Suzuki GSXR600 SRAD

I OWN A 1998 SRAD 600 AND I LOVE IT! YES IT IS THE CARB VERSION BUT THID BIKE IS VERY CAPABLE OF ANYTHING UPTO 150-160MPH.

MY SRAD IS RED/GREY/BLACK AND ITS MAXED OUT REALLY, THESE ARE ALL THE MODS ON MINE: -TAIL TIDY -UNDERTRAY -ALL CLEAR INDICATORS -CLEAR LED TAIL LIGHT -SMOKED HEADLIGHT PROTECTOR -GOODRIDGE FRONT & REAR BRAIDED HOSES -SENTERED BRAKE PADS -SEATCOWL & PASSENGER SEAT -RENNTEC GRAB RAIL -DARK SMOKED SCREEN -GSXR LOGO STAINLESS HEEL PLATES -GSXR LOGO BAR ENDS -STAGE 1 DYNOJET KIT -K&N AIR & OIL FILTER -FULL TITANIUM YOSHIMURA RS3 EXHAUST --LOWERED -14T RENTHAL FRONT SPROCKET (-2) -RED RIM TAPED WHEELS -GOLD CHAIN -HID LIGHTS -LED SIDELIGHT -GSXR LOGO STAINLESS LOGO CHAIN GUARD..

I THINK THATS ABOUT IT, (I CANT HAVE A REAR HUGGER ON AS ITS BEEN LOWERED)

THE GSXR600 IS A DECENT BIKE, IVE NOT RIDDEN A STANDARD 600 SRAD, BUT GOING FROM MINE ITS A FANTASTIC LITTLE BIKE, IT HANDLES REALLY WELL YOU CAN FLICK IT SIDE TO SIDE IN A BLINK OF AN EYE ITS EFFORTLESS, AND THE 180 STANDARD REAR TYRE SIZE WORKS WELL.. THERES ENOUGH POWER TO GET YOU KILLED OR IN DEEP TROUBLE WITH POLICE :) BUT MY ADVICE IS IF YOU BUY ONE, JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN THRASHED WHEN THEY HAVE JUST BEEN STARTED. THEY ARE KNOW AS BEEN COLD STARTERS, GETTING STARTED AND NOT LETTING THE ENGINE WARM UP PROPERLY THEN THRASHING IT WHICH KNACKS THE ENGINE.

BUT OVERALL ITS A FANTASTIC BIKE! I RECCOMEND THE BIKE AS YOUR 2ND FIRST BIG BIKE. ITS NOT FORGIVING AT ALL, SO IF YOU BUY ONE AS YOUR FIRST BIG BIKE AND MAKE A SCHOOL BOY MISTSKE YOU WILL SOON KNOW ABOUT IT, YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW THESE BIKES CORNER, IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO RIDE THESE 90% CHANCE YOU WILL BIN THE BIKE.. GREAT THOUGH OVERALL 5/5 :)

I've been riding for 30 years (horrors! That long?!) and though I was always tempted to get the Suzuki SRAD I never quite got round to it. A month ago I picked one up off the net. Mon Dieu - why did I wait so long?!

The bike is simply gorgeous, leans into corners with confidence both at low and high speeds. Power delivery is smooth, and lacks that rapid lurch into the powerband that many bikes have but then that's only exciting in a straight line and when cornering's your thing that can be tricky - I keep picking the wheel up in corners as I push the power down and am loving it!

It flicks from side to side with a solid feel, and the weight seems surprisingly low, I used to have a Bandit and that felt a lot heavier (plus that had the steep power curve). It is a bit lower in peak power than say the zx6r from the same period but which is quicker on a track? Dunno, I suspect the superior mid range power on the gixxer may be worth a bit in lap times.

It was the style that struck me when these first came out in the 90s though, that classic large café racer tail hump and the voluptuous feminine curves are just so sexy and unique (no I don't take the bike to bed with me at nights!). That's what will make this bike such a classic. There are no others like it, and in a time when more and more bikes just seem to be clones of each other it doesn't look like there will be.

On the style side the only downer is that so many seem to just be the boring old blue and white paint jobs. There are other colours but these seem to be much rarer. Doesn't bother me, mine's a custom spray job!

All in then, give one a try. There's a lot of them around now and at very good prices, plus many were just Sunday poser tools (mine averaged just over a 1,000 miles a year) and they're unlikely to be mega thrashed. Build quality's good too.

Happy biking!

Alex