1987 Suzuki GSXR 1100

"The old slabside GSXR 1100... it's more than just scary, it's uh... POOH your pants SCARY!!!"

A report by the owner: Todd O'Neill (editor of DoctorDanger.com)

Challenge: Having ridden light weight sports bikes for years I thought it would be a real challenge to knock around on a big old slabside gixxer. I've always wanted one of those monsters ever since Suzuki released the GSXR 1100 way back in 1986.

Research: After conducting a bit of investigation into the economics of owning one of these big fellas, things started looking good... cheep classic insurance (circa £200 p.a. for me and my points), circa £2000 purchase price, big powerful and dependable engine (who could over-stress one of those?), pretty much zero deprecation... and that was enough, I just had to get one. It took ages to find one that was near to the original condition (seems most have been 'Streetfighter-ized') but eventually I found one which was advertised locally (bonus).

Teething: Having owned the bike for just a few months now, it is taking me a while to get used to the Suzuki's power output and the way it handles (or should I say the way it doesn't handle). The power output is pretty seriousl. Its possible one of the previous owners might have put a big bore kit in this old machine because according to the Dyno test it's producing a whopping 131.7 bhp at the rear wheel - lovely-jubblie! I'm still experiencing the odd unexpected wheelie when I'm gently rolling on the throttle in second gear, in fact this happened the other day when I was putting my visor down, prompting my first ever one-handed wheelie - yahoo! The power output continues to impress me, but it might have something to do with the fact that I have a long history of riding little screamer sports bikes which didn't deliver much in the way of torque. Perhaps Chris (who has a Yamaha R1) and Ricky (Suzuki TL1000S) might find the power of this old gixxer a bit flat when compared to their modern one-litre machines, we'll just have to wait and see.

Scary: Now for the scary stuff - the handling. Well it doesn't really. The old GSXR 1100 never had a reputation for being good at handling but I think that's part of the charm of this classic bike. I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good challenge and for some bizarre reason I like a scaring the pooh out of myself, so I guess I've chosen the right bike for me . If you think getting your knee down on a Yamaha R6 is exciting, you should try cornering at speed on an old gixxer - God it races my heart just thinking about it! Despite the minor suspension upgrades the GSXR's high centre of gravity, flexi frame, considerable weight and 1980's technology ensures the GSXR's handling is far from being as sharp or responsive as modern day machinery. You could say it's a bit wallowy and that's on a good day. The GSXR seems to handle a bit better with some weight on it. I'm a bit of a light weight (I weigh 10.5 stone / 147 lbs) and I found the GSXR handles much better with my girl friend on the back, it feels much more planted, and less twitchy and wallowy through the corners.

Right finger: The front brakes are EXCELLENT. The Harris AP Lockheed conversion uses big single callipers but boy do they scrub the speed off quickly. If you are thinking of getting one of these old Suzuki's, you should put a brake upgrade at the top of your list! It could be a lifesaver!