2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 Unveiled
Here it is, the first new sportbike released from Suzuki since the introduction of the revamped GSX-R1000 in 2009. It’s a new GSX-R600, which will again share its platform with the 750cc version to also be sold in 2011.
This sketch wasn’t released officially by Suzuki, but our industry mole confirms it is indeed a sketch of the bike that will be formally unveiled on October 5 at the Intermot show in Germany.
Because Suzuki is tight-lipped about its upcoming new products, we weren’t able to get any meaningful details out of them. But an inside source has confirmed it has a new engine and is not just a rehash of the existing motor, presumably with a few more horsepower. The aluminum perimeter frame is also all new. It’s a safe bet Suzuki has managed to pare off a few pounds from the 432-lb wet weight of our 2009 Gixxer, the porkiest of the 600s and 22 lbs heavier than the class-lightweight CBR600RR.
The GSX-R600/750 last received a ground-up redesign back in 2006, then was nicely updated for the 2008 edition. Given the typical Japanese four-year model cycles for sportbikes, we were anticipating a new Gixxer for 2010, but the tanking economy forced Suzuki to postpone its introduction until 2011.
Visually, the biggest change to the GSX-R is its nose, now boasting a narrower, vertically stacked headlight arrangement that mimics that of the GSX-R1000. Four angular intake slots ram air into the airbox and helps provide a distinguishing snout. This sketch indicates a tall windscreen – taller than most sportbikes – but a screen of that height might not make it to the production bike.
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2011 Triumph Sprint GT
The formerly designated Sprint ST (Sport Tourer) has now evolved into the 2011 Sprint GT (Grand Tourer). In becoming so, it delivers more cargo room and a plusher ride, while not losing much of its edge as a respectable canyon carver with bags.
The newly aggrandized model achieves its status in part by a 3.2-inch longer wheelbase (60.5-inches compared to a previous 57.3 inches), while offering updated styling to modernize the ST’s five-year-old design. The penalty for the new Sprint’s stretching and aesthetic sharpening is an additional 60 lbs – a more than 10% curb weight increase over its predecessor, now at 591 lbs full of fuel.
Triumph says the retuned version of the same fuel-injected three-cylinder engine that powered the ST now makes 5 more hp (128 hp vs. 123 hp). Claimed torque is increased by just under 4 ft-lbs to 79.7 ft-lbs, and now comes in at 6300 rpm — 1200 rpm sooner than on the ST.