19/10/04
Return to standard
It's been a sort of backwards month with the GSX-R750. Not only have I been away from it for a couple of weeks - testing other bikes and off on holiday. But we also had to drag the GSX-R right back to standard to use it in a group test for the next issue. Simon and I set about ripping off the Yoshimura rearsets, full race exhaust, Braking Wave disc and sticking a standard map on the Power Commander. I also got a replacement fairing panel from Suzuki to tidy up the damage caused when I slid off at Silverstone last month.
It was all going well enough, but then everything turned to shit. Both radiator mounting bolts sheared off in the frame when we refitted the exhaust headers. Then the rearset mounting bolts were in too tight, with threadlock. Then we couldn't find the stock gearchange link rod. And finally, the replacement panel was for a GSX-R1000, not the 750 (they are slightly different.
A couple of hectic days saw the old bolts drilled out, one rearset replaced (shoddy...) and the fairing panel swapped over at Suzuki HQ in Crawley.
Funnily enough, the bike felt fine back as standard. The stock pipe makes it run a little smoother low down, and the intake roar is still pretty funky, negating the quieter pipe when you're in the riding seat.

But things never stay stock for long. So this month I have a couple of projects. First up, with the dark nights drawing in, is a HID xenon headlight conversion. From UK firm Technica, the Megatec setup is straight from Japan and includes all the components for a straight swapover. It looks like an involved fitting, but should be easy enough with a bit of mechanical knowledge. Technica are on +44 0208 500 8418, email technicaspa@btopenworld.com

Next up is a natty underseat exhaust from Pertech Imports. Designed by a US firm called Hotbodies Racing, this undertail setup looks pretty smart, with a link pipe up under the seat, a small replacement silencer and new batter box and seat undertray. The kit has all the bits you need, but I'm thinking it may be a wee bit more involved than your normal pipe swap. Click on www.pertech-imports.com for more.

Hopefully we'll have more on both these mods later in the week, as they say.

here's what it should look like...

13/8/04
Bugger me, where has the summer gone? It seems like only a couple of weeks ago we were looking forward to Euro 2004 and the Olympics. Now Christmas doesn't really seem so far away.

The time's flown past on the GSX-R too. And sad to say, other duties have kept me from riding the 'fiddy' as much as I'd like. A week in Scotland, a week in Wales and a few days DIY at home, together with sessions on JP's R1 and the Daytona 600 mean the GSX-R hasn't been clocking up the miles as fast as I'd like.

Changes this month have been minimal - I finally downloaded a suitable Power Commander map for the Yoshimura system and BMC air filter, and the injection does feel a little crisper. Still haven't made it to the dyno shop as yet, but that will happen next week.

Highlight of the GSX-R experience so far is easy though - the SuperBike trackday at Snetterton was one of the best days I've had on a bike, ever. The hot, sunny weather helped, as did the trackday organisation and fast, exciting Norfolk track. But in the main, it was the 70's awesome performance that made the day. The suspension was left tightened up from the Brands Hatch track day a couple of months ago, and the pressures on the standard BT-014 rubber came down a little to 32psi front and rear. And that was it in terms of preparation, but the 750 felt like a real track missile. The more friendly power delivery over the current litre bikes let me pick an exit point from a corner and whack on the gas more easily. That let the 750 keep up with, and pass the likes of R1s and ZX-10Rs, despite their stronger top-end. The BT-014 tyres have to be praised too - even in the blazing heat of a 28° track day, they never let go once, and at the end of the day, they weren't even particularly marked up or fried. I really wouldn't have felt more confident or gone any quicker, even on full-bore track rubber. And for a tyre which delivers the goods on a chilly, damp diesel-strewn commute, that's bordering on witchcraft in my book.

But at the moment, the 750 isn't moving - again. JP is off on some secret feature for which he needed some spare GSX-R wheels. So my pride and joy is up on bricks in the lockup until he gets back next week. Bugger me.


15/6/04

Well it's been a busy weekend for the GSX-R. First off, on Friday I had her dynoed at Carbontek in Redhill. Nigel and the boys strapped her down, and the result was a not inconsiderable 121.8bhp at the wheel. That's a way off the claimed 148bhp, but since most 600s are only really cracking about 105 at the wheel, it's a decent chunk more. Add in the extra torque – 56 ft lb and a boost from the ram air when moving, and it all looks a bit more decent.

However it's not enough. So while the English were preparing for a right royal disappointment in Portugal, I was bolting on meaty goodness to the GSX-R like tuning parts were going out of style.

First on was the fabby Yoshimura Tri-Oval full system that's been cluttering the office for weeks. It's a straightforward install, but make sure you get new exhaust gaskets before you start (I didn't, sloppy Al). It's also worth checking that the header pipes fit nicely into the machined flanges before you start the job – one of my headers had taken a wee knock , making it impossible to fit on the bike. They are a very precise fit, and it doesn't take much to knock them out of shape. Apart from that, it was prett straightforward. A session with the bathroom scales mid swap also revealed the Yoshimura system was around 3.5 kg lighter than the stock pipe – 5.5kg vs 9kg.


The new pipe sounds good – deep and throbby, without being ear-bleedingly loud. I'll get down to the dyno shop this week hopefully and get an idea of power gains.

Next up was the ubiquitous Power Commander. These are pretty idiotproof to fit, with only four plug-in connectors, an earth lead and a tap into the TPS throttle sensor. There isn't a map available for the Yoshimura system as yet, so I downloaded a map for an Akrapovic slip-on from www.powercommander.com and loade it up. It will be wrong, but will do until I get the bike set up properly on a Dynojet dyno.

Not content with the pipe and commander, I made it three top items out of three with a set of absolutely awesome Yoshimura rearsets. These came in last year for JP's GSX-R1000 but he never got round to fitting them. Handily, they fit right onto the 750 (with some mild tweaking). Champagne-coloured anodised aluminium, they are fantastically well designed and made, and pretty easy to fit. They are noticeably higher than standard, even on the lowest setting, and feel really stiff and short on the bike. Automotive art, they certainly live up to the price tag: £399. Check www.phoenixnw.co.uk for Yoshimura accessories in the UK.

5/6/04

Oooh, nearly a month since the last report - bad Al!

In my defence I've been pretty busy, with a week in Italy riding the new Agusta F4 1000 and a week in the Midlands doing another test. The 750 hasn't been forgotten in the meantime though - the milometer is now fast approaching 1,000, and the toot is being bolted on already.

Main thing was a service at Steve Jordan motorcycles (www.stevejordanmotorcycles.co.uk). Due at 600 miles, the GSX-R was reading 800 when I arrived at the Bookham workshop. In my defence, I did change the oil at 650 miles myself, so no harm will have been done.

Steve gave the bike a good going over, rectifying all the dumb errors I'd made in the previous miles. The chain was a little too tight, rear wheel slightly off-centre, tyre pressures all to cock from a trackday. Best bit was the clutch switch - I'd bypassed it a couple of days previously, sick of the 'pull the lever in' faff everytime you start it. Steve was very polite about it all, but you could see him internally holding his head in his hands as he explained that the clutch switch also fed into the ECU, putting the bike into a neutral map that cut revs by 500rpm and power by loads. Daft Alan.

I know it's (mostly) all in my head, but the GSX-R definitely felt better post-service. The little things like the lubed clutch lever probably make as much difference as anything, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing it's ll been checked by a man who knows is really sweet.

The other highlight of last week was the SuperBike Brands Hatch trackday. It was spoiled a bit by the poor weather, but it was great to ride round that legendary, challenging circuit. Dave Van Mann gave the GSX-R a suspension tweak, firming up the front forks from their standard softness and increasing the damping on the rear too. It made a real difference, particularly round Druids, where the 750 was easier to hold on a tighter line on the power.

Finally, I've got hold of some genuine Suzuki accessories - crash mushrooms and a luxury gel seat. The crash bungs look good and are a breeze to fit, as is the seat. Next thing is to get the bike dynoed so I have a base setting to measure gains from the Yoshimura full system under my desk, Power Commander, et al...

Dash showing diagnostic Lazer aligning rear wheel Service


5/5/4

I've had a go at fitting a ground anchor in my new garage, but the council seems to have used special 'nuclear bunker' concrete for the floor, and I can't get a hole drilled in it with my little 500w Black and Decker drill. A trip to HSS for some big bastard industrial diamond drilling rig is on the cards.

In the meantime, the GSX-R has been off to Datatool to have an alarm fitted. Now owned by car alarm firm Toad, Datatool has been the watchword for top-notch bike alarms for years now. I had one on my Fazer 1000 a couple of years back, and it was super. Since then I've had Honda long-termers with the HISS immobiliser built in, which gives piece of mind when you stop at shops or the like. The GSX-R doesn't have an immobiliser built-in, so it's a hefty screwdriver away from theft every time you leave it without a disc lock or something on it.

Dave Wilkinson at Datatool fitted the System 3 alarm/immobiliser for me, and it's been great so far. It's a clever system, which self-arms when you switch the bike off. The neat radio control fob operates a multitude of smart functions, but the main benefit is the immediate peace of mind whenever I leave the GSX-R parked up. I'm now pretty certain of coming back to it…

Datatool is at www.datatool.co.uk

1/5/4

I've actually had the GSX-R750 for a couple of weeks now, but thanks to a week-long trip in Italy, and the demands of decorating my new house, I've not put a load of miles on it yet. It came from Suzuki with zero miles on the clock – it felt pretty weird pulling away, with the clutch all sticky and the engine super tight. The brakes, tyres and suspension all need a few miles to get up to speed too, so we're taking it easy at the moment. Having said that, the GSX-R is impressing already – it manages to combine a massively sorted chassis with a friendly, everyday aspect. Jumping on it every day for the ride to work is a pleasure – it's comfy, there's a clock, the mirrors work okay.

The major worry so far has been theft. It lives in a garage on the street by my house, and I can see the door from my bedroom. But until I get a ground anchor in, I'll be paranoid each night