Going the Distance with the GSX-S1000 GX
A long-term test ride of Suzuki’s newest Sport Touring machine.
Maybe you’ve heard of Nick Sanders, who rode his sport bike (a Yamaha R1) around the world, or Ed March who did the same (albeit more slowly) on a Honda C90. Or, even more entertaining, perhaps you’ve seen the YouTube clips of the Goldwing being ridden on dirt fit only for motocross. All this to say, where there’s a will — and maybe a buddy to hold your beer — someone will find a way to stretch the limits and to innovate, often in surprising ways.
Perhaps it was over beers that someone on the Suzuki design team said, “What if we crossed the GSX-S1000 GT with the V-Strom 1050? What if it combined all the features of a luxury adventure-sport-touring model? It could be the ’supreme sport crossover.’” And thus was born Suzuki’s newest flagship, the GSX-S1000 GX.
It comes as part of an exciting string of all-new models: the GSX-8S, GSX-8R, V-Strom 800 DE, and V-Strom 800 RE. While “all-new” may not be quite true of the GSX-S1000 GX, it is a masterful combination of innovation and the tried-and-true. Riffing on the GSX-S1000 GT, which first debuted as the naked GSX-S1000 in 2015, the new GX is essentially a taller GT with greater suspension travel (only a centimetre less than the V-Strom 1050) and an open riding position more suitable for long distances.
All three models share the K5 engine, a superbike-level 999 cc inline-four (one of the famously tried-and-true elements) offering an arm-ripping 150 hp with 78 lb.-ft. of torque and a respectable 6.2L/100 km claimed fuel economy. Matched with a fuel tank so well-integrated that you’d never imagine it held 19 litres, average range calculates at just over 300 km.
SPORTY ERGONOMICS
The more relaxed riding position is achieved with handlebars that are 55 mm closer to the rider and 50 mm wider than on the GT, and an added 15 mm in seat-to-peg distance, in essence maintaining a slightly more sporty geometry than on most ADVs. That sporty character is further enhanced with the 17-inch cast aluminum wheels front and rear wearing Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tires. (Without being judgmental, let’s be honest: like most SUVs, many ADV bikes never leave the pavement, and the smaller hoops cater nicely to the corner carvers.) The bike is not light, weighing in at 232 kg (wet, without the panniers), but as is often the case on a good machine, once rolling, the…
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