Suzuki GSX-S1000

Anyone else ride a GSX-S1000 yet? I did a demo ride at Road Atlanta a few weeks ago and really liked it, just wish it was a V-4 instead of an I4.  Weighs in at just over 450 lbs, and 140 hp. Target audience is over 40 years old (me).

The CB1000 is in the same class and I prefer Honda, but it weighs more and has less power.

Anyone have any firsthand feedback on them?

I don't.

But, my VFRSF weighs less, and has less power. And it's for sale...

If you need fuel injection & you're not in a big rush, I'd love to build you a custom naked 5th (or 6th) gen. ;)

Seb, can you post another picture of the absolutely beautiful naked of yours, PLEASE

Been telling people at work about it after they seeing your clutch cover.

3 hours ago, SEBSPEED

I don't.

But, my VFRSF weighs less, and has less power. And it's for sale...

If you need fuel injection & you're not in a big rush, I'd love to build you a custom naked 5th (or 6th) gen. ;)

Where do you have it posted since there are no classifieds here anymore?

I still love my 5th gen, just thinking about something new with a little more grunt and less weight. Maybe a naked 5th gen with a Torocharger on it!! 

I sold my GSXR 600 this week and the CRF450R is on the chopping block too. The Tuono V4 (would give me the V4 that I like) is an awesome bike, but the price is quite a bit higher than the Suzuki and I'm not sure the reliability is where is should be.

I don't have it listed just yet. 

I can build a nice naked 5th gen for less than the cost of that new Suzuki (or more, depending on what you want!) It will feel faster/more powerful from the weight drop alone.

Shoot me a message if you would consider giving it more than a fleeting thought.

There was a used Tuono V4 at my local dealer for $7.5k. It's gone already. Next best deal is a new RSV4 R for $12k.

Or you can stick with a tried and true honda.

Streetfighter VFR or even...ST1300!

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Anybody remember the Evo 6? It was more than a concept. Honda built a working protype of it but then pulled the plug on the whole project. The Evo 6 would have taken on the Diavel and V-Max head-to-head. What a bike that would have been!

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I really enjoy my 6th gen in it's stock condition but I really am tempted  by the Suzuki.  Most of the time I just chill and ride the vfr in a sporting but gentlemanly manner but lately I've been wanting to just ride hard and at times the whole vfr package seems to get in the way.   Most times the linked brakes are good enough but my last few rides had me wishing for "normal" seperate brakes, better suspension, chassis and just something better for hooliganism.    

My Bking is definately a hooligan machine and has me spoiled to tell the truth but the smaller gsx1000 would be fantastic fun whipping through the city and getting around tight SF Bay area traffic and have the stomp to do effortless battle on the highway.   Definately not married to the v4 platform so we shall see.    I always felt the vfr is a keeper but life is short so I may sell it to a buddy and move on...dunno we shall see what happens.    

Well, I found a used one for a price I just couldn't pass up. 2016 ABS (& traction control) model that was delivered in December 2015, so it still has 7 months of warranty left on it. 2780 miles and the previous owner put on a $600 Yosh slip-on, Suzuki heated grips, tail tidy, comfy seat, and brand new Angel GT tires.

Yesterday was the first day I really had a chance to get out and ride it. Did 325 miles no problem up Blood Mountain, Wolf Pen Gap, 60, all the way up to Tellico Plains and back to Athens. Torque coming out of slow corners is impressive along with the rate at which cars can be passed without even downshifting.

It was a very fun day and the bike is great for that kind of riding. I don't think I will be getting rid of the VFR any time soon though. For me, the VFR is still a better distance bike, which I normally do a couple of trips a year with.......at least until they come up with some good luggage for the GSX-S, but I don't see that happening.

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That is a spectacularly beautiful black and red machine. Love it!

The truth is these are great bikes and the CB1000R, according to every review, just does not do anything great. So the component quality is not up to Honda, oh well, I doubt as you're screaming around the corners you're thinking, "Hrm, self? That seam between those two fairings just isn't as tight as the Honda". LOL. Honda seems to hold back in many categories, CBR aside, like they're afraid of us going too fast.

Legend's B-King is the ultimate naked machine. ULTIMATE! How about a pic of that?  :cheerleader:

The B-King was a real missile. And so was the K1300R.

I'm hoping the MT-10 makes it to the States next year and is offered in both a standard and fully-faired version (kind of like what Kawasaki did with the Z1000 / Ninja 1000 and what Suzuki did with the GSX-S1000 / GSX-S1000F).

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Awesome find   ..

Ask and you shall receive.    Not the best of photos but this was from a three day tour zig zagging through central california with my buddy on a rented Triumph.   Hepco Becker actually still makes the rack for the Bking to fit a topcase, the screen is from National Cycle, made specifically for the Bking.    Makes a surprisingly good hypertourer.    

HB makes tour accessories for the new gsxs1000, their Cbow system uses soft bags that are not super big but for a longweekend fun run, plenty of room.    Just check the Euro sites for all the real goodies.

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The top case works pretty good with the giant cans, neither looks like they're hanging too far off the back of the bike when they're together.

A few more pics....sorry none in it's naked glory.

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Legend, looks like your in Herold, was just there in April, did some work at the Cosumnes power station, right in front of those cooling towers. Great riding country. 

2 hours ago, Mikey

Legend, looks like your in Herold, was just there in April, did some work at the Cosumnes power station, right in front of those cooling towers. Great riding country. 

Yes Mikey you are correct.    We lived in Rancho Cordova for 8 years so all that great riding country was in our backyard.   Absolutely loved the relatively empty roads into the foothills, sierras, delta........now living in the bay area  which has it's own beauty but has none of affordability and liveability of the Sacramento/Rancho/Folsom area.........I miss the ease of access to the uncluttered backroads.       

7 hours ago, LEGEND

Yes Mikey you are correct.    We lived in Rancho Cordova for 8 years so all that great riding country was in our backyard.   Absolutely loved the relatively empty roads into the foothills, sierras, delta........now living in the bay area  which has it's own beauty but has none of affordability and liveability of the Sacramento/Rancho/Folsom area.........I miss the ease of access to the uncluttered backroads.  

Great pics thanks. Stupid question (maybe there actually are stupid questions?) While touring do you leave it in high power mode all of the time?

Not a stupid question at all.  I do keep it in high power mode or A mode as Suzuki calls it because the fueling is excellent.   No need for B mode, maybe in the rain but really I've never felt the need for it.   When touring at a mostly legal pace I have seen nearly 50mpg in full power mode, mid 30's when warping time and space.     The 1340cc four is really a nice engine and to think Suzuki couldn't give these things away is really mind blowing to me.      

That's a nice find there Wera.  Sounds like somebody took a real hit on that bike.  Looks like a blast for day trips.  

Congrats on the Suzuki!

Before I saw the post with your new bike, I was going to say there are leftover new 2014 and 2015 Tuono V4s out there.  While they'll still go for more than the price of a new 2016 GSX-S1000, I'd think a good enough deal might be tempting to get the Aprilia instead - especially for a V4 lover.  :wink:

The MT-10 is on its way to America:  http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2016/05/yamaha-mt-10-will-be-called-fz-10-when-it-arrives-in-u-s-next-year-with-video/

2FAST4U The MT-10 is on its way to America:  http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2016/05/yamaha-mt-10-will-be-called-fz-10-when-it-arrives-in-u-s-next-year-with-video/

I thought it was coming, but still not until next year. The engine would be nice. Should be a good bike and direct competition for the Suzuki.

I still think about a CBR1000RR street fighter project...    although, there's not really any time for that lately.    I liked Roland Sand's "A good fight", but this one from 2010 was still the best, in my opinion...  the higher bars are how I'd do it: 

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Roland Sands customized an R1 a few years ago that I thought turned out very cool. Speaking of cool, imagine if Audi had built this superbike. If you think it resembles a Panigale, that's no coincidence. Audi owns Ducati.

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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.     

2 hours ago, 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.     

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.

3 hours ago, VFROZ

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.

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

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

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.     

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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. 

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. 

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.

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!

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.