COMPARISON I SUZUKI GSX-S1000GT+ VS YAMAHA TRACER 9 GT+
P78
The Yamaha is by far the
most tech-laden of this test. It
has a revised six-axis Inertial
Measurement Unit with the
latest-generation KYB Actimatic
Damper System (KADS) elec
-
tronically-controlled suspension
running two modes—the stiffer
A-1 for sporty riding and A-2 for
a softer ride—and the KADS sys
-
tem will make changes to the
damping rates on the fly as you
lean the bike into corners.
On top of this, you've got four
modes of Rain, Street, Sport,
and Custom that are essentially
mission control for Yamaha's
behaviors. Each mode comes
with its own preset levels of
traction control, slide control,
wheelie control, engine power,
and either A1 or A2, but the Cus
-
tom mode allows you to go in
and program any level you want
of these systems.
Yamaha's got the modes
pretty spot on. The only rea
-
son you'd want to get into the
Custom mode is if you wanted
to put the wheelie control on its
lowest setting so you can have a
bit of one-wheeled fun.
It's only when you compare the
Yamaha to the Suzuki that you
realize how little tech the Suzuki
has or, should I say, has not. The
GSX-S doesn't run an IMU, so it
doesn't get lean-angle-sensitive
traction control, cornering ABS,
or even wheelie control.
You get basic cruise control—
no radar means no adaptive
cruise—and you get Suzuki's
first (that's right, first) color TFT
dash that you can Bluetooth your
phone to. You can change the
three engine modes, five stages
plus Off traction control, and
switch the quickshifter on and
off. God knows why you'd want
to turn it off, as it's one of the
best quickshifters on the market
today. The suspension is old-
school KYB, no electronic sus
-
pension here, which is reflected
in the $2300 price difference.
As for the hardware, there are
marked differences between
these motorcycles. The Yamaha
runs that stupendous CP3 890cc
inline-triple motor that Yamaha
claims produces 108 horsepower
and 63 lb-ft of torque, while Su
-
zuki has its very tried and tested
K5-derived 999cc inline four-cylin-
der that produces a claimed 149
One is a sportbike with panniers, the other is a supermoto with a high screen.
