplyer that helps the bike hold onto the gains garnered by the more powerful engine.
A bubble screen tops the fairing with the typical superbike engine cowling that serves as both housing and scoop for the radiator with ample vents in the panels to re-incorporate the cooling air with the sliptream in order to reduce drag. Not only does this pull heat from the radiator, but it also flushes the BTUs from beneath the cowl for greater rider comfort.
A twin-spar aluminum frame on the GSX-R1000 comes with a handful of tweaks for the new generation. First off, the factory sent the structure to fat camp where it dropped 10-percent from the total weight of the main frame and 38-percent from the subframe. Next, it shaved just over three-quarters of an inch (20 mm) off the width of the bones, stretched the swingarm and doubled the bracing on same for greater rigidity. The steering head comes set for 23.2 degrees of rake with 3.74 inches of trail over a 55.9-inch wheelbase that makes the Gixxer even more eager in the corners than ever before.
The new GSX-R1000R is very refined. Purists may feel it has lost its angry, mongrel nature and become more of a smooth operator but those who are enjoying the current level of technology in the sportsbike and supernaked category will appreciate the bike.
In the end: back in 2017 the “new” GSX-R1000 was worth the wait. The Japanese manufacturer did a great job blending a powerful engine with a well-balanced frame. The power output brings the model again in line with the top superbikes of the moment. The GSX-R1000R is a proper race bike that packs 199HP and has all the fancy modern electronics.