The driving position alone gives an idea of the character of this bike. The key block disappears and in its place, on very racing clip-on handlebars, a beautiful track button panel. To start the electronics, press the blue button in the center of the left block, then the engine turns on with the classic button on the right. And immediately a roaring, aggressive sound pervades the Akrapovič exhaust. That determination!
Limited steering, neoprene saddle, raised (and adjustable) footrests… the position is perfect for riding between curbs! It’s not as extreme as a pure sports car, but definitely more aggressive than the standard GSX-8R. And, despite the compact dimensions of the bike, even tall people can find the correct position.
Ready, go and immediately the aspect we liked most about this bike: it’s aggressive and easy at the same time. Its twin-cylinder expresses its best at medium revs, so there’s no point in straining its neck, but it gives more pleasure by throwing in one gear after another (with the reversed quickshifter gearbox) and exploiting its power between 4,000 rpm and min. up to 8,000.
The braking system is excellent, well sized for the performance of the motorbike, which allows braking at the last minute. Between the bends we were amazed by the stability of the bike’s chassis. No one had ever put the 8R CUP between the curbs, so in the first few turns the bike tended to widen the curves as soon as you took hold of the throttle. But thanks to the unquestionable quality of the suspensions and the suspension setting work done between one session and another, the bike has definitely improved. And already in the afternoon sessions we managed to accelerate much earlier with the 8R CUP which gave us great smoothness in the center of the corner, without widening the trajectory anymore.
As mentioned, it was just a first contact with the new GSX-8R CUP which will be further developed and modified over the months. This, however, allowed us to experience its great potential first-hand. Defects? The trophy hasn’t started yet!
