 |
 |
 |
|
 |
home | editor's letter | voces | panorama | la buena vida | features | quest | latin forum | |
|
LA BUENA VIDA fashion Drivers seat Summer Rides Whether you swing your leg over to mount the new Harley-Davidson XL 1200N Nightster or the Suzuki GSX-R 1000, you’re straddling a bit of history. One, long on tradition, is a spirited cruiser and the other, burning with fever, is pure adrenaline. While the H-D mixes retro with fresh technology to produce its low-slung, prince of darkness Nightster, Suzuki’s GSX-R 1000 is hair-on-fire, in-your-face performance.
Engine displacement: |
Where
the GSX-R1000 makes a little history is its new 999cc four-stroke,
four-cylinder engine. In addition to larger intake and exhaust ports
and a secondary balance shaft for reduced vibrations, it features
an all-new engine management system that is four times more powerful
than on previous engines. An industry-first, a three-stage power
adjustment system can be altered on the fly. Engineered for changing
weather, road and traffic conditions, it also makes the GSX-R accessible
to less experienced riders who can grow into its reported 180 horsepower.
Think
of the Nightster as the 50th anniversary edition of the venerable
Speedster. To celebrate this milestone birthday, Harley-Davidson
started with the Speedster, lowered it, blacked out almost anything
that shined and gave it a couple of nostalgic styling cues. At 25.3
inches, Nightster has one of the lowest riding heights ever on a
Harley-Davidson. This, combined with a lowered front and rear suspension,
provides an extremely low center of gravity. Electronic fuel injection
may have supplanted the carburetor on Speedster’s torquey
73 ci V-twin Evolution engine, but the throaty rumble of the exhaust
remains. The effort has been reduced on the clutch and the front
brake levers, making for quicker shifts and easier braking.