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SUZUKI'S GSX-R400 SHOOTS FOR THE MOON
THERE ARE NO CONSTANTS in the motorcycle business, especially not if you’re a designer of 400cc sport machines for the Japanese home market. Honda and Yamaha may believe that in their CBR and FZR400s, seen on the previous pages, that they’ve got the 400 sportbike market wired, but Suzuki thinks differently.
That’s because, just in time for it’s 70th anniversary, Suzuki has introduced, in Japan only, its GSX-R400. This is a complete revision of last year’s model, which was dismissed by some as ‘‘a sportbike for beginners.” This new bike definitely is not for beginners, and is an example of just how competitive the class is in Japan.
The first given in the world of 400cc sportbikes is that just because a 400 is a relatively small bike, it doesn't have to be slow, and it doesn't have to lack pose value. The new 400 is built, in fact, to be a full-fledged member of the GSX-R family, with the same sort of handling, power curve, feel and look as its larger brethren.
Suzuki is offering two versions of the bike-a standard model and the SR which is tuned for hard sport riding and track use. Both are powered by the same basic engine, a liquid-cooled dohc inline-Four displacing 398cc, which belts out, in its standard state of tune, a claimed 58 horsepower at 12,500 rpm and 28.9 foot-pounds of torque at 10,000 rpm. The SP inhales through a quartet of 35mm carburetors, instead of the standard’s 33mm units, and claimed horsepower figures for its engine are unavailable. One downside of those bigger carburetors, by the way, is a stumble when the throttle is whacked open at lower revs. This happens in spite of an electronic engine-management system supposedly intended to
help modulate ignition and throttle settings. At higher revs, though, both engines are smooth and extremely responsive.
Rear suspension is by single reservoir-equipped shock which handles suspension loadings through the usual Suzuki linkage, though all shock-to-chassis connections rotate on needle bearings for smoothness of operation. Up front is a fully adjustable upside-down fork, now seen as a de rigueur piece of sportbike componentry by knowledgeable Japanese and European enthusiasts. Tires are 17-inch Michelin Hi-Sport radiais.
Suzuki’s attention to tires and chassis apparently has paid off, because test riders at CW Japan report that the bike is amazingly stable. Maybe even too stable, as the bike isjust a little reluctant to change direction quickly, such as when negotiating a sharp series of bends. Nevertheless, the GSX-R400 is amazingly competent, with extremely precise steering in high-speed corners, great brakes and fantastic traction from its gumball rubber.
None of this, however, comes inexpensively: The base version of the GSX-R400 will nick the wallets of Japanese buyers to the tune of 739.000 yen, or about $4800 at current conversion rates, with the SP version costing an additional $350.
Chances of 400cc fanatics in the U.S. having to come up with such sums would appear to be minimal, because chances of the GSX-R400 being brought to the States are slim to none. Ah, but what about a GSX-R600 that’s based on the 400 as a replacement for the company’s aging Katana 600? Could be, just could be. And the introduction of such a machine not only would stir the blood of 600-class riders, it would stir the American 600 wars up as much as the debut of the GSX-R400 has shaken the Japanese 400 market.
Koichi Hirose
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