[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Actually, it's out in the real world that you WILL notice. The extra HP and torque is very noticeable, especially if, like me, you are 6'+ and over 220 lbs, and/or carry a passenger. I was riding with a buddy (about 150lbs) who had a 600F2. He raced his fairly often, and with different gearing and tweaks, managed low 11's. I went to the strip just for giggles, never having tried it before and, leaving the line like grandma (afraid of flipping backwards with all that traction), managed similar times, but with almost 10mpg higher trap speed. We went riding. We got on it. Guess what? I left him for dead, just twisting the grip, while he stirred the tranny like a madman, even though I weighed 70 lbs more, and my bike was slightly heavier. Why? I had a much longer period of high acceleration per gear than his short sharp peak. Whyzat? Big, flat torque peak, big flat HP peak, not a short, sharp spike. We switched bikes. Top gear roll-ons. He left me for dead, faster than I'd left him before. If you have 2 bikes with equal unladen acceleration, and one has more HP, if you add a heavier rider/load, acceleration won't be as affected because the power/weight ratio isn't changed as much.

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

To all the kiddies out there upset about their particular bike being outdated in fell swoop:



Get over it! Competition is a GOOD thing, for EVERYBODY. If the original '86 GSXR-1100 hadn't broken conventional thinking about open-classers, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Someday somebody will build the better mousetrap, and those with the ego's will just have to buy the next greatest thing.



Oh, and about Suzuki reliability, I've got over 32,000 HARD miles on my '86, with no problems. Also, who has and does dominate endurance racing? Not reliable? Ask Team Valvoline Suzuki (Formerly Team Hammer). Enjoy what you ride, or buy the latest. Just stop schniveling about it....

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Couldn't agree more. Enjoy what yo've got, unless braggin' rights are the most important thing in life to ya! Notice how long I've kept the old girl. I think after all this time, finally, the bike I've been waiting for. Almost bought an R1 myself, but thought I'd wait a little longer and see if Suzuki was going to make me wanna "show them the money". Well they have (finally), and I will. Keep the shiny side up.

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

You're missing the point. The skinny little squid will be wringing the neck of his little 600, and jumping all over the shifter, while I'll be just twisting the loud handle, and grinning from ear to ear. Much easier. There's a lot of wide open space out west where you can open it up. Out there, there's no replacement for displacement. We on't even mention the adverse affects a passenger and/or an 11,000 elevation (Vail pass) have on them little 600's. I'm not buying for bench racing, or racing in the twisties, it's all about effortless speed, and not having to wind it to redline to get speed out of it. Get it now?

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Re: 1986 With 32,000

Bend over, time for your spanking. The bike sat in storage for over 4 years when I moved from Ca to Ohio. And with all the rain, snow, and parental commitments, plus the fact that I live less than 10 miles from work, I haven't gotten the chance to put the miles on recently. I've got well over 100,000 miles on bikes since '83. You?

P.S. And by the way, chokin' the chicken is more entertaining than conversing with you anyway. Excuse me, but I have to go clean myself up now......

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Re: 1986 With 32,000

1) '86

2) Lotta miles for only 4 years ridin', keep up the good work, kid.

3) Do you get the lake effect we get? Hope not.

4) I will, you too.

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Nothing personal, but at 12,600 ft, I'm sure your 35 hp shadow was crawling far slower than it normally does. I would guess you were making only about 20 hp at that altitude. Those of us that buy open class machines do so because we don't like to crawl. Btw, I lived in boulder from '75 to '80, and so am familiar with the hp drain that comes with altitude. The best thing aboput this newer GSXR is that with fuel injection compensating for altitude, it won't be stumbling like my old '83 GS1100 (jetted for SoCal's low desert) at that altitude.

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Re: GSX-R1000 Dyno Run! AHHH--BUGGER IT!!!

I have an '86 1100 I bought new also. Call me sentimental, but it's gonna be hard gettin' rid of the old girl, ain't it?

 

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

The poor thing spent 5 years in a storage shed, then another 5 out here in cold Cleveburg, where there's a short riding season. Plus having a wife and 2 young kids kinda puts a damper on the amount of time I have to ride. Maintenance? The only thing I've ever had to do beside oil was a set of brushes, and a new clutch when my buddy burned it up doing a burnout.