SUZUKI GSX 1000 X

Naked litre bike from Suzuki looks strong, but is it too late for a 21st Century Katana?

Suzuki is still lagging behind in terms of tech being added to bikes. In fact, Suzuki is lagging behind when it comes to updates on any of the sports bikes in its range. You may have noticed that the fi rm is running particularly strong fi nance deals on the GSX-R range at the minute. While this could just be a sign that it’s looking to sell more units, it’s sometimes a sign that a manufacturer is looking to clear space on showroom fl oors for an updated version of a current model. We’re not holding our breath for a traction controlled Suzuki GSX-R1000 in 2015. If anything, we might see some mild upgrades and potentially a few components from an all new bike being fi tted to the current one for next year.


What we can look forward to is this, the naked GSX1000X. Spy shots are only spy shots when they’re not brochure shots (as we’re pretty sure these are). So not only is the project far enough down the line to be at the stage where brochure material is being made, but somebody at Suzuki also clearly wants us to see the bike in its best light. A naked GSX-R1000 is something we’ve been waiting to see out of the Suzuki factory for over a decade. An educated guess says it’ll be at least 160bhp, will weigh 212 kilos with fuel and will cost less than £9,800.

There are thousands of home-built specials out there, but nothing beats having a warranty while you wheelie and this bike certainly looks like it’ll be good for that. From the looks of the images, Brembo ABS as fi tted to the recently upgraded Gixxers will be a feature, but the rest of the running gear looks reassuringly identical to the current GSX-R1000. We’d also hazard a pint on it having a version of the traction control system as fi tted to the new V-Strom 1000.

The GSR600 failed to grip the market like the Bandit did all those years ago, the GSR750 also struggled due to savage competition in the sector with bikes like the Triumph Street Triple and the Ducati Streetfi ghter 848 to go up against. The super-naked class is brimming with quality product at the minute, so we’re hoping that Suzuki either builds the most exciting bike in the class, or the cheapest. Both would be perfect.