2015 BIG-BORE NAKED BIKES
P56
C O M P A R I S O N T E S T
4
th
SUZUKI GSX-S1000
PLACE
The all-new
Suzuki pulled a
few surprises in
the test and was
the most user-
friendly machine
of the five.
a pretty old school high-swept
bend to the bar, almost like
its brother, the Suzuki Bandit,
making for a really relaxed
riding position.
You can feel Suzuki has
tried to make this a bike for
the people, rather than for
trackday/canyon warriors.
The suspension is plush and
comfortable at civil speeds,
giving good bump absorption
and feel through the chassis.
However, push the Suzuki hard
and it will start wallowing and
protesting, the front diving and
the rear squatting, ruining the
comfy ride you just had before
the red mist descended. An
Aprilia it most certainly is not.
Three-stage traction control
that's easily tunable gives the
Suzuki an edge over the Kawa-
saki. The TC is quite effective
and Suzuki has done well to
make its adjustment easier
than the much more expensive
KTM.
The GSX-S1000 feels like
the most civil bike of the five
we have on test, more like a
Honda CB1000R than a BMW
S 1000 R, and will be a perfect
bike for riders looking for a
more sedate riding experience
over the mental patient mad-
ness of a KTM or Aprilia. And
for the money, you'll struggle
to get a better buy anywhere
in this segment.
I
f this test were purely based
on value for money, the Su-
zuki would have walked it.
At $10,499, the new-for-2016
Suzuki GSX-S1000 represents
a stonking amount of motor-
cycle for the cash.
The engine is a modified
version of the GSX-R1000K5 –
probably the best GSX-R ever
built – with different cams, etc
(check the full test here), and
has serious midrange torque
plus a pretty solid top-end
kick, but, like the Kawasaki,
Suzuki just didn't manage to
iron out the harshness in the
initial throttle opening. The
throttle, compared to some-
thing like the Aprilia, is very
on/off, and you've got to be
precise when on the side of
the tire to get smooth drive
from fully closed. Again, like
the Kawasaki, once you're
away it's all happy days with
the Suzuki punching out
strong power well into the
9000 rpm range, but that ini-
tial opening spoiled the party
somewhat.
The Suzuki's chassis was
one of the most comfortable in
the test, with a plush seat and
a good balance between the
peg/bar/seat triangle, meaning
long days in the saddle are
doable, although the seat pad-
ding can get quite hard after
an hour or so. The Suzuki has
