Suzuki GSX-S1000GT
Fresh-faced sports-focused tourist with a proven package at its core and glorious blue paint – and it’s the best Suzuki in yonks
‘If your idea of a sports-tourer puts the sport before the tour…’
Hurrah! Somebody at Suzuki has conducted a thorough search – behind the fridge, down the back of the sofa, under that pile of old timber next to the shed – and found their missing mojo. To celebrate they’ve created the GSXS1000GT: not just the freshest looking current Suzuki but the one with the most appealing spec and the first in a while to poke rivals in the eye. This is Suzuki coming out wind-milling like they’re part of a crazy Streetfighter II arcade game. With the previous Kawasaki Z1000SX and current Ninja 1000SX dominating the sporty-all-round-touringy market for ages, they’re starting a turf war.
To wit the spangly GT weighs nine kilos fewer than the SX and its Gsx-r-derived inline four fires out 13bhp more at 143bhp, that’s at the wheel on our dyno. And the Top Trumps title fight doesn’t end there: the GT’S panniers gobble almost 30% more clutter, it has a far greater sense of modernity, and it matches the Kwak’s 19-litre tank, TFT dash, phone connectivity, quickshifter, rider aids and cruise. Panniers aren’t standard, but with them fitted the GT’S £12,749 on-the-road price undercuts the Tourer-spec SX by £150.
Crucially, this all feels as good as it sounds. Suzuki’s 999cc engine is like a Motogp bike next to the Honda, with seemingly endless revs and so much power. Tease the glitch-free twistgrip and – whoosh – the GT teleports you into the next timezone with long-legged thrust. And it does so without feeling intimidating; it’s tractable, usable, with a reassuringly familiar feel. Not as thirsty as the 1000SX either. High-speed handling and roadholding are superb – drive the bike through a corner and the chassis feels taut, scribes crisp lines and fills you with confidence. The dash is the one where the important bits (speed, gear, revs, time left until lunch) are easiest for my tired eyes to spot, switchgear is the least cluttered, and though the screen is fixed it does a good job (better than the SX’S in its low position, almost as good as when it’s high). We wouldn’t know style if it strutted up and branded our foreheads but think the GT is the nicest to ogle too, especially in this Metallic Triton Blue (the black option is a bit, well, black, and satinfinish Metallic Reflective Blue looks like the result of a bored afternoon with rattle cans). ‘The Suzuki’s easily the best looker,’ says occasional Bike tester Andy Gurski, ‘and its appearance is even better when you take the panniers off. It makes the NT1100 seem dull.’ As editor Hugo points out, ensuring the new GT looks the part was essential. The GSX-S1000F it replaces was a fast and capable road bike, but terribly let down by nondescript scooteresque styling that was just a bit too 2005. ‘The old F was ace but was just let down by its humdrum looks,’ he says. ‘The GT squares the job up.’ This is exactly what Suzuki have done, of course – make the 1000F look good, and tweak it with a new subframe and electronic garnish while they were at it. Main frame, engine, suspension and other metal bits are unchanged (so the same as the current GSX-S1000). And all this is dandy as there was no point fiddling with things that didn’t need it. But it also means a few imperfections are carried over. There are no more motorway vibes or grumbles than with the twin-cylinder Honda, but it’s not as refined and smooth as the Yamaha, and especially not the Kawasaki. While outright power is fine the brakes lack bite and a layer of feel. Steering drops-in a little at low speed too; it’s less noticeable once the tyre is fully up to temperature and is only highlighted because the Suzuki’s not quite as neutral as the others, but once you feel it you can’t then un-feel it. Being side-by-side with the others also shows that, despite all its newness, the GT’S spec still has a few holes in it. Where are the remote preload adjuster, heated grips and centrestand? Yes, I get the ‘practical GSX-R’ positioning, the fact that the Suzuki promises more sportiness than the other three bikes, but having these bits wouldn’t make it any slower or less sharp. The trendy high-rise NT1100 and Tracer 9 also make the ’pegs feel kneeworryingly close on the old-school low-slung GT.
But I’m not that bothered. The Kwak is the better all-round bike, but it’s the GT that I want. ‘If your idea of a sports-tourer puts the sport before the tour,’ says Hugo, ‘then the Suzuki is ace.’