The touring bike with Honda reliability and BMW refinement

Touring motorcycles have to be good at many things. They should have enough power to carry about two people and their luggage across the highway. They need to feel comfortable for days – literally. And they must be reliable. We can’t emphasize enough how important this last point is, because you don’t want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere because something broke on your tourer.

Honda is a great brand to choose for a touring bike because it has built a reputation for reliability, no matter what model it is. The cost of ownership is also very low, because that is something that Honda pays attention to. You couldn’t say the same about a BMW, but you certainly get your money’s worth if you buy one of the Bavarian bikes. They add the kind of sophistication that budget brands can only dream of.

What if you wanted the refinement of the BMW but not the cost of ownership? And what if you want the reliability of the Honda brand, but want a few more features and speed from your touring car? Fortunately, there’s a middle ground, and it’s the touring bike with Honda reliability and BMW refinement.

The Suzuki GSX-S1000GX offers Honda reliability and BMW-level refinement

Suzuki has a great strategy for sharing components between its models. It’s no different from what other manufacturers do, but Suzuki somehow manages to get the best value from its selection. The GSX-S1000GX is one of three models that share a chassis and drivetrain, with appropriate changes to various components to better suit the application. As a touring car, the GSX-S1000GX has great features and refinement on par with the best European brands in the industry (such as BMW), and sharing components gives it reliability like Japanese brands (such as Honda).

It starts at $18,749

The GSX-S1000GX is Suzuki’s most expensive tourer. The price is just under $19,000, which puts it firmly in premium crossover territory. However, it does have the features and performance numbers to back up that price. There are also no upgrades needed to be a premium touring car; virtually everything you need or want in a touring car is included in the price.

152 horses at your disposal

Sports bike derived engine, sports bike derived features

Suzuki has repurposed an old liter Gixxer engine to power its liter naked and touring motorcycles for the GSX-S1000GX. It has ‘detuned’ this 999 cc inline four and given it a compression ratio of 12.2:1. The result is 152 horsepower at 11,000 rpm and 78.2 pound-feet at 9,250 rpm. This is a flexible bike, but it doesn’t have the typical touring bike characteristics you expect. Suzuki has given it low-end assist as a sort of anti-stall, which should give you an idea of ​​what this bike is like.

Not much happens at low speeds. Move into the midrange, however, and suddenly it’s: “Warp speed, Mr. Sulu”! Things get exponentially more exciting as you get closer to the red line. Luckily, there’s all the electronic help you need, including a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU. There are riding modes, cornering traction control, wheelie control, engine braking control and cruise control.

A six-speed gearbox with assist and slipper clutch and a two-way quickshifter complete the drivetrain. A few interesting features are that the cruise control doesn’t disengage even when you shift gears, and the throttle response is linked to the electronic suspension and changes its response depending on suspension feedback.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX chassis

One of the sportiest

The chassis of the GSX-GX, like the engine, is derived from an old liter Gixxer, so it is an aluminum twin-spar frame. The subframe is stronger to handle the rigors of touring, and a long-travel suspension with nearly six inches of travel is available. The inverted front fork and single rear shock absorber are fully adjustable and electronically controlled. The rear also has electronically adjustable spring preload and the damping can be set and left in ‘auto’ mode. The Suzuki Road Adaptive Stabilization does the rest.

Brembo offers dual 310mm discs at the front with four-piston radial fixed calipers, and a 240mm disc with a single-piston Nissin caliper at the rear. The six-axis IMU enables ABS when cornering and reduces lift from the rear wheel.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX Dimensions

This is a normal full-size motorcycle, 84.6 inches long and with a wheelbase of almost 58 inches. It’s tall, with a seat height of 33.3 inches and a ground clearance of 6.1 inches. The fuel tank holds over five gallons, and the GSX-S1000GX weighs 511 pounds wet.

For this price you get all the features you could want

Premium price, premium features

When you spend almost $19,000 on a Japanese motorcycle, you know you’re getting a premium product, and you’re getting value for your money. Still, the GSX-GX impresses. A 6.5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth and navigation greets you when you swing a leg forward. An adjustable windshield, centerstand, handguards and color-matched hard luggage are also standard features.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX Competition

There is very strong competition in the sports touring segment in which the GSX-S1000GX finds itself. The only sports touring car that Honda has is the NT1100 DCT. It’s priced very differently at $11,999, and lacks the power and electronic suspension of the Suzuki, but a recent update has given it a six-axis IMU, and the six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is always a boon around town.

Closer to Suzuki’s price point there are options like the Ducati Multistrada V2 and Triumph Tiger 900, but those are more adventure tourers than sports tourists. So there are only two real competitors for the Suzuki, both with inline four engines and long travel suspension.

One of these is the Kawasaki Versys 1100. It has a different take on sports touring, with a larger capacity engine that focuses more on torque than power. It’s well equipped, but also commands a premium at $19,499. The other competitor is a BMW. The S 1000 However, you’ll have to dig into the accessories to match the Suzuki’s trim levels, but there’s a 20-horsepower, 11-pound weight gap in favor of the BMW between the two that’s hard to ignore.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX vs. BMW S 1000 XR

Source: Suzuki Cycles