What Do You Want to Know About the 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000?
Not the author riding in a tunnel.Photo: Suzuki
Gather round, friends, because it’s motorcycle time, and I want to know what you want to know about the 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 naked bike.
If you’re not familiar with the GSX-S model, that’s ok. It’s based on the much more widely known and beloved GSX-R sportbike models of varying displacements, and like those bikes, it features a yowling maniacal 999cc inline four-cylinder engine, but unlike the GSX-R, the GSX-S has wide handlebars instead of clip-ons and a more upright riding position, the benefit of which should be more on-road comfort.
I am not generally a huge fan of the classic Japanese inline-four motorcycle engine design since I tend to prefer more low-down torque, so I’m genuinely interested in how the torque-focused retune of the GSX-R’s engine for the GSX-S model makes the bike feel at normal speeds. That said, in the 35 feet or so that I’ve ridden the bike, I can already tell that this four-banger means business.
The GSX-S has an adjustable suspension front and rear as well as a ride-by-wire throttle which gives it three user-selectable ride modes. This should make for a fairly configurable riding experience. While I’m not expecting expensive Euro bike levels of sophistication with the electronics, my experience with Suzukis in the past (current-gen VStrom and Katana) has me hopeful that things will be mostly smooth and mostly unobtrusive.
I’ve got the bike for around a month, so I’ll endeavor to give you nerds as realistic an idea as possible of what the GSX-S1000 (which retails for an eminently reasonable $11,889 including destination and freight charges) is like to live with. If you want to know anything specific, ask in the comments, and I’ll do my best to find out.
