LONG TERMER: Suzuki GSX-8S

Stuart Baker gives his final thoughts on the GSX before it goes back…

It’s time to bid a fond farewell to the fabulous Suzuki GSX-8S – a bike which proved to be far more than the sum of its parts on the spec sheet.

A budget 776cc parallel twin didn’t exactly get me excited, so my expectations were low when I collected the 8S. But that was soon to change. The first thing that struck me was how cool the bike looked. Colour-matched wheels, all sharp angles and funky aggression; it certainly didn’t look like a budget commuter bike.

I’ve never been a fan of parallel twins; they’re usually associated with pretty dull bikes and they usually sound flat and plodding, but the clever engine design on the 8S means it feels more like a V-twin than a parallel twin. In a first for production motorcycles, the 776cc, DOHC, 270-degree crank, parallel twin engine has twin balancer shafts, positioned at 90 degrees to the crankshaft (parallel twins usually have a single balancer shaft), and the result is a super-smooth engine, with most of the primary and secondary vibrations cancelled out.

Handling is superb, too. The bike is light (169kg dry); the chassis is well balanced; the brakes are great; and the suspension is just the right side of firm on smooth A roads, although it does kick your backside on bumpier B roads.

In fact, the 8S handles so well that, when I took it to Suzuki Live at Cadwell Park, top riders like Steve Parrish, John Reynolds and Taylor Mackenzie all admitted to having more fun on the little Suzuki than on any other bike they rode that day. It had just the right balance of weight and power to be an absolute hoot, especially on a tight and twisty track like Cadwell Park.

But the 8S is no one-trick pony. By fitting an official Suzuki soft side case set (£315 plus £57.43 for mounting brackets), and a small tank bag (£104 plus £36.68 for tank ring) I turned the sporty little GSX into a perfectly competent tourer and headed for Scotland. Apart from wind blast on extended motorway runs, I was perfectly comfortable doing some serious miles on the bike, and it seemed just as happy doing them.

Reliability has been superb, too. The only problem I suffered with the bike all year was in getting a puncture, but that was hardly the bike’s fault and, when I replaced the original Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tyres with Bridgestone’s new Battlax T32 Sport Touring tyres, the wider footprint and heavier treads gave me even more confidence as winter set it.

I’ve spent a year looking for faults on the 8S but never did find a significant one. It really is one of the most fun bikes I’ve ever ridden and, despite its budget price, it proved itself capable of track work, touring, and everyday riding – something I would never have expected from just looking at the figures on the spec sheet. So, don’t believe the numbers and don’t be a power snob like me! Book a test ride before judging this little gem of a motorcycle. I guarantee you’ll be surprised.

Stuart Barker / 3282 miles / £7999 / www.bikes.suzuki.co.uk