Bike Match

by Simon ‘Jim’ Bowen Visordown.com

For many, these are still the two greatest superbikes ever built. Suzuki’s legendary GSX- R1100 went head-to-head with Yamaha’s EXUP for years, and in 1991 the two were at the top of their game. In the days before fuel injection and comedy dry weight claims, we were feasting on the new breed of ultra-fast sports machinery. Long before the madness of ABS and traction control, the route to glory was pure and unadulterated, the object being to place as little as possible between the right hand and the rear wheel. Keep it pure. Keep it simple. Operating on the principle of there being more than two ways to skin a cat, the Japanese giants attacked the same goals with their respective philosophies. Yamaha developed the sharp-edged, finely tuned FZR 1000 Genesis, while Suzuki’s GSX-R attacked the same challenges with muscle and unbreakable brute force. These principles are validated not only in performance and handling characteristics, but also in design and detailing. The GSX- R sits blunt and threatening with aggressive angles and a whiff of the drag strip. The FZR is an altogether more sophisticated and classy-looking creature. The narrow and curvy bodywork flows more coherently over and around the sculptured Deltabox alloy frame with a pretty tailpiece to round it off. Take a pew on the Suzuki though and immediately it feels the more civilised of the two. The seat is low, wide and nicely padded. The rubber-mounted handlebars sit higher than both the FZR and the smaller 750 Suzuki. The body is pitched quite far forward too but it just adds to the overall aggressive stance of the 1100. Long and narrow would summarise the EXUP in a nutshell. The natural position is more racer crouch than the Suzuki despite the similar reach to the bars. The knees are more cramped thanks to the lower seat and the wrists will ache quicker but it’s still spacious and sensible compared to what is being churned out of the same factory today. Thumbing the GSX-R into life brings it all back. In case you’re not sure, the GSX-Rs natural hunting ground is very fast, well surfaced ‘A’ roads (in an era before the dreaded Gatso). The 1100 produces a lot of low-down power and grunt which doesn’t interfere with cruising/touring/motorway behaviour, but back in the day, it’s fair to say that machine performance was well ahead of tyre technology. The ride itself is on the soft side, and takes a firm hand which I think suits the bike. having a huge but relaxed power delivery combined with a world-class 5-speed gearbox is a nice set-up. Not only can you make the Suzuki fly, it was and still is very competent in the braking department. It was often (if not always) the case that the front lever was half way to the ‘bar before anything started to happen, but the initial bite is strong and the braking performance solid with a nice feel at the lever. The Yamaha purrs on tick over compared to the grunting Suzuki and everything about it from every angle is lean, clean and sophisticated. It is also incredibly pretty still and has dated less than Suzuki’s design. Despite giving away a 124cc disadvantage to the GSX-R, Yamaha’s technicians closed the performance gap significantly. So much so, that the Yamaha can virtually match the Suzuki’s grunt in roll-on tests and just about pip it at the top end. Power delivery is less brutal with a smoother, more linear feed leading to a stronger top end than the GSX- R, though this is ultimately more suited to the race track than the street. The gearbox is also a strong point on the FZR. It doesn’t ‘snick’ tightly into gear like the Suzuki but still offers a positive and effortless change. The FZR will hold a better line on a fast or slow corner and drive out more smoothly than the GSX- R, which is prone to being slightly skittish and untidy when hurried. The FZR1000 is the better machine, history showed this to be the case. It is more sophisticated both internally and externally. It is more modern and refined in every department and scores highly with its looks. but the FZRs never, ever got the cult following of the GSX-R1100. From an era when the Gatso camera was a thing of fiction, both these bikes would make excellent classic-bike purchases and have loads of grunt and presence. If you want to look different and get there quick, these old fellas have still got it.

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