Few things I'll add as an owner of a GSX-8R. A. They do sell factory heated grips to add I think $449.95 for the parts from Suzuki. B. The OE seat would be fine for me personally for a 3 hours ride. I've rode ~1hr rides and don't even think about the seat. C. Cruise control would be amazing and could easily be added if Suzuki wanted to add a kit for it or a ECU update for the modes/arrow selectors. D. They do sell a Suzuki OE taller "touring" windscreen for $149.95. E. There are mounts under the back seat for strapping down gear. Also Suzuki sells some soft saddle bags and brackets along with a large and small tank bag. F. Fuel econ for my first tank most in town stop and go 45-55mph was 48.6mpg. so hypothetically that's 179miles. So it's fair to play it safe at 150miles of safe range. G. Intak, exhaust, tune picks up about 12hp and has great gains across the entire powerband. Lastly... I love the bike and it was the perfect choice for me. OTD was $10,900 with all delivery, taxes, reg, fees here in Arizona. Feel free to ask questions as a reply.
How does it handle cruising 80-90mph? I have family on the other side of the state I live in & the shadow 750 I have doesn't like going over 75 very much. This bike is on the list of ones I'm interested in.
If you don't mind me asking what other bikes have you owned? I'm curious if this bike still has enough wind protection to be better than a naked bike like a MT07/MT09. After seeing it in person it definitely looks smaller than I thought but it definitely seems like a good everyday motorcycle with a dash of sport. 2 Wheel Dynoworks was already able to get a good amount of power out of it with the intake/exhaust/tune and it's kinda tempting to get one for everyday riding even though it's not quite 110+hp the torque looks good.
Love the 8R in the yellow! what color did you go with? I have a 23 Vstrom 800De in the Yellow/Blue. Just got a full Arrow Exhaust, Stage 2 AB mod and tune. Even for a bigger adv it hauls, I had an MT09 before this and I am still impressed with the Vstrom. 87HP/65FTlbs at the wheels now. I bought a Kaoko throttle lock for my cruise control itch which works just fine. The OEM heated grips are fantastic although a little pricey. The Stock Vstrom Seat is the nicest so far I've sat on.
In early 1985 when I was still in the USAF I rode a Honda Interceptor VF700F from Rantoul Illinois to Houston Texas with about 200 pounds of gear strapped on it. Snow blowing in heavy wind when I left and over 70F when I arrived. My first long distance ride. A decade later I rode a Yamaha XS650 from Los Angeles to Houston across the Mojave Desert. Fun times
"A buddy you can count on"...this is the soul of the bike I want. Great vidja Yams!!! Again huge love for gettin deep n nitty gritty with the 8R!!! ^.^
Finding new to you, out of the way, twisty, scenic backroads and cool small town cafes and breweries is the best part of riding a motorcycle for me. Luckily I'm retired, so I can take a week or two and just go, whenever I want.
Your right, I've traveled all over, ..... take the back roads, it may double your time, but the view is amazing, and you meet so many precious people, ..... it's made life so incredibly amazinger ( amazinger, yes call Webster, tell her to put it in the dictionary, it will have a picture with a person riding a motorcycle with a huge smile on their face!! )
To all new riders, don’t ride like this guy does. His lane position is wrong, don’t ride close to the curb when in the lane, be on the tire track that is closer to the yellow line. A few reasons for this: all the debris (nails, rocks, glass, garbage) gets pushed to the ditch but all the debris that has not made it there will be on the edge. Therefore you have a higher chance of getting a puncture, slipping, and crashing. Also gives you a tiny bit more time to react if a child kicks a ball into the road and runs out or any other similar situation. Another reason: you can see past the car ahead of you if you’re closer to the yellow line side of the lane, so you can properly prepare if someone head is on the breaks, if someone in the opposite lane tries to pass without enough space, you can see it. Last reason is when cars pass you, if you take up the entire lane they can’t pinch you out. A lot of cars will get too close when passing you. If you’re right on the white line, the only spot for you to go is in the ditch or sidewalk. If you are on the other side of the line, you have a bit more space, it’s not a lot but it could make the difference.
I was younger and I rode my Kawasaki Ninja 636 to Florida from Louisiana with other friends who were all on sport bikes, a mix of 600’s up to the 1000cc bikes. 🏍️
In 2008, I went through a rough breakup and took my ZX-6R out on the road to blow off some steam... and just kept going. I started in N. GA, went all the way to Ft. Worth, and back over a couple days. Comfort was barely an issue. No way in hell I'd do that same ride on my newer '21 636. The GSX-8R reminds me of the old supersports from the late '90s and early '00s, but it has such a lousy soundtrack that I'd never consider buying one. I fucking hate twins.
I have the GSX 8S and I think it would be a better choice for touring. Yeah its not a "Sport Tourer" but in my opinion, it's a lot more comfortable for long distance riding with more of a upright body position. Fairings are great, for sure... but with an aftermarket windshield from T-Rex Racing its a lot more comfortable on the highway. I agree with the seat, It's not the best, but better than the 2017 R6 I had before.
There is no way the 8S is better for touring, without any wind protection and being unable to lean on the tank even with a bag. Suspension is also far too soft (the one on the 8R is different) which is exactly what you DON'T want on a sport touring, though it is adequate for city. A 6h trip will make you wish for an 8R, as I found out recently on a test tour on my 8S after mainly using it in town and short commutes (less than 40 minutes). You can of course but that's not the nature of the 8S, it doesn't have the real estate.
In terms of comfort: it's definitely more comfy than my Z900. I drove about 3-4 hours with the 8R in a single day and experienced no discomfort, while my Z900 starts to be a bit uncomfortable after 1-2 hours. ymmv of course. Another benefit of the semi-sportive riding position: if I let go of the left grip, I can mostly stretch my back and sit up straight-ish. (I'm a bit taller than average, so also here: ymmv) For the EU model: while cruising at 105-110km/h, I got about 33km/L or 77 mpg. That's not an average of course, but I thought it was truly impressive.
Should do about 50 mpg without slabbing interstate speeds. Stock gearing is a little short, so adding 1 tooth to the front sprocket would bring down the cruising RPM a little and improve it even more. And, with a tune, the amount of power made through the middle would provide plenty more grunt to hold lower RPM at cruising without taxing the engine at all.
Ergonomically, it feels like a naked bike. I feel like the 8R and 8S might end up competing against each other for the same buyers. Not like the GSX-R750 and GSX-S750 which were really different.
With as big as cats are these days, slip-on pipes are almost worthless. They offer little increased sound, not much weight drop. This GSX-8 bike responds VERY well to tuning. 10-12 horsepower and a whopping 9-10 ft-lb right in the middle.
I about 10 years ago, I rode an Aprilia RSV4R from Connecticut to the Tail of the Dragon, to Louisiana, visited family and then did the same ride back. NEVER AGAIN WILL I WEAR A BACKPACK ON A MOTORCYCLE THAT LONG!! I do wanna ride like that again so I'm looking at Ninja 1000SX or GSX-S 1000 GT
I got the gsx8s, and the rider sets exactly in the same position as the 8r. The 8r just has the fairings on it and better front forks, that's it, nothing else. I took my 8s from roanoke Virginia to Clifton forge Tennessee and I had to stop and let my "ass" rest every 60 to 70 miles or about every hour. My butt was the only thing got irritated at all. I was averaging 80 to 85 the whole way on the interstate. There was no fatigue in any other way. If it had a softer seat, it would be the ultimate bike.
I'll add as an owner of a GSX-8R. A. They do sell factory heated grips to add I think $449.95 for the parts from Suzuki. B. The OE seat would be fine for me personally for a 3 hours ride. I've rode ~1hr rides and don't even think about the seat. C. Cruise control would be amazing and could easily be added if Suzuki wanted to add a kit for it or a ECU update for the modes
Oxford sells heated grips. Suzuki has a comfort seat, but not sure availability. Atlas and other brands make throttle locks. Electronic cruise would be great, but alas.
From your mileage comments and my experience with my 8S I'm guessing gas mileage and tank range are going to vary greatly depending how you ride. For just normal 50/50 surface streets/freeway I've been getting 57 to just under 60 mpg (calculated). Typical cruising speeds I see are 50 mph for city streets and 80ish on the freeways so my results should be easily reproduced (as long as you avoid Yams 0 to 100 full throttle bursts). FYI the current tank has 184 mi. on it, low fuel started flashing about 15 mi. ago but still sounds like there is a safe amount of gas to get to a station, and the dash shows 59.4 mpg so fairly accurate for reference.
GSX-R have been racing bikes from the start. GSX series have always been their sports series, but not for racing. Now with MotoAmerica Twins Cup, this 8R has already taken podium. The future is bright for it.
Depending on you body’s age and condition you could tour on anything. When I was 18 I daily drove a Kawasaki H2, a very loud Smokey ported and polished with toomey chambers 2 stroke triple that disliked every throttle position that was actively accelerating any other position lurched and kicked, I could ride a bit over 100 miles on a tank at hwy speeds. My commute was 1h 15 minutes each way. Did it for a couple years. My 52 year old self would be unwilling to drive that to any specific destination. I would ride it around but if I needed to go somewhere specific with purpose and then return home I would get on that.
Sounds like what you are discribing is the RS660 with heated grips and high wind screen mod. Bike has comfortable seat, cruise control, hidden luggage rack and a bit more horsepower.
Good luck with long term reliability though. I bought yet another SV 650 to complement my Monster 1100 Evo and I'm interested in the GSX8 to replace the SV in a few years, could be a great blend for road trips and commuting. I think I'm done doing big road trips on italian bikes lol, I want japanese reliability. Weekenders are fine though
I already have 8500 miles on it. So far, so good, haven't had to do anything on the bike other than oil changes. I'm not expecting japanese reliability, but I haven't had issues like people were portraying.
"Bit more horsepower" When you're reaching absolute screaming peak, but who rides like that all day? GSX-8R makes boat loads more torque everywhere else.
Soooo uhmm... the BMW F750 GS would like a word with you. Lol similar price point and more suited to eat miles. This bike is a good all rounder. It looks cool but it's a jack of all trades master of none type of deal.
Haven't seen any yet, aside from a few "Suzuki comfort" seats floating around eBay. The model is too new. If you have an upholsterer, a motorcycle seat maker, that's your best bet.
Really quite different bikes, the gixus GT is not far off twice the power tbf. Ive done upto 600miles in a day on the GT, admittedly thats a very rare occurence but nice that you can. I think you would probably only want to do half of that on this?! The 8R looks great tho, much cheaper and plenty enough, great bike for most typical days?!
Fuel range is important. The longer distance you can go between stops for fuel is a good feature for a true long-distance rider. It's not a dick measuring contest. And then in the next SEGMENT you say how it's important to plan your trip with the GSX 8 are because fuel range is limited. SMH
Yammie, you keep mentioning touring and longer trips in relative conform but still wanting something sporty and fun... I'm gonna keep mentioning the KTM 890 SMT until you try one 😅
The 8R seems to be one of the very few full fairing sporty machines that can fit the light touring duty these days. Plenty of stuff in the 1L class (GSX-S1000GT, GSX-S1000GX, S1000XR, Ninja 1000SX, Versys 1000) and bigger (FJR1300, K1600GT, Goldwing, R1250RT, R1250RS, Super Duke 1290GT).... but what about the 750-900cc class for this sort of thing, that doesn't cost 15 grand? Maybe the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce? Maybe the Ducati Supersport? The other bikes in this class are naked bikes. The 890 Supermoto-Tourer is an oddball. I wish Kawasaki would slap a quarter fairing on the Z900. Wish the MT-09 could get a quarter fairing. There's enough sports bikes that could also tour with a little upper body wind control and cruise control.
Ppl dont need super cars but they buy them same wirh sports bikes so i dont get the point u trying to make ppl like wat they like simple different types of bikes for different ppl period
I have been seeing a lot of people complaining of lack of "cruise control" on RU-vid lately. On a freaking MOTORCYCLE. These people are not true riders.
GSX-S750 all day. Amazing bike, my gf has it, we swap bikes sometimes and I do enjoy it. And it also looks pretty damn cool all black. That inline 4 engine is pretty smooth.
