GSX-R1000 K9

Kenny Pryde

Suzuki UK has loaned SuperBike magazine a GSX-R1000 K9 to use as a long term test bike through 2009. In the course of the year, we'll be doing all sorts with it, fitting performance parts, new tyres and all manner of tat to it. Needless to say if you've got questions, suggestions or abuse, send it here: Kenny_Pryde@ipcmedia.com and I will respond.

June 15:
In truth, I have nothing to report other than I'm more convinced than ever that the the Suzuki is the best roadbike of the crop of litre bikes (I'll maybe ride the Fireblade later...). I say that because I had Bob's 2009 R1 for a couple of days and it didn't float my boat. It feels like a barge at low speed, it weighs a ton (not really) and I'm not convinced by the throttle smoothness at low revs. In short, I'm still in love with the Suzuki.
I also had a spin on the roads on the new Aprilia RSV4 and, while it is an astonishing bike, as a road bike, it's harder work than the Suzuki. To be fair, maybe with more time on it I'd get my head around it, but it's not a bike I felt able to hop on and get on with straightaway, unlike the Suzuki. Bikes....still great.

June 1:
Oh god, get me, I've turned into some sort of fuel consumption nerd. I rode to Thruxton BSB and back and, since my 'brush' with the traffic police and three-point penalty, I've definitely calmed down. Which means I've been riding like...well....I don't know how to describe it. Maybe like a member of the Christian Sportbike Fellowship with nine points and the threat of eternal damnation? Anyway, long story short, I got 180 miles out of a tank. Stone me, it's a sports-tourer right enough! Mind you, it must have been close, since I brimmed it and it took 16.97 litres.

May 12:
I've been away for the best part of a week racing the MidLife Crisis Chicana Mobile Honda at Pembrey, so had some time off the Suzuki. As an update on the rather dull topic of fuel consumption, I pushed my luck to 24 miles on reserve (mostly first and second gear riding in town) and saw 167 miles on the total trip meter. It took 17.4 litres of fuel, which meant that I had around half a litre left. I reckon that's not bad, although bear in mind there were at least 120 miles of 'steady' motorway miles in that total.

May 6:
I have never bought a bike on the basis of its fuel consumption in my life. It's not something that weighs heavy on my mind. However, in the interests of, I dunno, 'science' or just passing interest, I have to say that my last tank of fuel saw me reach 135 miles on the trip meter before the amber fuel light started blinking at me. 135 miles which involved a chunk of 'steady' motorway riding in top gear. I dare say now that I'm on what car wallahs might call an 'urban cycle' I might get about another 30 miles till I burn the three litres on reserve, but I'm not sure I want to run out and face the push...

And, following my last post here, I've decided to give a set of Metzeler Sportec M3 hoops a run. I was well impressed by them on a recent bike test (the BMW F 800 R) where I was able to back to back compare them on a track with Bridgestone BT-14 and the otherwise excellent Dunlop Roadsmart tyres. It could be that the Sportec M3 is an overlooked tyre that deserves a run out. That's my story. If anyone else has any experience of them, let me have it!

May 1:
The good news is that the K9 survived a wet, cold and windy Anglesey Trac Mon circuit. On the ride home, alas, my driving licence took a bit of a dent, but that's another story.

Since the track barely dried, I don't have too much to say about the performance of the K9 on the circuit, which is probably a good thing. We (the magazine) were up at the track finishing off our 1000cc sportsbike group test and the four test bikes were all put on Dunlop D209GP tyres, which was interesting.

Basically, I rode around and around, trying to get a feel for the track (ie, go slowly and not crash) and stayed out for a chunk of laps. Then I came in and took out the Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 with the Dunlop D209GP hoops on. Now, bearing in mind there was only a dry line on some corners, bearing in mind the air temperature was 10 degrees Celcius, you wouldn't have thought that a track/race Dunlop would be significantly better than the OE Bridgestone BT-016 would be, would you? Well, I went out for one session on the Dunlops and never came back in. Miles better. Miles and miles and miles. I'm junking those OE BT-016 hoops asap.

And let's get this straight. I wasn't riding fast, I wasn't really trying to ride fast, I was riding not to crash. In any case, I'm not a particularly fast rider and I'm not always looking for the last scintilla of grip from the rear; but I felt more comfy (and went quicker) on the Dunlops than I did on the OE BT-016 tyres. And that's all I can say. I felt more comfy and I went quicker. The Dunlop felt 'softer' with a more positive feeling when I got on the brakes and I was more confident when turning into corners than on the Bridgestone – and that's what helped me, that feeling.

April 27:
The good news is that crash protection specialists R&G Racing Products has just delivered three (or four) items of crucial importance to the office. There's a left hand side engine case slider; a right hand side engine case slider and two cotton reel swinging arm bobbins to facilitate chain adjustment and lubrication.

The good news is that this level of protection doesn't require the cutting of the fairings, just a dab of grease to ease in the longer bolts and all of a sudden, the bike doesn't feel so exposed anymore.

This is good news because the bike is off to Trac Mon, the Anglesey circuit on Wednesday this week and there's no point in tempting fate, is there?