[Kiwi Rider]

Fresh off the press: 776cc, 81.2 HP, 202kg. Looks pretty decent.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Yeah its pretty generic and copy cat of what the other manufacturers are doing. I cant see this bike becoming a cult race bike like the SV. What class would it run in for a start.
A couple of points where they've fallen a bit short are the power and more importantly the weight. Its 20kg heavier than my Aprilia 660 with 13 less HP.
The forks and brakes look good but will interesting to hear how they perform. I like the TFT dash and the up and down quick shifter makes for a reasonable spec level.
I'm not a fan of the stacked LEDs either but overall I think the styling is OK and better than others in the same segment.
It's a pass from me but I'm not excited.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

There’s a clip on YouTube by Bennett’s bike social where he starts the bike. Not particularly inspiring but perhaps better than some stock pipes.

Start up is at 48 second mark:

 

[Kiwi Rider]

From a racers point of view the bike is disappointing. I was really hoping Suzuki would bring out something that would at least go some way towards bridging the current performance gap between the SV and the Aprilia. (Here in NZ we aren't allowed engine mods beyond exhaust and ECU flash) But the odd engine capacity of 776cc has blown it. Even if it had been around the 650cc mark that wet weight of 202kg would have been another performance killer.

From a road bike perspective it has the potential to be an enjoyable ride as long as the handling is good. With inverted forks and a1465mmm wheel base it should be quite stable and planted on the road. That long stroke motor should pull nicely out of corners too and the addition of a quickshifter will add to the fun. 82HP might be just enough to produce a grin but it would have been helped by having a lighter mass to propel. I'm looking forward to reading the first reviews.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

hello

Goodbye

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Difference between my Ali frame gen 2 and my steel frame gen 3 race bikes with similar race spec and same amount of fuel is 5kg or 11lb. I use two load cells linked together and a long sturdy plank to measure.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Is that with stock swingarms? I remember reading somewhere that Gen 1 swingarm was around 4kg lighter than Gen 3.

Yep stock swing arms .

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Looks like the gen3 is a pig.

A touch harsh I feel

 

[Kiwi Rider]

When you have the likes of James Holland, (44 teeth) saying the 3gen is "way more stable" and Teagg Hobbs main crew chief (dad) saying pretty much the same you have to wonder how much the 3gens steel frame and swingarm plays a role.

Kinda depends what you prefer. From a racing perspective the steel frame is more rigid than the Gen 2 aluminum jobbie which offers more flex. The first time I rode a Gen 3 at the track I was blown away by the stability of it into fast corners. I knew I wanted one. To be fair there are some variables there in set up between those two bikes with different suspension components etc. No regrets making the switch.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

There’s an existing thread on here somewhere if you do a search.