So while Honda and the gang have rolled out their completely new 800G.P. bikes Suzuki have done nothing more than shove a smaller motor in their old 990CC chasis. The result? The Suzooks were the fastest 1-2 of the test, nearly 2 seconds faster than the nearest Honda.
Usually I don't pay much attention to the times due to the obvious sandbagging that happens at these "tests", BUT the Suzook was 1/2 second UNDER the current lap record...... and almost 2 seconds ahead of the nearest Yamahas and Hondas.
Somewhere in Japan and Italy right now engineers are working ferverishly to develop a 650 CC G.P. engine

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HighSides Trips and Pics
http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=16003

hopper rides hard and puts a lot of effort.

maybe he'll show results on this 800cc class GP.


GO SUZUKI!!!

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Bikes Owned:
Gixxer 1000 K6 (stolen)
Gixxer 750 K6

Bikes Wanted:
VMAX
a super kewl cafe racer

All of which is quite strange as Suzuki in the past would consistently bring out a new bike (chassis and engine) each season and it would take the factory riders all season to get it where they wanted it only for Suzuki to bring out another new one the next season where they would have to start all over again.

Good to see some early results from the boys in blue.

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Suzuki and Kawi have never invested the same $$$ in racing nor production bikes, thus why current GSXRs share so many components between 600,750,1000.

The MotoGP's new 800cc engine class creates a more even playfield for horsepower, in-part because most Japanese manufacturers have over 10 years of Superbike engine development on 750cc engines for World Super as well as many competitive national series (US, Australia, UK, European series').

An 800cc 4-cylinder engine is close enough to a typical 750cc 4-cylinder design that most of the Superbike engine background applies, whereas the 990cc (4 cylinder) format requires rethinking of entire designs to get the most out of the "advantage" therein. Of course, Honda and Ducati spent a lot developing the successful twin-cylinder superbike engines too, a more radical departure, with it's own pros and cons.

One advantage I would expect from Honda's previous 5-cylinder 990cc was the top-end goodies (cylinder-head: combustion chamber, valve-train bits) could use there extensive Superbike experience. (i can't remember F1 car engine stuff, but if you look there I'm sure there is some cross-over technology as well, again moreso for Honda, Yamaha and maybe Ilmor's new engine than others: Ilmor's pneumatic valvetrain).

Despite all the 1000 and 1100cc streebikes and prodi-racers over the years, the real push comes from race-engine development in factory race teams and this has always put hardcore development into 750cc racing that forced the manufacturers to really push limits of design, make mistakes and discoveries that challenge intuition on old design methods, etc...

//monkey

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"Zounds! Zorched by Zarches, Spaceman Spiff's crippled craft crashes on planet Plootarg!"

For Sale: Ninja 600 with parts bike, needs minor work, $30, no title... (GEE THAT DOESNT RING ANY WARNING BELLS DOES IT?)