Suzuki GSX-8R Review - Your First Big Bike!

One time or another, every biker has dreamed of owning a “big bike”. While this term could encompass everything from a big V-twin cruiser to an honest-to-goodness 300kmph-plus hypersports bike, most Indian bikers will immediately conjure up the image of a fully-faired sportbike at the mention of the words “big bike”. The Suzuki GSX-8R fits this bill perfectly, at least visually. But with just two cylinders and 83PS of peak power, is this really a proper sportbike? Turns out, it is, and one that actually makes for a perfect first big bike. But we’ll get to why by the end.

Twin for the win

While it might not be the most powerful 800cc bike out there, 83-odd horsepower is nothing to scoff at. Open the taps, and 100kmph comes up in well under 4 seconds, and keep the throttle open, you’ll see over 200kmph on the neat little TFT dashboard coming up quite quickly. But it’s the way this 776cc twin-cylinder mill delivers its power that makes it so friendly to even somewhat inexperienced riders. There’s no sudden jolt of neck-snapping acceleration, but a firm and steady push forward that feels unintimidating, yet engaging. That said, switch the bike to Ride Mode A (the most powerful of the three included riding modes), and the throttle response can feel a bit snappy, but it’s nothing that can’t be resolved with a steady right wrist.

The other two riding modes, B and C, dial back throttle response further, with B feeling the best balanced, and smoothest, for everyday use. The motor is quite tractable, allowing you to carry low speeds in high gears easily, further aiding its urban usability, and the standard quickshifter makes gear changes a breeze at any speed. Plus you also get three levels of traction control, which definitely adds a layer of safety when riding on most of our Indian roads. That said, the motor delivers its power in such a linear fashion that it’s really difficult to spin up the rear wheel unless you’re being really hamfisted with the throttle. The GSX-8R is a bike you can actually use every day, whether you’re just commuting to work, going on a few hundred kilometer long tour, or spending the weekend blasting around some winding mountain road.

Float like a butterfly

Speaking of winding mountain roads, for a 205kg motorcycle, the 8R is actually quite easy to manage, whether you’re hustling it around corners, or simply filtering through traffic. In fact, as soon as you get on the saddle, all that weight just melts away and no one would blame you for thinking you’re riding something that’s at least 20-25kg lighter. Drop the bike into turns, and it holds its line reasonably well, and the engine’s linear power delivery allows you to smoothly roll on the gas as you exit corners at triple digit speeds. The Dunlop Roadsport 2 tyres, though, feel a bit sketchy over mid-corner bumps. On smooth tarmac, they’re really good, and I’m fairly certain that they’ll be enjoyable on a race track as well. But given our road conditions, in certain situations, they don’t inspire a whole lot of confidence.

Now while the GSX-8R is a good handler, what it isn’t, is super sharp, like you’d expect a sportbike to be. It does take slightly more steering effort to change direction, and that comes down to its slightly lazy front-end geometry and riding posture. The 25-degrees of rake and 104mm of trail is more “sports tourer” than “supersport”. So while you might not notice the slightly higher steering effort when you’re moving through traffic at slower speeds, it becomes apparent when getting the bike to lean into corners at higher speeds.

Comfortable, but…

Coming to the other aspect that affects how the 8R handles - the riding posture. The Suzuki GSX-8R has raised clip-on handlebars, which puts you in a slightly upright seating position. But because these clip-ons are quite close to the rider, it becomes quite difficult to get your forearms parallel to the ground, even if you slide all the way back on the spacious rider’s seat. And this means that your steering inputs don’t go straight in line with the steering axis, thereby increasing steering effort. And this will become even more apparent for taller riders, who might struggle even to get into a full tuck behind the windscreen.

Where the 8R’s riding position does shine is in the sheer comfort it offers. Slide all the way forward and you get into a nearly upright riding position closer to a naked than a supersport bike. This works great when you’re making your way through the urban jungle by keeping you fairly comfortable, and not straining your back or wrists like a proper supersport bike might do. And the slimness that the twin cylinder engine configuration offers, along with the low seat height of just 810mm, means that riders of pretty much any height will find the 8R easy to manage. That said, tall riders might find the riding position a bit too compact.

Getting the basics right

Features-wise, Suzuki hasn’t gone overboard on the GSX-8R. Like every modern motorcycle, it too gets a colour TFT screen - 5.0-inches in this case. No fancy smartphone connectivity here, but the screen is extremely well laid out and easy to read, no matter the lighting conditions. In a world of overly unnecessarily feature-packed instrument clusters, the 8R’s simple console is a breath of fresh air. Even the chunky switchgear is extremely intuitive to use, and you can quickly change riding modes or traction control settings with just a button press or two.

The not-so-great bits

While the Suzuki GSX-8R doesn’t have any deal-breaking flaws to speak of, there are a couple of irritants, especially given our Indian riding conditions. The suspension for one, comprising a Showa separate function, big-piston fork and a linked monoshock, is set up a bit on the firmer side. You won’t face any problems on good tarmac, and even when cornering aggressively, the bike feels plenty stable. But on all the really bumpy roads which we were riding on, in and around Pune, the bike does tend to bounce you around. While I wouldn’t call the ride quality back breaking, it can get annoying really quickly if you continue to ride on bad quality roads.

Secondly, while Suzuki claims a WMTC fuel economy figure of nearly 24kmpl for this 8R, in all the time we spent on it, we saw only close to 20kmpl. That combined with the 14-litre fuel tank means you’ll be lucky to ride more than 250km before you have to stop for fuel. So while the 8R does a lot of things right in the sports tourer department such as an easy going and refined motor, comfortable ergonomics and even luggage loops under the rear seat, a mediocre tank range is something you’ll have to put up with if you decide to go touring on it.

An easy upgrade

While a lot of riders tend to start off on 150-200cc bikes, and dabble with 300-400cc machines before taking the leap to 600-plus cc motorcycles, the 8R makes you feel like you can easily skip the middle step. It’s comfortable ergonomics, easy power delivery, and friendly handling characteristics means that we won’t hesitate to recommend the 8R to those riders who currently ride 200-odd cc bikes.

Plus at Rs 9.25 lakh ex-showroom, it neatly undercuts two of its biggest competitors in India - the Honda CBR650R and the Triumph Daytona 660. Sure, a twin will never feel or sound as exciting as an inline-4 or triple, but neither of these two bikes feel as welcoming and friendly to ride as the Suzuki GSX-8R. And for that, the 8R gets two thumbs up from us.