2008 SUZUKI's
An updated Busa', the new B-King, and the all new GXS650F.
GSX650F
The entry-level sportbikes currently offered by Suzuki are the SV650 models, the Katana 600 and 750 and the GS500F. Of those four machines, half of them will be cut from the lineup for the 2008 model year. Both Katanas are going the way of the dodo, which leaves only twin cylinder machines, but filling the Inline-Four gap is an all-new 656cc machine. The GSX650R is a 16-valve, DOHC, liquid-cooled motor utilizing a 65.5mm x 48.7mm bore and stroke. The 6-speed, chain-driven bike is based off the Bandit 650, a naked European version.
Nestled behind the double cradle steel frame's 26 degrees of rake and 4.25 inches of trail, and in between the 57.9-inch wheelbase, the motor uses cam profiles that target low- to mid-range power to offer as much user-friendliness as possible. A quartet of 36mm throttle bodies is digitally controlled by the SDTV technology.
It's all wrapped in a full fairing design and five-gallon fuel tank that takes styling cues from the GSX-R line. The one-piece seat clearly sets it apart from the race machines, but bouncing up and down on it for a minute revealed comfortable padding and an easy 30.3-inch height. Rubber-mounted handlebars hold all the tools necessary to command this machine. The clutch lever modulates a hydraulic system while the brake lever controls a pair of 4-piston calipers squeezing 310mm floating discs.
A 41mm Kayaba fork with preload adjustment doesn't give the new machine a whole lot of fine-tuning capability up front, but the rear end features rebound adjustability in conjunction with the preload settings.
Available December of 2007 with a MSRP of $6999, the GSX650F isn't really going to contend with its V-Twin Suzuki sibling or Kawasaki's parallel-Twin Ninja 650R. As a four-cylinder for seven grand, the 650F is in the same category as the Yamaha YZF-R6S and Kawasaki's ZZR600 for attracting new or lesser-skilled riders to the world of modern sportbikes - the difference, of course, is that the Yamaha and Kawi machines are leftover high-tech wonders of yesteryear, while the GSX650F is purpose built as an entry-level machine.
