- Powered by a 776cc, parallel-twin engine
- Likely to be brought via CKD route
- Expect aggressive pricing
The Suzuki GSX-8S, the company’s street naked sportbike, is expected to go on sale in India in February 2024. The GSX-8S is likely to be brought to the market via the CKD route and this means we could see a competitive price sticker on the bike.
The Suzuki GSX-8S’ design is quite the departure from the traditional and rather safe styling we’ve seen on Suzuki street naked bikes in the past. The stacked LED headlights and the shape of the cowl around it as well as that of the tank extensions give it the identity of a sharp and aggressive streetfighter.
The bike gets a 776cc, parallel-twin engine with a 270-degree crank that makes 81.7bhp and 77.6Nm. It is paired with a six-speed gearbox that has a bi-directional quickshifter as standard. The engine should be characterful, and responsive with a punchy midrange.
Coming to the chassis, the engine sits inside a frame that’s suspended by a KYB USD fork and preload-adjustable monoshock. It has 17-inch wheels at both ends, shod with Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 tyres. Braking duties are taken care of by twin, 310mm discs at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear. The bike tips the scales at 202kg.
The feature list is as expected in a bike of its class. You have all-LED lights, ride modes, traction control and one can adjust their settings via menus on the colour TFT dash.
Suzuki is expected to position the bike aggressively and we expect it to sport a Rs 9-9.5 lakh price tag. When launched it will go up against the Triumph Street Triple R and Kawasaki Z900.
