Suzuki GSX-S1000... A dilemma... Talk to me...

[Couchy]

My bro has a ‘22 gsxs1000. He’d had his cb1000r for two years bought new in 2020. Loved it till he rode the Suzuki. From reviews I didn’t see why till I rode the Suzuki and it’s bloody lovely. The engine is a monster and it handles superbly. No idea what the press are smoking when they don’t like it.

Does the front end feel better than the Honda's?
I love the way my CB1000R steers and leans, the front end is very confidence inspiring, the engine is powerful but could be smoother at low rpm.

I rode both and liked both, the Suzuki just feels a step up in fun and despite the motors having similar claimed power the Suzuki one feels much healthier. Neither one being a bad bike though but when he demo’d the Suzuki he changed that day lol

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I find the Suzuki's looks challenging

[mboy]

My bro has a ‘22 gsxs1000. He’d had his cb1000r for two years bought new in 2020. Loved it till he rode the Suzuki. From reviews I didn’t see why till I rode the Suzuki and it’s bloody lovely. The engine is a monster and it handles superbly. No idea what the press are smoking when they don’t like it.

Does the front end feel better than the Honda's?
I love the way my CB1000R steers and leans, the front end is very confidence inspiring, the engine is powerful but could be smoother at low rpm.

Lamp Chop and his mate did a vid pitting the CB1000R against a GSXS1000 and an MT-10... Long and the short of it, they preferred the MT-10 (it does make ace noises, but having owned an older one, once you get past the superficial appeal of it you get quite tired of living with it quite quickly), but out of the other 2 said they had very little feel or confidence in the front end of the CB1000R oddly enough, but had masses of confidence in the Suzuki. I've not ridden a CB1000R to compare, but the overriding feeling of my first couple of rides on my older GSXS1000F was just how confidence inspiring the front end is on the bike. They said there was no lack of grip with the CB1000R and it went where you wanted it to, but in a very vague and uninspiring way!



Horses for courses I guess...

[mboy]

I find the Suzuki's looks challenging

Perhaps strangely, I find the neo-retro looks of the CB1000R quite off-putting and it totally put me off even considering one based on this alone... Not gonna lie, GSXS's ain't the best looking bikes on the road, but i'll take unique/quirky/slightly challenging over faux retro myself... Also why I didn't consider the mechanically identical Suzuki Katana too!

[Supermofo]

I find the Suzuki's looks challenging

the mechanically identical Suzuki Katana too!

Stupid small tank on them too. You'd have to really want the looks to choose one over the GSXS.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My bro has a ‘22 gsxs1000. He’d had his cb1000r for two years bought new in 2020. Loved it till he rode the Suzuki. From reviews I didn’t see why till I rode the Suzuki and it’s bloody lovely. The engine is a monster and it handles superbly. No idea what the press are smoking when they don’t like it.

Does the front end feel better than the Honda's?
I love the way my CB1000R steers and leans, the front end is very confidence inspiring, the engine is powerful but could be smoother at low rpm.

Lamp Chop and his mate did a vid pitting the CB1000R against a GSXS1000 and an MT-10... Long and the short of it, they preferred the MT-10 (it does make ace noises, but having owned an older one, once you get past the superficial appeal of it you get quite tired of living with it quite quickly), but out of the other 2 said they had very little feel or confidence in the front end of the CB1000R oddly enough, but had masses of confidence in the Suzuki. I've not ridden a CB1000R to compare, but the overriding feeling of my first couple of rides on my older GSXS1000F was just how confidence inspiring the front end is on the bike. They said there was no lack of grip with the CB1000R and it went where you wanted it to, but in a very vague and uninspiring way!



Horses for courses I guess...

Interesting, the front end on my CB1000R feels really good, could just be tyres, mine has Dunlops rather than the original Bridgestones.
On the looks front, I really like how the CB looks, it's why I bought it, if Suzuki made a GSXS1000 styled like a GS1000 I'd have bought one of those, saying that, I don't like the looks of the Z900RS or the Katana, which shows how fickle and shallow I am.

And the CB has a small fuel tank, 15 litres

[mboy]

See I LOVE the looks of the Z900RS... Especially the cafe version! I say if you're going retro, GO RETRO... No half way house!

Yeah the Katana's 12L tank is ludicrous... That said, it'll probably still go as far as an MT-10 between stops with its 17L tank, or Fromage's CB1000R with its 15L tank (my last fillup was 15.8L after 183 miles, which means the Katana should realistically do more than 130 miles on a tank before empty which is about as good as I ever managed on my old MT-10)! I heard complaints from people about the mere 17L tank on the GSXS, but a real world 180+ mile range is better than anything else I've owned as sporty, nearly matches the range I used to get out of 20L on a 2017 R1200GS or either of the old VFR800's I had years ago.

Just dropped mine in with the Suzuki dealer earlier for its 15k valve service (part of the reason I got it cheap was this was near due). Had a sit on a GSXS1000GT whilst I was in there (God it's ugly!), they were of course trying to tell me how much better it is than my bike and how it would be well worth dropping £7k on top of my bike on one...

Honestly, yes I'd love the 2 way QS/blipper, cruise control and the improved part throttle fuelling, but I think I'd much rather the money in my pocket and enjoy my 3yr old bike for what it is... Besides, I could only justify that much money on a bike if it was genuinely 2up touring capable, but with no external preload (let alone electronic suspension) and a pillion seat still no bigger than a postage stamp, it would be a pointless exercise for me...

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

For me the proportions of the Z900RS are wrong, the tank is too wide and the tail too short.

I find the quick shifter / blipper a bit meh, it's no smoother on up changes than a well timed clutchless shift, down shifts with it are better than a clutchless shift, but still feel a bit harsh, and it's no great hassle to dip the clutch.

[KungFooBob]

The Z900RS looks great in pics, but I'm with Cheesy, the tank is ridiculously wide in real life... but then so is the previous generation XSR900 imho.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Have you seen the latest XSR900, when I called it a crashed EXUP I was being very generous, fuck they're ugly really, really ugly.

[Supermofo]

my last fillup was 15.8L after 183 miles

Most I've ever put in was 15.9 litres which was the first ride I did after it was delivered. At the time the bike was saying I had 2 miles range left! But I think that was cos it hadn't had any time to calculate things properly and I suspect it's a bit conservative. Suggests the tank is pretty close to the quoted 17 litres. On the run to Yeovil I filled up at about 155-160 miles and I think it only took 13.8 or something I seem to recall. It's got the most range of any bike I've owned. In comparison my 96 Fireblade I think had an 18 litre tank and would go on reserve at about 120 miles I think.

[mboy]

Have you seen the latest XSR900, when I called it a crashed EXUP I was being very generous, fuck they're ugly really, really ugly.

I hadn't...

But Jeez that thing's been hit by the ugly stick!

The previous XSR900 didn't offend me too much. I wouldn't have bought one, but didn't think it was too bad overall, but the current one is gopping!

[weeksy]

You're all bonkers. The new xsr may not be a beauty, but the previous one was stunning.

2020-06-24_05-26-29 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[mangocrazy]

I really don't get the hate for the latest XSR. I prefer the blue colour scheme to the black, but can't see anything that would cause me to reject it, if I was in the market for a new bike. As it happens I'm idly musing on the possibility of letting the venerable VFR go in favour of the latest XSR900 but want to see what the fabled R9 looks like before making any moves.

So there.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The old one looks a lot better once you've seen the new one, but there are weird bits of styling on the old one, the tail light, the metal triangles by the seat and the steering head box spring to mind, it could ride lovely but I wouldn't buy one because of it's looks.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I really don't get the hate for the latest XSR. I prefer the blue colour scheme to the black, but can't see anything that would cause me to reject it, if I was in the market for a new bike. As it happens I'm idly musing on the possibility of letting the venerable VFR go in favour of the latest XSR900 but want to see what the fabled R9 looks like before making any moves.

So there.

I suggest a visit to Spec Savers

[mangocrazy]

I'm not entirely convinced by the seat on the new XSR, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'm not entirely convinced by the seat on the new XSR, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker.

It is for me

[Mr. Dazzle]

You're all bonkers. The new xsr may not be a beauty, but the previous one was stunning.

Yeah I guess, if you like weird boxes on the frame.

[Couchy]

My bro has a ‘22 gsxs1000. He’d had his cb1000r for two years bought new in 2020. Loved it till he rode the Suzuki. From reviews I didn’t see why till I rode the Suzuki and it’s bloody lovely. The engine is a monster and it handles superbly. No idea what the press are smoking when they don’t like it.

Does the front end feel better than the Honda's?
I love the way my CB1000R steers and leans, the front end is very confidence inspiring, the engine is powerful but could be smoother at low rpm.

Lamp Chop and his mate did a vid pitting the CB1000R against a GSXS1000 and an MT-10... Long and the short of it, they preferred the MT-10 (it does make ace noises, but having owned an older one, once you get past the superficial appeal of it you get quite tired of living with it quite quickly), but out of the other 2 said they had very little feel or confidence in the front end of the CB1000R oddly enough, but had masses of confidence in the Suzuki. I've not ridden a CB1000R to compare, but the overriding feeling of my first couple of rides on my older GSXS1000F was just how confidence inspiring the front end is on the bike. They said there was no lack of grip with the CB1000R and it went where you wanted it to, but in a very vague and uninspiring way!



Horses for courses I guess...

I’ve ridden all them and for me the MT comes last, Suzuki first and Honda second. Just proves how pointless one persons opinion is but for some reason folks listen to journos, best way is to ride them yourself