SUZUKI GSX-S1000
FIRST RIDE
P84
The fact it took the company
an incredible 10 years to bring
this bike to market I find stagger-
ing. The GSX-R1000K5 engine
was as suited to naked bike
riding as anything from BMW
or KTM or Ducati, and Suzuki
could have gotten the jump on
everyone in the sports naked
category and made the segment
their own, because the simple
fact is, the new GSX-S1000 is a
superb machine.
It's certainly a case of bet-
ter late than never with the
GSX-S1000. And maybe it's a
good thing they waited so long
to bring the bike to the dealer
floor because if the world was
just waking up to the benefits of
sports naked bikes 10 years ago,
they've gone positively gaga over
them now. Like a superbike, you
have to be well and truly on your
game if you're going to bring out
a performance naked these days.
Lemons are quickly bitchslapped
into submission, because the
competition from BMW, KTM,
Yamaha, Aprilia, Ducati and Ka-
wasaki is red, red, hot.
Even though the GSX-S1000
is powered by a version of the
same K5 engine that saw Troy
Corser send it to his second
World Superbike title in 2005,
it's been revamped for naked
bike riding with different cams
with revised timing and steel
valves replacing the titanium
items found 10 years prior. There
are also lighter pistons and
rings, 44mm throttle bodies em-
ploying Suzuki's original SDTV
(Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve)
system and an under-chassis
exhaust muffler matched to the
ubiquitous cat converter to keep
the EPA happy.
And just like the K5, this new
GSX-S1000 engine is an ab-
solute gem. The initial power
deilvery from a closed throttle is
quite harsh but once you get go-
ing the Suzuki's big torque jeans
shine through snd you'll have
a hard time keeping the front
wheel on the ground.
That nicely mapped (once
you're into the mid-range) throttle
is matched to an engine that pro-
duces smooth and strong torque
and it's easy to find yourself leav-
Suzuki is aiming
the GSX-S at the
crowd that has
just stepped off
sportbikes but
still want to get
up and boogie in
the canyons.
