I make no bones about the fact I’m a big fan of Suzuki’s GSX-S1000.
It’s a simple, brutish, modern muscle bike. The recipe is so simple; great chassis, fabulous engine, cool looks and great build quality. Put all that together and you get a 150 bhp, 999 cc 4 cylinder, fun machine.
If you ever read or seen a review about this bike, you will be aware that it has an evolution of the legendary K5 GSX-R1000 engine. Certainly, one of the best modern 4-cylinder engines put in a motorcycle. It makes strong power all through the rev range and is silky smooth. You can short shift all day, keeping it below 10,000 rpm and it’s superb. It makes peak torque at 9,250 rpm, so you don’t have to thrash it to make very brisk progress.
However, if you do thrash it, it’s glorious. The harder you ride the GSX-S1000, the better it gets. It likes to be treated like you are the boss. If you grab it by the scruff of the neck, be confident and trust it, you will be rewarded with an awesome ride. It also has an up-and-down quick shift which is excellent. A light tap of the pedal up or down and the gearbox changes gear at lightning speed. It’s a very precise gearbox and one of the best around in my opinion.
Suzuki launched the GSX-S1000 in 2015, then in 2021 the bike received a big revamp with a host of mechanical, electronic and aesthetic updates, bringing the bike bang up-to-date and ready to fight.
Suzuki has blessed the GSX-S1000 with fully-adjustable 43mm KYB front forks and a link-type monoshock that’s adjustable for preload and rebound at the rear.
A pair of Brembo 4-piston radial-mount monoblock calipers at the front squeeze fully floating 310mm discs. Out back there’s a Nissin single-piston caliper and a 240mm disc. ABS is standard but, like the traction control system, it’s not lean-angle sensitive.
Suzuki has fitted Dunlop RoadSport 2 Tyres which offer nimble, predictable handling and quick turn-in together with quick warm-up times.
The suspension works very well for a fast street bike. It’s responsive at higher speeds but provides reassuring compliance on real roads. I didn’t need to do much at all to get a really nice, confidence-inspiring feel from the setup.
The brakes offer good initial bite and progressive feel at the lever and when things get a bit more frantic, do a great job of stopping from high speed without showing any signs of fade.
Electronics: The GSX-S1000 has SIRS (Suzuki Intelligent Ride System), which is a collection of electronic systems; Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS), Suzuki Traction Control System (STCS), a ride-by-wire electronic throttle, bi-directional quickshifter, Suzuki Easy Start, and Low RPM Assist systems.
There’s a neat and compact LCD Multi-function instrument cluster that displays a host of information. It’s a little intense at first, there’s a lot of information crammed in there, but you soon get used to it.
Styling has been dramatically updated. It shows a new direction for suzuki, much more dramatic and angular, aggressive even. This direction can been seen on the new GSX-S1000GT too.
I really like it. It feels anologue and and is massive fun. It puts a huge smile on your face and sets the addrenaline coursing through your veins.
Seat height – 810mm
Kerb weight – 214kg
Engine type – Four-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Engine displacement – 999cc
Peak power – 152PS @ 11,000rpm
Peak torque – 106N-m/9,250rpm
Suspension – front Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
Suspension – rear Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Rake / trail – 25° / 100mm
Brakes – front Disc, twin
Brakes – rear Disc
Tyres – front 120/70ZR17M/C (58W), tubeless
Tyres – rear 190/50ZR17M/C (73W), tubeless
Fuel tank capacity – 19 litres
Fuel efficiency / range – 46.3mpg / 194 miles
