Suzuki GSXS1000GT
Discussion
I haven't ridden the Suzuki, but with reference to the suggested Kawasaki I bought a Ninja 1000sx earlier this year and have not gelled with it. I find it a bit cumbersome and dislike the elastic band effect when winding on the power. It replaced a 1050 speed triple, which to me is a better bike but unfortunately does not really have luggage options. I plan to move on from the kwak once my pending France/Spain tour is done, but not sure what to.
Marquezs Stabilisers said:
Anyone got or ridden one? Had enough of the FireBlade as it's off the road again.
Yes, had one as a loan bike when they first came out. 2022 I think. Good on the whole, plenty of power and torque. Genuinely quick. Engine engaging and interesting (as you’d expect given where it came from). It’s not a light bike, and carries the weight quite high. Comfortable riding position, very much an old-school sports tourer. That’s a good thing. Handling was a bit weird, a sort of hinged-in-the-middle feeling, but with a decent set of tyres and a better rear shock that would be negated. Brakes wooden, but I suspect mostly down to pad compound. TFT a bit old compared to BMW/KTM/Kawasaki. Comfy seat.
Marquezs Stabilisers said:
Going new. The Kawasaki dealer is quite a long way away in Kirkcaldy, Suzuki a lot nearer and easier in Hurlford or Bathgate. The Kawasaki is also about £60 per month more expensive on the finance.
I would have the Suzuki then. There isn’t much in it other than the Suzuki being a bit sportier.trickywoo said:
I would have the Suzuki then. There isn t much in it other than the Suzuki being a bit sportier.
The other difference is you can put a topbox on the Suzuki which you can't on the Kawasaki. I don't find the FireBlade uncomfortable, just, as it's aged, unreliable. A comfy sportsbike, as someone described the Suzuki upthread, sounds fine. The Suzuki is about £100 a month and the Kawasaki £190. The Suzuki has everything I'd need really.
Suzuki are doing 10 year warranty now too I think which is a bonus.
I have the GX which I really like, test road the GT a couple of times, the first one was epic, quick, nimble and fun. The second less so, maybe a set-up issue but was enough to tip me towards the GX... Back when they were doing free panniers and zero finance which helped.
I have the GX which I really like, test road the GT a couple of times, the first one was epic, quick, nimble and fun. The second less so, maybe a set-up issue but was enough to tip me towards the GX... Back when they were doing free panniers and zero finance which helped.
I'd argue the only sports tourer won the sports tourer test 
GX has cracking suspension, I'm interested in how the CB1000GT compares as it's the same system. The Suzuki GT is pretty interesting too I rode the M1000XR and nailing it in 2nd was intense, but in comparison to the Jap bikes it and the S are very spendy.

GX has cracking suspension, I'm interested in how the CB1000GT compares as it's the same system. The Suzuki GT is pretty interesting too I rode the M1000XR and nailing it in 2nd was intense, but in comparison to the Jap bikes it and the S are very spendy.
quigonjay said:
This is a good review of the current sports tourers including the new Honda CB1000GT which I was surprised to see did not win
This was an interesting one, as you can read in the comments!For me it was bit apples vs oranges, MCN (who should know better) have blurred/crossed the lines between tall-rounder and sports tourer.
They also haven't done their homework and are very lazy with their journalism in this instance but that's another can of worms...
My take away is get out there and test ride, there are so (too?) many options out there to cover all tastes and seemingly most of these bikes are bloody brilliant. That and test riding is at least 75% of the fun of getting a new bike.
hiccy18 said:
GX has cracking suspension
This is exactly what I was on about with the 'lazy journalism' thing, grumble about the handling (and the need to read the manual ffs...) but too ignorant to realise that the suspension is completely adjustable to your preferences, up the rear preload and/or drop the front and you can have a super safe or super tippy bike or anything in between. That's the whole idea and it's included in the price, if you can be bothered to spend literally 2 minutes reading instructions and pushing buttons.
Rant over, thank you for listening...
JaseB said:
This was an interesting one, as you can read in the comments!
For me it was bit apples vs oranges, MCN (who should know better) have blurred/crossed the lines between tall-rounder and sports tourer.
They also haven't done their homework and are very lazy with their journalism in this instance but that's another can of worms...
My take away is get out there and test ride, there are so (too?) many options out there to cover all tastes and seemingly most of these bikes are bloody brilliant. That and test riding is at least 75% of the fun of getting a new bike.
Yes, I don't want a tall rounder even if it is actually possibly a better fit for my needs! The Honda and Suzuki are ugly, and the BMW is way too much money. The Kawasaki would have been more appropriately replaced by some sort of Triumph or the Yamaha TracerFor me it was bit apples vs oranges, MCN (who should know better) have blurred/crossed the lines between tall-rounder and sports tourer.
They also haven't done their homework and are very lazy with their journalism in this instance but that's another can of worms...
My take away is get out there and test ride, there are so (too?) many options out there to cover all tastes and seemingly most of these bikes are bloody brilliant. That and test riding is at least 75% of the fun of getting a new bike.
I was given a GX as a loan bike when the H2 SX was being serviced. I was impressed with the engine. Very flexible with lots of easy to use grunt. I didn't really get a chance to test the suspension/handling but likewise, I had no issues or concerns. It was comfortable and never felt pushed or beyond it's capabilities.
JaseB said:
Suzuki are doing 10 year warranty now too I think which is a bonus.
That's brave of them, I can't imagine any bike manufacturer doing that and, I imagine there are plenty of 'exclusions' when claiming - but then I only have Italian bikes so what do I know. 
The only Suzuki I ever owned was a 1970's GT380, would likely need 3 engine rebuilds in 10 years.

catso said:
That's brave of them, I can't imagine any bike manufacturer doing that and, I imagine there are plenty of 'exclusions' when claiming - but then I only have Italian bikes so what do I know. 
The only Suzuki I ever owned was a 1970's GT380, would likely need 3 engine rebuilds in 10 years.
The warranty is 10 years or 70k miles, whichever comes first. Unsurprisingly you have to get it serviced at least annually within the Suzuki Dealer Network, and not go over the interval by more than 250 miles/14 days. It does seem to rule out aftermarket parts but that's understandable. 
The only Suzuki I ever owned was a 1970's GT380, would likely need 3 engine rebuilds in 10 years.

catso said:
JaseB said:
Suzuki are doing 10 year warranty now too I think which is a bonus.
That's brave of them, I can't imagine any bike manufacturer doing that and, I imagine there are plenty of 'exclusions' when claiming - but then I only have Italian bikes so what do I know. 
The only Suzuki I ever owned was a 1970's GT380, would likely need 3 engine rebuilds in 10 years.

I think they might have a few electronic niggles with TFT screens but Suzuki engines and gearboxes are bomb proof and have been for decades.
The build quality is also great. People like to say they are flaky but I swapped a near 20 year old GSXR with 35k miles on it for an 18 month old Triumph and was shocked by the state of the Triumph. So much so I'd never buy another.
trickywoo said:
catso said:
JaseB said:
Suzuki are doing 10 year warranty now too I think which is a bonus.
That's brave of them, I can't imagine any bike manufacturer doing that and, I imagine there are plenty of 'exclusions' when claiming - but then I only have Italian bikes so what do I know. 
The only Suzuki I ever owned was a 1970's GT380, would likely need 3 engine rebuilds in 10 years.

I think they might have a few electronic niggles with TFT screens but Suzuki engines and gearboxes are bomb proof and have been for decades.
The build quality is also great. People like to say they are flaky but I swapped a near 20 year old GSXR with 35k miles on it for an 18 month old Triumph and was shocked by the state of the Triumph. So much so I'd never buy another.
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