2023 Suzuki GSX-8S Review | SV650 Successor Tested!

Рет қаралды 37,540

Жыл бұрын

Alex heads out to the French Riviera to test the 2023 Suzuki GSX-8S, which features the new parallel-twin with 270° crank (also seen on the V-Strom 800DE).
Suzuki position this as the Streetfighter that will take on the Honda Hornet, Yamaha MT-07, and umpteen other naked bikes than mid-capacity riders may consider… but is it any good?
Full written review: www.visordown.com/reviews/first-ride/2023-suzuki-gsx-8s-review
#SuzukiGSX8S #NakedBike #VisordownVisordown.com
0:00 Suzuki GSX-8s Review
1:07 Price
1:20 Engine
2:56 Weight
3:34 Seat Height
4:44 Suspension
5:55 Oil Capacity
6:47 Style
7:40 Riding Modes
9:00 Brakes
10:00 Verdict
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Пікірлер: 151

@DasChristoff Жыл бұрын

I have the 2023 gsx S1000. I really wanted this bike but I haven’t seen one here in CO USA so I got the gsx in black. Suzuki makes bike to ride, not an iPhone on wheels. The bi directional shifter is butter smooth and better than any bike I’ve even ridden. Think I would still be happy on the GS8 but the raw power and torque of the gsx is insane. Both this and the gsx s1000 look similar. The 5gal tank is awesome as well. Suzuki is making some amazing bikes lately!

@conalloreilly3543 Жыл бұрын

Great review mate, best of luck with the new job. 👍

@yahoodlums Жыл бұрын

I’d like to see a shootout between this, the Hornet and the Trident.

@wwfww Жыл бұрын

Poor trident

@alphajed7700 Жыл бұрын

Then the de facto MT-07

@DavidSmith-hn5gg Жыл бұрын

Trident is now irrelevant

@trailblazeratv6306 Жыл бұрын

@@alphajed7700 MT-07 got beat by the Hornet on MSN KZfaq

@nuruddin1991 Жыл бұрын

Don't forget rs660... It will win😅

@dashuntas.m4045 Жыл бұрын

Suzuki have a knack of producing motorcycles that, while not having the best specs on paper, always end up being great and popular platforms

@ans512 Жыл бұрын

Great bike.....a good review from you as usual......good luck for the future Alex.

@robnobbycrawford4378 Жыл бұрын

Great Review, love the new look and finish of the bike 👏

@curtdazzle9416 9 ай бұрын

Beautiful scenery, great review and a crackin' new Suzuki.

@ragerider6283 Жыл бұрын

Very nice review. I really like this bike. It's definitely got it's own identity & stands out from the crowd. It also looks so much better & classier than the Hornet imo. The Honda is undoubtedly a great machine, especially for the price, but it just looks like a cheap Chinese copy of a generic Japanese middleweight. The GSX8S also has a QS as standard, more torque, bigger brakes & a 180 rear tyre. Plus the Suzuki comes with & a significantly better 7 year / 70,000 mile warranty now too so I can forgive the +12kg, -8bhp & £750 additional cost over the Hornet & isn't a deal breaker for me.

@moorepower13 Жыл бұрын

Not to mention the subframe is a mess on the hornet. So many price buyers are going to enjoy replacing the entire frame each time they knock it over onto their hard bags.

@ragerider6283 Жыл бұрын

@@moorepower13 Yes good point. The bolt on sub frame is definitely another plus point for the Suzuki as well. Especially for the V-Strom 800 vs the Transalp I would think.

@kevincrockett5155 Жыл бұрын

Didn't know the UK gets standard 7/70 warranties. In the States, it's one year, unlimited miles. Agree that the Suzuki looks better than the Hornet. It's a mystery why Honda didn't continue with the neo cafe theme of the current CB series. From what I've watched , I'd say the Hornet's engine is more playful and better suited for the way I like to ride but the Suzuki is an all around great package.

@ragerider6283 Жыл бұрын

@@kevincrockett5155 Totally agree Honda should have gone with the neo-retro styling for sure but either way it's still a great machine & they can always update the styling in the future I guess. As for the Suzuki warranty, I'm not sure why they're so different. Hopefully they roll it out in the US soon too as it's great. Here we get a standard 3 year warranty anyway & now as of this month, after the 3 years is up, an additional annual service activated extended warranty up to the bike being 7 years old or 70,000 miles, whichever happens first. The first service is free in the fourth year to activate it & then you need to pay for an official Suzuki annual service & the warranty is then extended for another year. You can also start it any time before the bike is 7 years old or has 70,000 miles & they don't care if there's missing service history either as they give the bike a full health check at the same time as the service prior to activating the warranty. Pretty amazing scheme really. Didn't realize how lucky we were. Apparently Suzuki have copied it from Toyota.

@phobosbot81 Жыл бұрын

@@kevincrockett5155 here in Colombia is one year or 12000 kms (7456 miles), whatever comes first

@AdamForeman Жыл бұрын

Wish you all the best Alex in the next stage of your career. Hope it's bike related. We need tall biker's reviews as I'm pretty much the same height as you. Cheers

@pggp273 Жыл бұрын

Nice review mate and far better than your colleague who has a liking for too much beer and needs his mouth washed out with soap. Very professional and I will start watching visor down videos again

@edwardtodd2833 Жыл бұрын

Sad to see you go, all the best

@mavoriginals Жыл бұрын

Wow.❤ The looks.

@moto-jeff Жыл бұрын

Itching to get a test ride on this bike, i much prefer it so far over the Hornet. In all the reviews i've watched its looking like this bike may be my next bike. Interesting that Suzuki are now doing 7 yr, 70,000 mile warranty on this bike in the UK. Of course that does mean main dealer servicing for all of the duration, so they will be getting their wedge off you for that. The Hornet may have more power, is lighter and a grand cheaper, but i only had to see one in the flesh and sit on it to lose interest in it so much i never bothered test riding it.

@dukie1616 Жыл бұрын

Good review

@francismurtagh3295 Жыл бұрын

Interesting point about tail-tidy not sure how they'll do it, maybe have it like gen 2 sv650 with 2 lines and integrated indicators. Not much room for license plate either

@danieljelinek7059 Жыл бұрын

Alex, you will be missed! I hope to see you at MCN 😉

@neilsolomon9149 Жыл бұрын

The Japanese are masters. ❤️

@skyworks1621 Жыл бұрын

I saw the bike on EICMA and it looks great, better then Honda.

@WestbrickFansGotNoBrains Жыл бұрын

Scott redding helmet look so dope

@fyorbane Жыл бұрын

Nice looking bike especially in the blue. I would love for Suzuki to make an 1100 or 1200 version which would be mega.

@arizalshah3853 Жыл бұрын

How the front lights perform during night time?

@allwheeldrive Жыл бұрын

8S vs Hornet: A buyer needs a mandatory ride comparison. The price difference is relatively small, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Honda dealers slapping on a few quid because it starts to cheaply and (according to all the short journalists' rides) appears to do the job...as does the 8S. A head-to-head (and there will be many) will provide more clarity in the differences, but they seem to be very close in the experiences they deliver, and the ONLY way to tell if it's for *you* is to hop on both. How do you fit, do you favor a shorter/longer wheelbase, does it feel right (low/high-speed handling, braking, front-end, etc.). As NOBODY in the comments has ridden both, picking a hands-down favorite is silly. But! Either way, these surely seem to be winners, regardless. We are very lucky to have the choice!

@pggp273 Жыл бұрын

Honda need to hold the line with their aggressive pricing and take the market away from their competitors and teach them a lesson. Manufacturer's have been taking the piss with the pricing and its time for the tide to turn.

@charleshoward1475 Жыл бұрын

I tried an SV and really didn't like it. I'm hoping one of these will be for me. Thank You for a decent review here

@wwfww Жыл бұрын

How’s the build quality like on these?

@Happy-as-Larry Жыл бұрын

Hi Alex Can you keep the TFT screen in permanent day or night mode, also can you switch between KPH and MPH, for driving from one country to another.

@ronsayami Жыл бұрын

Yes and yes... as seen on another youtube video

@sicks6six Жыл бұрын

beautiful machine, about the riding position.. I read about the amount of tech that went into setting up the pegs n bars for optimum riding comfort and body posture, the ultimate riding position for the "average" person, compared to the new HD this is comfort form and function while the HD is awkward uncomfortable and actually bad for your posture, it's the little things that set Suzuki and the other big bike firms apart for the others,

@csposir Жыл бұрын

Someone somewhere is already 3D modeling an integrated tail tidy with a taillight that they’ll then be printing for the 8S. Won’t be that long in arriving in the aftermarket if the 8S is eventually sold in great quantities

@ridezplus1053 Жыл бұрын

For me I’ll take the hornet…10hp more ,more rider screen options on the tft,sensitivity adjustment on the quick shifter,power even at the top of the rev range and will be easy to fit a slip on exhaust which won’t be the case on the Suzuki…👍👍

@alphacapo Жыл бұрын

I believe your mistaken. Suzukis always respond well to tunes and exhaust

@ridezplus1053 Жыл бұрын

@@alphacapo true…but when you look closely at the Suzi there is no muffler only a giant bread box arrangement under the bike that you will have to remove to try and put a muffler of some sort on which will then require a retune but with the hornet when you look closely you can just remove the stock muffler and put a slip on there without a retune..👍

@alphacapo Жыл бұрын

@RIDEZ PLUS huh? U just cut the whole thing off (all that euro6 bullshit) and have a shop bend a pipe u need. Weld on a muffler. (Not sure how it mounts to the frame but that's easy enuff to figure. Done deal. And probably save 10lbs

@exothermal.sprocket Жыл бұрын

All Japanese bikes, from the 7 grand to the 17 grand bikes are restricted, held back, and choked down from factory. ALL JAPANESE BIKES BENEFIT from a full exhaust, ECU flash (especially this). Throttle by wire enables manufacturers to disconnect your wrist from what the throttle actually does. This means you tell the computer 100% and the computer tells the throttlebodies 80% or less, in most gears. Worse in 1st gear. Yes, it's all programmed per gear, it's a map in the ECU which translates your wrist twist by percentage to throttle butterfly movement. You'll never get everything you want until you program the map differently. No getting around that. The exhaust and filter merely allows the engine to breath to full potential, which will require fuel injectors to spray appropriate ratio for the increased air flow. And no, the ECU will NOT compensate by itself. You have to program the thing.

@tubejorrit Жыл бұрын

Two things bother me on the hornet, the frame looks cheap and the subframe is welded on instead of bolted. And the rear tire is only a 160 instead of the 180 of the MT07 and GSX8S. The Hornet looks like a small beginners bike because of this.

@Kevin-xz4jq Жыл бұрын

If i never see a triangle, transformer headlight again, it will be too soon.

@fyorbane Жыл бұрын

Triumph Trident 660 has a traditional round headlight in this class.

@matecaljkusic480 Жыл бұрын

Hi I'am 6.2 tall and 265 pounds heavy, would this bike fit me?

@novelragon Жыл бұрын

Couldnt they make it look nicer? Hope there will be a retro looking version.

@kentalvarez284 Жыл бұрын

wish i could have my own bike..

@photographerjonathan Жыл бұрын

Is there anything about the way the bike rides that makes it worth paying over a grand more than the Hornet ? because looks alone can't be it.

@jefflambert8603 Жыл бұрын

The Bikes looks are very important to Most Owners its their Pride & Joy

@songsxs750 Жыл бұрын

How tall are you?

@suprlite Жыл бұрын

Why replace the SV650?? -if it aint broken, dont fix it.

@jackwednesday Жыл бұрын

Nice bike, but fitting a tail tidy is just gonna be too much hassle. Hornet for me

@alantheloneranger Жыл бұрын

I would take the Hornet over this all day long, especially when the Hornet is £1,000 cheaper

@MrFoxfire510 Жыл бұрын

Lucky you, the Hornet is not available for us in USA!

@alphajed7700 Жыл бұрын

Of course, but their aftermarket products would definitely hurt your wallet.

@jefflambert8603 Жыл бұрын

Minus a Quickshifter the 8S, has as Standard

@jihigh482 Жыл бұрын

@@jefflambert8603 It's only 250£ more for the Honda. Hardly a deal breaker

@jefflambert8603 Жыл бұрын

@@jihigh482 no thats True, but in my eyes the 8S looks Better than the Hornet

@minirollsrule Жыл бұрын

I feel like he was digging for compliments when he said "span adjustable levers".... like any other bike thats not a 125...

@cpuuk Жыл бұрын

Would have been a no-brainer if Honda hadn't released the Hornet.

@exothermal.sprocket Жыл бұрын

Honda: more peak HP (+8 hp), less midrange torque. Suzuki: less peak HP (-8 hp), more midrange torque. Also consider the chassis, brakes, physical size (depending on how big a person you are), 180 vs 160 rear tire, bolted subframe vs. welded, wheelbase, etc.

@jefflambert8603 Жыл бұрын

@@exothermal.sprocket some Bikes will handle better with a 160 Tyre Honda would have Tested that But I would take the Suzuki

@CraigSmith568 Жыл бұрын

These digital screens are horrible. I thought this was a replacement for the SV 650 and the GSXS 750, but both are still offered in the U.S.

@mylign Жыл бұрын

"Gixxer Eights" would be a convenient name.

@njohnson3331 Жыл бұрын

I think I'm just going to call it the "8S" or the "Eights."

@stuartmoles843 Жыл бұрын

No man’s land between the cheaper hornet and the 1.5k more but far better Street Triple 765? I can’t really see them selling loads?

@DavidSmith-hn5gg Жыл бұрын

I rode my mates street triple RS then test rode a hornet…. I bought a hornet straight away! The suspension on the triple on our roads was crashy and back jarring. The suspension on the hornet was really nice on rougher roads. Also the street triple was a much more aggressive riding position putting a lot of weight on my hands and wrists and became quite uncomfortable very quickly. I also preferred the hornets engine character and sound, and for the money the hornets an awesome bike.

@stuartmoles843 Жыл бұрын

@@DavidSmith-hn5gg Absolutely, I believe the Hornet is a great bike and for the money can’t probably be beaten. My point is around the pricing point of the Suzuki it’s in that middle ground with a load of “better” competitors. I mean it’s fine for plodding to work on but your not going to buy it over the Aprilia 660, KTM or Triumph for the Sunday morning hoon. Interesting point you make about the Triumph, I much preferred the standard model when I tried them out over the RS

@iain777uk Жыл бұрын

Seems to me that’s Suzuki have made a more premium product than they other Japanese offerings. My main concern with all Euro5 bikes is the fuelling issues that many of them seem to have.

@tubejorrit Жыл бұрын

Saw another review where they told the fueling on the Suzuki is butter smooth

@exothermal.sprocket Жыл бұрын

Even if they butter the bread really smooth, I'd go for an ECU flash anyway. Factories are limiting throttle openings to just about anything less than 100% even if you twist the grip to full stop.

@hex_surfer4588 Жыл бұрын

It's not the Euro 5 - it's deceleration fuel cut off. It's makes throttle transitions jerky. You can deactivate it via reflash. Add some ignition map tweaks and you'll have butter smooth throttle.

@exothermal.sprocket Жыл бұрын

@@hex_surfer4588 That's been a part of emissions regulations. It also happens in vehicles with fuel injection, but since they are heavy, have large flywheels, don't have drivetrain lash (not chain drive), it's all muted. Regulations require injectors to shut off with throttle closure on decel to prevent unburned fuel going out the exhaust.

@hex_surfer4588 Жыл бұрын

@@exothermal.sprocket Yeah, decel fuel cut off drives my nuts on bikes. Jerky throttle is really annoying in midcorner at high lean angles or slippery road. I rather prefer smooth throttle than extra HP.

@azeoprop Жыл бұрын

Maybe should just pay a bit more for a mt09.

@BikingChap Жыл бұрын

Looking forward to some real owner reviews, with less power and £1,000 higher asking price than the Hornet, Suzuki has it's work cut out.

@DavidSmith-hn5gg Жыл бұрын

I prefer the hornet.

@duncancleverley6366 Жыл бұрын

Lovely styling.. makes the hornet look like a pile of horse crap.

@DavidSmith-hn5gg Жыл бұрын

It hardly looks any different to the hornet lol and that tail on the Suzuki looks ridiculous 😂

@surendarmohan9878 Жыл бұрын

@David Smith I see you in all comment sections to bash Suzuki😂 chill down, no one has ever ridden in public, looks and preferences are subjective what you dislike my be loved by someone

@exothermal.sprocket Жыл бұрын

They both have their styling challenges. Reserve your judgements until you see one with your own naked eyes. Videos and pictures are always miles from the actual physical appearance. Learn that lesson.

@stesrad Жыл бұрын

The hornet isn't doing much for me but I'm getting a little excited about the Suzuki ok it's £1,000 more but it's money well spent.

@gordanmoran4549 Жыл бұрын

When Suzuki starts discounting hard then possibly, until then it has too much of everything apart from power.

@fortyfour1654 Жыл бұрын

Give it 12 months and their will be excess stock the dealers are desperate to shift. Suzuki arnt shy with offers luckily.

@robertchapman6795 Жыл бұрын

Good looking bike. Sounds like my old TRX850, which was a magnificent beast. BUT: 1: It’s too heavy. 2: It’s too long. 3. When are manufacturers going to stop putting parts bin motocross handlebars on roadbikes!? It looks ridiculous. Seeing riders trying to hang off monkey bars while cornering just doesn’t look right. Swan neck clip-ons for the standard models and more race like clip-ons for an R type model would be far more appropriate.

@willielewis2548 Жыл бұрын

Is this too much for a beginner?

@itzerisadomeeiot4980 Жыл бұрын

nope very basic

@phobosbot81 Жыл бұрын

definitely everything goes down to geographic location and culture, in my country Colombia this is a really powerful bike for a beginner. Are you guys in North America and Europe going that fast on public roads?

@nomadenview Жыл бұрын

Recommended Beginner bike = 350cc - 500cc And don't forget to check your wallet... Lol

@hex_surfer4588 Жыл бұрын

@@phobosbot81 Bueno, aqui en España ir a 150 es bastante habitual en autopista. Si luego añades a eso la cantidad de puertos de montaña que hay pues al final una moto grande facilita las cosas para no andar cambiando marchas todo el rato. Yo acabe pasando a una 1000 por eso - no por correr mas sino porque es mas comodo - al tener mucho par y potencia no hace falta usar tanto el cambio. En viajes largos se agradece un monton. Vamos - que con una 500 tambien puedes viajar pero requiere mas esfuerzo.

@phobosbot81 Жыл бұрын

@@hex_surfer4588 muchas gracias por tu explicación. De acuerdo a eso tiene total sentido para ustedes allá contar con semejantes cifras de potencia y torque. Salu2

@lgwappo Жыл бұрын

The big question for me is the seat. Because if it sucks like nearly all stock seats an aftermarket seat might require a lowering kit which will require a search for a shorter center stand & side stand which sometimes do not exist. I've been down that road twice. Suzuki just please put a comfortable seat on it & make it 30-31" high, not a 31.9" high pizza slice. As for looks, the old SV650 will always look better than these winged bugs.

@charlesbrown9863 Жыл бұрын

The fuel tank is too small

@kennypool Жыл бұрын

I'm thinking cfmoto?

@afletra Жыл бұрын

Agree, especially the HL looks really inspired from KTM Duke or CF Moto NK

@itzerisadomeeiot4980 Жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂

@kennypool Жыл бұрын

@@itzerisadomeeiot4980 💩💩💩🤪🤪😜

@exothermal.sprocket Жыл бұрын

CHYNAH! CHYNAH! CHYNAH!

@stesrad Жыл бұрын

You really shouldn't ! 🤣

@bigred8438 Жыл бұрын

It looks very small under you, and you look cramped, so who are they making these for not blokes 6' and over. I saw Neeves on the Honda cb750, the other day and it seemed extremely cramped for him. A direct competitor for the Suzuki l would imagine.

@chengsgroup2518 Жыл бұрын

Sv650 is 780mm seat height….good for beginners and girls….. no way 850cc and taller seat will sub the sv650…

@jihigh482 Жыл бұрын

So all experienced riders are tall? lol

@kurtrathert2763 6 ай бұрын

Short beginners struggle with taller seats. Short experienced riders generally don't to the same degree.@@jihigh482

@mr1bienvenu1 Жыл бұрын

Can't they make a bike that doesn't look like something out of a damn Transformer movie ? Maybe put a decent passenger seat on it. 😔

@davmanlop333 Жыл бұрын

Coming in at £1000 more than the hornet for less they gonna struggle to sell

@alphacapo Жыл бұрын

This bike is stronger than the hornet everywhere but top end power. Your crazy as hell. 1000 pound ain't shit. People that 1k matter to aren't buying new bikes. Plus suzuki has a quick shifter.

@noherczeg Жыл бұрын

Reviewer did a poor job on that sentence. Build quality is better, has better tech, built in quick shifter / blipper. Blipper alone costs around 250 for all bikes. Plus, the Hornet is crammed unlike the 8S. People above 6.0-6.1 have a hard time on the Hornet.

@davidjones535 Жыл бұрын

It look like my 4 year old nephews transformed toy or something out of an 80's Japanese cartoon just one more of a 4 or 5 dozen others all the motorcycle manufacturers , none of them seem to design some thing that look different from all the others no matter what type or style of bikes ,sport bikes, naked bikes and so on and so on !

@mrsilbo6499 Жыл бұрын

Don't forget in your new job, Alex, that 'th' is not pronounced as 'v'. You haven't got a lisp, so it's just laziness on your part.

@chaseHoldren Жыл бұрын

wtf

@brankog7 Жыл бұрын

Oh wow another middleweight parallel twin, yawn

@Albert-my3yt 10 ай бұрын

I'm wondering about the long term. The yamaha mt07 is a proven long term dependable bike with a basically perfected motor. This being a 2023 model, there is no data on long term. I want the mt07 but since it's so hard to find one, I'm thinking about this 8s but I'm not big on suzuki. Any advice?

@davidefland1985 Жыл бұрын

Looks like a transformer

@johntapley2549 Жыл бұрын

It needs a small screen to hide those ugly gauges.

@Tiax776 Жыл бұрын

No hugger, no LED indicators. It's too heavy (people are just going to look at the 202kg number). I cannot comprehend why they went with this ugly baby blue instead of the nice darker metallic, electric blue they had in the GSX-S750, for example. There's also no excuse not to have a cruise control as an option if it's ride-by-wire. Atleast the horn button is in the wrong spot unlike Honda and it doesn't have the douchebag always on indicator like honda.