It was a deal that I couldn't resist. Suzuki is offering 0.5% financing for 6 years + $1000 rebates on the 2013's. OTD price with the $580 Suzuki 5 year (4 + standard 1) was $11,974. My payments are $168.86. Total interest on the loan is $183.24.
As a bonus, the dealership does the first oil change & service for free.
Anyone looking for a better deal could get a blue/white w/ a diffenent paint scheme for $700 less at a different dealership.
Anyway, I picked it up yesterday. It was a great day. Rode the train 85 miles south to Santa Barbara then rode the bike home. I should have taken pictures from the train because a good part of the ride was along the edge of the coast.
I had ridden the bike a few days earlier, because the dealership allows test rides once the numbers have been agreed upon.
The riding position works for me because I'm used to ridiing bicycles w/ dropped handlebars (on the 6r, I moved the bars forward and turned them down, but it never felt right). The gsxr feels compact because of the narrow bars and the forward seating position. It also feels smaller because it's balanced w/o having the top-heaviness of th 6r. The difference between the bikes is significant enough that I'm surprised that I felt so comfortable on it from the beginning.
It was a great ride home. Suzuki recommends keeping the rpm below 7500 for 600 miles, then under 11,000 til you get to 1,000. I plan on doing just that while spending time riding in each gear to break it in.
I know it's going accelerate better than the 6r. In first gear, it reaches 39 mph at 7500 rpm. The redline is over 15,000 rpm so I won't have to shift when accelerating to merge on freeways.
I can't believe how easy it is to ride. I ride both bikes back-to-back this morning. Here are my impressions...
1. there's no clunking it into 1st gear.
2. bottom-end is good - high revs/slipping clutch isn't required to take off.
3. shifting is smooth like the 6r, but the slipper clutch makes down-shifting super-easy.
5. the ride is smooth despite the suspension's high-performance orientation.
4. cornering is confidence inspiring - I can go in faster and more relaxed because it seems to know what needs to be done better than I do. It feels like a part of me. Chalk it up to riding position, suspension, tires, geometry, narrow bars, & electic steering damper.
5. the aerodynamics are better. I had planned to put a ZeroGravity sport-touring windscreen on it, but might save the cash instead. There's less buffeting in every wind direction and for every seationg position on the gsxr than my 6r w/ the Puig Racing windscreen. I couldn't believe it!
6. way more fun than i thought...
The negatives...
1. premium gas
2. no fuel gauge - indicator flashes @ 1 gal left & stays on @ 0.4 gal.
3. clock or odometer - you have to scroll between them, 3 trip odos, & the lap time counter.
4. recommended oil change interval is 3500 miles or 1 year.
5. it doesn't turn as sharp as the 6r when I'm moving it by hand.
I love it, but I might try to also keep the 6r because it fills a diffenent need and it's been a great bike for me. I'll update after 1000 miles.
As a bonus, the dealership does the first oil change & service for free.
Anyone looking for a better deal could get a blue/white w/ a diffenent paint scheme for $700 less at a different dealership.
Anyway, I picked it up yesterday. It was a great day. Rode the train 85 miles south to Santa Barbara then rode the bike home. I should have taken pictures from the train because a good part of the ride was along the edge of the coast.
I had ridden the bike a few days earlier, because the dealership allows test rides once the numbers have been agreed upon.
The riding position works for me because I'm used to ridiing bicycles w/ dropped handlebars (on the 6r, I moved the bars forward and turned them down, but it never felt right). The gsxr feels compact because of the narrow bars and the forward seating position. It also feels smaller because it's balanced w/o having the top-heaviness of th 6r. The difference between the bikes is significant enough that I'm surprised that I felt so comfortable on it from the beginning.
It was a great ride home. Suzuki recommends keeping the rpm below 7500 for 600 miles, then under 11,000 til you get to 1,000. I plan on doing just that while spending time riding in each gear to break it in.
I know it's going accelerate better than the 6r. In first gear, it reaches 39 mph at 7500 rpm. The redline is over 15,000 rpm so I won't have to shift when accelerating to merge on freeways.
I can't believe how easy it is to ride. I ride both bikes back-to-back this morning. Here are my impressions...
1. there's no clunking it into 1st gear.
2. bottom-end is good - high revs/slipping clutch isn't required to take off.
3. shifting is smooth like the 6r, but the slipper clutch makes down-shifting super-easy.
5. the ride is smooth despite the suspension's high-performance orientation.
4. cornering is confidence inspiring - I can go in faster and more relaxed because it seems to know what needs to be done better than I do. It feels like a part of me. Chalk it up to riding position, suspension, tires, geometry, narrow bars, & electic steering damper.
5. the aerodynamics are better. I had planned to put a ZeroGravity sport-touring windscreen on it, but might save the cash instead. There's less buffeting in every wind direction and for every seationg position on the gsxr than my 6r w/ the Puig Racing windscreen. I couldn't believe it!
6. way more fun than i thought...
The negatives...
1. premium gas
2. no fuel gauge - indicator flashes @ 1 gal left & stays on @ 0.4 gal.
3. clock or odometer - you have to scroll between them, 3 trip odos, & the lap time counter.
4. recommended oil change interval is 3500 miles or 1 year.
5. it doesn't turn as sharp as the 6r when I'm moving it by hand.
I love it, but I might try to also keep the 6r because it fills a diffenent need and it's been a great bike for me. I'll update after 1000 miles.
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