Traveling on a motorcycle is the one thing that has never gone out of style. It is the ultimate expression of freedom, and one of the best ways to reduce stress. The one thing that has evolved is the kind of motorcycle we use for travel. While it is obviously possible to travel on any bike, we now have a dizzying array of motorcycles at our disposal that are all more than equal to the task.
The latest trend might suggest that an ADV might be the best kind of motorcycle to use. It offers us the option to go off-road, but with that also compromises in other areas. Bigger dedicated touring bikes offer more comfort, for a price. In our opinion, a lighter sport-tourer is the way to go. There is a wide selection of sport-tourers on the market, and none of them are bad options. This one just happens to offer the best balance between performance, features, and comfort.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Suzuki Cycles. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
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The Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ Blends Speed, Comfort, And Sanity
MSRP: $14,399
The GSX-S1000GT+ has been around since 2022, but the platform it is running on is a fair bit older than that. Suzuki has a knack for extending the lifespan of certain platforms, and in the GSX-S1000GT+, we have one of the very best touring bikes currently on offer. It is not as luxurious as any of the dedicated tourers, nor is it as powerful as some of the European sport-tourers. It simply splits the difference and offers us one of the most balanced options.
Kawasaki takes a similar approach with the Ninja 1100 SX. While it might be a Ninja by name, underneath those fairings lies an old Z1000 platform. Over the years, it has been refined, massaged, and enlarged. Yamaha offers the well-appointed Tracer 9, which is a genuine middleweight and is priced accordingly. Even though it is less powerful than both the Suzuki and the Kawasaki, it is by some margin the most sophisticated Japanese bike in this space.
Triumph just released the Tiger Sport 800 Tour, a more touring-ready version of the Tiger Sport 800. The one criticism of the Tiger was its lack of luggage, and this trim certainly rectifies that, as well as adding other nice-to-have features like hand guards, heated grips, and a center stand – things the Suzuki does not have. These features drive up the price, though, and, as a result, it is more expensive than both of the more powerful liter bikes.
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The GSX-S1000GT+ Has An Old Superbike Engine
Power: 150 Horsepower
The GSX-S1000GT+, along with the other GSX-S1000 models, makes use of the old K5 GSX-R1000 engine. In its heyday, this inline-four was able to produce as much as 180 horsepower. In an effort to make it more user-friendly, Suzuki has completely reworked this beast, and its top-end power has been restricted to 150 horsepower – still more than enough for street use.
Reuse, Repurpose, Keep Selling
As a result of all these tweaks, it has a much stronger midrange than the old gixxer. It is also far more manageable thanks to all the added electronics. This approach that Suzuki has taken has not won over widespread acclaim. Repurposing old powertrains is nothing new, but nobody does it at the same scale as Suzuki, with an old engine wearing new electronics making an appearance in virtually every segment the brand competes in. The obvious risk is running into a developmental dead end, but the rewards are also easy to see. And just because something is old, it certainly does not mean it is outdated.
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The GSX-S1000GT+ Has All The Right Tech
In this competitive space, much is expected from modern sport-tourers, and the GSX-S1000GT+ certainly delivers. The wind protection is good, and although it is fairly compact, most riders will find it pretty comfortable, even on long highway stretches. That old sports bike chassis will come into its own in twisty mountain passes, and will certainly hang with much sportier bikes if you want to. In terms of electronic features, it gets ABS, traction control – which are almost a given these days – ride modes, cruise control, and a quickshifter.
It also has a big 6.5-inch TFT display with smartphone connectivity. The feature that sets it apart from most of its rivals actually isn’t electronic, and arguably the most obvious, and that is the saddlebags, which are standard equipment. Several touring bikes in this space leave off luggage in an effort to keep the price down, but Suzuki is able to add value by including them at this price point.
Good Old Fashioned Value
Ultimately, that is what this sport-tourer is all about – value. It certainly lacks a level of sophistication that other brands are able to offer. At the end of the day, this is an old superbike that has been completely reimagined as a tourer. At its core, it will always be an old superbike, so it will always be a little raw and rough around the edges. Adding all these features and new plastics might transform its appearance, but the character remains, and that is not a bad thing at all. This is a fun, fast sport-tourer that costs a lot less than any bike offering the same level of specification and performance. The value proposition here is impossible to ignore.