Winter Of Malcontent

GSX-R fights the seasonal blues.

2017 SUZUKI GSX-R1000R CHRIS NEWBIGGING

I’M NOT THE sort to lecture on the merits of all-year riding, and how it makes you a ‘real biker’ or some shit. Nor do I claim it makes you a better rider: come the first trackday of 2018. I’ll still be rusty as hell when it comes to anything more than just getting somewhere. No... winter riding only makes you better at winter riding.

But Peterborough is like every other town or city and is getting ever-busier: driving to/from work either takes ages (over an hour to leave my parking space on occasion), or the congested throng of poorly-disciplined arseholes permitted to drive sends me round the twist. A bike is now clearly the best option.

A GSX-R might seem overkill (last year I used a near-disposable ancient scooter), but there’s merit to having 185bhp of cutting-edge rabid superbike when all around is cold, miserable and greasy.

Firstly, it’s small but noisy with bright headlights: great for filtering and being as visible as it’s possible to be. There’s something about the LED beam that catches driver attention more than anything else I’ve ridden, and it’s equally as good for forward vision.