Suzuki unveil GSX-S950 to bring naked fun to the A2 masses
Suzuki reveal new GSX-S950 for A2 licence fun
Suzuki have unveiled an A2-friendly version of their GSX-S called the GSX-S950. Despite the name, the 950 retains the 999cc inline four from the GSX-S1000 but it’s been detuned for a peak of 94bhp instead of the 150bhp of the full-fat GSX-S. This means it can be restricted to 47bhp for A2 riders, as the terms of an A2 licence require that in full power mode the bike makes no more than double the A2 restriction.
Interestingly, despite the drop in top-end power Suzuki say the retuned engine will also generate almost 68lb.ft of torque for plenty of punch in the mid-range. As it’s based on the new machine it gets all the fancy electronics in the form of Suzuki’s Intelligent Ride System, including ride-by-wire throttle, three riding modes, five-stage traction control (plus fully off), a quickshifter, autoblipper and a new LCD dash. Just like its bigger brother, there’s no IMU, so the electronic rider aids are not lean sensitive.
The 950 also gets the styling updates from the more powerful machine including the twin-stacked headlights and aggressive bodywork complete with MotoGP inspired wings. There’s even a red, white and black paintjob that isn’t available for the GSX-S1000. The new 950 also comes in Suzuki blue or all black. It’s not all the same though, there’s a slight downgrade to 43mm KYB forks and Tokico front brakes but that does mean it should be a chunk cheaper than the £10,999 GSX-S1000 when it arrives in August. It will be a rival for Honda’s CB650R, which costs £7299 so that’s the benchmark to aim for.