First Ride: Suzuki GSX-S1000GX

We’ve just had a couple of days to put Suzuki’s new tall-rounder through its paces. The £14,499 bike’s a big deal for the factory, bringing together its much-loved GSX-R1000 motor and its first automatic adjustable suspension system. Here’s editor Ross’s thoughts!

Suzuki’s been really busy of late; probably busier than it’s been in years, creating an ever-growing range of desirable and downright usable bikes that have big appeal to bikers far and wide – and the newly-released GX looks to be poised to keep the good times going.

Based on the GSX-S1000, and subsequently the GSX-S1000GT, the new GX is all about delivering superbike-derived levels of performance in a tall-rounder, sport-touring package. That sounds like a winner to us.

While it shares plenty with the GT, the new model comes kitted out with the Suzuki Advanced Electronic Suspension. That’s right. The GX comes kitted out with the firm’s first electronic suspension system – as well the new Suzuki Road Adaptive Stabilisation and Suzuki Floating Ride Control System. That alone is enough to make it worth a look, never mind the Brembo brakes, Showa springs and masses more technological trickery. But how does it go on the road?

I had high expectations for this bike, and by the time we stopped for lunch on the first day, I was fairly underwhelmed. We’d not really had a chance to open it up and stretch its legs, and although it proved itself quietly capable, I had little to write home about. Thankfully, an uninterrupted stretch of twisties on the run back to the hotel presented the perfect opportunity to get a real feel for what the bike’s about. It comes alive when it’s ridden hard.

It’s a comfortable place to be. It’s not quite as big or as roomy as I expected, but with the bars 38mm higher and 43mm closer than the GT, and the seat 15mm higher, it feels good (there is an optional low seat, too). That said, some taller riders have reported aches from the seat and pegs being a little too close together. The three-step adjustable screen does a decent job of keeping the wind at bay even at motorway speeds, and the handguards will no doubt be a welcome addition when we get to ride it back in Blighty.

Its road-tuned, tried and tested 152bhp GSX-R1000 engine is the centrepiece – and it’s a lovely thing, being tractable, flexible and super-smooth with more than enough poke. It comes alive higher up the revs, as proved by our spirited ride back to our digs for the night. There is a reason Suzuki’s been using this powerplant for so long – and with 180,000 of them produced over the years, it’s no surprise they’ve got it set just so.

There’s a swathe of electronics fitted to the GX as standard. The big news is that it’s the first Suzuki with electronic suspension, which is capable of automatically adjusting to your riding style, the road conditions and the weight it’s carrying. It’s essentially a sky-hook style system, which automatically adjusts the damping to better absorb lumps and bumps in the road. It works with the Suzuki Road Adaptive Stabilisation, which detects the road surface and adjusts the suspension and throttle response to suit. Another nice touch is the Suzuki Decelaration Damping Control. It smoothes out the suspension under hard braking.

The drive mode selector also integrates the systems into three riding modes (Active, Basic and Comfort), adjusting the damping to suit. You can also choose to dial in the traction control settings and throttle response, which means there’s a load of different ways to get the bike just right.

In truth, it’s going to be difficult to really get under the skin of all the tech in such a short space of time, but from what we’ve experienced so far, it’s super-capable. It’s slightly let down by it’s somewhat dated dash, but at least it’s clear and easy to navigate.

The Brembo stoppers are capable of hauling the bike up in a hurry, with enough feel to feather and shave off speed when the turn unexpectedly tightens up. They’re not sensational, but they work well. I’d argue the Dunlop Roadsmart 2 tyres feel like a bit of a weak link. They’re not bad, but they could be better…

It is a versatile machine though, and we’ve taken it all over – from rough little lanes to wide-open motorways via sections of fast, flowing twisties. While it’s most at home making swifter progress, it is surprisingly capable of remaining poised on less than favourable Tarmac (thanks in part to that properly sophisticated suspension system).