In the life of a motorcycle journalist, where motorcycles come and go in a matter of days, giving no opportunity for anything other than the briefest of acquaintances – which is no time at all to form a lasting bond – the long-term test bike is very much a highlight.
Now you have the opportunity to test the bike in every conceivable riding condition, over every manner of road, in the city and out in the open country, through rain, cold and sunshine. You get to know its personality, its good and bad points, its quirks and foibles.
Every bike has two wheels and an engine; it goes and stops, has suspension and brakes, handlebars, a seat and varying levels of dynamics and performance; they’re similar in concept, but isn’t it amazing how they also have such different personalities? It’s no surprise, of course, but it’s still fascinating.
The Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX does nothing that the BMW S 1000 XR, the Ducati Multistrada V4 or the Triumph Tiger Sport (sadly not available here in SA) don’t do, but the Suzuki does it in its own way. And that’s the beauty of it.
We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the Suzuki over six months, and all of us at zabikers.co.za – Dave Cilliers, Bjorn Moreira and myself – have had our time with the bike and we’ve all formed our own opinions. We’ve all liked some things and lamented the absence of others, but I think I am safe in saying that we’ve all enjoyed our time with what can only be said to be an excellent variation on the GSX-S1000 theme.
To recap, the first GSX-S1000 model arrived in 2015, taking the much-admired inline four-cylinder K5 engine from the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 in detuned and re-mapped form and putting it in a more accessible sports/touring chassis configuration, in both naked and faired forms.
There was 150bhp to play with, traction control and ABS, a really stable and forgiving – but still dynamic – chassis, comfort and mile-eating ability with enough balls to be fun. Reasonably priced, it deserved the success it achieved. Subsequent updates were able to merely refine what was already an excellent motorcycle.
I personally have had a lot of fun on the faired GSX-S1000F. Back in my days on The Bike Show, we raced one in the SA Endurance series, comprising four-, eight-, twelve- and twenty-four-hour races. Over two years, that bike must have competed, in both ham-fisted and expert hands, at least 100 hours of flat-out practice, qualifying and racing. Brilliantly attended to, both in terms of preparation and in-race maintenance, by Doug Lang of Suzuki SA, that bike gave not one moment of protest at the abuse being handed out and, indeed, it got better and better as it was progressively dialled in by Doug. It took a snapped chain to bring it to a halt, when the gearbox casing was cracked by the flailing chain. That was mended and subsequently it was crashed, burned (literally) and thrashed and yet it lives on today, maybe eight or nine years later, in private hands, still giving fun and (inexpensive) thrills.
No, I’m a big fan of the GSX-S1000 family.
OK, a little off-piste there, but the point is, the 2025 GSX-S1000 GX might be only a variation on a theme, but it’s a variation of an already impressive and trusted theme, and, in GX guise, it brings enough that’s different to make it worth a long, hard look.
The riding position is perfect for my six-foot frame, which means that short riders need not apply, although the seat height isn’t excessively tall. I like the sit-up-and-beg riding position of an adventure bike, the wide ‘bars giving plenty of leverage, the riding position much more relaxed and good visibility through traffic. Combine that with the feel and feedback from road size wheels and tyres, excellent suspension, and with the punch and linear delivery of an inline four, and there’s not a lot left to wish for.
The new electronic suspension might not be particularly necessary, but there is no doubt that it does make a difference, no matter how, or on what kind of road, you are riding. On the highway in particular, it gives a distinct floating quality to the ride. Push on when riding along twisting roads, and the composure is solid. Perhaps the most impressive thing is the way it works quietly in the background, allowing you to concentrate on that fantastic engine and the performance it gives.
Modern inline four-cylinder engines bear no resemblance to their predecessors of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when smoothness was a given, but, boy, did they have to be revved to unleash the performance. The Suzuki K5 motor, in the GSX-S1000 application, has torque seemingly throughout the rev range and will pull cleanly in sixth gear from ridiculously low speeds, and potter around town in that gear also. If anything, that makes it a little high-revving at highway speeds; you always feel you want to change up into a seventh, overdrive gear. But you get used to it once you’ve banished low-revving twins from your mind. Put it this way; I can’t think of anything more you might want from an engine, no matter the cylinder configuration.
I honestly have no quibbles worth mentioning about the GX; they are all definitely petty and subjective, after all, and have no bearing on my overall opinion of the bike. There are enough qualities to render any such personal prejudices irrelevant. Yes, a centre-stand would be really useful, both in my and Dave Cillier’s opinion (and I’m sure Bjorn will reluctantly agree…), but it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, especially if you don’t intend fitting the optional panniers. Yes, no centre stand is a faff if you get a puncture or want to lube the chain, but there are solutions for that readily available on the market that can be easily carried in a backpack.
What the final assessment comes down to is this; would it give me enough excitement both day-to-day and over longer journeys to maintain my interest over years of ownership? Would it indulge me in a track day here and there? Would it be reliable? Would I spend my own money on one? The answer to all those questions has to be ‘yes’.
No, it does nothing different to its competitors, but I really like the way it goes about it; unobtrusive most of the time, but with a fire in its belly when called upon. As a further incentive, at R302,910, it is significantly cheaper than either the BMW S 1000 XR (from R337,000) or the Ducati Multistrada V4 (from R448,000! The 950cc Multistrada V2 starts at R296,000 but, with only 115bhp, is hardly in the same league).
So, farewell, Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX. You will be missed.
Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX
For more information on the bike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…
