AS is the way in the modern world (love it or hate it), the crossplane parallel twin is king, and nakeds morph into sports bikes not long after they are launched. That seems to be happening again next year, as the Suzuki GSX-8R is noted in homologation documents uncovered by the press.
There aren’t masses of specs to go by, but there are some juicy enough nuggets of info to keep you interested, at least until we set eyes on the bike - likely to be at the EICMA show in Milan in a couple of months time.
The document suggests that this is a straight-up conversion from the Suzuki GSX-8S, with the same frame, engine, suspension and brakes. It’s a sensible move, and as we’ve seen with bikes like the Yamaha R7 (from the MT-07) and Aprilia RS660 (which became the Tuono 660), there’s no reason why the formula can’t work.
It’s not totally the same, though, and, with the added fairing and mounting brackets, the GSX-8R is noted as weighing 3kg more than the naked machine, at 205kg ready to ride. The wheelbase of the bike is exactly as found on the naked, although the quoted height is taller (1,135mm) and the bike is 5mm narrower thanks to the clip-ons replacing the standard flat bars.
The engine of the bike seems to be the same spec as the GSX-8S, with a quoted power output of 83bhp and torque of 57.5lb ft. There are likely to be some tweaks to the final package though, and we’d expect Suzuki to fettle the mapping and possibly change the gearing for this more track-oriented bike.
What does the Suzuki GSX-8R mean for the sports bike market?
The new model would launch Suzuki into the modern twin-cylinder supersport class, along with the RS660 and R7. It’s not going to be the class leader in the range, that gong belongs to the Aprilia thanks to its higher output and extensive electronics suite. It would, though, trump the little R7 on a number of fronts, and may push Yamaha into updating that model to prevent them from losing ground in this burgeoning sector.
The GSX-8R could also be a viable option in the supertwin class of racing (which is established in road racing and will be coming to BSB in the form of the National Sportbike Championship in 2024) and, while Suzuki has (in an official capacity at least) generally stepped away from two-wheeled motorsports, some privateer racers may appreciate the bike’s sweet chassis and punchy engine.
Suzuki GSX-8S vs Yamaha MT-07 Head-to-Head
This is an updated page originally published in June 2023, the original page can be viewed below:
LAUNCHED at the tail end of last year, the Suzuki GSX-8S and Suzuki V-Strom 800DE became the first all-new models from Suzuki for quite some time, and they heralded a new engine platform and chassis from the Japanese brand.
Now though, the focus has shifted from the middleweight naked, and all eyes are looking at what Suzuki could do with the parallel-twin platform from here. With its naked bike, many are pointing to a possible new sports bike from Suzuki in the not-too-distant future, with the famously well-connected Young Machine hinting that it’s this bike they expect to see making an appearance next. That rumour struck a nerve with motorcycle designer and YouTuber Mich Superbikes, who set about creating his own rendition of a fully-faired machine based on the GSX-8S, something that could, should it happen, become a GSX-8R - see video below.
It would be an interesting move for Suzuki, which recently slashed the iconic GSX-R1000 from its range and signalled its withdrawal from motorsport in an official capacity. Now as you look at the Suzuki UK website just the Haybusa and GSX-R125 could be definitively referred to as ‘sports bikes’, flanked by the retro Katana and sports touring GSX-S1000GT. A GSX-8R could help add some depth to the range, as well as fill the hole left by the much-loved (and missed) SV650 sports bike.
If Suzuki is indeed working on a GSX-8R, it’d slot into a neat place in the motorcycle world, likely shortly joined by the much-talked-about Yamaha R9 that is reportedly being worked on. The big question around the GSX-8R though, is if the Japanese brand has the money and the inclination to develop and release it.
2023 Suzuki GSX-8S Review
