As much as my heart wants a retro naked, or even a neo-retro naked ... I keep coming back to this bike. I don't know why, but it is gorgeous to look at and seems like a real jack-of-all-trades type bike.
I've had the 8S for about two months and it is perfect for me! I ride it in sport mode (A) with full traction control (3). I will never go to the track, so I'm not worried about dragging the pegs. I will never go 150 mph, so I'm not worried about the horsepower, I will never pop wheelies, so I'll never turn off the traction control. The only think I care about is upright seating (via the raised clip-ons), sporty look (via the fairings), and acceleration (via the torque)! It's a perfect bike for me! I'm going to get rid of the tail and put a good exhaust on it! It'll be my bike for years to come!
Love the production! Wishing you had included more footage with twists and bends. I'm not the spotsbike type, but hearing that this beauty can handle the miles and with relative comfort Its starting to grow on me. Thanks for yet another awesome review Dan and Rob ❤
Got a soft spot for Suzuki, had 2x SV650s which were sublime, then a GSX-R750 L1, which was a beast! The 8R looks great but I'm waiting for the (rumoured) return of the Gixxer 750! BTW, that bit at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kY_XiLHYWoo.html where you compared heights/ inseam was REALLY useful, so few channels do that, great stuff!
Great video guys. This is a handsome bike and with Suzuki’s good reputation for reliability this could be a smart choice for a budget Sport Tourer. Absolutely needs a center stand and cruise control would be big mile option that improves comfort. Hard bags would be a must for me. Thanks from Wisconsin.
Great video. Good to see how a taller guy looks on the bike. I'm 6ft 2 with a 34 leg so it gives an idea. I find this version of the bike better looking than the 8S.
quite nice vid going into a few details i've been wondering about. Sitting on the fence on swapping my mt07 for one, or going the route of voge 525dsx or cfmoto adv, but can't really make up my mind. keep it up guys!
I am keeping a side-eye open for the appearance of a 8R with a 800RE subframe (and bag mounts) or a 800RE with more fairing to show up on Oct./Nov. of this year.
Nice vid. It's a great bike for what it is & defies its spec sheet. Sticking a full exhaust on & getting it mapped also makes the world of difference. Only thing I'm not particularly keen on is the look of the handlebars but they are comfortable & it's not a deal breaker for me. Also worth noting that it's not pretending to be a supersport or even sports bike. It's a GSX which has always been Suzuki's nomenclature for sporty road bikes. It is what it says it is.
@@Englishbikerdan Lol, not so sir. ; ) I will admit that Suzuki have played fast & loose with this one but if the letters aren't together & there's a displacement inbetween them, it isn't a GSXR or true sports bike / race rep etc. It's a GSX. A subtle but significant & consistent difference over the last 35 years of Suzuki nomenclature.
Nice bike but for not a lot of extra money you are in Triumph 765 street triple territory which is probably king of these mid-weight bikes. I use a SV650 as a commuter, they are dirt cheap (a couple of grand cheaper than the 8s), reliable and seem to have more character than the parallel twin. The last time I was looking to change I rode the naked 8s and dare I say it seemed a bit boring.
True, the Street Triple R is rather close in terms of price to this. Although this is also fully faired so you get a lot more wind protection at speed. I did enjoy my SV, but it's nowhere near the performance of the 776cc powered bikes. They all handle way better too. The SV does have charm though!
If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid. That's how some motorcycle reviews feel. People go into them with a completely wrong expectation.
Cool vid - ai really like the looks of this bike. Question for you: does this feel like an upgrade from the CB650R? I know it has tons of usable torque, but the idea of going up 150cc in displacement, but losing 14 hp in the process gives me pause. I almost feel more inclined toward the CBR650R - gain a fairing and wind screen and at least I don't lose any power.
Tested this bike in Paris a while back and it really disappointed me. It didn't feel like a sports bike and there was no protection from the windshield at motorway speeds. It just felt neutral everywhere, smooth but devoid of character.
@@rwalton159 because they used nomenclature in line with what they have for going on five decades. For Suzuki "GS" indicates an inline, overhead cam engine. The addition of an "X" to that indicates a 4-valve head. The "-R" was introduced on their advanced race replica level bikes. Other bikes (like this one) have letters after their numerical size. It's not a Gixxer. Suzuki isn't trying to pretend it's a Gixxer. It has styling that is a reminiscent of the Gixxer line (because Suzuki had been in need of a consistent design for years) with inspiration from the original Katana. It's a street bike. It is not a Gixxer. Everything with a fairing and "Suzuki" on it is not a Gixxer. Manage your expectations accordingly.
The GSX-8R is a terrific bike, no question. But $4,000US will buy a really clean, low-miles SV650S which is 90% of the bike for 45% of the cost, plus that v-twin motor is just a gem.
The main advantage of the GSX-8R is the low exhaust that allows hard panniers to be mounted closer to the frame. I use soft luggage on my SV650 to keep the bike slim. The fuel economy of my 2017 SV650 is between 28 and 29 km/l.
You didn’t mention luggage. For a sports tourer you really want the ability to quickly add luggage. Yes, you can strap soft bags onto most bikes, but hard panniers or top box are more secure. Do you know if that’s possible?
Ah yes I forgot to mention we used the official Suzuki soft luggage for this trip, which was perfect for this use. As far as I know, no had panniers at the moment. But I'm sure a third party will bring something out.
You can probably try checking/asking the guys at Hepco and Becker because they have an option to put a c-bow carrier on an 8S. Although I am not sure if the rear frame of the 8S and 8R models is the same... might be better to go ask them at Hepco just to be sure... As for panniers "if" the c-bow for the 8S is compatible with the 8R I would like to recommend the Orbit or Xcore. If they had just released the 8R quickly I would've gone with this setup but went for the S1000GT instead.
Hey, both bikes are great but very different due to their engine configurations. The 8R has punch low down grunt, whereas the CBR has a smooth delivery of power which gets more fun the more you rev it. I thihk it's not a matter of which is better, but which makes sense for is more fun for you! Cheers!
@@Englishbikerdan Thanks man! I still need to see a cbr650r in person before I make up my mind haha. But style and exhaust sound wise I am leaning a bit towards the 650 than 8r. Hopefully they come to the US market soon
Please Suzuki, produce a GSX-4R (single or twin). A 125 isn't enough and GSX-8R is too much. Yes, there is the SV 650 but not keen on that. Cash stands by.
Looks - debatable Performance - more high end, less midrange. Worse for city riding. Brand - In what way is Honda better than Suzuki? Reliability - Are you serious?? Seatiing comfort? Power delivery usability? Have you ever ridden a bike or just comparing like Top Trumps?
@@DeceptolonThis Suzuki will sell a fraction of the CBR650R sales. I sat on one of these at my local dealer. That was enough for me to decide it wasn't for me
