PICS: SUZUKI
What’s better than one sporty touring motorcycle in your range? Well, two, for starters, which is the position Suzuki now finds itself in following the introduction of its new GSX-S1000GX. It’s a move that’s confused some, owing to its similarities to the already present GSX-S1000GT, but for lovers of long travel/all-day comfort/adventure-esque steeds, this deliverance could prove more exciting than chocolate cake down your local slimming club. You don’t need me to harp on about how lucrative and important the crossover sector is, but armed with that grasp, it’s easy to see why the Japanese manufacturer decided to double down and introduce a new asset to its broad fleet of bikes, powered by its much-loved and readily available GSX-R1000 K5 motor. Yep, the same one that’s found itself a home in the naked GSX-S1000 and sports tourer GSX-S1000GT. One fun fact for you, while we’re on the topic: Suzuki bods mentioned during the GX’s presentation in Portugal that it’s produced more than 180,000 K5 motors since the lump’s inauguration 19 years ago… mind blown.
We were thrown quite a few more facts during the hour-long overview of the new addition, which sports a few firsts for the brand and the industry. The first is a stability control system that automatically decreases the speed you’re riding at should your GX become unstable when tonking along at more than 130mph… handy in a police chase. Another is an auto function that stiffens or lessons the damping characteristics of the Suzuki electronic suspension when travelling above the aforementioned speed – the thinking being that if you’re riding at that pace, you might need more support if you’re on a softer set-up, while the same thought goes the other way if your set-up is super firm and could do with backing off a bit. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get why one would benefit from less damping support when you’re going faster, but there are many things I don’t understand in this world. And while I’m labouring on about the long-travel electronic pogos on this protagonist, I should probably point out yet another feature, which is essentially an override system that adapts the bike’s set-up automatically, regardless of your speed, when the electronic Showa suspension’s sensors detect the bike is going through a particularly rough stretch of ground – think cobbles – altering both the suspension and the torque from the throttle.