GSX-8S test ride

[Seeker]

I've owned my XSR700 for a little over a year and I'm still struggling with it. The bike isn't bad - good brakes, good gearbox, good performance and, ridden slowly, incredibly frugal (85mpg last tank). The suspension is a weak point and, truthfully, was awful but it's been K-Tech'd front and rear which helped but I still only consider it adequate (for comfort). It's a light bike and I wonder if that might be why it's not as comfortable as I'd hoped. It does handle well and I feel I can push it harder in corners than my SV.
However, coming to a stop is awkward because the footrests are positioned exactly where I want to plant my leg. With every bike I've owned my leg has gone in front of the pegs but on the Yam it has to go behind which requires a mantra from me to remind myself each time. If you're normal height this probably isn't an issue (I'm 5'6).
Placing my leg behind the pegs mean my boot catches the stand lever (I cut it off) and I also snag the cornering feelers (I removed them).

I begain to notice that each time I was planning a ride and unsure which bike to take, I'd default to the SV.


So, to the GSX-8S. I like my dealer, I like the people, the mechanics do good work and the dealership keeps winning awards. Last time I was there he offered a test ride on the GSX but I deferred because my SV is coming up for a service and I'd try it then - no urgency on my part. Then the weather turned nice, my SV service isn't till the month's end so I asked them for a demo today.


No doubt about it, the GSX is an acquired taste. I like it from some angles but from others, yikes! I moved the bars to be able to get on and it is heavy - heavier than my XSR maybe slightly more than my SV. I hopped on and rode 50 ft to the main road put my foot down and YES!!! My leg goes down without interference in front of the pegs, totally natural (+1 for the GSX). The colour display dash has a lot going on speed (duh), revs, engine temp (in degrees), fuel level, gear indicator, battery voltage, clock, odometer - all in various colours which reverses at night (optional), plus traction control and engine mode (?) - it was on A so I switched it to B which you can do on the fly.
The bike picked up speed cleanly and I short shifted up through the gears - effortlessly staying ahead of traffic. The gear shift was a little notchier than usual Suzukis but the bike had only done 485 miles and I don't know if the quickshifter was interfering mechanically. It wasn't bad just not as good as my SV nor the XSR (but better than my Z900RS was).


The bike has a lot of torque and pulls strongly at low speed, it felt like an SV but with 25% more torque. It didn't need to be revved which was good because vibrations set in at 5500 and got very noticable on (right side) foot rest at 6000. Odd since it has 2 balance shafts - but a youtube tester commented the same thing so it wasn't just this bike.
The suspension has no adjustments other than rear preload. I have no real gripes with my Gen 3 SV's suspension and this was the same. I took it down an extremely rough road which I normally avoid and it got a bit bent out of shape but every bike (including the K-Tech'd XSR) has also protested at this cart track of a road surface. On most surfaces it was fine.
I did try the quickshifter and it worked but I like changing gear so didn't bother after that.
I was surprised how little wind blast there was - the dash is a big rectangular lump - maybe that was acting as a partial screen?
Overall, it was an enjoyable bike to ride - I don't ride fast and the torque of this bike allows for lazy progress along the back roads. I did open it up to overtake a few cars on the Lincoln eastern bypass and it accelerated hard, albeit with vibration at 6k - I didn't go past 6k (didn't need to).
The brakes were good, much better than a stock SV but not as good as the XSR. My XSR has a ASV lever which allows me more mechanical advantage whereas the GSX lever was a bit too far away for my taste.


So, in conclusion - no surprises to learn that I have placed an order for a black GSX-8S which should be here by the end of the month. He had 2 blue ones in stock but I'm not keen on the new (pastel?) blue that Suzuki are using. Initially I'd considered a white one but my SV is white/blue and my (traded) XSR is white/blue so time for a change.

[admin]

Interesting. My Transalp has foot pegs in exactly the wrong place so I'm constantly catching the inside of my calves. I'm 5'11" so my long legs can deal with this.
I'm not convinced that 270° twins feel anything like a 90° V twin. The Transalp is nowhere near as smooth as an SV even with balance shafts.


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[Seeker]

Originally Posted by admin

Interesting. My Transalp has foot pegs in exactly the wrong place so I'm constantly catching the inside of my calves. I'm 5'11" so my long legs can deal with this.

For me, being vertically challenged, it was annoying but nerve wracking too when I forgot - when coming to a stop I would start the bike to lean slightly and expect my leg to be there to support it, only it was now scrabbling trying to find its position. I thought I'd adapt but never did, switching back and forth between the Yam and the SV didn't help.

Originally Posted by admin

I'm not convinced that 270° twins feel anything like a 90° V twin. The Transalp is nowhere near as smooth as an SV even with balance shafts.

Me neither. The Honda dual balance shaft system is supposed to better than Suzuki's. I forget which way round it is - one of them has the shafts stacked 180° above each other, whilst the other manufacturer has one balance shaft "leading" the other, ie not in line.
The XSR only has one balance shaft and vibrates less than the GSX (but more than the SV).

[Craig380]

Very interesting, thanks for that, S. I'll be tuned in for your longer-term ownership reports (and of course, to see how you graft on your patented extended front mudguard)!

I had a good nose around a blue one at a caff recently and I think they look really good in the metal. Interesting that you mention there's little wind-blast, perhaps all the frontal plastics are diverting a lot of it around you.

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by Craig380

...and of course, to see how you graft on your patented extended front mudguard!

It's going to be a challenge

I wonder why Suzuki have gone back to coolant temp in degrees C. The Yam is the same and I was surprised how much it varies. Someone on the XSR forum asked so I put up the display (not normally shown) and it's about 85°C cruising at 60mph but 105°C in heavy traffic.

[admin]

Originally Posted by Seeker

It's going to be a challenge

I wonder why Suzuki have gone back to coolant temp in degrees C. The Yam is the same and I was surprised how much it varies. Someone on the XSR forum asked so I put up the display (not normally shown) and it's about 85°C cruising at 60mph but 105°C in heavy traffic.

Temp sounds very similar to the Transalp and my VFR

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[Craig380]

I suppose it's the same as the Gen 2 SVs. SV newbies used to always ask why the temperature cycles up & down and whether it was normal.

I've got quite used to the Gen 3 temp readout which is always on 3 bars when the bike's warmed up, no matter what the conditions

[Seeker]

Swiss certification papers imply that a fully faired GSX-8R is coming next year. Same engine/power.

[admin]

Originally Posted by Seeker

Swiss certification papers imply that a fully faired GSX-8R is coming next year. Same engine/power.

That makes sense. A rival for the Yamaha R7.

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[Seeker]

It's first service time on the GSX - 600 miles reached. What have I learned?
As I mentioned it is heavier than an SV - by about 5 kg (I would have guessed more). It feels remarkably stable and less affected by crosswinds than my previous bikes. The gearbox simply isn't (yet?) as good as my SV although I think it's improving (imagination? possibly), up shifts are good but it prefers them to be quick (whereas the SV doesn't care), downshifts 6-5, 5-4 ok, 4-3 clunky and 3-2 similar.

I think part of this might be the fact it's ride-by-wire, a fact I was unaware of when I bought it. The way Suzuki have it set up is that initial throttle response is soft so to get a good engine "blip" you need to perform an exaggerated wrist movement. I also have a sneaking feeling that it varies depending what gear you're in (lower gears need more throttle twisting), I haven't got around to investigating that yet.

Mechanically it is noisy when cold and (with earplugs in) sounds awful to my ears at 3500 rpm - I can't decide if it sounds like something is starved of oil or the onset of piston slap - I don't like it. I negotiate local streets keeping the revs below 3500 for a couple of miles which is fairly easy. The noise goes when the engine (oil) is warm and it might be my earplugs emphasizing the frequency. I will mention it to the dealer.

Weather protection for the bike is pitiful - it hasn't been in the rain but has been on intermittently wet roads and it looked like I'd forded a river. I have now got a Pyramid fender extender but they have lost their minds too - the extender tapers down so it is narrower than the tyre at its lowest point. Yes, I've glued on a mudflap although it is much smaller than "the World's Largest Mudflap™ " I have on the SV. I have also added a Powerbronze hugger and an MRA flyscreen, the latter tidying up the looks of the front end (imho).

Naturally I've polished the headers but the engine runs too hot for them to stay polished and they yellow after 1 ride.

The bike's seat is hard yet doesn't seem to cause any discomfort and overall the bike is comfortable for someone of my reduced stature although the longest trip I've done was only 70 miles.

I have just started doing an occasional run up to 6000rpm (my rev counter is set to flash at that point) and I didn't notice the intrusive vibration that the demo bike had - or I got the revs wrong on that ride.
Fuel economy? Not as good as the SV - running in isn't the best time to check it (but I did it anyway) and I've had a couple of 73mpg and one 70 mpg. I regularly get 80 mpg out of the SV.
When starting with a cold engine and it's making water vapour - it carefully sprays it over the swing arm because Suzuki didn't angle the exhaust outlet enough - the swing arm is alloy so I suppose it won't rust

This is the only bike I've owned that I might consider an after market slip on exhaust (if available and/or possible), it is very, very quiet. Akrapovic make a full system but at an eye-watering price and I doubt I'd consider that.

Handling - I don't generally ride very quickly but I feel more confident cornering on this bike it seems to stick to whichever line you've picked. The XSR was ok on a smooth corner but didn't like bumpy ones and I'd say my SV is somewhere between the two.

I am not a fan of slip and assist clutches -I think they're an unnecessary complication and frequently seem to do "odd" things. I'm glad I experienced one on the Z900RS otherwise I'd be shouting warranty. In certain rev/speed combinations usually when downshifting the clutch lever, in its last 2 inches of travel, comes back to the bar with a click and with the feeling that the cable has snapped. The Kawasaki did the same.

Incidentally - there is no GSX-8S forum although there may be a sub-reddit. but I'm not a member of reddit. Either it's too new or (gasp) unpopular - the dealer says they are selling well (but he would say that).

Overall, I like it and have no regrets in getting rid of the Yam but, I still think the SV is better...