2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT Review

The 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT arrives not before time. As much as the fully faired Suzuki GSX-S1000F was a serviceable machine for Suzuki, sitting between the GSX-R range of sportsbikes and lower-spec sportstouring machinery such as the GSX1250FA, it didn’t really set the world on fire – its naked sibling, the GSX-S1000, proving to be the more popular choice in the company’s ‘Street Sport’ range.

It was only a matter of time before Suzuki changed tack, and the GSX-S1000GT is the deft hand it has dealt – a sportstouring successor that’s a better machine in every way: technology, styling, handling and performance. Well, only marginally for the latter, as the GT is still powered by the now-legendary 2005 long-stroke GSX-R1000 engine.

The GT is not the fastest, lightest or most powerful sportstouring machine on the market – with opposition like the Kawasaki H2 SX and BMW S 1000 XR, it’s not hard to see why – but it’s bigger than the sum of its parts.

It's fun and easy to ride, comfortable and has sporting ability – nailing its sportstouring remit for just $19,090 ride away.

Let’s begin to break it down. The in-line four-cylinder engine is still winning hearts and minds in the GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000GT, 17 years after it first saw active service. Below 6000rpm it’s a crackerjack – equal or just about better than most donks – before building into a decent top-end.

Recent updates to the engine saw Suzuki produce a broader and smoother torque curve by ironing out the 'peaks and valleys' of the past, and an overlay of the past and present graphs clearly illustrates that – an aspect also confirmed in the hot seat. Likewise, the power curve is now flatter, too, as well as possessing some extra oomph at the top end.

Even with the updates, the GT is certainly not a missile, but 152hp (112kW) and 106Nm are still nothing to sneeze at – and I don’t give a tinker’s cuss that it’s an older design with modern tweaks. How many people can still make full use of all that punch? And the other thing is that Suzuki’s more than amortised the original design cost of the battle-hardened engine, which helps to keep the GT at a tasty price point.

The gearbox is typically Suzuki buttery-smooth, and with the bi-directional quickshifter it’s an absolute hoot to keep on the boil. The quickshifter is joined on the electronics front by cruise control, switchable traction control and three rider modes: Active, Basic and Comfort, which are otherwise known on the dash as A, B and C.

All three rider modes produce the same output with varying levels of throttle response – 'A' the sharpest – and they are easy to toggle between using the arrows on the left-hand switchblock.

There’s no fancy IMU setup on the GSX-S1000GT to facilitate cornering ABS although for the retail price that’s hardly a surprise – but what you do get are enough electronics without tarnishing the enjoyment factor or turning the whole experience into a headspin.

I hadn’t really eaten up too many twisty roads before the GSX-S1000GT photoshoot, but I soon learnt the front-end is a gem. It pushes hard into turns and, more importantly, allows the rider to do it in absolute confidence. Get that part of the equation right, especially on a machine that has to perform well rail, hail or shine, and you’re on the road to sportstouring bliss.

Where does that cornering industriousness come from? There’s certainly no magical recipe, with fairly standard KYB suspension at both ends – a fully adjustable 43mm upside-down fork and a link-type monoshock with preload and rebound adjustment – a ubiquitous aluminium twin-spar frame, geometry that hasn’t gone off on a zany tangent and Dunlop Sportmax 2 rubber. Sometimes everything just syncs, the GT being a case in point.

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The GT does sport better than comfort, but that doesn’t mean the latter is an afterthought. The seat is comfy – although no match for the perch on the Honda NT1100 I tested weeks earlier – and despite the very aggressive-looking front cowling with protruding nose, it does have a form and function element about it.

There’s more than adequate protection, and the large screen channeled most of the wind to the top of my chest rather than leading to undue buffeting of my helmet. So, even in a normal seating position, I was in a quasi-bubble – travelling vast distances won't be a problem.

Ergonomically, the handlebars are closer to the rider and the footpegs lower in GT guise compared to the old GSX-S1000F, so in theory less rider fatigue.

Long-haul is obviously more palatable with panniers, but the GT doesn’t have them in standard trim. However, they are in the accessories catalogue and, while you’re at, a centrestand and heated grips would also be wise investments. There’s also a larger touring screen in the catalogue, and plenty of other bits and pieces including carbon goodies, decals, tank pads, protection and a bevy of miscellaneous items.

The TFT screen is one of the most striking I’ve seen, and it’s not cluttered with useless information. There’s a night and day interface with adjustable brightness and an anti-reflective coating that also moonlights as scratch protection. Marry your smartphone to Suzuki’s new MySPIN app (Android and iOS) and it’ll open a new world in terms of contacts, maps, music, etc. There’s also a USB port to charge your phone.

Suzuki is a master at placing itself in market sweet spots, and the new range of V-Strom 1000 adventure bikes looks like being another case in point – engineered with all the latest, but without being at the absolute cutting (and more expensive) edge.

The 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT knows what that’s all about, combining comfort, speed and enjoyment in a potent package that’s under $20K ride away.

Sure, it’s not going to knock your socks off like the supercharged Kawasaki H2 SX or present absolute premium highway credentials, but it’s a damn fine example of doing everything very well. And that’s a recipe which will make many people very happy.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 16-valve, DOHC, in-line four-cylinder
Capacity: 998cc
Bore x stroke: 73.4mm x 59mm
Compression ratio: 12.2:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 152hp (112kW) at 11,000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 106Nm at 9250rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Chain

ELECTRONICS
Rider aids: ABS, traction control, quickshifter and cruise control
Modes: Active, Basic and Comfort

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Aluminium twin-spar
Front suspension: KYB 43mm upside-down fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable rebound and preload, 130mm travel
Front brakes: 310mm discs with four-piston Brembo calipers
Rear brake: 220mm disc with single-piston Nissin caliper
Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax 2 – 120/70-17 front, 190/55-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 226kg
Rake: 25 degrees
Trail: 100mm
Seat height: 810mm
Wheelbase: 1460mm
Fuel capacity: 19 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $19,090 ride away
Colours: Metallic Triton Blue or Metallic Reflective Blue
Bike supplied by: Suzuki Motorcycles Australia
Warranty: 36 months/unlimited kilometres