Suzuki GSX-8R and GSX-8S Road Test … We Know What You Did in Wales

The Ride

The difference in suspension is most noticeable when the road surface undulates. The KYB suspension fitted to the GSX-8S will bounce you around more than the Showa on the GSX-8R.

Even out the road surface, and there is little to choose between them. Both hold a line through a corner with ease, although the GSX-8R did prefer more counter-steer than the GSX-8S, perhaps due to the bar position on the 8R

Both Suzuki’s turn very quickly. Having ridden my NT1100 to Milton Keynes and then jumped on the GSX-8S, I needed to change how I negotiated roundabouts due to the nimble and fast direction changes the Suzuki delivered.

Had I simply thrown the relatively light (compared to the NT) bike into the first roundabout, I would have been shocked when the GSX reacted so quickly and easily.

With a motorcycle weighing 30-50kgs less and a brake configuration similar to many larger motorcycles, stopping either Suzuki GSX isn’t a problem.

Strangely, as the two bikes share common braking components, the brakes on both motorcycles did not feel the same. The GSX-8R had more power on the front, whereas the rear brake on the GSX-8S was much more positive.

Perhaps this accounted for my preference for the GSX-8S, as I use the rear brake more than I should on twisting roads. The brakes have a lot of stopping power, with feedback to match. Most welcome on damp Welsh roads and OEM tyres.

The Engine

The team at Suzuki that designed and developed the (breathe in …) 776cc, DOHC, parallel twin engine with four valves per cylinder, 270° crankshaft engine, with patented biaxial primary balance shafts, producing 60.2 ft-lb of torque and 82 BHP ( … breathe out) deserves a pay rise.

Put simply, the engine is a f***ing masterpiece.

Suzuki’s website provides an excellent explanation of the balance shaft system, which, in practical terms, means the mirrors, pegs, and bars do not vibrate even when you work the upper limits of the rev range.

The engine produces an almost linear power curve, easily chugging through the Welsh 20mph zone in third or even fourth if you wish (third is better) and then accelerating cleanly once the speed limit increases.

Riding the sweeping curves in third and forth with fifth on the straights, using the delightful Suzuki quick-shifter, is a grin-inducing experience. Keeping the RPM between 4,500 and 7,500 rpm, well below the 9,800 rpm red line, will give you all the power you need.

On the track, the GSX-8R has clocked an indicated 120mph. The effortless, smooth power delivery could quickly get you into trouble with the local constabulary if you don’t keep things under control.

The engine punches way above the performance the figures suggest it has by ensuring there is always enough on tap exactly when you want it.

Compare the Suzuki performance figures to those of motorcycles in this competitive market segment, and nothing stands out. The figures are average—Middle of the road.

Now go and ride the bike and tell me what you think. As with the V-Strom 800DE and the V-Strom RE, you feel you have more power than the figures say you have. The engine is that good.

Addictive Overtakes

One of the pleasures of riding a motorcycle is the ability to overtake. Typically, we accelerate faster and slow down quicker in the 40-70mph range than anything else on the road. This delightful advantage enables us to cut through traffic.

Both the GSX-8R and 8S delivered an intoxicating ride on sweeping, twisting roads. Running third, fourth, and fifth with the rpm in the middle to upper range will feed your soul. But there is more, which is why the 776cc engine is so magnificent.

With the Suzuki engine singing at around 5,000 rpm, you are sitting at the start of the second torque rise. When you open the throttle, you have a 2,500 rpm torque surge before the engine passes maximum torque and keeps driving forward until it reaches peak power, another two thousand RPM further on (8,600 rpm).

The quick-shifter—fitted as standard—means you can snick the next gear without closing the throttle. Typically, the RPM then falls back into the second torque rise, and the process starts again.

It was so addictive that I started looking for anything to overtake, just if I could do it again. I know …  childish behaviour, but it is excellent fun.

What Would I Change

Perhaps it would be fairer to consider which accessories I would fit rather than consider them things I would change.

The USB port / Power socket is the best example. The first thing we did when we picked the bikes up was fit a mobile phone to navigate to the excellent Riverside B&B in mid-Wales. Within a 10-mile radius, I can find the B&B without any help, but I’ve no idea how to find our preferred backroad route from the middle of Milton Keynes.

I’d include a USB/Power socket as standard. Fitted at the factory, this would be a two-minute installation and £5 in parts.

The GSX-8R has LED indicators, while the GSX-8S we were riding has bulbs and indicator housings that are common on older Suzuki motorcycles. Both flash and do the job they are designed for, but no one wants to be the poor relation with bulbs. LED indicators are an option in the accessories catalogue, so why not just fit them as standard on both bikes?

The GSX-8S offers rails and soft panniers as an option, but neither bike has a wide pillion seat or a small rack for strapping a bag to. We managed to strap a pair of ancient Oxford saddlebags to the GSX-8R and an SW-Motech Pro Tailbag to the GSX-8S without too much effort. I just wouldn’t plan a European tour with our makeshift attachments.