Tahe 2024 GSX-8R is the latest model to be built around the new parallel-twin engine that Suzuki introduced last year in the V-Strom 800DE adventure bike and GSX-8S naked bike. This latest middleweight is the first Suzuki to brandish GSX call letters that isn’t powered by an inline four. And despite its link to Suzuki’s multi-championship winning GSX-Rs, this latest sport bike is designed with much broader capabilities for the street rider.
A day spent on the roads in southern California revealed that this new GSX is ready for the daily commute, for weekend jaunts along your favourite twisties, and is comfortable enough to cover longer distances as a middleweight sport tourer. However, despite not being specifically focused on racetrack outings, another day spent thrashing it at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway revealed that it is a surprisingly competent track-day companion.
THE ENGINE
The GSX-8R is based on the 8S, at the heart of which is a 776-cc, 270-degree liquid-cooled parallel twin. It claims 82 horsepower and 57.5 lb-ft of torque. Just for comparison, the SV650 claims a respectable 75 hp and 47 lb-ft. However,
