Suzuki GSX-8R Likely on Its Way

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Suzuki’s Recursion concept bike, first shown 10 years ago, may give us a clue to the new GSX-8R’s styling. (Suzuki/)

People throughout Suzuki must be breathing some huge sighs of relief as reviews roll in on the GSX-8S and V-Strom 800DE because those models are just the vanguard to a whole array of future bikes that will be developed around the same parallel-twin engine. Among them we can expect to see at least one full-faired sport model—probably bearing the GSX-R name.

This past spring, we threw a leg over Suzuki’s new GSX-8S. (Julien LaCroix/Suzuki/)

Arguably, the GSX-8S and V-Strom are the first completely new midsize Suzukis in nearly a quarter of a century. Sure, there have been substantial developments to other models, but the last time we saw a completely new engine and chassis combination in the middleweight class from the brand was the introduction of the SV650 back in 1999. That 649cc V-twin served Suzuki well, and still does today, appearing in multiple generations of SV, including naked and faired variants, as well as the V-Strom and the largely forgotten SFV650 Gladius.

The engine that powers the GSX-8S and V-Strom 800DE will power an upcoming sportbike. (Suzuki/)

With the new 776cc parallel twin, Suzuki has its eye on an even broader array of models, and there are growing rumors that the next will be a faired sport version, either called GSX-8F or GSX-8R. That makes plenty of sense as the whole parallel-twin project that led to the GSX-8S and V-Strom 800 was first introduced to the public as the turbocharged Recursion concept bike back in 2013. Back then it was a 588cc SOHC twin with an exhaust-driven blower to boost power to 100 hp, but within two years it had evolved into the DOHC “XE7″ engine—still boasting a turbo—that was unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The 776cc twin in the GSX-8S and V-Strom is all but identical to that prototype motor, albeit shorn of the turbocharger.

Patent drawings of Suzuki’s turbocharged twin features an exhaust that incorporates the turbo and catalytic converter into a single unit. (Suzuki/)

Over the years since then we’ve seen a huge number of patent applications from Suzuki related to the project, revealing that the turbo engine project remained under development for several more years—and may still be alive today—and that the twin is destined for a wide range of models. Interesting designs to show up in those patents include an innovative exhaust that combined the turbocharger and first-stage catalytic converter into a single unit, mounted as close as possible to the exhaust ports to fire up the catalyst fast and to minimize turbo lag—always the bane of the few boosted bikes to have reached production. The fact that the normally aspirated version of the twin in the GSX-8S and V-Strom prioritizes midrange punch over top-end power could be a hint that turbocharging is still on the agenda for the future.

Another patent image shows the proposed turbo engine in the Recursion concept bike. (Suzuki/)

The same patents have also shown a variety of sportbike chassis designs around the parallel-twin engine. The original Recursion used a cast-alloy frame but every document since has pointed toward the adoption of a tubular-steel design. The earlier versions showed a version with two main tubes on each side forming an “X” shape, a little like the chassis of KTM’s current 1290 Super Duke. Later patents showed a design with a more conventional steel trellis front section bolted to a cast-alloy-rear part around the swingarm pivot, a little like the chassis design used on current MV Agusta models. A running theme through all these designs was a single-sided swingarm, carried over from the original Recursion concept, and Suzuki’s draftsmen often gave the bikes a Recursion-like outline when any bodywork was included in the patent images.

The V-Strom 800DE shares the same parallel twin as the GSX-8S. (Suzuki/)

While a turbo twin would be an interesting halo model for Suzuki, and potentially an easy way to create a bike with 1,000cc four-cylinder performance from a sub-800cc twin, it’s likely that the first sportbike model built around the GSX-8S engine will be essentially a faired version of the GSX-8S, borrowing its chassis as well as the engine and creating an instant rival to bikes like Yamaha’s R7 and Honda’s CBR650R. Honda is also believed to be developing a CBR750R around the engine from the new Hornet and Transalp. For Suzuki, this non-turbo model—perhaps to be called GSX-8F rather than adopting the GSX-R branding—is likely to be a more important mainstream offering than any future turbocharged derivative, offering the appeal of the GSX-8S but with the bonus of a fairing to make longer-distance rides less of a chore.

Rumors in Japan suggest we’ll see at least one extra model based around the GSX-8S at shows later this year and on the market in 2024.

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