Suzuki GSX-8R Road Test Review. So much potential, and few misses.
Shelling out around Rs 10 lakh for a motorcycle comes with a lot of expectations and being fast is pretty much a given. But along with that, road presence, rider aids, and top tier components are all kind of mandate. The Suzuki GSX-8R is a gorgeous bike and it is fast as well, at Rs 9.88 lakh ex-showroom New Delhi, it locks horns with the likes of the Triumph Daytona 660, Aprilia RS 660, Honda CBR 650R and the Kawasaki Ninja 650 to name a few. While it ticks a lot of boxes, it misses out on a few, now these are not deal breakers, but they do stick out like a sore thumb. So, lets dive right in.
Design
I personally think that the Suzuki GSX-8R is a drop dead gorgeous looking motorcycle but the problem is that it gets lost in a sea of bikes. Be it on the go or at a standstill, the bike takes some time to get registered by on looker and other riders/drivers. Don't get me wrong, once people do notice it, there is no going back, after it gets noticed, people gawk at it for quite a while, but the getting noticed part is a missed quite often. In terms of the design, I think the vertically stacked pair of hexagonal lights along with the LED position lamp helps make the face compact yet it stands out. The number plate position and panel has always been a bane on the design, and it remains the same for the 8R as it is for the Hayabusa. Suzuki, please do something about it. Moving on to the sides, the fairing has quite a few cuts and creases, and they look graceful. There is a small protrusion that looks like a tiny winglet, which looks really cool. The steel frame nestles the exposed blacked out engine, which adds to the sporty look of the bike. And the bolt on sub frame finished in gray ends with a sleek rear section and a plastic panel that could have concealed two small cavities as grab rails. I think that's a missed opportunity, it would not have fiddled with the look of the bike, and the pillion rider would have something to hold other than the rider while on the go. The short and stout exhaust unit looks good, and adds to the aggressive stance of the bike.
Dimension
In terms of dimension and weight, the bike is 2,155 mm long, 770 mm wide, 1,135 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 1,465 mm. The ground clearance stands at 145 mm and the saddle height is at 810 mm. With a low ground clearance, the bike did not scrape it belly on any of the small or big speed breakers, or even on the potholes, and that has to do with the suspension, which I will speak about further down in the story, and another thing that impressed me was how gracefully the bike manages its weight, it tips the scales at 205 kg, but you cant really feel it, be it on the go or even when you are try to move it back and forth while parking.
Cycle parts
Moving on, the frame is suspended by a USD fork up front and a monoshock unit at the rear, both units are from Showa. The bike rides on 17-inch wheels that comes shod with Dunlop RoadSport 2 rubber. And braking duties are handled by 310 mm twin rotors up front and a 240 mm single disc at the rear. And it has fuel tank capacity of 14-litres.
Features
In terms of features, the bike gets a drive mode selector with three modes – Mode A(Active), Mode B(Basic), and Mode C(Comfort). It also gets a traction control system which can adjusted for up to three levels. Other noteworthy mentions include a bi-directional quickshifter, a ride-by-wire throttle system and a low RPM assist. A couple of misses over here, the bike does not get phone tethering, which is a big miss in this day and age, it also does not get an adjustable clutch lever, the brake lever can be adjusted though. And features like cornering ABS, launch control, wheelie control, stoppie control are also not present. And it also does not get a USB charging port. Suzuki, I hope you are listening.
Powertrain
Now, let's talk about the boons, this 776-cc, parallel-twin, liquid cooled, V-twin engine is mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox. The engine pushes a healthy 81 PS at 8,500 rpm and 78 Nm of peak torque at 6,800 rpm. The engine has one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard, it is not obnoxiously loud like the other attention-grabbing bikes in this lot. It is very subtle sound, and at the same time it if you rev it up, the bassy note does a fine job of letting people know that while being subtle it can growl and steal the limelight as well, which is something that I like. The engine is refined and very smooth, and that character remains consistent even at triple digit speeds. There is oodles of torque available at your beck and call, it is a flat torque curve, so at no point do you have to drop a gear for those quick overtakes or surge of power. There is great tractability as well, it can pull from as low as 45 kmph on sixth gear, and there is no knocking or clunky sounds from the engine. The most hyper mode is the Mode A(Active), throttle inputs are adhered to instantly and the ride is quite engaging on this mode. The rest two modes are rather dormant in behaviour. But in no mode did I feel a need to toggle for more power, the delivery of power and throttle response does become a little dull for the rest of the modes, but they are fast as well. The Mode B and C suits best for your daily office commutes and occasional mall visits. And if you feel like turning up the heat, you can switch to Mode A and dash like flash.
Ride and Handling
From the get go, the bike is very easy to live with, and that part is concealed. It looks like a big intimidating bike which is contrary to its actual nature. You swing a leg over the bike and you are perched up at 810 mm, which is easy to handle if you are above 5'7, and that's in the pocket of the average Indian height. Now, while it weighs 205 kg, that weight vanishes into thin air once you are on the move. And at no point do you need to put in a lot of effort to make the bike do anything, just nudge it to the direction where you want to turn and it effortlessly falls in line. There is superb straight-line stability and it is flickable as well, the only caveat is the length of the bike, it is a long bike. So, when you cut through traffic, you will have to be a little mindful about the rear end of the bike. The suspension is on the stiffer side of things, especially the rear section, but as you climb the speeds, pot holes and minor undulations are skipped over. At low speeds, your spine will be feeling the jolt. The front section is far more forgiving in that sense. The braking could have been slightly better, while it does the job without any hiccups, I felt the need of extra bite so that I could push the bike further.
Ergonomics
So, you sit in a neutral posture for the bottom half and the top half is slightly committed. There is slight reach for the handlebar which makes you sit in a slightly committed riding position. Even the footpegs are set neutrally, so you are mostly in a comfortable position. I rode it on the highway and through peak traffic, and I would like to report that fatigue does not set in early, but yes, if you are riding in a spirited manner, I would advice to tuck down behind the small windscreen to escape windblast and the palm of your hand will also be under less stress.
Verdict
A gorgeous bike with a well refined engine that has oodles of power and torque is what you will get if you buy the Suzuki GSX-8R. You will also get a bike that is very easy to live with, but at the same time, you are also riding a bike that gets lost in a sea of vehicles, a motorcycle that could use some road presence with some tweaks to the fairing and decals. You are also not going to get a USB charging port, which is pretty much a standard these days, an adjustable clutch lever is also missing, along with a few other riding aids that could have sweeten the deal. I think these are a few issues that can be ironed out easily, but if you will look past these niggles, the Suzuki GSX-8R is one refined motorcycle.