Words: Bill Hunter.
It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with a new motorcycle. For sure we test a multitude of bikes that have their own distinctive attributes that induce a warm feeling inside your apparel. However there’s always something that doesn’t quite swing your desirability meter towards its zenith. For that reason we typically ‘demand’ that we have any bike for at least a week that will, or might not, expose these galling affects of the ride in mention. Well, without dribbling into my helmet’s chin piece too much this most certainly was not the case with Suzuki’s GSX-8TT.
Oh yes folks, every ride on the 8TT made me feel good, content, excited, and proud to be on it, and more importantly it didn’t wear off during the week it was stuck to my palms. To myself it’s primarily down to the way it looks, with its ‘neo-retro’ styling, as Suzuki like to call it. Neo is also an anagram of ‘one’, and this bike is unquestionably one I’d like to own. A wise vampire bat once said, “Never bite the one you love”, which probably explains the teeth marks on the seat when I returned it.
Ok, let’s move on to the more technical side for now. Basically the GSX-8TT is a GSX-8S that’s been around for a few years now. Suzuki took this platform and festooned it with a new petrol tank, seat, seat unit, radiator shrouds, belly-pan, bar-end mirrors, and the distinctive retro styled bikini faring, as they were once called in the 70s/80s. In fact this faring is based on Suzuki’s GS1000S from the late 70s, which won many AMA titles whilst racing in the US of ‘Mindless Bombing’ A! Interestingly Suzuki state this bike was designed in Italy and sculptured in Japan, which could be responsible for the baffling invention of Rigatoni pasta stuffed with raw sushi, maybe?
The engine is the same 776cc, DOHC, eight-valve, parallel twin, spitting out a claimed 83hp@8,500rpm and 78Nm@6,800rpm of the torquey stuff. It doesn’t sound a lot, like I mentioned when we rode the 8S and 8R, but it’s more than enough to send the 8TT well past 200kmh, and when you turn off the traction control (three levels and off), it’ll gladly point the 17-inch front wheel towards Venus, if you desire. There’re three power modes to fiddle with too, being A, B, and C, which changes the severity of the throttle response depending on your riding conditions.
All of these options are displayed on the colour 5-inch TFT display that can be adjusted for brightness and day or night modes, meaning a black or white background. The selections are refreshingly easy to change and set using the ‘rocker’ type switch on the left side of the ‘bars, compared to some other irritating brands where it’s quicker to knit a scarf than trying to turn things off – like the one with the blue propeller badge for example. Oh, there’s also a USB (Type-C) charging point if you need on-board electricity for your personal paraphernalia.
As you fiddle with these settings, you can change them on the fly when you close the throttle, it’s a good idea to have the bike firmly planted onto the tarmac. Suzuki says they use the same KYB suspension found on the 8S to do so. The forks have no adjustment and the rear shock has pre-load only, in case you’re bit chubby, or gymnast light, so that’s all you get. I have to question this because the springy bits on the 8TT are definitely superior than I recall over the two other choices (S and R). The 8TT just feels better regarding refined damping settings and not as harsh as before. Either way it provides an ideal compromise for sporty or cruising environments. These quality components control the movement of these delectable gold wheels, and I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for gold wheels, well mag one’s. They do fit wholly with this elegant retro styled paintwork called Pear Matt Shadow Green, there’s also a Glass Sparkle Black (with red wheels) option, which we haven’t seen yet, but similarly appealing all the same.
Either way just looking at this bike makes you want to ride it. When you do so Suzuki has thoughtfully installed their Easy-Start system where you only have to press the starter button once, then it’ll magically turn over until it fires up, saving you the expense and hours of painful surgery for your thumb tendons in later life. Not only that the 8TT, like many of Suzuki’s bikes, has RPM assist. This useful addition increases the RPM slightly when you let the clutch out to prevent embarrassing stalling at the lights. Ideal if your finger tendons are like tight guitar strings.
Anyway, once you’re on the move the first thing you’ll notice is how easy the 8TT is to ride, comfortable too. Even though the 8TT is an 800cc motorbike it feels smaller than the label suggests. A near perfect seat-to-bar ratio just makes you feel you’re in a fine place. With a seat height of 810mm and a relatively small 16.5-litre tank between your thighs it’ll suit any type of new/older/female/male rider. Don’t get me wrong here this is NOT a boring motorcycle in any way shape or form....
When we took the 8TT and the un-faired 8T for a 120km loop it really did ooze it’s sporty credentials on the road. The peppy and punchy nature of the 776cc motor is delightful. The most grin inducing memory was the drive it throws out in fourth gear around 150km, right in that stout 6,800rpm peak torque zone. For some reason it feels stronger in that area than in any other gear, just roll off, throw it into a bend and revel in the thrust as you squirt towards the horizon. To make the squirting even more delectable I have to mention how smooth the seemingly cream filled six-speed gearbox feels using the exemplary bi-directional (nothing to do with LGBTQ) quickshifter is, as you’d expect from this brand. You do get the odd pop and crackle when you change gears and the exhaust note, due to its 270-degree crankshaft layout, sounds quite distinctive with a deep bass like tone, very satisfying to say the least.
When you’re lobbing the 203kgac (wet) 8TT around you’ll find it has a very gratifying stable and planted feel. Look the suspension isn’t pure GSX-R and it isn’t intended to be, neither are the twin 310mm Nissin radial brakes, but they’re good enough for sure. Of course the GSX-8TT can be ridden in a hooligan fashion and I most certainly did most of the time. It’s a very accomplished everyday streetbike on all counts too. Just look at it though, it’s one of those bikes that you always give a backward glance to after you dismount, a member of those rare bikes you’ll grow to feel affection for. I also believe at R189,900 it’s great value, especially when you check out the build quality and overall finish of the 8TT. Is it a modern-classic, well only time will tell, but it’ll still look very cool and appealing in 20-years time, many of today’s bikes won’t. More importantly the Suzuki GSX- 8TT just made me ‘Feel Good’, and isn’t that the essence of motorcycling? It also made me think of a song – go J.B…
Images: Rowan V.
Go to www.suzukimotorcycle.co.za to book a highly recommended test ride and to view their 2026 range.
