GSX-R1000 Tech
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Yes, the styling of the new GSX-R's exhaust canister has its detractors, but there's no denying that it's light, flows well, stays off the deck and keeps noise levels in check. |
Thankfully, the manufacturers are also designing components with an eye toward easier maintenance, like this captured rear brake-caliper bracket on the Suzuki. | |
Continuing the trend of recent GSX-R developments, the '05 1000 incorporates many of the updates introduced last year on the 600 and 750, as well as changes specific to the new model. While the engine architecture is essentially unchanged from even the original '01 GSX-R1000, detail updates are many. Displacement grows from 988cc to 999cc courtesy of lighter 0.4mm larger pistons with shorter, narrower skirts. A new oil-control ring has the chrome-nitride plating debuted on the '04 GSX-R600 that allows the ring to be lighter but still seal as well as a conventional chrome-plated ring. Elsewhere in the cylinder head, the intake ports are larger and, like the 600 and 750, the 1000 now has titanium valves. Flat valve faces contribute to a slightly increased compression ratio, up from 12.0:1 to 12.5:1, and the intake valves grow 1mm in diameter to 30mm. The valves are lighter despite 0.5mm thicker stems, and the lighter valvetrain and heavier valve-spring loading contribute to a 1000-rpm-higher rev ceiling-redline is now 13,500 rpm. A larger, trapezoid-shaped radiator accommodates the increased engine output.
In the bottom end, the crankcase ventilation holes that originally appeared in the K3 1000 have grown in diameter to 39mm, the balancer shaft has been recalibrated and the crankshaft and connecting rods have been beefed up to deal with the increased horsepower. The transmission ratios have been tightened up, with a taller first gear and shorter third through sixth gears; primary and final ratios are unchanged.
The 1000 sprouts a back-torque limiting clutch, which operates via a ramped cam and lifter pins. Engagement is now via a rack-and-pinion arrangement, which is claimed to provide more positive feel. The pins on the transmission's shift forks (that engage the shift drum) have also been reshaped along the lines of the '04 600's and 750's for better feel.
The new frame is 6mm shorter from the steering head to the swingarm pivot, and the cast steering-head section extends farther down the side beams. What's left of the extruded portions have just a single reinforcing rib as opposed to two, and the frame itself is almost three pounds lighter than the '04 model's. Similarly, the swingarm's front section is now cast as one piece (with a smaller-diameter pivot) as opposed to a mix of castings and extrusions, and gone is the extruded/cast subframe, replaced by a new unit constructed of two bolted-together sides. Rake and trail have been relaxed slightly; interestingly enough, the new geometry numbers are almost identical to those of the original '01 model's. A new shock linkage is "more appropriate for racing use," with the shock altered to match. Racers will also appreciate the return of the removable rear subframe similar to the original SRAD 600's and 750's setup.
The highlight of the engine's induction side is the addition of secondary injectors to the standard (but 2mm larger) SDTV setup. Just as the primary injectors point at the primary butterfly valve to aid in atomization, the additional injectors are aimed at the secondary valve and operate only under heavy engine load. Like the 600 and 750, the 1000's outer pairs of throttle bodies are spaced 5mm closer together, which allows the airbox and fuel tank to be slimmer.
Suzuki engineers have shaved weight from many individual components, including the ECU, battery, generator, fuel tank, footrests, cylinder-head bolts and cam cover bolts. | 
New wheels (right photo) are lighter and shod with Bridgestone BT014 tires. |
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The front discs grow 10mm in diameter to 310mm, and the two-pad calipers' pistons are larger at 30mm/34mm vs. the previous 27mm/32mm. The master cylinder is now a radial-piston style. The front fork may look identical to the '04 GSX-R's, but the diamond like coating (DLC) has been refined and is even more slippery than previously. Inside, other parts are modified to further reduce friction.
A new instrument panel features an LCD gear indicator, reserve tripmeter and 1000-rpm-higher redline. The shift light can now be adjusted in finer increments in the upper rev range