Long-termer: Suzuki GSX-8T

Oliver shares his take on his box-fresh middleweight naked…

It’s official. I have a big bike. But it does mean my journey with the GSX-R is over. It played its part well, being my first bike and taught me a lot about motorcycling, but all good things must come to an end. My new long-termer bike is Suzuki’s GSX-8T and it’s an absolute beauty, right on time for summer. I’d already heard great things about this bike, especially from the engine department, so I was eager to get going. I rode over to Suzuki HQ to collect it and, as it rolled out of the workshop, its size compared to my little 125 I’m used to, made me a bit nervous. I’m qualified to ride this? To most of you it wouldn’t be of much concern, but coming up from a bike that I dwarfed, and I’m not that tall, it’s quite the step up.

I initially expected the weight to be a big factor in my struggle, as it was when I did my A2 license, however, it’s incredibly well balanced. I felt so secure just sat on it and I felt I could almost push it around like a bicycle. It delivers that big bike feel, with that wide tank and big digital display, which made me feel like a real biker. And the colour too is eye catching. This bike comes in various colour schemes, yet I believe I got the best. As you can see, the fuel tank is covered in a shiny gold-bronze. I’ve certainly not seen many, if any, bikes with this colour… and I love it. This colour already makes it stand out from the rest, and accompanying the gold is a silver radiator cover that neatens up the ugly bits of the internals and brings the bike into a neat and perfectly designed, art piece. The radiator cover was such a big hit to my grandad, he purchased an aftermarket one for his Kawasaki Z650RS. The mudguards are a striking black that mirror the rims, but also have a slight green tint in direct sunlight which adds some uniqueness and variety.

As sad as it was to see the GSX-R get wheeled away into the workshop, I couldn’t wait to get my first ride on the 8T in the bag. Sod’s law, my first ride was a long, wet and muddy one back to my town of residence, so not the best first experience. At least I got to try its wet weather ability straight out the box. Pulling out of Suzuki and onto an A-road, the new, extra power that I had been craving was there to be used. It was a breath of fresh air not having to wait 13 seconds to get up to the required speed of a national speed limit road. At first, it’s scared me to death and I felt I was almost hanging on, but at least I could get out of the slow lane now. I’d say the biggest difference I noticed was how smooth everything felt. Pulling off was effortless, slowing down was calming, cornering was elegant and even indicating felt like a dream. The build quality feels top notch, nothing feels tacky or cheap compared to the normal 125 builds. It’ll take me a while to be able to get the full potential out of this bike, but in a way that’s good. I find it fun getting on your bike every day and learning something new or taking a corner a bit faster… it keeps it all exciting.

Since getting the new Suzuki, it’s been very hard to stay off it; I’ve ridden it to work, to the gym, running errands, just so I can get my fix and show all my friends and family. Along with the odd, uneventful ride here and there, I also took it up to the Peak District to properly test it out. The combination of long, flat roads and twisty bends allowed me to explore the bike’s potential. Sitting at 70 mph never felt so easy; I didn’t feel like a slight gust of wind would send me flying, as had sometimes been the case on the 125. The power once again showed its benefits, as I was able to actually overtake vehicles. A very welcomed ability. A feature that helps with this is the stock fitment quickshifter it comes with. This is a whole new experience for me, being able to fly through the gears with ease and not having to worry about getting a good shift. Village-to-village hopping is a delight on this bike. How effortlessly it goes round corners is addictive, and the punchy power gives you that adrenaline rush.

The roads around me are pretty scabby, to put it nicely, but the 8T has shown itself to cope well with them; its supple suspension soaks up those back breaking bumps and dips. I’m honestly loving this bike; it’s ticking every box. Its stock bar end mirrors give it a very classy, retro look and make you feel like you fit in with the old money mansions and the quaint towns that litter my local area, whilst also making the bike look sleek.

I have always been a fan of bar end mirrors as I think regular ones just look a bit plain and simple, almost like bunny ears sticking out, so seeing that this bike comes with them as standard, added even more bonuses. The comfort of the riding position and seat has also won me over. Even after four hours in the saddle, I’ve still felt fresh and like I could carry on riding for days. It’s a nice change from a sportier bike’s seating position. Not long after the trek to the Peaks, I took it to a bike meet and I’m proud to say I was the only 8T there… it definitely turned some heads. It was nice turning up on a proper big bike this time, I felt part of the club.

Now summer is here, every day seems a good opportunity to ride without being hindered by the weather. Hopefully, I can progress my skill level and ability on this bike a lot quicker as I don’t have to worry about wet piles of leaves or mud coating the road. This bike is going to rack up a lot of miles this summer. I might have no use for my car anymore. It’s a bike that makes you wish you were unemployed so you could ride it constantly. If only. On a final note, keeping up with my mates has suddenly got a lot easier, and it’s something they’re grateful of too.