Suzuki GSXR K5 750- approx read time under 5mins After one year and over five thousand miles of ownership, we parted with the Bfiddy. It was used for commuting, trackdays and UK touring, never missing a beat.
Rider Birotar_Jonjo
Back in 2015, when we bought the bike, she came as standard with an Arrow exhaust, the only hidden extra was a Power Commander 3. After an hours ride home we knew the right choice had been made, with great handling and acceleration there when you want it.
Nice unobtrusive dash
The bike received a full service when we got her back to the BirotarUK HQ. We also changed the pads knowing full well it wouldn’t be long before we had her on track, EBC HH Sintered are the pads of choice.
The first big trip for the Bfiddy was to Wales to enjoy some fine roads and scenery. A waterproof bag strapped to the back and that was all that was needed. Official figures state 160 miles to a tank of fuel, but we found 120-130 was more realistic before the fuel light came on.
The Bfiddy ready for a trip to Wales
After some time to get to grips with the bike, it was evident we needed to get the suspension set up. We used Race Engineering, as we do with all our bikes. As usual they did a great job and the bike's handling was transformed. We’d also added a quickshifter to the bike, this was tested on the dyno whilst also confirming a very healthy 130bhp at the rear wheel.
The Bfiddy in Wales
Knowing the bike was healthy and the suspension performing much better, it was time to hit the track. We managed two on the Bfiddy, one at Mallory park in the standard road fairings and the other at Brands Hatch after we sourced some track fairings. Both times the bike performed really well, building rider confidence.
There isn’t much you can fault the Bfiddy on, if anything. It's a bike that can be used in most situations and takes everything in its stride. Servicing and parts are cheap, and providing the bike comes with a good service history there isn't much that would stop the bike.
Overall a big thumbs up from us. A highly recommended sports motorcycle capable of commuting, fast road riding, touring and track days. Here's to the duly departed Bfiddy.
We've all seen the latest generation of bikes that come with launch control as standard and watched in awe as the Moto GP riders launch off the line in free practice, often wishing there was a solution for our older bikes and we think we've found it. When searching for a quickshifter you'll find lots of choices but there is only one after market manufacturer that can offer launch control, quickshifter and pit lane speed limiter in one plug and play unit, Shift Power.
SP full race unit packaging
We thought we'd give it a go on the ZX6R track bike to see if this unit can do everything it says on the box. If you follow the instructions, the installation process is very easy and takes under two hours, including a tea stop. So what's in the box?
Everything you get in the SP full race unit box
The kit comes with everything needed to install the system, including quick splice connectors. At first the thought of installing this system was very daunting, you mean we have to splice into the bikes main ECU terminals?! Rest assured, the instructions are very clear and the quick splice connectors make it easy.
Check the wires before you splice them
Only basic tools are needed, the hardest part is getting to the ignition coils which are located under the airbox, it comes in handy having a spare set of hands to hold the fuel tank up to save removal.
When ordering you need to supply the length of your standard shift rod, we didn't need to cut anything off the supplied shift rod like we've had to in the past with other units.
Quick shifter sensor and new shift rod fitted
After two hours in the garage fitting the unit it was time to test it all out, off to Cadwell we went to try it all out.
The unit worked flawlessly, there have been no changes made to the kill time yet as it's delivered with a very good base settings. It feels a lot better than the quickshifter we had on the GSXR 750. So how did the launch control shape up? If you've been to Cadwell before you'll know it's out the pit and straight into a series of bends, not great for trying launch control. It's been tested on a paddock and it was impressive being able to hold the revs, launch and use the quickshifter to go up through the gears, so what does aftermarket launch control sound like, we thought we'd try it without launching in the pits at Cadwell...
The speed limiter works in the same way, flick the button that can be mounted on the bars and hold the throttle open and it won't rise above the speed that you've set, simple really, sounds good too.
To set the launch control RPM and speed limit you have to use the programming board which plugs into the quickshifter connector on the full race unit. Hold the revs at your desired limit and press the button, all set. The speed will need to be set on a paddock stand allowing the wheel to reach your desired speed. We found one very minor flaw with the launch control system, if its going on a track bike or a bike you plan to take on track it will have to be set above the noise testing RPM limit for your bike. We're hoping to get the bike on the dyno over winter so will be able to really test the launch system in a controlled environment. Overall the system is great and at a price point very similar to any other standalone quickshifter. £336 gets you the full race unit, even if you only use the launch control once a year it's still a competitive package. We can't wait to get back out there to try the launch control at a track like Snetterton or Brands. A big thumbs up from BirotarUK. To see if the unit is available for your bike click here.
Birotar Jonjo at Cadwell Park testing the full race unit
