P102
COMPARISON I SUZUKI GSX-8TT vs. HUSQVARNA SVARTPILEN 801
Adjustment of the Husqvar-
na's electronics package is easy
thanks to
the parent company
KTM's insistence long ago of
using images rather than just
words, so you know exactly
what parameter you're adjusting
via the five-inch TFT dash.
The Suzuki runs the same-
size TFT dash, and while it isn't
as pretty as the Husky's, it is
probably the easiest to use of
any midsize Japanese street
bike available today. You can
run turn-by-turn navigation on
the Ride Husqvarna Motorcycles
access to cornering ABS, which
allows deeper, harder braking
at higher lean angles than the
Suzuki, which tends to kick in
its lower-grade ABS a little early
when the lever is squeezed hard.
The Suzuki is helped in this
regard with the Dunlop's Road
-
sport 2 rubber at its disposal,
but
the braking package is a
step behind the Husqvarna's.
translates to a ride not quite as
composed as the Husqvarna's.
The Suzuki isn't as nimble as
the Husqvarna; its weight pen
-
alty of a claimed 50 pounds re-
ally hurts it when the road starts
to
get twisty. The Husqvarna's
snappy agility is great fun here,
and it translates into an easier
bike to maneuver in traffic,
though it's not as comfortable
as the Suzuki.
Braking is pretty even across
the board. Both bikes run four-
piston monobloc calipers, but
the Husqvarna's IMU gives you
Point the Husqvarna at your
favorite canyon road and watch it
go. The higher-spec suspension
will take care of you when you put
the chassis on its side.
