Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/564551
SUZUKI GSX-S1000 FIRST RIDE P86 seat triangle. This allows you to move around and get properly comfortable and also makes the GSX-S a blast in corners be- cause you don't feel strapped in. The way the tank envelops your knees and the fact that the tank is quite tall allows for you to lean on it in corners to weight the front a tad more for extra grip. The seat itself is reasonably padded but does get hard after an hour or so in the saddle, and you'll be stretching your legs more often than if you were riding something like a Super Duke R. The twin-spar chassis is actu- ally lighter than the one found on the GSX-R1000 and this helps the GSX-S deliver quick steering with solid stability in the middle of the corner. The KYB forks, while not being the highest spec on the market, still offer plenty of feel between the tire and the road, even if the initial part of the stroke is a bit soft before hard- ening up towards the end when riding hard. For general riding and especially commuting the damping rates feel almost spot- on, and straight out of the box, the shock will perform well up until you really start pushing it in the canyons. I must say I wasn't overly enamored with the performance of the front brakes but I feel this is more down to how the pads were bedded in rather than any fault with the master-cylinder or calipers. This particular GSX-S lacked initial bite and I had to squeeze the lever harder than I'd have expected to get solid stopping power. The rear wasn't an issue, and provides decent performance and feel (some- thing many manufacturers still haven't got a handle on, as many who have read my ramblings before will remember me bitch- ing about). The GSX-S1000 fills a void that's been gaping wide in Suzu- ki's lineup for a long, long time. And for the price of $10,499 for the model tested, represents exceptionally good value. Some of the Suzuki's main competitors are up to $6500 more expen- sive than the Suzuki, and unless you're really going to be pushing the boundaries of performance, they don't add up to $6500 more bike. If anything, the Suzuki lacks a bit of pizzazz, a bit of personality. The styling is pretty conservative when compared to something like the manga-inspired Kawasa- ki Z1000, and it doesn't have the bang of something like an Aprilia Tuono—it's more of a sleeper, a bike that'll surprise almost anyone that hops on it. Light- weight (it's one of the lightest in the class at 464 pounds wet), a solid and dependable engine that's had the creaks ironed out that's matched to brilliant fuelling and chassis that'll handle pretty much anything you can throw at it make the Suzuki GSX-S1000 one of the finds of the year. It's just a shame Suzuki took 10 years to make it. CN 2016 SUZUKI GSX-S1000 ENGINE: ........... Four-cylinder, four-stroke, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder DISPLACEMENT: .............................. 999cc BORE X STROKE: ................. 73.4 x 59mm HORSEPOWER: ........ 145hp @ 10,000 rpm (claimed) TORQUE: .................... 78lb-ft @ 9500 rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: ...................... 12.2:1 TRANSMISSION: .........................Six-speed FRONT SUSPENSION: .......43mm inverted cartridge fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: .........................Single shock absorber with adjustable preload and rebound damping FRONT BRAKE: ...........Twin 310mm discs, Brembo four-piston calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: ........... Single 220mm disc, Brembo Nissin-piston caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: ......................... 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ............................190/50 ZR17 RAKE: ..................................................... 25° TRAIL: ............................................... 3.0 in. WHEELBASE: ...................................... 61 in. SEAT HEIGHT: .................................31.9 in. OVERALL HEIGHT: .......................... 42.5 in. OVERALL WIDTH: ............................31.3 in. OVERALL LENGTH: ......................... 83.3 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ..............................4.5 gal WEIGHT: ...............461 lbs (wet, claimed). COLOR: Metallic Triton Blue, Glass Sparkle Black / Candy Darling Red MSRP: ........................ Starting at $10,499 as tested S P E C I F I C A T I O N S