Jim Inherits a legend.

The GSX-R1000 K5. Feck me! After months and months of looking and research, and swapping my mind from bike to bike, I finally placed my cash where my balls were, and bought a GSX-R1000k5. Why the K5? Wel, it is the lightest GSX-R1000, has the best finish, and the fattest mid range. It is also deemed to be comfy for 6ft plus blokes, and most importantly, came in an all black colour scheme with a Yosh can as standard.

1st impressions are a bit sketchy. Early rides on any new bike are always hard to quantify as you get used to a new riding position, new handing, brakes, suspension, controls and so on. But I can tell you, it is fast, very fast. I saw 168mph on the speedo last night on the dry M5 North, and the bike was still gatheing pace. Conversely, you can leave it in 2nd and the bike will pull cleanly from 1500RPM all the way through to 13kRPM making town riding and filtering easy and smooth.

The bike is comfy and not at all bum up, head down with plenty of space to move around and keep the blood flowing to the parts that may last GSX-R made white and blue with numbness and lack of circulation. The most amazing thing for me though, is the weight of the bike, or lack of it. Pushing it in the garage last night made me double check for someone giving me a helping hand it was that light. Sittingh on the bike at the lights, in neutral, waiting for the traffic to move the bike is poised and so easily moved about to get your feet on the pegs, stretch your back and pat it on the tank. The 11 used to be a whale, though I never felt it was, mostly due to lack of a comparison. This thing is mental.

100mph in third and the bike will wheelie off the throttle without a chop. I have not used the higher part of the rev counter, I've set the shift light to flash at 10k RPM, as by then the bike is going fast enough to wonder when the hell it is ever going to stop........

One thing that must change is the can. The PO has cut the can down by 2/3rds to make the bike look more MotoGP as he felt the Yoshimura RS3 Oval was too long. The result of that is that the bike is VERY loud, too loud, even for me. I have the standard can, and will have to refit it, together with the exhaust valve gubbins and see what is what.

That is it for now my friends, let me know if you want to try it, you'd be very welcopme.