While the Japanese brand has a new contender in the sport naked category and the adventure category, there is currently a hole in the lineup. A hole that could be filled sometime soon.
The Suzuki GSX-8S was launched and created a storm of interest for the Japanese brand’s lineup. The latest model to adopt the engine platform is the V-Strom nameplate from Suzuki. Now, with the middleweight sport-naked and the middleweight adventure category sorted, all that’s left now is the retro racer and the sportbike category.
Gallery: 2023 Suzuki GSX-8S
Unfortunately, ever since Suzuki left MotoGP, so too has the GSXR nameplate. Currently, Suzuki is sportbike-less, and the GSX-8S is the newest and sportiest you can buy from the brand. Although, the folks over at Cycleworld think otherwise, and are pinpointing a few patents from 10 years ago. All of this is to say that all of the pieces are falling into place, at least according to the rumor mill. Frankly, I’m convinced that this is a possible template for Suzuki’s future sportbike.
With its 776cc parallel-twin engine, it produces a lot of torque down low, but not enough up top, well at least to live up to the inline-four that the GSXRs are known for. As it turns out, Suzuki had a concept in mind back in 2013, and that was called the Recursion which is actually the concept that birthed Suzuki’s newest crop of parallel-twin motorcycles, albeit without a turbocharger. Apart from that, the patents were filed in 2017 and the body lines are similar to the concept. Yes, the Recursion concept had a turbocharger, and it had only 588ccs of displacement to play with but it had 100 horsepower.
With several turbo patents in its portfolio, the prospect of a turbocharged sportbike is still possible, given that Suzuki has them and they have yet to make anything of it. Now, however, it seems that the cards are on the table, so it’s all a matter of allowing Suzuki to play them right.
Suzuki’s patent drawings also indicate that the brand intends to put the turbocharged powertrain in a sportbike chassis, notably one of a tubular-steel construction method, also similar to the recursion concept shown about ten years ago.
Turbocharging is definitely one way to get a parallel-twin engine to rev higher, and to shift the powerband from the bottom end and mid-range into the top RPM ranges of an engine. If Suzuki were to show up with a new sportbike that’s turbocharged, it could be an interesting model to see. The Yamaha R7 did almost nothing to change the CP2, however, Suzuki’s solution could be perplexing or revolutionary depending on how it’s implemented.
If you want more details, I recommend that you head on over to Cycleworld for their take on the story. Their article is linked in our source list down below.
