Whither Suzuki?

[Mad4TheCrest]

It's February 2012 and we've yet to hear anything interesting from Suzuki about its aging GSXR-1000. Along with Honda's CBR, the big Gixxer remains without factory-installed traction control, which is odd considering the Yosh Suzukis were early proponents of TC in AMA racing. Suzuki's 2012 updates are evolutionary, but still leave the Thou in the Jurassic age electronically.

Will big announcements be coming later this year? Do the journos already know something we don't?

Or is Suzuki waiting to see if the Mayans were right?

[motorcyclist]

I actually prefer no electronic aids or at the very least an 'OFF' option on those things. I want to keep my skills fresh and progressive, hard to do that with electronic aids. Understand the 'safety' point of those aids though...but not for me.

I appreciate new tech such as cars being able to parallel park itself but I prefer keeping my inputs and skills fresh. I'm sure those that don't care about progressing their skills love the new tech assist which is fine.

[Hevace Eveeloj]

I don't think electronic bacon-savers matter all that much when most of your riding consists of trundling menacingly down the boulevard in a Corona tank top with your hand on your hip.

[HoughMade]

Originally Posted by Hevace Eveeloj

I don't think electronic bacon-savers matter all that much when most of your riding consists of trundling menacingly down the boulevard in a Corona tank top with your hand on your hip.

"Wife beater". The proper term is a "Corona wife beater." Get it right.

[Buelligan]

Originally Posted by motorcyclist

I'm sure those that don't care about progressing their skills love the new tech assist which is fine.

I was discussing what my next bike might be just recently. I thought for sure my sportbike days were over (it's why I bought a Buell so many years ago) but the new electronic tech available on them really intrigues me. Before I consign myself to the "old way is the best way" school like you apparently have, I'm going to find out what it's all about.

You can stay where you are.

Originally Posted by Mad4TheCrest

Along with Honda's CBR, the big Gixxer remains without factory-installed traction control...

I think the CBR just debuted with Honda's version of traction control. If I buy a new sportbike (again) it's gonna have to have the latest gizmos. If Suzuki doesn't get with the program, the GSX-R won't be on my short list.

[Mad4TheCrest]

Originally Posted by Buelligan

... I think the CBR just debuted with Honda's version of traction control. If I buy a new sportbike (again) it's gonna have to have the latest gizmos. If Suzuki doesn't get with the program, the GSX-R won't be on my short list.

I'm pretty sure the CBR is still without TC; Yamaha just added TC to its 2012 R1, perhaps that's what you are thinking off? Right now, aside from the all-zoot ZX10R, the R1 looks the most intriguing among the Japanese factory offerings.

[Buelligan]

Originally Posted by Mad4TheCrest

I'm pretty sure the CBR is still without TC; Yamaha just added TC to its 2012 R1, perhaps that's what you are thinking off?

Yeah, I was just glancing at the headlines of the latest CW articles and thought the "HTC" in the CBR title meant real traction control, not "human traction control".

The R1 also intrigues me, but it's waterbug styling leaves me cold. I could get over it, though.

[Mad4TheCrest]

The big Suzook is still a competitive racing platform, at least in closer-to-stock national series and club racing, but Suzuki must feel some pressure to up its game on the sales floor by adding TC (at least), woudn't you think?

Maybe it won't make a move until Honda does?

Personally, the Gixxer Thou began to capture my ownership attention in 08 and 09, when paint schemes began appearing with 'adult' aesthetics and fewer Ricky racer graphics. I was especially taken with a rich grape-purple color on a leftover 09 I saw in a shop in North Hollwood in 2010. I might have bought that bike but they weren't moving a dime off the list, leftover or not.

Now it looks as if Suzuki has abandoned the dea of appealing to the older crowd, just as Honda has shied away from the 'mature' red/silver of the 08 CBR10000 back to stick-on graphics.

OK, then. If you aren't going to give us dignified sports bikes, then give us rip-snorting techno-conquering ones, please. Ducati offers both in their Panigale now, but it would be nice to have a lower price option in a traditional four

[Monkeyshines]

Originally Posted by Mad4TheCrest

The big Suzook is still a competitive racing platform, at least in closer-to-stock national series and club racing, but Suzuki must feel some pressure to up its game on the sales floor by adding TC (at least), woudn't you think?

Maybe it won't make a move until Honda does?

Personally, the Gixxer Thou began to capture my ownership attention in 08 and 09, when paint schemes began appearing with 'adult' aesthetics and fewer Ricky racer graphics. I was especially taken with a rich grape-purple color on a leftover 09 I saw in a shop in North Hollwood in 2010. I might have bought that bike but they weren't moving a dime off the list, leftover or not.

Now it looks as if Suzuki has abandoned the dea of appealing to the older crowd, just as Honda has shied away from the 'mature' red/silver of the 08 CBR10000 back to stick-on graphics.

OK, then. If you aren't going to give us dignified sports bikes, then give us rip-snorting techno-conquering ones, please. Ducati offers both in their Panigale now, but it would be nice to have a lower price option in a traditional four

If this is a poll, I vote for Dignified Suzuki sportbikes over techie Suzuki Sportbikes. And actually...for the Suzuki sportbikes at the top of the japanese 4.
Perhaps part of not jumping in the fray is due to economic considerations but I applaud it nonetheless, the gizmo-less Suzuki's have an appeal I think and still strike the same roughhouse chord that the early GSXR's did for me. I also respect the fact that they still build a nice 750.

[Mad4TheCrest]

A recent TV advert mentioned Gixxers going for zero down and zero percent interest for five years.

That either means the evolutionary changes to the 2012 Suzukis weren't enough, or (let's hope) Suzuki may be clearing the decks for big changes next model year.