Price : £8,200

Info: 164mph + 749cc + 130bhp + 69ftlb + Insurance group 16

New for 2008,  With only minor tweaks for this year and a facelift, the 175mph K8 is now the smoothest and most refined GSX-R750 ever. Suzuki say it has the same claimed crank power and torque as the K6/K7 model (150bhp/64ftlb), but during MCN’s Road Test it made a staggering 133bhp at the rear wheel on our dyno. That’s 3bhp more than a 2002 R1 (it’s 3mph faster too) and 6bhp more than the old 954cc FireBlade. The GSX-R750 is still the perfect all-round sportsbike, user-friendly, fast and fun.

Engine

The few changes Suzuki has made to the GSX-R’s in-line four cylinder 750cc engine have been made to make the power smoother and more useable; power and torque remain exactly the same as before. All this adds up to a smoother power delivery but with the same voracious appetite for screaming revs, scintillating acceleration and a howling top speed. Throttle bodies have steeper injector angles and the primary injectors have eight nozzles instead of four; secondary injectors have fewer holes, down from 12 to 8. This engine delivers all the revvy excitement of a 600 but with the extra real-world torque that the extra 150cc brings.

Quality and Reliability

Suzuki motors tend to be bullet-proof and although the K8 Suzuki GSX-R750 isn’t yet old enough to have passed the test of time, you can be pretty sure it will handle years of screaming abuse. Avoid winter riding and the more pampering you can give it the better.

Ride and Handling

New three-spoke wheels are lighter than before, the wheelbase is 5mm shorter and Suzuki has built in more flex into the frame and swingarm to give the rider more feel during hard cornering. Forks get high and low-speed compression damping adjustment. Overall the GSX-R’s suspension is on the soft side, even on maximum settings, which can be limiting for really hardcore track riding. For the most part, though, the friendly set-up gives you tonnes of feel, makes it very easy to ride fast and is extremely forgiving. With a set of really sticky tyres fitted there’s very little you can’t get away with on this brilliant handling bike.

Value

The Suzuki GSX-R750 is one of the best sportsbikes money can buy, bar none and the best thing about it is that it costs just over eight grand, which is excellent value for money. It’s one of the easiest bikes in the world to ride very, very fast and seems to be one of biking’s best kept secrets. You really don’t need a 600 or a 1000 if you’re on a Suzuki GSX-R750; it’ll smoke them all.