2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ First Ride – Video
Thoughts about Suzuki's latest sport-tourer, now in video form.
In my opinion, Suzuki hit a home run with its new for 2022 GSX-S1000GT and GT+. Seeing a market that was slowly shifting towards adventure bikes pulling double duty as tourers, Suzuki sought to revitalize the sport-touring segment for those who prefer 17-inch wheels and strafing twisties. The result is what you’d expect from the company some tout as building the first “real” sportbike in the GSX-R750.
Yes, the GSX-R DNA is all over this new GSX-S, but nowhere is it more obvious than the engine. Here we find a 999cc four-cylinder that can trace its roots back 17 years to the K5 GSX-R1000 sportbike. Despite the fact that sportbikes have come a long way since 2005, that generation GSX-R is still regarded as one of the best motorcycles Suzuki has ever made. So it’s no wonder the folks at Hamamatsu have kept the engine alive and re-tooled it for sport-touring duty.
Fortunately for us, a once glorious sportbike engine now makes for a glorious sport-touring engine, as the shift in the four cylinder’s powerband delivers an amazing rush of real-world power – and it does so smoothly. Upright bars mean there’s no need to crouch over like on a sportbike, and of course, the rider is surrounded by wind tunnel-derived bodywork to help place them in a comfortable pocket of air as they’re flying down the road. Tack on some 36-liter saddlebags (on the GT+), traction control, ABS, and the all-important cruise control, and you’ve got a recipe for a great sport-touring machine.
But you didn’t come here to read words. You can read my written review for that. No, what you came to see is me jabbering on about Suzuki’s latest and greatest sport-touring model. Click the video above and you can see the GSX-S1000GT+ in action along some of central California’s greatest roads and twisties.
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Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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Nice looking video; decent looking bike. Except for disappointment over the brakes I'm not hearing major complaints from MO. Are you guys getting soft? 😜
Nice motorcycle, many standard features, specially that factory installed quickshifter/autoblipper.
Personally I prefer the power delivery of Triples, V Fours, V Twins and 270* crank P-Twins but this would be OK too.