Big performance V-twins have been an area that the Japanese have dabbled in since the success of the all-conquering Ducati 916. Keen to jump on the V-twin bandwagon, Honda gave us the VTR Superhawk while Suzuki thrust the feisty TL1000S in our general direction in 1997, followed by the fully-faired TL1000R. The Honda was a reasonable roadbike, but it was the Suzuki that caught the imagination of many. It made more power than the Ducati and possessed an attitude that caused the Honda to quiver on its rims. The price was a reputation of instability, especially on the TLS due to the rear suspension - a compact rotary damper that didn't hold enough oil. The TLR suffered more through association, as although it had even more top-end power it was also heavier to offset this gain. Poor sales meant production of the TLR ground to a halt in 2003, and while the motor lived on in the lukewarm SV1000, the dream of a V-twin contender wasn't fully realized until the Honda RC51 came along. Now if Suzuki were to have another stab at it...
The original TL1000R still...
The original TL1000R still has a cult following.
Using the higher-revving TL1000R motor (1000 rpm higher than the TLS) as our base, we've squeezed more than the stock rear-wheel figure out of ours. Instead of 120 HP, (Suzuki quotes 135 HP at the crank) we reckon a true 140 HP is easily possible with some dyno time, K&N air filter, Bazzaz fuelling and some freer-flowing cans. The lighter weight and additional ram-air intake ensure this TLR breathes as well as is possible.
Chassis
Our heavily modified 2009 GSX-R1000 frame wears the 43mm Showa Big Piston Forks from the same bike and a tweaked swingarm. We've thrown away the rotary shock from the stock bike and used a conventional Showa shock. The front radial Brembos are borrowed from a Ducati 1098, as are the forged alloy Marchesinis. The TLR also features adjustable rearsets from the K9.
Bodywork
Bodywork and paint are heavily inspired by the beautiful 2005 Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP machine. Though we've retained some features from the original TLR, we've also set out to emphasise that our bike is visually lighter as well as physically, so gone is the over-sized ducktail unit, to be replaced by...a much smaller ducktail unit.