The naked bike category has exploded in popularity in the past 10 years. Now, manufacturers readily equip these bikes with their latest high performance engines and technology.
Suzuki’s GSX–S1000 is a bit of an outlier in the large displacement naked category. By this, I mean, it is an open class displacement motorcycle that doesn’t make 200+ horsepower and feature the latest, and greatest computer-controlled rider assists.
This could be considered a weakness, but in many ways, it translates into a great strength for this bike. As an open classer with an engine derived from a superbike, it still makes plenty of horsepower (more than enough for any street rider), and the price is kept in a very attractive range. In other words, this is a bike that potentially satisfies any horsepower junkie looking for a naked bike with quality components that doesn’t break the bank.
It was 2022 when the GSX–S1000 received its last major updates. This corresponded with a need to bring the engine into compliance with Euro5 emission standards. At the same time, Suzuki made significant changes to the bike.
The bike was redesigned aesthetically at that time, and received LED lights. It also received a standard quick-shifter (both directions), three new ride modes, five–level traction control, and improved ABS.
What hasn’t changed is the foundation of the engine, which is still based on the 999 cc in-line four-cylinder developed from the original K5 unit found in an earlier Suzuki superbike. This engine has received plenty of changes over the years, including, but not limited to cams, airbox design, throttle bodies, valve springs, and a new exhaust system.
The suspension consists of manually adjustable units, including a fully adjustable front fork and a rear shock adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping. Damping is reasonable, but relatively firm. Brakes include 310 mm front discs squeezed by a pair of four-piston, radial- mounted Brembo calipers, and the aforementioned ABS control. The rear brake, of course, is a simpler, smaller single-disc unit.
This bike also has Suzuki’s ubiquitous low RPM assist function, which helps prevent stalling when leaving a stop, but can still seem like a welcome addition to experienced riders.
This engine, based on the older superbike design, is plenty healthy for just about any rider. Suzuki claims 150 hp at the crank, but we have seen dyno results putting rear wheel power in the neighborhood of 135 hp, which would indicate a crank output near 160. Torque is also very healthy with over 78 pound/feet at peak, and more than 60 pound/feet beginning at below 4,000 RPM and carried all the way to 11,000 RPM. You can’t find much better flexibility, or more broad, linear, power delivery, than you find from this engine.
This is a comfortable motorcycle to sit on. Like most nakeds, the ergonomics are pretty much bolt upright with reasonable legroom. Pulling away from a stop, the bike feeds power in smoothly, but generously.
If you haven’t been on a big displacement bike recently, the power can surprise you, at first. Indeed, with the way Suzuki designed the torque curve, this bike is faster than some of those 200+ horsepower models at real world RPM levels. Power builds in a very predictable, linear fashion to a strong rush at high RPM.
All that power is brought under control with those big front discs and the Brembo calipers. No, these are not the latest and greatest Brembo units, but they offer good power and feel, and easily decelerate quick enough to satisfy a rider aboard a fast open class bike like this one.
The suspension is a little bit on the stiff side, but I wouldn’t call it harsh. The payoff is when you push the bike on a twisty canyon road. Here, the suspension balances the bike beautifully, and provides plenty of confidence to push. The stock Dunlop Roadsport 2 tires are adequate, but this bike frankly deserves something better for the experienced rider. Bridgestone‘s S23 tires come to mind.
The quick-shifter on the bike is fantastic. Shifting both up and down is without drama, and noticeably smoother than on most other bikes with this feature. Suzuki did a fantastic job here.
The only complaint we have with the transmission is the tight gear ratios. Perhaps a carryover from the superbike days, first gear is quite tall, and the steps between gears are very short. With the immensely broad torque curve, this bike deserves a transmission with much broader gearing.
Selecting “A” from the three available engine modes, results in quicker, meatier power delivery (although B mode also offers full power, but a softer throttle response). Nevertheless, the A mode offers smooth throttle transitions, including opening the throttle on corner exits.
As a naked bike, wind protection is missing (of course), but we could still see plenty of riders using this bike as a commuter, perhaps with a small windscreen attached. The relatively big 5 gallon fuel tank helps here, along with the comfortable ergonomics.
So this bike won’t offer you 200+ horsepower that you can use to scare yourself every few weeks when you find an open, empty road. But you won’t be paying well over $20,000 for it like you might for a Ducati or an MV Agusta.
For 2025, the base U.S. MSRP for the GSX-S1000 is $11,909. For that, you get a very fast motorcycle with modern looks and more than adequate suspension and brakes. We not only think that is a pretty good deal, but it’s hard to beat.
We should note here that we tested a 2024 model, which turns out to be identical to the current 2025 model with one exception. The dated black-and-white instrument screen has been replaced with a bright, highly legible 5 inch color TFT screen. So you can read this review knowing that it describes the performance of the 2025 model with that single exception. This new color screen is exactly what the 2024 model needed, and now has.
Take a look at Suzuki’s website for additional details and specifications.
I’ve been complaining about stubby tail sections since they became the styling trend. Suzuki seems to be doubling down on the trend here. The darn thing barely reaches past the rear axle and has a crazy long license plate booger. Even the MotoGP bikes have much longer tail sections. Enough of this foolishness.
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Dear Mfg.,
Please stop making ugly motorcycles.
Thank you,
Potential Customer
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Ugly ain’t the half of it. I rented a CB1000R (a naked bike) that had a stubby tail section and a “tail tidy” license plate booger eliminator in The Netherlands. A friend of mine and I rode in the rain for three days around NL, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg. The darn rear tire on the Honda was pumping nasty water all over me all day long for three days. My generally black gear was road grime gray by the end of each day and my crotch was soaked from sitting on a seat with constantly running nasty water on it all day. My buddy, who was riding my Multistrada, always arrived looking fresh as a daisy. Those stubby tail sections don’t just look silly. They make the bike a real pain to ride in wet weather. I rented MT07s after that. Cool engine, crap suspension, ABS system that drives me insane. As a dirt biker it seems that I use the rear brake more than the holy nannies would like. The darn ABS buzzes at me all the time.
Not a potential customer. Nanny free bikes for this guy. ABS and ride by wire are swear words.
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I would just graft a pair of round headlights on it and be done.
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So, it will be a mixture of Triumph, KTM and Suzuki.
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… and the Honda Ruckus or the Yamaha Zuma or Ducati DesertX. Don’t forget that the original few generations of GSXRs all had twin headlights for the 24 hour racing series.
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Sorry. Forgot about the first GSXRs.
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Is that really a motorcycle? Look at the broadside pic, it really appears to be quite similar to the collage I pasted together from magazines in 7th grade. I don’t care how good or even stellar it might be, I would never ride it. I wouldn’t be able to get close enough to even grab the bar before vomiting breakfast.
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Aesthetics is a subjective thing. I like it.
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Yes. Every bit is wrong. Looks like a plastic camel dipped in reconstituted paint that has recently been bricked for a full load of whatever.
Not a single organic contour, or projection of forward motion, and the front looks like a sharp beaked alien lusting for an earth woman.
So . . what is to like, and why ? Tall, short and sharp edged.
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it’s a street-fightered ben spies/matt mladin gsx-r 1000 for only 12 grand. the plastic may (ahem) be wrong, but underneath it sure seems right…
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You’re right, when you’re sitting on top you can’t see it, but neighbors and little kids can.
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I agree with you dt 175
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Mat Mladin is a bit of a reminder of when Australians would come to America to race in the AMA series before it was destroyed by DieselGP. Ben Spies is now 40 years old and runs a 600 team in what is now Motoamerica.
Four cylinders are rare now that unburned hydrocarbons are so strictly regulated. I wonder how Suzuki is dealing with them on such an old design. Are they selling this bike in Europe?
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Compelling bike in a lot of ways, but I can’t see any reason why the passenger seat needs to be so high and tiny and sloped. Maybe sacrifice some of that massive space between the rear wheel and the fender and drop the tail down a few stories? Is it just a styling thing?
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Have I ever mentioned flat seats are sensible, and all others are a stupid styling exercise for those of weak wrists.
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Why no, no you haven’t….
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Dirt bikes got flat seats. Pump out a few hundred miles on one and get back to me on that.
One of my riding buddies is an upholstery genius. If you have ever seen a really nice interior from MN in a car mag you have probably seen his work. It always amazes how he can take any seat from zero to hero in about 45 minutes. The world needs more guys like him.
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I have mostly ridden all day rides always, and after modifying with a kitchen knife and sanding block most of my seats, flat works. Always has and always will for human butt design.
The variable is surface material and variable density foam. Marine boat foam is best. All store bought furniture foam is cheap-as-can-be shit, because the good is much more expensive, and will NOT break down in 2 years.
Sit on a kitchen chair and notice there is a pelvic pivot point with 2 flats fore and aft to choose from. The arch in the back is wrong on the rear flat, correct on the forward flat. Good seat design places a short wedge on the rear to assist in holding ones butt on the fore flat.
Lateral flat is necessary to prevent the butt cheeks from spreading wedgee style on a curved seat. Total seat tilt crushes the jewels unmercifully especially on a hot boring ride.
Uncomfortable car seats are not corrected with the lumbar bulge if they do not conform with these simple design factors.
Be back in a flat.
Regi approves this Sunday message.
Decades ago Suzuki had the best motorcycle seat of all time (IMHO) on the GS850/GS1000 in the eighties. With rare exceptions, designs and comfort have degraded ever since.
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1968 BSA Starfire B25. My best all day, not just because it was flat, something else magical. Material, foam density, hard pan support, donknow ? After a head on with a Pontiac, chopped up what was left to make an excellent shop seat for many years.
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I get a kick out of the mode names. “Look pal, if you want us to come up with fancier mode names you’re gonna have to part with considerably more dosh. You’ll get letters of the alphabet and like it.”
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Been looking at reviews for this bike despite how hideous the front end is. Maybe painting the headlight cowl black might help…??? But bang for the buck, it’s on my short list. Would like to think that I could still ride a GSXR 750/1000, but at 59, I think my supersport days are over and when I want some punishment for my back and wrists, I hop on my ’97 Guzzi Sport 1100i. Think it comes down to this,the 1000GT+, GSXS750, Z900RS or a Husq. 701 supermoto. Now if I can just get my liver in better condition….
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Good on Suzuki for stretching out production cycles on certain engines, why fix it if it ain’t broke. I think you could consider this style “ new cafe” versus vintage cafe like RE or say Kawasaki W 650/800. One thing sadly missing ( okay many things) missing from Moto journalism is headlight performance. These latest mirco led lamps seem too small and yet they’ve been adopted by Suzuki on a few models and BMW. I think testing sessions need to include nighttime riding experience focusing on lighting quality.
The engine horsepower at 150 ish is plenty. Visuals aren’t distracting but not completely attractive either it will come down to colour choices.
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Motorcycle lighting quality is the most difficult performance assessment in all of dark riding to survive. 13 motorcycles and 50 + years with a lot of night commuting and I have never been satisfied with the view. There is so much missing from daytime clues for total situational awareness.
I believe most of the difficulty is a single vertical light source, unlike an automobile 2 light spread. The loss of real reflectors in favor of cute gumdrop lights also sucks.
Before I stopped riding I checked out aircraft led landing lights as an addition and was very surprised at what was reasonable to install. The variety of Lumens and patterns was super.
Funny thing commuting to work on freeway once. Hit a car muffler at 70 mph, and both mirrors un screwed. Stayed upright, anyways.
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Are there terrific aftermarket lights to improve visibility? Ralph Nader add-ons?
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I don’t think Ralphy ever rode a motorcycle in the night at 70 – 75 mph.
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Sad thing is, my 2006 V-strom 650 has excellent lighting, 2 big halogens. Broad spread, great distance. So of course, one of the things that WASN’T broken, they “fix”.
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Road debris being only one of many, but that muffler would have been a unenjoyable moment. I’ve upgraded my lighting on a dual headlamp set up, but now changing out those bulbs again for brighter. In addition I’m adding 4 auxiliary lights, 2 are flood lamps to cover near and wide the other two are spot lamps that are rated for 350 feet.
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Sounds like a severely excellent set up. Bet you aren’t riding a skinny crotch rocket.
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I’d be interested to hear how some of these newer headlights perform but based on my experience with modern LED’s in other segments, I don’t believe their physical size needs to have any bearing on how they perform. Emitter and reflector tech has come a long way.
Agreed on the engine. It seems like I4’s have lost some interest but I really appreciate that these brands have finally realized that chasing max hp is a zero sum game when nobody ever rides the bikes up in those RPM ranges. A handful of crazy youtubers does not a market, make.
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I’m a fan of in-line fours. It’s what I grew up with and they still hold sway with me. Sure, the twins offer more low down torque but the sound doesn’t inspire like the wail of a four. My 2002 Bandit 1200 with 100hp and 70 ft# of torque and 11,000 max rpm seemed to be enough for me but would be laughable by today’s standards. I was happy with it for 55,000 reliable miles. Twins are popular right now, but you can still buy a performance four which is a good thing.
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For all the complaining of how ugly KTM bikes are the Japanese certainly have seemed to latch onto it.
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It’s more likely that KTM followed (tried to surpass?) the Japanese makes. It makes sense that they’d look like this. They’re making naked super-sport bikes and want the look to convey similarly aggressive styling leaving them with the task of tying the SS bike’s gas tank and tail section into the rest with a lot less body area to do it.
The segment seems to have been performing to their satisfaction since the bikes have looked like this for well over a decade now. I do think a retro high-performance styling would resonate with a younger audience, though. Kawasaki probably knows because they sell both the Z900 and the 900RS.
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Works for me with a bonus of retro ergos.
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