Just a few months after announcing the updated-for-2022 Suzuki Hayabusa, Suzuki has unveiled another updated sportbike. The 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 is a naked sportbike powered by an updated version of the GSX-R-derived liquid-cooled 999cc in-line four.
Introduced for 2016 in both naked (GSX-S1000) and faired (GSX-S1000F) versions, the GSX-S used a detuned version of the engine from the K5 (2005-2008) GSX-R1000.
For 2022, the GSX-S1000 gets more aggressive, angular styling with stacked LED headlights and MotoGP-inspired winglets. Its new 4-2-1 exhaust system with a stubby silencer on the right side meets Euro 5 emission standards. Updated camshafts and valve springs, a new fuel injection system and a new airbox deliver increased power and a broader, smoother torque curve. A 6-speed transmission is mated to a wet, multi-plate clutch equipped with the Suzuki Clutch Assist System (SCAS) for smoother deceleration and better control when downshifting.
Like the Hayabusa, the 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 is equipped with the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.), which includes the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS), Suzuki Traction Control, Ride by Wire Electronic Throttle, Bi-Directional Quick Shift, Suzuki Easy Start and Low RPM Assist systems.
The GSX-S1000’s twin-spar aluminum frame and aluminum-alloy braced swingarm are from the GSX-R1000. Fully adjustable KYB suspension, ABS-equipped radial-mount Brembo monoblock calipers, an updated seat design, new wheels shod with new Dunlop Roadsport 2 tires, revised instrumentation and switches, and a new larger fuel tank (5 gallons, up from 4.5) round out the street-oriented sportbike package.
The 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 will be available in Metallic Triton Blue, Metallic Matte Mechanical Gray and Glass Sparkle Black. Pricing is TBD but bikes will arrive in dealerships in Fall 2021.
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 Specs
Base Price: TBD Website:suzukicycles.com Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse in-line four, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. Displacement: 999cc Bore x Stroke: 73.4 x 59.0mm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate assist clutch Final Drive: O-ring chain Wheelbase: 57.5 in. Rake/Trail: 25 degrees/3.9 in. Seat Height: 31.9 in. Wet Weight: 472 lbs. (claimed) Fuel Capacity: 5.0 gals.
Suzuki Motor America just announced that the two divisions (motorsport and marine) will be facing official separation come April of 2021. Rather than sharing dealerships and other assets, the two subsets will be fully separating and operating 100% independently moving forwards. What does this mean? Suzuki is looking to divorce the brands in hopes that they can succeed on their own without the other propping them up.
Suzuki’s official statement has some words about the separation, “This new organization is designed to give both new companies the best opportunity to optimize their success in their respective industries.”
“Both the Motorcycle/ATV and Marine Divisions are enjoying solid success in their respective businesses. As we proceed in reorganizing into two separate companies, we look forward to the Suzuki brand continuing to thrive in the United States.” it continued.
Not only are they just separating business practices, but also HQ’s as well. This is a much bigger move than we initially anticipated as the Motorsport brand will stay at their current headquarters locates in the San Francisco Bay area while the Marine division will be packing their bags and heading to – a much more fitting area for their sort of business – Tampa, Florida. This also means that Suzuki will have complete coast-to-coast ruling which can be a valued asset in the business world despite the fact that the brands will be pretty much independent going forwards.
Hopefully, this will allow the respective divisions to focus on their true goals without the other interfering, and I look forward to Suzuki (and their customers) reaping the benefits from this bold strategy.
Motorcyclist Magazine recently had a chance to get in the saddle of the Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R. Adam Waheed of the magazine does a good MC Commute ride on this machine, showing that despite the bike’s age it still has what it takes to thrill you.
The Hayabusa has been out for seven years in its current form. It’s been pulled from most markets due to its emissions, but it still endures in certain markets. Suzuki lists this machine on its USA and Australian websites, and it likely won’t stay for long. There have been rumors of a Hayabusa replacement, so if you love the Busa, then you should consider getting one before it receives an update. Or, heck, maybe you want to wait.
With this bike being out for so long, there are plenty of them on the used market that you can pick up for very little money. Some have been modified time and time again, but when you find an unmolested one, you’ll have a very nice sportbike to ride. Even if you find one that has been modified, you’ll still have a wild ride.
Waheed goes over what makes this bike special and why it’s still one of the top contenders in the 1000cc-plus category for sportbikes. Check it out below.
Recently, the 2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT hit Australian Suzuki dealerships. The adventure bike is a machine that’s been proven to be one of the best adventure motorcycles on the market.
The V-Strom 650XT features a 645cc DOHC v-twin engine that puts out 70 hp and 62Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. It’s a reliable engine, too, known to be tough enough to handle the demands of an adventure rider for mile after mile. There’s also a learner version of the bike that has a maximum output that’s restricted to 47 hp to mee the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme requirements.
The V-Strom 650XT comes with switchable multi-mode traction control. This system monitors a variety of stats and adjusts the controls and engine output accordingly by altering ignition timing and air delivery to the v-twin engine. You can adjust the sensitivity to suit your riding needs and preferences.
The motorcycle also has an aluminum twin-spar frame, a seat befitting an adventure tourer and known as one of the more comfy seats out there, disc brakes with ABS (twin 310mm discs up-front with twin-piston calipers and a single 260mm disc in the rear with a single-piston caliper.
The motorcycle also has wire-spoked aluminum-alloy rims as standard equipment. These rims get Bridgestone Batlax Adventure A40 tires. The V-Strom 650 XT also gets hand guards and protection from the engine to help keep the bike in good condition as you traverse rough terrain. There’s also a12-volt DC outlet allowing you to charge a mobile device if you need to.
For 2021, Suzuki also has two new Genuine Accessory luggage kits, including aluminum luggage and top box. The bike is currently for sale at Australia Suzuki dealerships. The MSRP for the V-Strom 650XT is $13,490 Ride Away.
Do you have questions about some of Suzuki’s latest machines? Well, if you’re in Italy, you can have a chat with a salesperson or product specialist from the safety of your home.
Suzuki Italy just launched a new video chat system that allows for telemeetings for potential customers who want to discuss bikes and start the buying process. It’s called SmartMeet, and you can schedule a meeting.
SmartMett uses a variety of video chatting software (whatever the customer wants to use) to interface with the person who set the appointment.
You can schedule a meeting via Skype, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. Italian customers can go to Suzuki’s SmartMeet website and schedule an appointment.
When you schedule an appointment, you’ll be able to specify what you want to discuss, and that should help get you in front of the right person who will have the correct answers for you.
While some manufacturers are trying to do fully virtual sales, this seems like a very smart second option. Suzuki is providing customers a way to get in touch and start the process without physical contact.
It will be interesting to see if the company plans to roll this out elsewhere, my gut tells me it will if this goes well in Italy. I also have a feeling it will go well.
If you’re in Italy (or you just want to check out the SmartMeet setup) check out the website by clicking here.
A ‘Glaring’ Issue With The 2018 GSX-250R Headlight
Driving at night isn’t my favorite thing to do – especially on a motorcycle – especially if my headlight decides to turn off mid-ride. I’m sure we’ve all driven cars that have a burnt-out headlight before, but luckily there’s a second to act as back up in addition to your brights for many layers of reassurance. Heck, my roommate has driven his car with a headlight out for almost a year now (mind you, neither of us drive at night).
The 2018 GSX-250R takes this problem and makes it 10x as dangerous as it’s a motorcycle-related problem. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a document stating that 2,040 registered in the USA could be affected.
The document includes the issue and states it as a problem regarding the bulb filament breaking prematurely. Luckily this isn’t the end of the world as Suzuki suggests taking it to the dealership to get a new bulb popped in, but we can only hope that there isn’t something beyond the bulb that is causing them to show premature signs of breaking.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to replace a lightbulb (insert how many X does it take to change a lightbulb joke here), but Suzuki recommends you still bring it to a dealership so they can keep track of the repair when dealing with the recall on their end. No worries, it’s covered under warranty even if your unit is expired.
If you ride a smaller GSX in America it’s probably worth giving the Suzuki customer service department a call and giving them your VIN to ensure you don’t own one of the bikes affected.
Last week Suzuki put out a post on their official motorcycle Instagram stating that a “superior way to ride” will be coming soon. The caption stated: “The world is getting smarter, and so is your two wheeler! Get ready for a new, smart way to ride with #SuzukiIndia.”
With the very obvious hint towards a “smarter” ride and the image attached looked like a display of some sort, we can safely assume their small-displacement motorcycles will be perhaps featuring a new smart display or something along those lines. The post was hashtagged #SuzukiIndia – and we all know India loves their small-displacement motorcycles.
Fast-forward a few days later, they continued the teaser show by releasing a video on their Instagram. The video doesn’t have any information to offer other than flashy text overlay on the video stating “Introducing a technology that lets you stay in charge. stay tuned!”. Hmmmmm, thanks, Suzuki… You’re really going out of your way to make my job easy.
Again, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume this has something to do with either smartphone connectivity to their smaller bikes, or a new display giving you more information than before, or both.
In order to put out a new display, you obviously need a new motorcycle to present it on. I think we can safely assume that this new display and “technology that lets you stay in charge” (…) will be featured on a new bike. Friends over at rideapart.com speculate that they may be coming out with a slightly larger 250cc version of the bikes, so we’ll play it by ear.
Suzuki has its 100-year anniversary coming up. The motorcycle company has a limited edition GSX-R1000R that it has created for the occasion.
Only 100 of the limited-production machine will be made and the price for one of these will be £16,999 ($22,000 USD). The bike comes with a retro-inspired livery that is featured on the GSX-RR MotoGP bike. This means you get a blue slate silver color scheme that pays homage to Suzuki’s racing motorcycles.
Otherwise, the motorcycle has the same variable valve timing system and the suite of electronics that the GSX-RR has. That includes 10 traction control settings, a quick-shifter, auto-blipper, launch control, and lean-angle-sensitive ABS.
The bike has a four-stroke 100cc engine that makes 199 hp and 86.7 lb-ft of torque. It weighs 488 lbs (203 kg). It can do a 0-60 mph sprint in just three seconds.
“With just 100 of these bikes available in the UK this is a unique opportunity to own and be a part of Suzuki history. The GSX-R range, and the 1000 in particular, has long been the flagship range of sportsbikes with an illustrious history both on-road and on the race track. To mark 100 years of our Suzuki company it was only fitting to adopt the retro-inspired livery of bikes that have achieved and contributed so much to our history,” said Suzuki GB’s head of motorcycles, Jonathan Martin.
It’s fantastic to see Suzuki celebrating its 100-year anniversary with a special bike like this. The motorcycle is a special machine and anyone who’s a GSX-R fan or a sportbike fan, in general, should be pretty excited about this machine. It will be on sale in the UK next month.
Suzuki Motorcycle Australia has slashed $3000 off the price of its revived Katana and introduced two value accessory packs to help the model which has failed to make a showroom impact.
While it’s a great bike to ride, the styling has divided opinions and the bike has failed to live up to its exhilarating forebears.
To further boost interest, Suzuki has added two value cosmetic accessory packs.
The $1499 Shogun Pack brings the ride away price up to $17,749. It consists of: Two-tone seat, smoked visor, front and rear axle sliders, body decals and carbon fibre front fender, clutch cover, starter cover and alternator cover.
The $595 Samurai Pack lifts the price to $16,845 and includes: Two-tone seat, smoked visor, carbon-design tank pad and side protection decals, plus body and rim decals.
You can “build your own” Katana on the official website and clicking on the ‘Build Your Bike’ feature.
Is the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT the Goldilocks of sport adventure tourers? You know, not too cold and not too hot, but just right on value, features, performance, handling, and comfort.
It’s been around since 2002 as the DL1000 and now the proven and bulletproof engine has been upgraded to Euro 5 spec with fly-by-wire throttle, more power, and more techno.
They include cruise, hill hold, slope and load-dependent braking, ride modes, traction control, leaning two-stage ABS and LED lighting.
The only thing missing is self-canceling indicators.
Otherwise, I reckon the flagship XT model is an ideal bike for touring our wide brown land in safety, comfort and style.
In fact, I reckon it’s the most stylish of all the sport adventure tourers, especially in the “Marlboro” colour scheme of my test bike. It looks like a handsome Dakar attacker!
The smooth ride-by-wire throttle and upgraded Bosch inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the XT allow for the host of hi-tech functions that make sport-touring safer and more effective on just about any road surface.
However, even the first level of ABS and traction control are still a little too interventionist on dirt roads. I’d prefer a bit more brake lock and wheel spin for tighter and more controlled cornering on gravel. It would be also handy to have the ability to switch off the ABS on the back only.
Otherwise, on gravel, it’s probably best to just switch off both traction and ABS.
The front brakes are very effective and responsive but probably with a little too much initial bite for gravel roads, while the rear brake has good feel and effect.
The XT’s braking system also features Hill Hold, Slope Dependent, and Load Dependent controls.
Hill hold automatically applies the rear brake when stopped on an upward slope to prevent it from rolling back; Slope Dependent control monitors the angle of the bike on a downhill slope to prevent rear wheel lift; and Load Dependent system automatically compensates for solo riding, two-up and luggage.
Other tech features include Low RPM assist which adds some revs so you don’t snuff it when taking off at the lights and the Easy Start one-button ignition/kill switch.
At the heart of the 1050XT is the creamy mid-torque feel of the 1037cc V-twin engine that now comes with three engine modes to smooth out throttle response for low-traction surfaces.
Transmission is like most Japanese gearboxes: silky smooth, faultless, and easy to find neutral.
While the drivetrain won’t set your hair on fire, acceleration is brisk and response is crisp. Goldilocks would find it just right.
So is the handling.
Factory settings closely suit my 75kg frame. I just needed to wind off a bit of rear preload with the convenient knob on the left side of the bike.
Heavier and lighter riders should be able to adjust the rear preload and fiddle with the fully adjustable 43mm KYB inverted front forks to find a setting that would even suit Goldilocks!
Its long-travel springs provide a plush and comfortable ride across the roughest country roads. Yet it still feels agile and sharp for an adventure tourer with a big 19-inch front wheel.
Suzuki’s big V-Strom feels just right for most roads, inviting you to travel far and wide and to facilitate your travels it arrives with a choice of two luggage accessories kits.
The Voyager pack features aluminium panniers and top box in powder-coated black ($3599) and anodised silver ($3699).
The Trekker Pack ($6199 in black and $6299 in silver) includes Suzuki plug-and-play heated grips, LED fog lamps, and a 4mm aluminium skid plate.
Pillions will enjoy the generous-sized seat and large hand grips.
However, some riders might find their seat too short and may even get pinched on the backside by the join with the separate pillion seat.
I found it very comfortable sitting forward on the seat which narrows as it approaches the tank.
This not only makes it ideal when standing for off-road riding, but also easier to get your feet on the ground despite the high 850mm perch. I’m just over 6’ tall and can place both feet flat on the ground with a slight knee bend.
I like the standing position, but I would roll the bars forward just a fraction and I’d prefer the big rubber-covered footpegs a little further forward. The pegs also get in the way when you stop and put your foot down.
The firm vinyl seat feels comfortable at first but it does get tiring toward the end of a long day in the saddle.
While the adjustable windscreen provides plenty of chest protection, it creates a lot of wind turbulence around your head in either the low or high position. I’d either remove it or add a deflector accessory on the top.
It’s also annoying that you have to get off the bike to adjust the screen with the handle on the front.
(A word of warning: When following a truck, the windscreen creates a bit of weave at highway speed.)
Making your touring more comfortable and convenient is the cruise control with the on/off switch next to the throttle and the setting controls on the left switchblock. You can set speeds in fourth gear and above between 50 and 160km/h.
These same controls also allow you to toggle through the reams of information and adjustment on the massive LCD screen.
While the screen is visible in all lighting conditions, some of the information in the bottom right hand corner is small and difficult to read.
Good to see the addition of a USB port to the left of the instruments, making it even more convenient for Goldilock’s next big adventure.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT
Price:
$20,990 ride away
Engine
1037cc 90° V-twin, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Transmission
6-Speed constant mesh with back-torque-limiting clutch
Suspension (front)
43mm KYB inverted forks with adjustable compression, rebound and spring preload
Suspension (rear)
Link type, KYB shock with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload
