RIDE REVIEW I 2023 SUZUKI GSX-8S
P86
That's a 776cc parallel twin with a
270° firing order that's a completely new
job from the guys and girls in Hama-
matsu. However, it's different from most
other bikes in this class. It runs twin
counterbalancers rather than the near-
ubiquitous single balancer setup with
counterweights for each piston favored
by nearly everyone else with a parallel-
twin engine (except KTM, which employs
two shafts on the 790).
Dubbed the Suzuki Cross Balancer,
patented by Suzuki and used for the first
time on a production motorcycle, the
system works by running a vibration-
killing balancer for each cylinder running
at 90° to each other below and in front
of the crankshaft. Suzuki feels the extra
complexity of a twin-balancer system
that helps kill off as many of the first and
secondary vibrations as possible is worth
it over the weight disadvantage the GSX-8S
motor has to its competitors.
The result is an engine that's exception
-
ally smooth at low-to-medium rpm. Truth
be told, it's smooth all the way to redline,
but the best performance is found when
the revs are situated below 8000 rpm.
This motor has been designed not for
the next Twins Cup race (although I'm
sure we'll see it on the grid once it's ho
-
mologated). It's more for enjoyable street
performance, one that lets you hold gears
and not dance up and down on the six-
speed gearbox that comes with a quick
-
shifter fitted as standard, but still lets you
rag out the good times when you hit the
canyons on the weekends.
Those blue colors got
us thinking of the French
Riviera. Oh, wait…
