Suzuki continues to recycle its K5 engine, and now we see it in a new adventure sports bike. Or maybe we’re calling these a crossover bike? Whatever term you prefer, the format is the same—a sport tourer with high-rise suspension that will handle a wide variety of surfaces, but not really intended for the dirt. That’s the Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX.
Unveiled for 2024 production, the GSX-S1000 GX is obviously very closely related to Suzuki’s GSX-S1000 GT, which we reviewed back in 2022 (see here). It uses the same engine, with 150 hp and 78 lb-ft of torque that’s very usable in the real world. A quickshifter is standard, with a slip/assist clutch and a ride-by-wire throttle. The K5 engine goes back to the mid-2000s, so while Suzuki’s inline four doesn’t make the same power as the latest-gen stuff, it’s had 20 years of refinement and reliability. There is nothing to dislike here.
The GX has one big change over the GT—it has an IMU. This six-axis sensor governs a leaning-sensitive ABS and traction control system, and electronic suspension. This bike has a self-adjusting Showa fork and shock, but while the system is similar to the Skyhook design, it has been significantly tweaked, Suzuki claims, to fit the company’s design ideas. The suspension will not only adjust its own settings to match the terrain you’re riding over, it will also adjust to match your changes in speed, and will settle in a balanced position as it adapts to your braking.
It’s a big step forward for Suzuki, but while the electronics are much-changed from the GT, the bike still has no adaptive cruise control system, a system all the competition is embracing quickly. Suzuki says it won’t add such a system until it makes sense, and wants to focus on value for customers.
The suspension benefits from the autonomous settings regulation, but it also benefits from about an inch more travel than the GT model, which beat you up on a back road. The GX has an 845 mm seat height, but part of that is due to a seat with 15 mm more padding in it.
The GX also a handlebar that’s wider and more rear-set than the bar on the GT, which will mean a more upright and relaxed riding position, certainly a benefit when all-day touring.
At 232 kg curb weight, the GX is most certainly a big bike, but it will also be a stable machine on the road. Load it down with a passenger and saddlebags and you won’t notice the difference between this and the slightly lighter Euro competition, which is clearly what Suzuki is aiming at with this machine.
Asking price in Canada for 2024 is $20,699 MSRP before taxes and fees. Head to Suzuki’s Canadian website for more details.
