Suzuki GSX-S1000

[LEGEND]

Finally got to at least sit on a gsx-s1000 and check it out up close and personal.   Very compact yet felt comfortable and very light.   I was surprised how light and compact the thing felt.   Really would like to take one out, gotta find a demo day and put some miles on one.    The blue looked real nice, the naked within abs is what I want.   There was a fz-09 and fz-07 next to it and they really felt light and narrow but that howling four of the suzuki is the one with the better suspension and chassis.     

[VFROZ]

2 hours ago, LEGEND said:

Finally got to at least sit on a gsx-s1000 and check it out up close and personal.   Very compact yet felt comfortable and very light.   I was surprised how light and compact the thing felt.   Really would like to take one out, gotta find a demo day and put some miles on one.    The blue looked real nice, the naked within abs is what I want.   There was a fz-09 and fz-07 next to it and they really felt light and narrow but that howling four of the suzuki is the one with the better suspension and chassis.     

 

Dont take that as a known, from what I hear from trusted people, that suspension is very low brow, and really lets the bike down.

For me, I could never take that home with such a pathetic pillion seat and no grab rails, my wife would make me take it back.

 

[CornerCarver]

3 hours ago, VFROZ said:

 

Dont take that as a known, from what I hear from trusted people, that suspension is very low brow, and really lets the bike down.

For me, I could never take that home with such a pathetic pillion seat and no grab rails, my wife would make me take it back.

 

 

Those concerns go out the window for the OP as his significant other rides her own bike.

[Rogue_Biker]

Saw one in person last year.  It's a handsome bike for sure.  Even the exhaust looks good....much better than the Honda CB1000r.

 

[LEGEND]

On 6/26/2016 at 4:32 AM, VFROZ said:

 

Dont take that as a known, from what I hear from trusted people, that suspension is very low brow, and really lets the bike down.

For me, I could never take that home with such a pathetic pillion seat and no grab rails, my wife would make me take it back.

 

 

 

I've read many a review from several moto-mags that states the suspension is good enough for track use and certainly up to anything on the street.     The gsxs-1000 is more sportbike with reasonable ergos then sport tourer.   Suzuki still sells the useful Bandit 1200 for comfortable two up riding.    

 

Even the faired version is much lighter than the latest vfr 800 with a much more modern chassis/suspension and real bottom end stomp.     

 

 

 

[VFROZ]

Sadly, everything is more modern then our VFR's

i was very disappointed when the latest VFR came out without UD forks or ride by wire throttle, but stuck to the VTECH. 

There is no denying that fantastic motor. 

If you're not riding two up, it should be a fantastic bike. 

[Rogue_Biker]

I wouldn't put the GSX1000S too far up a pedestal.  Road testers already complain of abrupt throttle response (this again on '16 bike). 

 

But if Suzuki can keep that price reasonable, the GSX is a compelling reason to jump ship from Honda.

 

Having said that, I'm biased and I know what the VFR800 offers.  So if I were shopping in the $10k-$13k price range, the only saving grace for the Suzuki is that's it's a 1,000cc and it's handsome.  Realistically, I would be looking to compare the GSX1000S to a VFR800 and the Honda has a full fairing, SSSA, beautiful looks, available center stand, LED lights, and Honda's quality and reliability.  That's a lot of positive weighed against one negative:  98 rwhp for the Honda versus the 140 rwhp on the big Suzuki.   And since I hardly ever will use all that horsepower in the real world, it will then make me question why to choose the Suzuki over the Honda unless the Suzuki is thousands less.

 

I consider the VFR800 pretty modern especially compared to the GSX1000S. 

 

Check out the road test of the GSX1000 vs the Kawasaki Z1000S

 

 

Here is the review of the 2014 VFR800. 

 

[wera803]

Well, after about 6 weeks of ownership I can say I really like the bike. Is it perfect? No. I haven't found a perfect bike yet. Even my VFR required a lot of farkles to get it the way I liked it. The Suzuki just has really good power anywhere in the rev range. Even coming out of corners at 2500 rpm. It also is quite a bit lighter and handles really well. Your line can easily be changed in the middle of a corner. Just think about putting it somewhere and it goes.

There is a lot of talk about the snatchy throttle on the GSX-S forum and a lot of people are reporting Suzuki has released a new ECM to fix the problem. I put a PCV on mine for $260 which seems to fix almost all of the issue. I am using the stock PC map though, so if I was to add the Autotune or have someone do a tune on it, it would probably be even better. I also added the Quickshifter which I've never had on a bike, but been happy with it.

Normal saddlebags don't seem to fit the small rear seat very well, but SW-Motech make some bike specific bags that I might have to give a try. Until then, a tank bag and maybe a small tail bag will give me the room I need. Any longer trips and I will take the VFR.

[Rogue_Biker]

That blue color sure is beautiful!

 

The one thing that really bugs me about these new naked sport bikes is the lack of a centerstand.  For bikes that are so capable of long distance, it's a WTF!  Nobody lubes their chain in the middle of a 1,000 mile trip?  And when it comes time to change the rear tire, how do you remove the rear wheel unless you have a service stand?  Seriously?  They give you a gas gauge but take away the centerstand!  LOL!

 

 

 

[LEGEND]

My 07 vfr was purchased as a new leftover in 2009.   Seven years later it has proven to be fairly reliable, a bad ground put in the shop but really nothing serious.   Bike is stock with the exception of lowered footpegs.    Many things to like, nice headlights, centerstand, smooth quality feel, clear at all speed mirrors, factory luggage available still from David Silverspares 495.00 + shipping!, nice sound from stock exhaust etc.      

 

Still like mine but when I bought a new leftover bking in 2011 I found despite more weight, width and wheelbase the suzuki's stought chassis, brakes, glitch free fueling,  fullly adjustable suspension and upright riding position made the riding experience way more enjoyable to ride in every situation.   I actually prefer doing multiday rides on the bking because it's just more fun to ride, yes the power is great but the real story for me is that the bike just works and when ridden at the same speeds as the vfr it gets better mileage, city and highway.    

 

I4's have come a long way and the new gsxs1000 intrigues me.  If suzuki can make a 1340cc monster run as good as it does I know the lighter, smaller gsxs will be a great ride.   Some reviews say the bike has fueling issues, some say the fueling is just fine.   Really need to ride one and see what the deal is rather than just listening to internet chatter.    The British BIKE mag dubbed the vfr 800 (6th gen) as one of the worst stock fueling bikes around and I gotta agree its got issues so I would like to think Suzuki has done better with their new gsxs given my experience with it's big brother.    

 

Time will tell, waiting on a not so local dealer to have an open house with demonstrators available to ride.   Wanna ride a few different Suzuki's:  vstrom, gsxs, DR 650 just because I like bikes!!   

 

Can't see chopping the vfr just yet, after seven years it's likely gonna just stay around but I am definately in the mood to modernize things a bit eventually.