Yup. Disappointing on so many levels: no new 1k next year, no new middleweight for another two or three years, no competition for graves again next year, no real wsbk presence again next year, and so on.
I know ive talked about it before, but a big Euro magazine (I can't remember if it was FAST BIKES or PB, but Ive got the magazine at home) tested a 2013 Gix 1k and a 2005 Gix 1k, both in stock form. They weighed them, tested them on the dyno, did top speed runs and had several riders test them around the track. The weight was almost identical. The 2005 only made 3 less HP than the 2013. And they said that was due to the high mileage '05 motor being "looser than a cock in a shirt sleeve" (their exact words ). Had they been able to find an '05 in stock form with much less miles on it, the results likely would have been different. On the drag strip, there was less than 0.1 between them. In the top speed runs, the 2005 went faster. Around the race track, all of the test riders were within about 0.2sec on either bike. Their conclusion was "If you have a 2005 GSX-R and it is in good condition, keep it. A newer GSX-R does not provide any performance increase. This fact shows how great the 2005 model bikes were, and how little Suzuki has done since".
We're almost there http://www.gpone.com/en/2015111518876/Suzuki-GSX-R-1000-my16-forse-ci-siamo.html looks like a similar gas charged fork that the new ZX-10r has
What until you know that the gas charged forks are really 2 screw in flashlights so you and your buddy can see your bold new graphics in the dark.
Not all too surprising. Suzuki really took the economic down turn hard. Couple this with them stepping into Moto GP which is a huge cash money suck. Better for them to wait a year and try to incorporate some of their new found Moto GP derived technology into their next 1K bike. Kawi did this with their zx10 when they shuttered their own Moto GP team and it worked out well.
That is without a doubt the ugliest looking GSXR I've ever seen. I'm not happy. I hope its performance capabilities can override that pitiful exterior. I've literally seen ratty SV's with some other bike's bodywork grafted onto them that looked more aesthetic than that.