Suzuki's other frame

Insight into the development of the new impressive 800cc GSV-R Suzuki came after John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen revealed how their different riding styles are fundamentally affecting machine development.

Suzuki brought a new frame to the recent Sepang test in Malaysia, and while one rider loved it – Vermeulen – Hopper preferred the older version.

Hopkins, fastest at the Sepang test, explained: “The new frame didn’t feel like it had what the older one had, which turned better.

“The new one was looser in the front and was tucking the front a little. So we switched back to the older one and it helped me get it into the corners a little better.
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“We keep trying all the new frames but at the end of the day the older one is better. It is also a question of riding styles, Chris Vermeulen could try it and like it because of the way he spins and slides getting it into the corners.

“Because I like my front tyre perfectly in line everywhere I go, I don’t slide the bike into the corner. I run it in on the front and the brakes, so I think that new frame is a question of style.

“The grip was the same, maybe better coming out of the corner.”

The bike’s next outing with the Rizla star will be later this month at Jerez, before a two-month winter testing ban.