Suzuki GSX-R 750

All compact & lightweight 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine designed for overall weight reduction, optimum combustion efficiency and power delivery.

 
Re-designed cylinder head with narrower valve angles creating a more compact combustion chamber design, higher 12.5:1 compression ratio, large intake and exhaust ports for improved intake and exhaust efficiency and high power output.

Valve bucket diameters are increased to work with more aggressive camshafts. Lightweight titanium valves with steel alloy springs and aluminum spring retainers operated by thin-wall hollow camshafts to reduce weight and inertia.

Lightweight forged aluminum alloy pistons with short skirts, cut away sides and an anti-friction surface finish along with shotpeened chrome-moly steel connecting rods for improved strength.

One-piece cylinder block and upper crankcase section is equipped with larger 39mm ventilation holes between cylinders to reduce crankcase pressure and mechanical loss.

Tapered, larger 50mm double-barrel throttle body design features Suzuki's SDTV throttle valve system, plus twin multi-hole-type injectors per cylinder for optimum performance and throttle response.

Crankshaft features forged steel construction and a new secondary balancer shaft for reduced vibration at high rpm.

Crankshaft and transmission shaft positions are revised to create a more compact engine design and the engine itself is rotated slightly forward in the chassis allowing for straighter and shorter intake and exhaust ports.

New back torque limiting clutch allows smoother downshifts and works in conjunction with an updated six speed transmission with revised internal gear ratios and updated shift forks.

Innovative new Suzuki Advanced Exhaust System (SAES) with new under engine muffler layout and Suzuki Exhaust Tuning (SET) system for improved mass centralization, superior aerodynamics, and improved low-to-mid range performance.

High capacity large trapezoidal-shaped radiator provide efficient engine cooling - includes compact cooling fan assembly designed for improved air flow.

A new Idle Speed Control (ISC) system improves cold starting and stabilizes engine idle speed in a variety of conditions.

SRAD ( Suzuki Ram Air Direct) force feeds cool, pressurized air into the airbox at highway speeds, improving engine efficiency and throttle response.

New Chassis

All new ultra-lightweight frame is built entirely of aluminum alloy castings and is engineered to deliver optimum rigidity, unmatched accuracy and maximum cornering performance.

New aluminum alloy braced swingarm features increased rigidity, a larger 25mm swingarm pivot and is now 38mm longer for improved rider feel and better rear wheel traction.

RM-Z450 inspired new rear suspension linkage utilizes a forged aluminum alloy link and a forged aluminum link rod that reduces side loads and helps the rear shock absorber move in a smooth arc.

New inverted 41mm Showa cartridge front forks are fully adjustable for spring preload, compression damping, and rebound damping.

Showa rear shock absorber with a 46mm piston and larger 16mm rod moves the same amount of oil despite a shorter stroke and provides adjustable rebound damping, compression damping and preload settings.

New larger 310mm brake discs work with radial mount calipers and radial front brake master cylinder. A new rear brake caliper is 100 grams lighter.

Bridgestone radial tires are mounted on new cast aluminum wheels featuring redesigned, thinner spokes with optimized wall thickness to reduce unsprung weight.

All new aggressive and aerodynamic bodywork gives the GSX-R750 an all new look and when combined with integrated turn signals and smaller frontal area provide a 5% increase in aerodynamic efficiency.

Compact, lightweight instrument cluster features a step motor controlled analog tachometer, LCD speedometer, dual trip meters, clock and convenient new gear position indicator.

Riding position is revised with a shorter fuel tank, lower seat height, and adjustable rider footpegs for improved rider control and mobility.

2007 GSX-R750 vs Daytona 675

What does the Triumph Daytona 675 and Suzuki GSX-R750 have in common with Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears? Besides that we all want to dress up in leather body suits and flog them mercilessly. Bad jokes aside: At one time or another they've all been the toast of the town during their heyday but now find themselves' cast aside with no place that they truly belong. We can't help our fallen gal-pals but we can run an intervention for the bikes. Think of this test as a sort of rehab we'll call Asphalt Anonymous.

Twenty-two years ago the GSX-R750 defined the modern day sportbike. In the decades that followed the Gixxer seven-fifty, as it is known by true Suzuki enthusiasts, collected numerous race wins within both the amateur and professional road race ranks and tallied four AMA Superbike championships at the hands of Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin.

Less than a half decade has passed since Superbike championship grids around the world were dominated by 750cc In-line Fours. In 2003 the 1000cc big-bores crashed the 750cc Superbike party and replaced their smaller siblings in the premier AMA and FIM World Superbike series. Fortunately for consumers, Suzuki has continued to develop this amazing platform, updating its once dominant steed even though there is no longer a top-tier professional class for it to compete in.

The Suzuki GSX-R750 is the sole survivor of that extraordinary era of racing but there is another great motorcycle that has suffered a similar fate - the Triumph Daytona 675. Only a year ago the tenacious Triple swept almost every Supersport comparison conducted in America, including our own Supersport Shootout IV, only to be left out of all but one test the following year. First it was banned from competing in Supersport competition, then it was blackballed by the media for one reason or another. Suddenly, it seems as though the Triumph has fallen from grace.

Although the descent of the Daytona is not as notorious as the demotion of the Gixxer, it still represents an injustice to those who have sampled the goods and know what the bike is capable of. We are all aware of what it did against the Supersport class but how would it fare against a 750? Last year the Triumph enjoyed a displacement advantage which left the competition feeling a bit slighted when the results came in. In the interest of keeping things fair we've tossed it into the mix with the only legitimate 750 sportbike on the market today: The Suzuki GSX-R750. With no clear class to call their own we created one for them. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to our inaugural Exiles Comparo between the 2007 Suzuki GSX-R750 and the Triumph Daytona 675.

Although these once mighty warriors may have exiled to a purgatory of canyon rides, club races and track days there's no reason to pity them because they are still two of the best motorcycles on the market. Infineon Raceway, in the hills of Sonoma, California, and a multitude of backroads surrounding our Southern Oregon HQ would serve as our playground while we sampled these forbidden fruit from Triumph and Suzuki. The streets around MCUSA HQ would allow us to compare their goodness as daily rides, while the 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course would be the ideal locale to see if the Hinckley, England-made Triumph has what it takes to topple its larger veteran Japanese rival in a controlled environment. To ensure a level field of play, we slung on Dunlop 208GP-A spec race tires which would enable us to extort the full knee-on-deck performance of this dynamic duo during an afternoon at the track with Pacific Track Time.

Konnichiwa, my name is Suzuki GSX-R750 and I like to haul ass.

Yes, Mr. Gixxer was all new from the ground up in 2006 and remains unchanged for this year aside from minor alterations to the graphics. It shares the aggressive and aerodynamically correct MotoGP-inspired design and short, low-slung exhaust pipe with its smaller 600cc sibling. The best way to tell the models apart is by the "carbonized titanium" coating on the front fork and orange 750 stickers on the tail section.

Throw a leg over the three-quarter liter machine and you immediately notice just how intuitive the riding position is. With well spaced handlebars that are not as torturous as the ones on the 675, a low 31.9-inch seat height and three-way adjustable rider footpegs, my 6-foot tall frame was immediately comfortable. The Gixxer also features a tall windscreen, which allows the rider to tuck in easily and be completely removed from the effects of wind blast at high speed.

On the track, balance is the theme of the seven-five-zero. The 41mm Showa inverted front fork, which features adjustable preload, compression, and rebound damping, is paired with an equally adjustable Showa rear shock. This combination caps off a well sorted chassis with a stubby 55.1-inch wheelbase, 23.8 degrees of rake and 97mm of trail that allow the GSX-R to exhibit very controlled, neutral manners at speed. Only a slight push of the bar is required to initiate a turn and once it starts to turn-in, it does not fall into the corner, instead it leans over very predictably. This allows the rider to make accurate lean-angle adjustments on the fly and inspires confidence when pushing the bike hard.

"The bike transitions from side-to-side quickly which is similar to the 600," said MCUSA Editorial Director Ken Hutchison. "The Gixxer always feels very planted in both the sharper corners and the sweepers. Plus, it doesn't headshake whatsoever when driving hard out of corners. It's hard to find a flaw in its game but I would have to say it's just doesn't seem to be quite as sharp as the Triumph."

Despite the gushing praise, the Showa suspension package leaves a little to be desired in terms of road feel. The front end gives the rider an adequate amount of feedback in the delicate relationship between road and tire, but when compared with the 675 it comes up a bit short.

"The front end on the Triumph rocks," commented Hutchison "With the amount of feedback the 675 delivers, pushing the bike hard and getting closer to the limit seems easier on the Triumph."

Grab a handful of the front brake lever and the GSX-R750 will scrub off speed with authority. Its radial-mounted Tokico four piston calipers grab onto a pair of 310mm rotors and, despite its rubber lines, the brakes continued to offer up consistent power and feel. The Suzuki's brakes deliver excellent performance, which allow the rider to brake deeper and deeper, lap after lap, as confidence grows with each successful entry.

"The Gixxer's got good brakes. I would like them to have a little more initial bite, but there is a lot of feel and power at the lever, so it is really a moot point. Overall I like the Suzuki's brakes better than the Triumph," said Hutch.

The GSX-R's potent chassis is paired to its legendary 749cc 16-valve, four-cylinder DOHC engine. The compact mill features a wide powerband, more akin to that of a 600 on steroids than a legit 1000.

"The Gixxer's powerband is smooth as a shot of Patron," muses the Tequila-infused Hutchison. "The power comes on smooth and has a bit of bite at the end but its good, really good. The beefy mid-range pulls pretty well before coming on even stronger up top. It has a decent amount of over-rev and power barely tapers off. It's a near-perfect blend between the slightly anemic power of a 600 and the brutish force of a 1000."

The GSX-R features a slick six-speed transmission that continues a long standing history of slick shifting bikes, although the gearing is pretty tall. On the street this wasn't so much of an issue once it's out of first; but on the track, when the objective is spot-on gear selection leading to seriously good drives out of the corner, it requires a bit of attention.

"Gearing is tall for here. It's near perfect on the street but here at Infineon I wish it had two or three more teeth on the rear sprocket so we could get the revs up faster," Hutch explains.

Like all 07' Suzuki GSX-Rs, the 750 features a slipper clutch, which allows for idiot-proof downshifts no matter what you do to screw it up. The slipper clutch was especially useful at Infineon's ultra-slow, right-hand, 180-degree final corner, where the rider has to go from 110-plus mph down to first gear. It should be noted that although the Suzuki is equipped with a slipper clutch, it still has plenty of engine braking, a feature that seems to be a decreasing trend within the sportbike industry. This helps in the few moments of on-off throttle transition at the track. For racers this statement will be all but irrelevant but for the normal humans among us, this helps the GSX-R750 be one of the best track day bikes on the market.

The GSX-R750 has been around for a long time and it enjoys an unrivalled list of aftermarket accessories and performance parts to its credit. If you are looking for one of the best all around motorcycles to be your daily driver, hit a few trackdays and drive your big-bore buddies crazy in the canyons, then the GSX-R750 might be the bike of choice. However, if you'd like a little spice in your life, then the folks from Triumph have a bike you should take a look at.

Cheers, the name's Triumph Daytona 675 and frankly I could care less about your bloody rules.

That was the type of brazen attitude which made the Daytona such a success when it burst on the scene as an all-new-model last year. The British answer to the cookie-cutter congruency of Japanese 600cc Supersport machinery enjoyed enthusiastic praise from the media. 2006 was a good year indeed for the 675. It racked up accolades from a variety of different magazines and swept both street and track segments of MotorcycleUSA.com's Supersport shootout IV, as well as our pick for Best New Streetbike of 2006. Unfortunately its outright marketability has been impaired due to its unique 675cc inline three-cylinder engine configuration which disqualifies it from the AMA 600cc Supersport class as well as the globe-trotting FIM World Supersport series. That's fine with Triumph, apparently, because the bad-ass Brit is back and unchanged for this year.

Upon first glance, the Triumph shares some design similarities with the current generation of Japanese machinery: Radial-mount brakes, inverted fork and aerodynamic bodywork give it all the necessary ingredients to challenge the Supersport machines on paper. But the Triumph stands out from the sea of 600s in almost every other way. With its 675cc Triple, tubular steel frame and aggressive stance, as well as the legible yet quirky instrument cluster, the bike just oozes character.

Slinging a leg over the English-built motorbike, you instantly feels the narrowness of the three-cylinder machine. It's far more compact than the 750, which feels bulbous by comparison, but the seat is harder and you can feel both the gas tank and frame contact points inside your legs more so than on the GSX-R. The relatively high 32.5-inch seat height combines with the low, forward reaching bars and high footpegs to offer up an aggressive, track-oriented riding position that situates the rider high in the cockpit, looking over the front end. This serves riders well on the track but gets old quick on the street. Die-hard Triumph fans will dismiss such a statement, but the fact remains that it loads the rider's wrists and that sucks after a couple hours in the saddle. Around town, especially in stop-and-go traffic, the tidy underseat exhaust puts out a lot of heat. On the track, these complaints don't hold quite as much merit because the bike is constantly moving and this helps draw the hot air away.

Steering geometry is just as uncompromising as the riding position, with 23.5 degrees of rake and 87mm of trail. Although these figures are not entirely responsible for the more nervous nature of the 675, it does point out the goal of the design. It is intended to be ridden fast and offers up the agility one expects from a middleweight contender. The Daytona's 54.8-inch wheelbase is right in line with the Gixxer's 55.1-incher, as are its premium Kayaba suspension components. The Daytona features a 41mm preload, compression, and rebound adjustable inverted front fork and a fully adjustable rear shock. Although a little stiff initially, this was easy to dial out and afterward it got along very well with the Infineon layout.

The Triple features a Nissin radial-pump master cylinder pushing four-piston radial-mount calipers which are similar to the Suzuki. They're powerful and offer up a level of feel that pushes the bitchin' binders of the GSX-R, but don't feel quite as potent. The 675 is equipped with steel-braided brake lines fore and aft and we experienced zero brake fade. We judged these stoppers as some of the best we've ever sampled in Supersport Shootout IV and still feel the same way.

Thumb the starter button on the 675 and the triple-cylinder engine comes to life with a unique throaty exhaust rumble; a refreshing deviation from the standard sewing machine like purr of your typical four-cylinder. Crack the throttle open and the howl it emits is audible ecstasy. Sure, it's an in-line motor but there is no mistaking that it's a Triple. It begs you to stroke it just so you can feel it purr.

On the track it was immediately apparent that the prodigious amounts of torque that the Daytona churns out on the street equates to an equally thrilling ride on the track. Upon opening the throttle, the Daytona builds revs slower than the GSX-R yet motors forward in a manner more akin to that of a good-running Twin. The 675 engine likes to be kept in the meat of the power by short shifting ahead of its 14,000 redline, which is where the 675 prefers to be ridden. Around 10,000 rpm the bike is most rewarding, but the problem arises when it comes time to try to make a pass on the GSX-R. While the more powerful 750 affords a bit of leeway when it comes to getting a good drive, the Triumph requires spot-on gear selection and throttle control to ensure it is on the boil. That might sound like a knock on the bike, but the fact is that it's capable of making the pass - it just requires more effort than it does on the Suzuki. It is after all, giving up 75cc of displacement and 17 horsepower. How do you like it when the tables are turned Triumph?

"The Triumph rips between 9,000 and 12,000 rpm," confirms Hutch. "It really rewards the rider when short-shifted since the power seems to plateau about 12,000 rpm, 2,000 shy of redline. And since it has what appears to be absolutely zero over-rev, you really have to pay attention and keep the motor in the right rev range."

Since there is only a 3000 rpm envelope between 80 hp and the Trumpet's 104-hp peak, it is easy to assume that the Triumph is tricky to keep on pipe, but this is not the case. The close-ratio, six-speed transmission has shorter gearing than the Suzuki, which makes it easier to keep decent power on tap. Compared to the GSX-R it does require more work, however, and once it is on the boil it seems to run out of gearing up top - especially when trying to track down the taller-geared Suzuki through a few of Infineon's short chutes. The Daytona is actually accelerating just a few tenths off the pace of the bigger GSX-R when you look at quarter-mile performance numbers, but on the track one slip up is more detrimental to the 675 than the 750's drive. Yet the Daytona is capable of closing the gap on the slower turns because it's very well-suited for tighter, slower stuff than the taller geared GSX-R. Are you keeping up? On a shorter, tighter circuit the Triumph might even rate better than the Suzuki, but the higher corner speeds played into the hands of the Gixxer on this day.

Source Motorcycle-USA