Suzuki jumps into the parallel-twin, middleweight sportbike competition with its GSX-8R. Take everything we love about the S model, add a more protective fairing to break the wind, keep the same awesome engine, and you end up with perhaps Suzuki’s most versatile sportbike.
Check out the full story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/suzuki-gsx-8r-first-ride/
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Check out the full story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/suzuki-gsx-8r-first-ride/
Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/
Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Is Suzuki's GSX-8R Suzuki's most versatile bike? Let's find out.
00:05 For 2024, Suzuki brought out a new version of their parallel twin platform.
00:14 The engine is based around the 776cc parallel twin with a 270-degree firing order
00:21 that Suzuki's been using for a couple years in the V-Strom 800, and then the GSX-8S, and then now the R.
00:28 So now we've got four bikes that are utilizing this engine.
00:32 We spent an entire day on the street, and then we came to Chukwala Valley Raceway to spend a day riding on the track.
00:38 On the street yesterday, we were really impressed with the bike.
00:42 The engine, first of all, is super smooth. The twin balancers in the engine just make this bike absolutely purr.
00:48 You short shift up to fourth, fifth gear, cruising along, and it's dead smooth.
00:53 And then what kind of helps that out is, because this bike is fully fared now, you're sitting in a nice air pocket on the bike.
01:00 And so all of a sudden, you start noticing things like how smooth the engine is and how nice the transmission shifts.
01:05 Out at Chukwala Valley Raceway today, the first thing that I noticed this morning was
01:09 I was trying to figure out my gear selection around the track, and I was going down to third in a couple of sections,
01:15 and then shifting back to fourth and kind of making it busy.
01:18 But after a while, I realized that the engine has a really tractable, torquey feel coming off the corners,
01:24 so you could save that shift, just carry fourth through some sections, and just really connect the dots and make a nice flow out of it.
01:31 The torque is really good for a track like Chukwala. It pulls out of the corners nice,
01:36 but you could really just kind of go between two to three gears and have a really good pace.
01:41 Now let's talk about the electronics. It's the TFT dash.
01:44 You've really got just a couple of choices as far as modes and selections go.
01:48 So you've got a mode switch and then a rocker. You can go in and set your power delivery to three settings.
01:55 And then you've got four TC settings. You've got TC 1, 2, 3, and off.
02:01 And that's basically it. Those are the only choices you have, so it makes it really simplistic.
02:05 But another cool thing that Suzuki has done is if you set up those settings,
02:10 the bike will retain those settings the next time you cycle the key.
02:14 So if you turn it back on, your TC setting and your mode settings will be where they were when you left them,
02:19 which a lot of bikes don't do these days. As far as the screen itself goes,
02:23 it's very bright and it will reverse automatically at night to a dark setup.
02:28 But during the day it's white and the illumination is really good. It's super easy to read.
02:33 Now let's talk about the suspension. This is where Suzuki, you know, obviously had to cut a little bit of corners.
02:39 So it's got to show a separate function big piston fork.
02:42 It doesn't have any provisions for adjustability. Same goes for the rear.
02:47 The Showa shock on the rear only has preload adjustability.
02:50 Yesterday on the road, perfectly happy with the suspension.
02:53 Today we threw on some sticky Dunlop Track Day tires.
02:57 I was very surprised at the performance of the suspension.
02:59 Once again, the suspension, even though it doesn't have very many provisions for adjustability, was really good.
03:05 The fork felt good, had really good feel. It held up really nice.
03:09 I never felt like it was blowing through the travel and the rear was the same thing.
03:13 The bike was set up really nice. I didn't feel it wallowing.
03:17 Even with the extra traction of the sticky tires, Chassis handled that really well.
03:22 The 8R has a pair of radial mount four-piston calipers with 310 millimeter discs.
03:29 On the street, this bike worked really well, had no problems with the braking on the street.
03:35 But today we were at the track and the brakes were great.
03:38 They held up good. Now let's talk about ergonomics.
03:41 So you've got a taller handlebar. They don't mount below the triple clamp,
03:46 so you've got a real neutral, upright kind of riding position for the street.
03:50 The seat itself, very comfortable, kind of gets you locked into a nice position.
03:54 But even after a long day in the saddle, it was totally comfortable and gives your back support, so I was stoked with that.
04:01 But then we go to the racetrack today, and I was curious how that would translate to the racetrack.
04:06 On the racetrack, the bar is a little bit high, so you feel like you're up a little bit more.
04:11 But I think that that relationship with the foot pegs and the cockpit made it really comfortable on the track.
04:16 So overall, I think that the ergonomics on this bike can kind of do it all.
04:20 You can commute on this bike and run errands on this bike.
04:25 On the weekends, you can go and ride the canyons, ride sporty roads, and have fun.
04:30 But then if you decide to take it to a track day, you just throw some good tires on it,
04:34 and you can go out and have a really good time, and the bike feels super comfortable and is totally capable on a racetrack.
04:41 So in conclusion, when we're evaluating this motorcycle, Suzuki has always been known for its GSX-R motorcycles.
04:48 And those motorcycles have been around forever and have kind of set the tone for what Suzuki's all about as far as sport bikes go.
04:55 But as times have changed, Suzuki's had to, you know, change with the other companies and start to come out with some parallel twins that are very versatile, are more affordable.
05:04 This bike comes in at $9,440 right around there, which is a really fair price.
05:09 You know, you don't have anything fancy as far as the brakes and the suspension, but everything works really well.
05:15 And it's kind of a do-it-all thing, and that kind of seems to be where the industry is going.
05:19 I think a lot of people are looking for something that's not quite as hardcore.
05:23 You know, this bike's torque and the way it makes power and the comfortable riding position make it a great daily street bike.
05:29 But then to be able to come out on the track and have a good time on a sport bike is super fun.
05:35 And I think that that's why this R model exists next to the S model that came out last year.
05:40 This just takes that to one other level.
05:42 You have the fairing, which gives you a little bit more wind protection and makes it much more fun on a racetrack.
05:47 So for sure, I think if this isn't Suzuki's most versatile bike, it's definitely one of the most versatile sport bikes that Suzuki has ever made.
05:55 And that's it with this evaluation of Suzuki's brand-new 2024 GSX-8R.
06:01 And as always, if you like what you see, like, comment, and subscribe.
06:05 Thanks for watching.
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