It took several years for Suzuki to present us with a completely new model that meets the needs of the market, but at the 2022 EICMA show, the Japanese brand managed to surprise everyone with two completely new naked and trail bikes. Next, we will talk about the most rebellious of the two.
Leaving the famous V-twin behind, Suzuki now focuses on a parallel twin engine with a displacement of 776 cc. The GSX-8S is a completely new motorcycle, featuring not only a new heart but also a completely new frame that serves as the platform for the V-Strom 800 DE – which we will show you in the next edition.
SUZUKI ENGINEERING
If there is something for which Suzuki has always been acclaimed, it is its reliability and ability to build high-quality engines. It is too early to talk about the reliability of this new engine, but the attention to detail from the Japanese brand is evident in certain components that – often in the competition – seem to be placed almost randomly or as a resource. That being said, this parallel twin engine has a displacement of 776 cc, as mentioned, and delivers 83 hp at 8,500 rpm, with a maximum torque of 78 Nm at 6,800 rpm. The numbers may not be the highest in its class, but the 270º crankshaft offset allows this engine to have a sound and behavior very similar to a V-twin engine, with the low and medium rev ranges being the highlights of this engine, which proved to be very responsive and with a lot of torque available from early on, allowing for high-speed riding at low speeds without losing engine response.
The Suzuki Cross Balancer technology – internal counterbalances to cancel out vibrations and reduce engine vibration – also made itself felt, because if there are vibrations in this engine, they did not show any signs of life throughout the day, making every kilometer enjoyable and free from any discomfort that could arise from engine irritations. But perhaps due to restrictions, this new Suzuki block seems to lose some power at high revs, even though its 83 hp are announced at 8,500 rpm. At that point, we feel like we’re just spinning the revs on the panel, without really extracting anything from the engine.
PRECISION
As we have already mentioned, Suzuki chose to make a completely new motorcycle. And with this GSX-8S, the V-Strom 800 DE was also born – and probably more models that we will hear about in the near future – which has the same engine and frame, with the difference being in the subframe and swingarm (and naturally in the suspensions). In the case of the naked bike, we find KYB inverted suspensions at the front (non-adjustable) and a mono-shock, also KYB, adjustable only in the spring preload. And despite the lack of adjustments, the set behaves very well and offers tremendous precision in cornering, something that is enhanced by the brakes which, while not extremely powerful, offer good feel and adequate power for the GSX-8S, allowing for greater adventures.
The front end makes us quickly feel “at home” and we can naturally start treating this Suzuki as if it were a 400 cc, with a good entry speed into corners, maintaining that same speed and taking advantage of all the momentum to describe the perfect trajectory. On the exit, the bidirectional quickshifter will ask us for many gear shifts, but we have to say that it proved to be somewhat abrupt in its activation, requiring some force in the gear changes. Still, in a rev range above 5,000 rpm, we feel that everything becomes easier. But all of this, from the entry into the corner, drawing the trajectory and exit, is done with enormous stability by the GSX-8S, which offers a slightly longer wheelbase than usual for naked bikes in this category, which may be intimidating on paper, but in practice we do not feel that it has had any influence on the agility of the bike, offering even more confidence in the entire ride. This greater distance also offers more stability in a straight line, even with a more degraded road surface.
THE TECHNOLOGICAL ESSENTIAL
The truth is that compared to what we were used to seeing in Suzuki motorcycles, this GSX-8S has a lot of technology and, above all, has everything that is minimally required by consumers today. The panel is a new 5″ TFT, which despite not having connectivity with the mobile phone – due to cost containment and the purpose of the bike – has a lot of information and is easily readable in all conditions. Through this TFT, we can also control three different riding modes; where the power does not change, but rather the way it is delivered; and three traction control modes – possible to turn off. The differences are clearly evident in the riding modes, with mode A being the most aggressive and where we effectively feel that the power is made available more suddenly, with modes B and C being more linear. We found ourselves using mode B 90% of the time because it is the most balanced between what we request and what the bike delivers. Mode C can be a good help for less experienced riders or in city routes.
WAS IT WORTH THE WAIT?
The answer is simple, yes! There have never been any doubts about Suzuki’s potential to make modern, innovative motorcycles with excellent capabilities to beat the competition, and proof of this was in the 90s and early 2000s. But the truth is that the Japanese brand went through difficulties that forced it to fall behind the competition, and few believed in its resurgence. With the exit from MotoGP, according to the brand, the goal is to once again bet all the chips on the global market, with more efficient and innovative motorcycles. The GSX-8S has proven to be what it promises on paper. Neither more, nor less.
However, what Suzuki also promises is to be a new reference in the segment, and there, we will have to wait for one or two comparisons (yes, those you are thinking of) to confirm it. What we can say, to conclude, is that the Japanese brand has done an excellent job and has shown to have an excellent foundation to work on in the future with this motorcycle. Despite its apparent simplicity, everything works well and the final product presents the quality that Suzuki has accustomed its customers to in the past, with present technology. In short, the Suzuki GSX-8S will be a motorcycle for naked bike lovers with some maturity in the middle of the two wheels, and who do not seek an exuberant and extremely reactive motorcycle to any stimulus.
SUZUKI GSX-8S
ENGINE 2-cylinder inline, liquid-cooled
DISPLACEMENT 776 cc
POWER 61.9 kW (83.1 hp) @8,500 rpm
TORQUE 78 Nm @6,800 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed
FRAME steel tubular
FUEL TANK 14 liters
FRONT SUSPENSION 43mm inverted KYB fork, 130mm travel
REAR SUSPENSION KYB monoshock with spring preload adjustment
FRONT BRAKE 2x 310mm discs, Nissin 4-piston calipers
REAR BRAKE 240mm disc, 1-piston caliper
FRONT TIRE 120/70 – 17
REAR TIRE 180/55 – 17
WHEELBASE 1,460 mm
SEAT HEIGHT 810 mm
WEIGHT 202 kg
MSRP (starting from) 8,999€
