modifications to the fuel pump, clutch, front axle, torque link, mirrors, and luggage hooks.

After the GSX-R1000 had been three years on the roads and race tracks, Suzuki put out a new version of the model in late September 2002.

Suzuki engineers had been working on the three things that made a fast bike faster; weight, power, and handling.

The already rigid aluminum alloy frame was newly designed and enforced with internal ribs, also there was an updated headlight and tail fairing.

The new radially mounted four-piston calipers weigh 30 grams less and grip smaller 300 mm (11.8 in) discs that save another 300 g (11 oz).

The headlights of the 2003 year's GSX-R1000 were mounted vertically to enable the ram-air intakes in the front to be placed 20 mm (0.79 in) nearer the bike's centerline.

The cylinder displacement of the engine remained the same 988 cc (60.3 cu in), but more power/torque and better throttle response had been achieved by adding four ventilation holes between the cylinders to equalize crankcase pressure beneath the pistons, moving the air intake nearer to the centerline and upgrading the engine management system from a 16-bit to a 32-bit ECU.

The entire exhaust system was now made of titanium to save an additional 1.32 lb (0.60 kg) and the tail light was replaced with LEDs.

It had 4.4 lb (2.0 kg) lower weight than the previous model and the engine had an 11 cc (0.67 cu in) larger displacement due to a 0.4mm bore increase.

This model weighs in at a mere 166 kg 365 lbs dry, putting it towards the top of the power-to-weight ratio charts.

[1] In the list of fastest production motorcycles by acceleration, a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000 at a drag strip a 2006 model once recorded a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.35 seconds.

To counter this weight increase, Suzuki claimed improved aerodynamics along with a faster revving engine and larger throttle body.

This new engine has a higher RPM limit and no balancer shaft to quell vibration, also a mechanical variable valve timing used for ten years by Suzuki in MotoGP and drive by wire throttle.

[8][9][10] It will be illegal to register the model in the EU, EFTA, or UK from 1 January 2023 unless it is updated to comply with Euro 5.

The bike was used by Yukio Kagayama and Kousuke Akiyoshi to win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in 2007, with Kazuki Tokudome and Nobuatsu Aoki doing the same in 2009.