SUZUKI

 

Suzuki GSX-S1000...Launched on the market in 2015, this new version of the GSX-S1000 made its entry in 2021. Compared to the previous model it replaces, the chassis changes are contained and the brand has preferred to focus on what theaesthetic aspectmaking the model even more captivating.

There are only two horses more than the previous model, thus arriving at 152 HP at 11,000 rpm of its 999 cc Euro 5 inline 4-cylinder. Available in three colours (Miami Blue, Berlin Gray and Dubai Black) I think the metallic blue with contrasting silver details we tried, with exhaust Akrapovic, is definitely the most suitable. As anticipated, if from a technical point of view on paper there has been no novelty, from an aesthetic point of view there are many novelties.

What convinces us...As a personal bike I have a super sports bike and every time I sit on another type of bike I need to get used to it before I get used to it, but this new GSX is like an old friend. It took 10 minutes for feel immediately at ease. The bike is powerful and when you give full throttle it makes you feel it tearing your arms apart but it’s an easy bike, very easy, you just have to hold on well.

Usually I always advise beginners not to start with a 1000, especially if it is powerful, but in this case I could make an exception because it will be difficult for you to raise the front wheel if you don’t want it and overall the bike is very balanced.

The GSX-S1000 has finally taken on character and Suzuki seems to have wanted to dare with a very aggressive and characteristic design that has given it a really interesting personality, especially on the front, with LED headlights with overlapping hexagonal elements and pronounced and sharp side wings. I like it, except perhaps the somewhat anonymous rear which could have followed an equally innovative line.

For the type of motorcycle the driving comfort is high, I’m just over 170cm tall and the 81cm seat height from the ground is perfect for me. The saddle itself is very comfortable, like the riding position, it made me want to do many kms on it. The handlebar is quite wide, I wouldn’t have said it but I found it good precisely because in general the posture seems studied in detail.

Il engine pushes hardthe need to have more horsepower is not felt, also because without a fairing it would be very difficult to reach high speeds to which this type of motorcycle does not aspire.

Il sound is crazygloomy, angry, cheeky and the gearbox, with its bidirectional quickshifter function, is fantastic, truly 10 and praise, it has never missed a beat, every gear enters in a superfine way without using the clutch, I don’t even know why they put the option to exclude it from the instrumentation.

To conclude, despite not having any fairing, the work on aerodynamics has been excellent because turbulence is practically absent up to the limit of the Highway Code.

What doesn’t convince us...You will understand well from the previous paragraph that I liked the bike overall, but obviously it is not free from flaws. It seems silly but in several days I never managed to get used to the arrow button, it’s too high, I often ended up pressing the horn.

Aesthetically, I find a couple of things really questionable, the first being the reflectors very protruding, I can imagine it’s a matter of regulations, like the large number plate holders, but having them protrude so much with such a visible piece of metal I didn’t like it at all. The second thing is that finitura camouflage which repeats itself at various points. I did a small survey among friends and people around and not even one person found it nice, on the contrary…

The Brembo brakes brake hard but I found them not very modulable, pressing the lever a little slowed down was minimal while pressing just more seemed to drop anchor, I’ve never been able to find myself completely.

If looking at it from a distance it looks like a futuristic motorcycle, as soon as you get on it and turn on the negative contrast LCD display it seems to go back to the 80s and with a lot of light it is not even clearly visible. Even the customization options are few, apart from the 3 mappings and five levels of traction control, nothing can be customized.

How is it going...From a driving point of view, it’s fantastic, moving it from a standstill, with its 214Kg and the muscular 19-litre tank, it doesn’t seem so light, yet on the road it’s really very agile. The suspension is fully adjustable and the 43mm KYB upside-down fork boasts 120mm of travel for a sporty ride. I must say that the comfort in the saddle was perfect but the stiffness is a lot, in disconnections it tended to make me jump off the saddle but it was certainly very effective in terms of road holding.

The real thrust starts from 6,000 rpm, I would have liked it to start a little earlier but it’s difficult to expect more from a 4-cylinder, even if compared to others below 6,000 rpm I found it sluggish. The feeling is very, it conveys well what happens to the wheel and it really makes you want to get lost in as many curves as possible. At a certain point, however, this advantage becomes a limitation because it leads you more and more to try to raise the bar, luckily she will take care of bringing you back to the right path a little by giving you precise signals that you are exaggerating.

Is it convenient?...In a short time I went from not wanting to try it, given the few differences with the previous model, to looking forward to taking a ride. This feeling, coupled with the fact that we are talking about one of super naked cheapest on the market (around €13,000), makes me say that it’s absolutely worth it.

 

Suitable for beginners but also for the more experienced, extremely agile, particular from an aesthetic point of view and versatile. Competitors with more appeal cost much more if you leave out some details and look at the substance and the quality/price ratio is very high.

di: Paolo Tognon