2015 Suzuki GSX-S1000 Test Ride Review

Suzuki GSX-S1000 Review

Bike Tested: 2015 Suzuki GSX-S1000; Road Test No. 635

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 14,50,000/-

The street naked GSX-S1000 is first of its kind from Suzuki with the iconic K5 unit at its heart

When I first thought of test riding the Suzuki GSX-S1000, all I could ever think was how fast could it be. I mean after Suzuki placed its legendary K5 GSX-R1000’s engine into a naked sports bike, a lot of questions have been raised regarding how the front wheel of the bike manages to even stay on the tarmac. For those who are wondering what’s so special about the K5 engine, it’s one of the most iconic and performance based engine made by Suzuki in 2005 with sheer power and torque and was offered in the GSX-R1000, which made it the best available motorcycle back then.

Suzuki has now officially entered in the naked superbike category by launching the GSX-S1000 which offers the iconic K5 engine at its heart. With 144 PS of power, superior ergonomics and handling, the GSX-S1000 is one of the most amazing bikes to ride on the streets.

Styling – Before we get into how it really looks, I’d like to make a point regarding the presence of a motorcycle. The Suzuki GSX-S1000 was parked in a public parking among all other smaller segment commuter motorcycles with more and more people pouring in, parking their own vehicles and going to work. There wasn’t one person who stopped and glanced at the bike for even a second. I took it out and parked in the open, making the front more visible. I was putting on my gear and the next thing I notice is people drooling and clicking photographs of the bike.

Suzuki’s iconic shiny blue paint scheme definitely catches a lot of attention

My point is that Suzuki GSX-S1000 is a street naked motorcycle without any bulky fairings, hence grabbing people’s attention by overly exposed engine components may not be its forte. The rear looks of the S1000 are minimalistic with just a fat tyre signifying that it’s ‘some’ higher capacity motorcycle, the reason behind people’s lack of attention when it was parked in a crowded motorcycle parking. The rear end is sharp, gets a LED tail light along with a bulky fender and that’s about it.

Where the Suzuki GSX-S1000 manages to grab attention is from its front looks. The headlight housing gives a feel of a bee-head and is placed really low, exposing the muscular wide tank area. The front looks mean and sharp with golden forks giving a classy feel. The chassis is exposed with the K5 engine followed by an aluminium exhaust canister that not only sounds good but is nicely finished as well. All in all, Suzuki has done a decent job in styling the GSX-S1000. It looks neither too wild like the KTM 1290 Super Duke, nor does it look too simple if we’re considering the BMW S1000R. It somewhat competes with the Honda CB1000R in terms of styling.

Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The all-digital instrument cluster on the Suzuki GSX-S1000 is compact but easy to read even in broad daylight. The screen is small and displays the important information enlarged and highlighted. The speedometer, tachometer and gear indicator are fairly easy to read at a single glance even at 140 km/hr. Moreover, the cluster also gives other important information such as the engine temperature, distance range, traction control level, fuel gauge, time and odometer.

Apart from the digital screen, the cluster also has indicators for traction control, check engine, ABS, high/low beam and turn indicators. The switchgear on the handlebar is quite easy to understand and adapt. Since there is just the traction control to play with, Suzuki didn’t really give much buttons apart from a rocker to toggle different levels of the traction control on the GSX-S1000’s handlebar and kept it simple. The right side of the handlebar switchgear consists of just an engine kill, hazard indicator and an ignition switch. The buttons are not really of top quality but do the job just fine.

Ergonomics – The GSX-S1000 is Suzuki’s first naked superbike so they put in a lot of R&D in its development. The moment I got on the bike, it was hard to believe that the thing weighs more than 200 kgs. The seat is roomy and comfortable to cruise around for hours and with an upright seating position, it’s really hard to get tired on this thing. Stop and go traffic is something that the GSX-S1000 invites head on. The rear view mirrors are placed perfectly and give no complaints at all. There is wind blast above 120 km/hr, but well it’s a naked superbike so complaining about this would literally make me question my own morals.

Performance – This is my favourite part hands down. What lies in the core of the Suzuki GSX-S1000 is an inline-four 999cc, four-stroke engine, capable of producing 144 PS at 10,000 RPM and 105.75 Nm of torque at 9500 RPM. The engine has been taken from the 2005-2008 versions of the Suzuki GSX-R1000, detuned for city riding while being capable of producing scary amount of power all the time at the rear wheel. It was the traction control that saved my life 99.99% percent of the time I was riding it. I’d like to put the startup time in the remaining 0.01%.

With so much power, the front wheel lifts up after 6000 RPM in the initial gears

The engine on the GSX-S1000 might not be as scary as on a KTM 1290 Super Duke but surely impresses you at the top-end power range. It has got decent low-end torque till 4000 RPM, post which I thought that ‘this is all the power and grunt it has got’. But as soon as I hit the 8000 RPM line and went past that, it was very hard for me to not swear under the helmet. The traction control light keeps on blipping, telling you it’s doing its job, preventing the front wheel to lift again and again. The K5 engine being the USP of the Suzuki GSX-S1000 does its job perfectly and is ready to thrill at just a twist of the throttle.

The engine of GSX-S1000 has been detuned fairly to make it rideable in the city. It still manages to hit 100 km/hr from a standstill in just 3.3 seconds and hits a top speed of nearly 242 km/hr. The low-end torque kicks in on the right time when overtaking in traffic while the top-end power makes this bike fall in the hooligan category of mine. Cruising can be done without any hassle. The engine performs smoothly without any vibrations at any RPM range. For once I did think that engine heat might be a problem in the Suzuki but the GSX-S1000 continues to impress in that department as well. The fan kicks in as soon as the temperature gauge reaches half and stays there.

Riding Dynamics – Thanks to the new lighter aluminium chassis and frame, the Suzuki GSX-S1000 feels really light and nimble in the corners. The Renthal handlebar feels stable even at speeds as high as 170 km/hr. I did encounter a sore neck after riding above 100 km/hr for long due to the wind blast. The bike has an average fuel efficiency of nearly 15 km/l and a big fuel tank capable of carrying 17 litres of fuel on long tours. Changing directions is what impressed me the most on the GSX-S1000. Shifting from one direction to another didn’t take any effort at all and the bike went where I wanted it to go. The Dunlop radial tyres also gave immense feedback on the streets. Though I would upgrade to a softer compound tyre for track use.

The Suzuki GSX-S1000 is one agile and fun bike to ride in the city all day long

The seat on Suzuki GSX-S1000 is roomy and offers the rider a lot of space. The comfort level on this motorbike is by far one of the best for Indian conditions. Though, I did feel that the rear suspension is a bit stiff for un-expected potholes, the adjustable front suspension felt accurate and appropriate. Even though it was 32 degrees centigrade and I was stopped at a traffic signal, the Suzuki never threw any heat waves on my thighs and kept the temperature of the inline-four engine at an optimum level.

Suzuki made the GSX-S1000 an almost perfect bike but there are certain negatives that come with it too. The throttle transitions on the bike have not been looked into thoroughly and are very disturbing when riding either at constant speed or when leaned into a corner. Just a little twist of the throttle in any gear and the bike gives you a rough acceleration jerk, which I found extremely annoying when leaning in and maintaining a constant pace. Besides that, the four-piston front Brembo brakes gave amazing feedback at speeds lower than 100 km/hr. As I braked hard at 160 km/hr, I didn’t quite get that appropriate bite I was hoping for. Suzuki does need to look into the throttle response a bit seriously as that intervenes with what is otherwise a fantastic riding experience.

Verdict – Suzuki might have made the GSX-S1000 for the streets and daily commuting purposes but I strongly feel that it will not disappoint on the highways in any way as well. The ergonomics of the bike make it very comfortable and fun to ride in the streets and the iconic K5 engine acts as a cherry on the top. Suzuki made it one of the best sounding Japanese bikes, capable of turning heads as the butterfly valves open up after 4000 RPM and the GSX-S1000 starts coming into its dominating character. Like its rivals, this Suzuki too comes via the CBU route so pricing is on the higher side but so are the thrills.

Suzuki made a next to perfect street tool as their first ever proper naked superbike, fulfilling demands of all types of customers, a screamer engine that is so powerful and capable enough to thrill you every time you ride it and a perfect commuter for all day long rides without any hassle.

What’s Cool

* Well refined vibe-free engine
* Top-end power
* One of the most comfortable street naked bikes
* Growling sound

What’s Not So Cool

* Jerky throttle transitions
* Front brake feel
* Rear looks are overly simple

Alternatives: Triumph Speed Triple, Honda CB1000R, BMW S1000R, KTM 1290 Super Duke

Suzuki GSX-S1000 Specifications

* Engine: 999cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, inline-four, DOHC
* Power: 144 PS @ 10,000 RPM
* Torque: 105.75 Nm @ 9500 RPM
* Transmission: 6-Speed
* 0-100 km/hr: 3.30 seconds
* Top Speed: 241.4 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 14-18 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Frame: Twin-Spar Aluminium Frame
* Suspension: Adjustable Inverted Telescopic Forks (Front), Link type mono suspension (Rear)
* Tyres: 120/70/ZR17 (Front), 190/50/17 (Rear), Dunlop Radials
* Brakes: 310 mm Twin Disc with radially mounted Brembo callipers (Front), Single Disc (Rear), ABS

Suzuki GSX-S1000 Dimensions

* Length x Width x Height: 2115 mm x 795 mm x 1080 mm
* Wheelbase: 1460 mm
* Ground Clearance: 140 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 17-litres
* Kerb Weight: 207 kgs

Picture Editing: Sri Manikanta Achanta