Buy Katana, but Fell in Love with the Lightweight and Compact GSX-8S at First Sight!

Table of Contents

GSX-8S(775cc)Owner: Yūtsuki
1. MYBIKE COMMENT
Check out the GSX-8S user reviews

GSX-8S(775cc)Owner: Yūtsuki

This article introduces one MY BIKE submitted to Webike Community every week. The model introduced this time is SUZUKI "GSX-8S" and the owner is "Yūtsuki".

The GSX-8S was announced overseas in the fall of 2022, and sales began in Japan this spring.
It has been attracting a steady stream of owner feedback. The main features of the GSX-8S are its sporty looks, similar to the GSX-S1000, and its newly designed liquid-cooled, parallel twin-cylinder DOHC engine. This engine is equipped with a cross balancer, the first of its kind for a mass-produced motorcycle, which greatly counteracts the vibration of a two-cylinder engine, and is designed to be compact and lightweight. The looks are unique, with the two vertical LED headlights shared by Suzuki's sports models and a street-fighter-style silhouette with a strong forward lean. Of course, as is typical of the latest models, the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System, Quick Shifter, and Low RPM Assist are among the many features that make this model unique among middle-class naked models.

Mr. Yūtsuki, who is introducing the GSX-8S, initially went to a store to buy a KATANA or SV650X, where he came across the GSX-8S, which does not feel the size of a large motorcycle.
It's not much different from the GIXXER SF150. I fell in love at first sight with its good footing and the ease of riding that the vehicle's size implies. Of course, when compared to the SF150 (a cowled model of the GIXXER 150), the GSX-8S is larger in terms of seat height and weight, but the good balance more than makes up for it.
As Mr. Yūtsuki describes, the GSX-8S has a large engine the size of a mid-size bike with a taste that does not break the bank, and there is no doubt that even sports-minded riders will enjoy it!

As commented it is a very good bike for beginners of large bikes, it is highly rated as a versatile machine that can be used for both city and sport riding.

This is Captain 819's GSX-8S. He still has a favorable opinion of its compact body and powerful engine!

MYBIKE COMMENT

Motive for purchase

I got a license for a large-sized motorcycle and considered the type of vehicle to purchase.
At first, my target was a Katana, which I had long admired. I was worried about the suspension, so I went to a store and asked to straddle a used bike.

No, I can stand on it, but I can only stand on both toes. If I stand on one foot, I can touch the front half of the ball of the thumb, but this is scary every time I get a traffic light!
At this time, I was also allowed to straddle the GSX-S1000 and S1000GT, and I could not believe that they were based on the same chassis. It was about the first half of the ball of the thumb of both feet. I thought I would be able to ride a Katana with confidence if it was as good as this, but decided against it due to both the price and the foot grounding anxiety.

But I still couldn't give up on the katana, so I decided to target an SV650X with a katana kit sold by a certain store. So I went to see a stock SV650X at the store. I wanted to ask about the price and so on.

So I glanced at the GSX-8S.A glimpse, really!
I didn't like the insect-like form of the GSX-8S as much as I did the S1000, but at the time I thought that there were a lot of articles on the Internet and YouTubers who praised the GSX-8S.
Then, that night, I couldn't stop thinking about the GSX-8S.
During my research, I thought, "Hey, isn't this face kind of cool? Isn't this face kinda cool?" I was allowed to ride the GSX-8S at a store later that day, and I signed a contract with them.

The deciding factors were the size of the car and the engine setup.
It's not much different from my original Gixxer SF150. The vehicle size is the same.
It is almost the same, just slightly bigger.
When I straddled the bike at the store, I was able to stand on my feet and raise the body of the bike without anxiety. The foot grounding is the same level as the S-1000.
The center of gravity is lower than the S-1000, so I don't feel the weight of a big bike.
It's easy to ride. According to the reviews, the GSX-8S was the only choice for my first big bike, since the engine is more torque-oriented and easy to ride. Since I use it for commuting, I wanted a bike that was easy to ride and had moderate sports performance, and this was the perfect bike for me!

Advantages

As I mentioned in my motive for purchasing the bike, I think the biggest advantage is the size of the vehicle. It has a large engine the size of a mid-size bike, and it has a taste that does not break the bank. Isn't it the best?
The overwhelming power of a bike with 150ps may be good, but if you want to enjoy a little sport riding from town riding, this is by far the best choice.

I know there are pros and cons to the look, but the more you look at it, the better you'll think it's good. If the GSX-8R had been announced before I was used to seeing it, I might have fallen in favor of it, but in reality, the announcement came after I had become used to seeing this form and thought it looked cool. When I saw the 8R, I thought, "Wow, it doesn't look new or ordinary at all, does it? It's not a city where you live, but if you get used to seeing it, it's your favorite motorcycle.

I am still in the process of breaking in the car and have not been able to use it up to the higher rpms, but I can feel plenty of power and torque even up to about 5000 rpm.
When cornering, the car has moderate self-steer and turns neutrally as long as you don't try to force it. The motorcycle is both easy to ride and fun to ride.

Disadvantages

I have very few complaints.
If I had to pick one, it would be the weight of the clutch.
It is heavier than the Gixxer SF150.
I guess that is to be expected since it is so large.
I have small hands and a weak grip, so when I am stuck in traffic, it is very hard on me.

Oh, and the "unleaded premium" sticker on the tank.
It's so tacky. I want to remove it, but I am hesitant to do so because the store told me that there is a high possibility of damaging the tank since it is a sticker that is attached quite firmly.