A few weeks ago PH2 tested the
GSX-S1000FA
and concluded it was a rather confusing bike. In some aspects it excelled, in others it was a letdown, and so Suzuki offered to extend our test period to see if it could deliver with more time. That was a month or so ago - here's how we've been getting on.
Amongst friends at Cadwell
I know the GSX-S1000FA is meant to be a 'relaxed sports bike' but that shouldn't rule out its ability to take a pillion. It has a seat, after all. So with this in mind, I persuaded my better half to venture on the back and headed to Cadwell Park for the British Superbikes. In hindsight, this wasn't a very smart move.
Very quickly the GSX-S revealed itself as one of the worst pillion bikes I have tested in a considerable amount of time - both for the rider and pillion. Almost instantly I could tell my pillion wasn't happy as the seat is not only very small and lacking a grab rail, it is angled slightly forward, making it hard for the pillion to stay in place. As a rider you can feel when the pillion is tense and that means you are forced to ride even more gently, something that the GSX-S hates. Keeping the revs below 6,000rpm resulted in a vibration that sent both my hands numb, which made operating the controls smoothly very hard, and the rear suspension felt horrible. Hit a bump and the damper's initial stroke is very abrupt, jarring the pillion and once again disturbing their seating position. Add to this the overly abrupt fuelling and it isn't exactly a recipe for pillion harmony. By the time we reached Cadwell, a distance of less than 90 miles, my partner's first words were "that's horrible" - a sentiment, as a rider, I totally agreed with.
ABS a real boon in the wet
After the BSB disaster, I decided to go solo on the GSX-S to the British MotoGP at Silverstone. As anyone who was there will tell you, it was something of a washout and the ride home was basically through a monsoon. To my surprise, on this journey, the GSX-S1000FA was a joy. Yes, it still has its faults as the fairing is pretty crap, but the rest of the bike was excellent and a far cry from the machine I rode to Cadwell.
On the dry-ish roads there the GSX-S was fun and I love the fact a flick of a button turns off the traction control to allow a cheeky wheelie. The handling is solid and on my own I didn't have an issue with the suspension or vibrations, however it was in the wet the GSX-S really impressed. With the comfort blanket of ABS (you can't turn this off and I've never found the need) I stuck the traction control at its highest level and was amazed at how much grip a wet road actually has. It takes a fair bit of throttle in first and second to get the warning light flashing that indicated the TC has kicked in and saved a bit of tarmac surfing. The inline-four has a stack of mid-range torque that means you can use a high gear in the wet and the gearbox is nice and slick. The bike itself is even pretty narrow, which makes filtering through stationary traffic no hassle at all. I returned home with a totally new, and far more positive, view on the bike.
GSX-S not really suited to two-up riding
So far then the GSX-S gets a mixed review. It is a terrible pillion bike, but a lot of fun solo. The engine is lovely when it is being worked at higher revs, but vibrates annoyingly below 5,000rpm. The fairing is a waste of time, but the fuel economy is excellent and I'm seeing nearly 50mpg quite a lot with an average of 47mpg. Is it worth the £10K asking price? I'm not 100 per cent convinced it is a better, or more practical, bike than the current GSX-R1000 (which has ABS but not traction control) and that's the main issue with the GSX-S currently. I'm planning a track day next to investigate further...
FACT SHEET
Bike: Suzuki GSX-1000FA
Run by: Jon Urry
On fleet since: August 2015
Mileage: 553
List price new: £9,999
Last month at a glance: Great on solo rides, less so with a pillion