2024 Suzuki GSX-8R and GSX-S1000GX+ first look

Why would the 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R and GSX-S1000GX+ seem familiar when they're completely new to the lineup? Well, it's pretty clear exactly which competitors and which market segments Suzuki was aiming at. So let's take a look at these two new motorcycles — a middleweight sport bike and an upright sport-touring bike in the "crossover" vein — that bring a lot of features and tech to their categories to make up for the fact they're a few years behind their competitors.

2024 Suzuki GSX-8R

As the era of hyper-caffeinated, track-focused 600 cc sport bikes continues to fade, Suzuki brings us the GSX-8R, following up on its GSX-8S naked bike. It follows the trend of parallel-twin sport bikes better suited to the street, with what Suzuki describes as a "mild sport riding position." The styling of the full fairing is intended to bring to mind the GSX-R race-replica line without going to the ergonomic extremes of those bikes.

At the heart of the 8R is the 776 cc parallel-twin engine found in the 8S. It has a 270-degree crankshaft for the character many riders prefer in a two-cylinder engine. Suzuki did not state a horsepower output but the 8S was rated at 82.

Suzuki also endowed the 8R with a competitive level of features. Three ride modes all provide full power but change the throttle response. Traction control can be set to three levels of sensitivity or turned off, and the level can be changed on the fly. The GSX-8R also comes with a bidirectional quickshifter and a slipper-and-assist clutch. The quickshifter can be turned off. Other tech features include the Easy Start System (press, but no need to hold the start button) and low rpm assist that helps with taking off from a stop or riding at low speeds.

Other modern features include the five-inch TFT display, LED headlights, and a CAN bus network instead of a traditional wiring harness.

Suzuki's claimed weight of 452 pounds is probably accurate since the GSX-8S we tested earlier this year weighed 444 pounds on our scale.

The GSX-8R comes in three colors, only one of which, thankfully, (Metallic Matte Sword Silver) is a variation on the ubiquitous grays dominating new motorcycle lineups these days.

It's pretty clear the GSX-8R is aimed directly at the Yamaha YZF-R7, a motorcycle the Common Tread team has tested on the street and Ari Henning has raced in MotoAmerica Twins Cup (in highly modified form, of course). The Suzuki is $240 more expensive but comes with the quickshifter standard, while it's an option on the Yamaha.

2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+

If it instantly seemed clear to me that the GSX-8R is aimed at the YZF-R7, the new GSX-S1000GX+ gave me flashbacks of a different kind. Not, as you might expect, to the GSX-S1000GT+ with which it shares many parts and which I rode when it was introduced, but rather to the Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE LT+ we had as a long-term test bike, a motorcycle I personally put well over 5,000 miles on. The GSX-S1000GX+ melds proven parts, like its old 999 cc Gixxer "long-stroke" engine, with lots of current tech, including a first-for-Suzuki electronically adjustable suspension. Suzuki labels the result not a sport-tourer or an adventure bike, but a "sport crossover" model meant to fit between the GSX-S1000GT and the V-Strom 1050 in the lineup. That pits it against not just the big Versys, but also other serious competitors like the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+.

The engine is the familiar powerplant that dates back to the 2005 GSX-R1000 sport bike, a mill one Suzuki manager described as "the small-block Chevy of Suzuki." Again, Suzuki didn't cite a horsepower figure for the GSX-S1000GX+ but the GT has come in around 135 in testing.

Compared to its GT sibling, the GX provides a more upright riding position, a thicker seat, and lower footpegs, but the 17-inch wheels and sport-touring rubber make it clear this is no adventure-touring bike meant for real off-road travel. Three power modes allow the rider to select the preferred throttle response and the GX gets seven levels of traction control to choose from, including off, compared to five levels on the GT. But the real news, and the feature that truly sets the GX+ apart from anything Suzuki has had in its lineup before, is the Suzuki Advanced Electronic Suspension (SAES), developed and supplied by Showa.

A sensor in the right fork leg measures suspension movement and can adjust the damping setting 1,000 times per second, according to Suzuki. The damping cartridge is located in the left fork leg. While fork preload is still set manually, preload on the rear spring can be adjusted electronically. The rear shock also continuously adjusts both compression and rebound damping to adapt to what's happening on the road. The system calls on both information from the inertial measurement unit (IMU) as well as the vehicle's speed to adjust settings. For example, damping is adjusted to account for deceleration forces or to optimize response because the motorcycle is moving faster. The system also draws on information from the IMU and wheel movement sensors to adjust settings when it detects a rough road surface.

It's not like the rider has no say in all this, however. The rider can choose from Hard, Medium, or Soft settings, plus a customizable User setting. The rear suspension can be left on an Auto setting that detects when weight increases because of a passenger, for example. Or, the rider can choose three manual settings for a solo rider, rider plus gear, or rider and passenger.

The GX+ also gets a bidirectional quickshifter, lean-angle-sensitive ABS, cruise control, low-rpm assist, and other features. There's a 6.5-inch TFT display with connectivity through the Suzuki mySPIN app for phone calls, navigation, or music.

The GX's traction control system not only limits wheelies under acceleration, but also senses when the rider is braking hard on a downslope and prevents rear-wheel lift. It also features what Suzuki calls Roll Torque Control, in which the system calculates lean angle and speed in a curve and can reduce torque "before the motorcycle exceeds the amount of power ... necessary to clear the corner effectively." The level of intervention is based the tracton control setting selected.

All this tech comes underneath a unique Peal Matte Shadow Green paint job. At $18,499, the GSX-S1000GX+ undercuts the Versys by $400 and lists for $2,000 more than the Tracer 9 GT+. The Suzuki should provide another option to buyers looking for a full-featured sport-touring mount with all-day riding comfort.

	2024 Suzuki GSX-8R	2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+
Price (MSRP)	$9,439	$18,499
Engine	776 cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve, parallel twin	999 cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder
Transmission, final drive	Six-speed, chain	Six-speed, chain
Claimed horsepower	NA	NA
Frame	Steel backbone	Twin-spar aluminum
Front suspension	Showa SFF-BP inverted fork; 5.1 inches of travel	Inverted fork, electronically adjustable; 5.9 inches of travel
Rear suspension	Showa shock, adjustable for preload; 5.1 inches of travel	Single shock, electronically adjustable; 5.9 inches of travel
Front brake	Dual Nissin radial-mount four-piston calipers, 310 mm discs with ABS	Dual Brembo radial-mount four-piston calipers, 310 mm discs with ABS
Rear brake	Nissin single-piston caliper, 240 mm disc with ABS	Nissin single-piston caliper, 240 mm disc with ABS
Rake, trail	25.0 degrees, 4.1 inches (104 mm)	NA
Wheelbase	57.7 inches (1,465 mm)	57.9 inches (1,470 mm)
Seat height	31.9 inches (810 mm)	33.3 inches (845 mm)
Fuel capacity	3.7 gallons (14.0 liters)	5.0 gallons (19.0 liters)
Tires	Dunlop Roadsport 2, 120/70ZR17 front, 180/55ZR17 rear	Dunlop Roadsport 2, 120/70ZR17 front, 190/50ZR17 rear
Claimed weight	452 pounds (205 kilograms)	511 pounds (232 kilograms) without side cases
Available	Early 2024	Spring 2024
Warranty	12 months	12 months
More info	suzukicycles.com	suzukicycles.com