Having used the Suzuki on my daily commute a couple of times, frankly, it had not just acquitted itself well; it had proven to be superlative in every aspect. Sitting astride it the first time revealed a lightweight, compact motorcycle that was surely going to inspire confidence. The comfortable seating position is owed in part to the short gas tank, effectively creating a somewhat upright position with the hands merely dropped to reach the handlebars. Without a long stretch forward, the whole chin-up, neck-tweaking, shoulder-wrenching normalcy found on other supersports, was absent. The footpegs are naturally set somewhat high, but they do have some adjustability built in, and even with my long legs I still found the seating position to be comfortable. (Click image to enlarge)

The engine is, of course, turbine-like. From idle, the motor reacts to throttle blips by spinning up and back down in an instant. An urgent yelping from the shorty exhaust placed under the engine (for improved weight distribution) gets the adrenaline surging immediately and then the light, cable-operated clutch bites at precisely the right point. Once underway I found the four-cylinder motor to have a visceral, slightly raw feel; and yet, thanks to a secondary balancer shaft, it neither buzzes unpleasantly nor creates the dreaded hand numbness of other machines I’ve ridden. Power is extreme, and yet very manageable; there’s no sudden big hit per se, just tons of power reaching the pavement right through the rev range.

Carrying just 360 lbs plus rider and fluids, the bike’s lack of weight helps make it move extraordinarily quickly, especially if you scream the motor all the way to its 15,000 rpm red line. Although considerably more torquey than a 600cc machine, the engine does not produce the intimidating wallop of its big brother. That is not to say the Suzuki GSX-R750 cannot high-side, but for this particular pilot, it is far less top-of-mind when exiting corners than on the hyper-horsepower bikes, and that makes for greater rider confidence and ultimately, more fun. (Click image to enlarge)

Pulling out from slow speed corners in the lower gears, the two-stage fuel injection delivers plenty of torque and a genuinely smooth transition back on to the power thanks to Suzuki’s dual butterfly system (the first opened by the rider’s wrist, the second by the ECU) and twin multi-hole injectors. I remember it took them a while to get this right, but now this system has quite simply become my personal comparison benchmark.

Accelerating through the local canyon sweepers of Malibu, the suspension is firm, without being either jarring or bouncy. Turn-in is absolutely precise, and the handling is perfectly neutral. With both high- and low-speed compression damping adjustment at the rear, the Showa shock is clearly sophisticated in both design and performance. I found no reason to tamper with any of the stock settings at either end of the machine, as the damping is clearly well-matched to the spring rate and preload. The Showa fork tubes have a carbonized titanium coating to reduce friction; interestingly the 750 received the 41mm tube diameter forks typically fitted to 600cc size machines rather than the larger 43mm found on the bigger bikes. Again this demonstrates Suzuki’s commitment to provide us with liter-bike power in a 600cc class chassis. The end result is a nimble, intuitive handling bike that turns quickly, precisely and with complete confidence in the front end. (Click image to enlarge)

When getting particularly busy riding on the street, I came to appreciate the Suzuki’s cockpit display. The single, large, white faced tachometer is simple to read at a glance. Immediately to its right, the LCD speed readout is impossible to misunderstand. Between the two is a digital gear indicator; something Suzuki has stuck with since my GT750 water buffalo days back in the ’70s—and, yes, I admit I find it very useful.