This could have been the sport naked to beat. The idea of pairing that beautiful, inline-four, 750 cc motor I love so much with upright ergos that keep my back and wrists from getting grumpy had me incredibly excited to pick up Suzuki's newest naked. When you ride a different bike every week, there is always some adjustment time, but I usually acclimate quickly. The clutch lever on my press unit is adjusted all sorts of wrong, but that's easily fixable, and a few minutes later I'm on the road. By keeping the reciprocating mass low and venting the case to reduce pumping losses, Suzuki ensures that more power makes it to the pavement.
All is well so far. Soft angles play across the fairings, fuel tank and subframe trim for a look that strikes a balance between the super sharp and completely round. I review bikes with a few questions in mind. This is going to take some getting used to. Not a huge jump, but enough to keep Japanese bike fans from looking to the Daytona for an alternative to the Big Four. Finally, we have a slipper clutch to couple the six-speed transmission to engine power. Also, no one should be using Tokico sliding-caliper brakes on sport bikes in 2015.
I get to installing them back. The looks have grown on me a bit, and feel safe enough that I think many people who don't want anything too weird looking will gravitate towards it. The problem is that there just isn't anything to get excited about which I think is necessary for bikes that aren't being marketed as utilitarian. I made this video to give you an idea in how to do this. This causes a lot of flex which negatively impacts feel, while also applying less pressure than brakes with pistons mounted on opposing sides which is why the brakes felt wooden and needed a full, four-finger grab.
Many will see the as a competitor, but I think it's basically on the opposite end of the sport-naked spectrum with a sportier riding position, smaller size, higher price tag, and completely different engine characteristics. Casting about, I found a close-enough ride that comes from almost half-a-world away in the 675 from. No matter which you prefer, you get full adjustability all around. Rather than mold the front turn signals into the front fairing, or even worse, mount whisker lights up front, the factory went with option three and set the lights in the mirrors. Take a sport bike beloved for its blend of power and handling and turn it into a naked. To anyone reading this at Suzuki: I'm glad you're back and I'm glad you're trying to fill holes where other brands are showing there's a market. It beats the Suzuki at everything but being big.
You can imagine my surprise when most of the reviews written from the launch had nice things to say. Not only does this provide a lighter left-hand pull, but it offers some wheel-hop prevention during aggressive downshifts. It uses reshaped intake and exhaust ports and has a completely unique valve timing and lift. While the suspension could also use a little work, it isn't much of an issue until you start getting into some sporty riding. The Ducati takes the cake across the board, save maybe the clutch and gearbox, but its price puts it out of the debate for most people. After 25 miles on the I-5, I consider pulling over to stop and rest.
Where Suzuki went wrong First of all, let me say I was incredibly excited to ride this motorcycle. Ride one, miles 0-40 — around town: I fire up the bike and I'm rewarded with that quiet whir of a Japanese inline-four that's had countless hours of perfecting. If you're looking for more of a canyon or track bike, there's no question it's the bike you want. The paneling leaves a little bit to the imagination and lets only a bit of the mill and transmission show, but this here is a form-follows-function bike with little of the superfluous in evidence. The matte black paint looks great. Displacement lands exactly on the 750 cc mark, but as you can see, this thing punches above its weight. Without looking at the speedometer and just judging by feel, you could end up over the speed limit, so be aware.
Chassis This is where things start to get interesting. Both are just too little, too late and aren't interesting in the current landscape of motorcycles. If Triumph and Ducati can nail the fueling with the Street Triple and Monster, others should be able to, as well, but I also think we're just going to have to get used to re-mapping sport nakeds and sport bikes. Pricing The 750 bracket seems to have fallen out of favor a bit, with many manufacturers jumping from 600 cc straight up to the liter bikes, but Suzuki stands fast with the displacement that launched a genre. An attractive cyclops headlamp housing leads the way in the blunt nose of the fairing with an over-under, high- and low-beam configuration.
Once into the powerband, around 5,000 rpm, the motor pulls incredibly smoothly through the rev range, up to the bike's 11,250 rpm rev limiter. The brakes feel a bit wooden on initial bite, but will slow you down if you grab a full, four-fingered handful. Personally, I prefer the fully rounded look myself, but this is a nice compromise. I like this setup because it keeps the front end clean while spacing the signals well away from the bike where they are most visible to the cage-driving public. Further steps were taken to center the weight of rider, engine and fuel in order to maximize cornering abilities, and an electronically controlled steering damper helps stabilize the steering with speed-dependent variable resistance.
It feels like a direct connection to the original as long as you ignore the lack of steel frame and air-cooling, which seems to give it a little extra coolness. The Honda feels far lighter, handles better, and does that annoying Honda thing where everything on the bike just works, despite using budget parts. The Triumph Street Triple and Ducati Monster have long been fan favorites, and the newcomer has been a huge hit. The biggest thing Suzuki could improve is the overall weight and weight distribution of the bike. The frame is a hybrid tube-style and twin-spar steel frame. The transverse mount, four-banger engine runs a significantly oversquare ratio with big, 70 mm forged pistons and a 48.
The competition Suzuki's press materials make no attempt to hide the fact that the is the main competition. Click the ultra-smooth gearbox into first, and everything feels wonderfully perfected. Ride five, miles 300-400 — freeway: I rode the 40 miles or so up to Los Angeles to meet the boys from Ronin Motorworks to ride the Ronin 47 article coming soon! Or maybe I'm just starting to care less about feeling embarrassed at my lack of smoothness. In fact, it isn't new at all. The seat is far too soft and its constant bouncing and conforming to my butt and inner thighs is wreaking havoc on my sensitive bits.