Once associated with some of the raciest bikes around, Suzuki has had a change of direction in recent years – quitting its successful MotoGP project, dropping its mighty GSX-R superbikes and instead focusing on hugely practical and value for money models like the GSX-S1000GX, V-Strom 800RE and the GSX-8S, the latter two sharing the new 800cc parallel-twin platform which is hugely important for the future success of the brand in Europe.
The GSX-8R is new for 2024. It is closely related to the 8S and sees Suzuki re-enter the sportsbike market, albeit with a more street orientated offering than the old, track-developed, inline four GSX-Rs. It goes up against a number of similar offerings, like the Aprilia RS 660, Triumph Daytona 660 and Yamaha R7 in the emerging ‘sportbike’ class.
Suzuki have always been renowned for their sharp pricing and they’ve come out swinging with the £8899 GSX-8R. They’ve undercut the R7 slightly, despite winning the spec sheet war, although neither probably anticipated Triumph going for the jugular with the Daytona 660 – which offers more performance for £300 less than the competition.
Although the 82bhp Suzuki mightn’t quite match the Daytona in terms of outright power, it enjoys a specification bested only by Aprilia’s more expensive RS 660 in the mid-capacity sports bike class. The 5” TFT dashboard is a step up from the LCD units found on most of its rivals and the electronics package is comprehensive too. First impressions are strong, and it looks like a quality product.
The base package of the GSX-8R is the same as the 8S we reviewed over a year ago, but it’s not just a faired version of the naked bike. As well as the race style full fairing and integrated LED headlamp, the suspension is upgraded and the ergonomics are different, with the lower mounted handlebars giving a (ever so slightly) less comfortable but more sporting riding position.
To be honest, it’s quite a while since I last rode a faired sports bike. That’s as much to do with the market as much as anything else, with nakeds and adventure bikes being the flavour of the month. I’ll be honest, I haven’t really missed them. That said, my first impression was very positive. I’m done with race replica motorcycles and their wrist breaking, low mounted, clip on handlebars, but the 8R almost feels like a naked when you first climb aboard. The fork top mounted bars are lower than the one piece handlebars found on the 8S, however they’re still relatively upright and make for a pleasant and fairly neutral riding position. The ‘naked’ feel is reinforced by the windscreen, which is small and looks more like a flyscreen than a full on fairing from the cockpit. Considering this bike is used on real world roads and around the city, the ergonomics feel like a good compromise when you climb on board.
This is also my first meeting with the 776cc Suzuki parallel-twin motor, which was first introduced last year. It’s the biggest capacity offering in this relatively new segment, although with 82bhp it’s not the most powerful.
What this engine is all about is the torque. The GSX-8R doesn’t feel as revvy and playful as its main competitor, the Yamaha R7, but it more than makes up for it with its stonking low down drivability. It’s a very easy and accessible package, which is deceptively quick.
Our test bike came in the Metallic Matt Sword Silver livery, which I personally think is the weakest of the three colour options offered on the 8R. I love the traditional Suzuki blue, while black is always a popular choice, but the red wheels and big graphics on this bike aren’t really my cup of tea. Still, it’s all a matter of personal taste.
Not that you can see the colour or the graphics when you are sat in the saddle. What you can see is that classy and very easy to read 5” colour TFT dashboard. Most of the competition have lower spec LCD dashboards, but the Suzuki’s more modern offering does nothing but enhance the feeling of a bigger and more mature motorcycle.
Also of note are the mirrors, which are the best I’ve experienced on a motorcycle for a long time. They stick out quite far and are mounted pretty far ahead of the rider, but when they are set up properly they offered me a really clear view of the road behind, with virtually no vibrations. If I am going to be picky (and I really am being very, very picky) I don’t like the design of the key (I know, I said it was picky) which sort of juts out of the top yoke. One more serious gripe I have is that the aforementioned standard screen is very small, to the extent it barely offers any wind protection, even to a shortie like me. A 27mm taller screen, which is also smoked, is available as a £95 option and may well be worth the investment. Other options include a USB charging socket, heated grips, luggage, fancy levers and a two-tone saddle.
The standard seat itself is relatively comfortable, with the 810mm seat height making it accessible to a wide range of riders. I’m a shorter rider and could get both feet down at standstill, thanks to the narrowness of the saddle. It’s certainly a more comfortable option than the Yamaha, sitting alongside the Triumph in terms of its more relaxed ergonomics. At 205kg fuelled, it is not the lightest bike in the class but it is still perfectly manageable to push around and to ride at low speeds.
Suzuki has also endowed its 800 range with some pretty decent electronics too. There are three riding modes, all of which lead to the same peak power output, but which have different maps to modify the delivery characteristics. Mode A gives the sharpest throttle response and fattest mid-range, while Mode C is a kind of rain setting, giving a softer delivery with less power in the mid-range. There are also three traction control settings, giving different levels of intervention, while it can also be switched off if wanted. The large dashboard and easy to use switchgear makes it a cinch to change between the various settings on the go. You also get a bi-directional quickshifter as standard, which means you don’t have to use the clutch to change gear once you are on the go. It’s an option on most bikes in the category, putting Suzuki squarely in the game on the value for money front.
Being a ground up new design just a year ago, Suzuki has been able to offer a lot of new technology on the 800s, including what they call Low RPM Assist programmed into the electronics. This is essentially a function where the ECU monitors the engine speed, gear position, throttle opening and clutch opening, intervening to smooth out the revs at slow speed and making pulling away, riding in traffic and low speed manoeuvres easier than they might otherwise be. It’s certainly seamless and appears to work. The GSX-8R is very, very easy to ride and inspires confidence at low speeds. In fact, the word ‘easy’ appears regularly in my notebook during my time with the GSX-8R.
And this really is the Suzuki’s raison d’etre. For all the styling is sporty, underneath lies a very easy going and practical motorcycle. The engine, after all, has been developed to feel at home in the V-Strom adventure bike, with the 270° crankshaft designed to replicate the firing order of a V-twin engine and the balancer shaft creating a very smooth and vibration free riding experience. It may lack some of the drama of its competitors, but the way in which it can drive out of corners can be very invigorating. Twist the throttle and this thing really does haul.
On paper, the chassis spec might be nothing to write home about but, equally, on the road you never feel like its holding you back. As with pretty much everything on the 8R, it’s very closely related to the unfaired GSX-8S. The tubular steel frame is shared between the two bikes, but the sportier R gets Showa suspension units to the KYB items found on the S. There’s still no adjustability on the front, with only the ability to change preload at the rear, but for regular road riding it’s all perfectly adequate. The stand out for me is just how stable the 8R feels through corners, confirming its sporting-but-not-too-sporting dynamics. There are no concerns about the radially mounted Nissin front brakes either, although the OE Dunlop RoadSport 2 tyres probably wouldn’t be my first choice of rubber for sports riding. They continue the ‘all-rounder’ positioning of the 800 range but never really gave me a fantastic feeling of connection with the road.
Conclusion
Overall we really enjoyed our time with the Suzuki GSX-8R. The fledgling sportsbike category is creating some interesting new models, which all have their own distinct flavour and the stamp of their respective manufacturers are all over them. The Suzuki is not the sportiest bike in the sector, but it is one of the most modern designs and one of the best all-rounders for sure.
The R7 and RS 660 are more racy but this sits alongside the others in the class. Although the GSX-8R is a twin like the Aprilia and Yamaha, it plays a bit of a different game. It’s more relaxed, both in terms of the riding position and the motor, which is all about the torque. What that means to the consumer is that there is a whole load of different choices out there, a far cry from the days of 600cc supersport machines, when your alternatives were largely all variations on the same theme.
The Daytona is also a bit more relaxed in its focus, even though it’s more powerful, and then there’s Honda’s CBR650R, which we haven’t even talked about. That’s an old-school in line four but now with the option of a fully automatic clutch, which may be appealing to some.
As an experienced 40-something motorcyclist, the Suzuki would definitely be on my consideration list if I was looking for this kind of bike, although whether or not the 20-something me would have found it quite as appealing is something I am not so sure of, but I’m done with the crippling ergonomics of race replicas and chasing the image like I was back then.
In recent years we’ve seen Suzuki abandon racing and road going superbikes, and this is reflected in the GSX-8R, which is definitely at the less sporty end of the new middleweight category. It lacks the MotoGP image and racier edge of the Aprilias and Yamahas of this world but it certainly fulfils Suzuki’s brief to bring real world performance to customers young and old. The company says the GSX-8R is easy to ride, agile and comfortable and, having ridden it, I can’t disagree. As an everyday motorcycle with a dash of sports thrown in, the Suzuki GSX-8R is a very welcome addition to today’s motorcycling landscape.
2024 Suzuki GSX-8R specification
Price: £8,899
Engine: 776cc, parallel-twin, 270° firing order
Power: 84bhp/62kW @ 8500rpm
Torque: 78Nm/58lb.ft @ 6800rpm
Transmission: Six-speed, chain final drive
Frame: Steel-tubed frame
Suspension: Non-adjustable 43mm Showa inverted ‘big piston’ telescopic fork. Preload-adjustable Showa link-type, mono-shock
Brakes: Radially-mounted, four-piston front brake callipers and 310mm floating discs. Single-piston, pin-slide rear calliper and a 240mm disc.
Wheels: 17” front, 17” rear, cast alloy
Tyres: Front 120/70-17. Rear 180/55-17.
Wheelbase: 1,465mm
Ground clearance: 145mm
Seat height: 810mm
Kerb weight: 205kg
Fuel capacity: 14 litres
Contact: bikes.suzuki.co.uk
