Everyone knows things are tough right now and, in a world where things are generally getting more expensive, Suzuki GB has taken the unusual step of slashing the prices of six mainstream models.
Despite (or perhaps in response to) a well documented difficult year for bike sales, which has seen many dealerships go out of business, Suzuki has ‘realigned’ its prices in a bid to make them more attractive against the competition.
It appears to be a commonsense move in response to market conditions. New motorcycle sales in 2025 have proved disappointing, despite a number of manufacturer backed offers, while legacy manufacturers have had to contend with a new generation of decent quality Chinese machines.
While the price of the off-road focussed V-Strom 800DE has been dropped by £1000 – at £9999 it still looks pretty pricey against a new generation of adventure bike contenders like the £9000 Voge 900 DSX and the upcoming QJMOTOR SRT 900 SX, which comes in at less than eight grand on the road.
They’ve certainly closed the gulf in prices while Honda too have moved the dial with some aggressive pricing in recent years, not least by pitching the base level version of its new Hornet 1000 at just over £9000, a strategy which must have had something to do with Suzuki’s decision to reduce the price of its GSX-S1000 competitor by £1000. At £10,999, the GSX-R-based naked is only a little more expensive than the upspecced Hornet 1000SP.
As well as the V-Strom 800DE and GSX-S1000, Suzuki’s accountants have also slashed the prices of the GSX-S1000GT+ and GSX-S1000GX+ by £1000 and £900 respectively, pitching them at £12,999 and £14,999, while the Katana and street-focussed V-Strom 800RE get £200 price drops.
Suzuki hope that the revised pricing will mean less reliance on the usual tactics of offering promotional discounts, ‘free’ accessories and low rate finance, strategies which can help shift metal but at the expense of margin and upsell opportunities, something dealerships are crying out for as they head into the quiet winter period.
Speaking of the decision to bring prices down, Jonathan Martin, Suzuki GB’s head of motorcycles, said: “This pricing realignment is designed to make our commitment to affordability and value-packed products clearer and more accessible. By shifting our focus away from short-term promotional sales campaigns the costs to the consumer are clearer and more transparent, making it easier for buyers to experience Suzuki products.”
It will be interesting to see if other manufacturers follow suit in permanently lowering their prices for 2026. The Hornet’s pricing appears to have set off shockwaves in the naked sector. Triumph has already announced that its soon to be discontinued Street Triple R will retail at £8999, a £1100 discount, while Yamaha has had £2000 manufacturer ‘contributions’ on its MT-10 for much of the summer.
It may well be that Suzuki are not the only manufacturers to lower their RRPs as they announce their new model line-ups in the coming months.
