Of all the great Japanese motorcycle marques, Suzuki ranks as one of the most iconic. Here are 10 of the most affordable Suzuki motorcycles you can buy today.
Of all the great Japanese motorcycle marques, Suzuki ranks as one of the most established and iconic. Having recently passed its centenary year, the company has gone from strength to strength, and its motorcycle sector showcases the company’s impressive technical expertise and design prowess. This is evidenced by vehicles such as its flagship Hayabusa sports bike, which has become something of a legend among motorcyclists as being one of the fastest street-legal production bikes available today. Other famous product lines include the GSX series of sports bikes, the V-Strom series of adventure bikes, and the DR range of off-road motorcycles.
While it does produce some highly desirable (and expensive) machines, Suzuki is known for creating a wide range of motorcycles to suit all applications and budgets. Here we look at the inexpensive end of Suzuki’s current two-wheeler catalog and see what the Hamamatsu-based brand offers its more wallet-conscious buyers in each major motorcycle segment.Sports Tourer: GSX-S1000GT
At a glance, it’s hard not to like the GSX-S1000GT, and the better you get to know it, the more it impresses you. Despite being powered by the K5 engine, which was introduced way back in 2005, Suzuki went with the « If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it » approach, and it’s still an absolute belter almost two decades on. Suzuki also decided not to jump on the bandwagon here by offering ADV features such as off-road-friendly tires or a long travel suspension and has stuck rigidly to the sports tourer rationale. As a result, we have a bike that knows exactly what it is and performs as well as we might expect.
Much like its highly successful competitor, the excellent Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX, the GSX-S1000GT has timeless looks that shouldn’t look outdated after a few years of ownership. Yet it boasts a host of modern accouterments that would make the James Webb Space Telescope blush. These include a 6.5-inch color TFT display with onboard navigation, cruise control, and a full complement of rider aids. It is comfortable and deceptively low in the saddle, making it ideal for those who lack the minimum 34-inch inseam that many sports tourers require. While the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT is certainly not cheap to buy, this is one of the more affordable liter-class bikes within its segment and has good value for money at the starting price of $13,349.Sports Bike: GSX250R ABS
Much to the disapproval of parents the world over, entry-level sports bikes like the GSX250R ABS provide the perfect introduction for those dipping their toes into the world of high-performance motorcycles. Having snatched the baton from 2018’s GSX250R, the ABS version has anti-lock brakes, as the name suggests, but is otherwise much the same as this bike has been a hit with the biking public ever since its release. While many of us wish to gravitate to larger, more powerful road rockets further down the line, there’s something to be said for small-displacement sports bikes that you can rev high and throw through the twisties with abandon, and that is precisely where the GSX250R shines.
Notable features of the GSX250R ABS include a full complement of LED lights, cast aluminum wheels, a seven-stage adjustable rear shock, and quality KYB front forks. While 25 horsepower and 17 pound-feet of torque may not sound like much, it is more than enough to make the hairs on any novice rider’s neck stand up when applied to a properly-optimized, nimble little racer like this. What can you expect to pay for Suzuki’s scaled-down GSX? The newest model starts at just under $5,000 for countless hours of guaranteed fun, irrespective of age or experience.Street Bike: SV650
There was a time, around the 1990s, when riders got fed up with replacing the smashed faring on their sports bikes and decided to dispense with them altogether, leaving their bikes stripped down to the bare essentials. These machines were known as streetfighters, since shortened to « street » bikes, with their ribcage-like frames and protruding headlamps reminiscent of the café racers of yesteryear. The Suzuki SV650 is such a bike, and it fits neatly into the segment with its mid-sized 645cc V-twin engine and undeniably attractive profile.
While there’s generally a lot of love for the SV650, it’s not entirely perfect. Some wish it had inverted forks, befitting a model of its sporty nature; some say it carries too much weight for its class, and some say the front brakes are lackluster. Others bemoan the fact it hasn’t been updated in too long. Still, it could also be said that aside from the aforementioned « issues, » this is a tried and tested vehicle that is not overengineered and doesn’t require too many bells and whistles.
