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2008 Suzuki GSX650F

Posted by Brad Puetz
Monday, 17 March 2008
Page 2 of 3 Taking the Suzuki out for its first excursion I was really looking forward to a day in the saddle that wasn't going to have me walking like a cripple when I returned with knees and back aching. The layout of the GSX650F suited me nicely with an easy reach to the bars and a relaxing bend at the knees. The riding position was well suited to both cruising and aggressive riding when the road gets a little twisted. Wind protection was decent and there was a good deal of room to tuck in if needed. The GSX650F fires up easily and runs smooth without unnecessary vibration. Spin the flexible motor up and it does a great job of putting the power down where you will likely be spending most of your time, in the low and mid range. Chasing through traffic full of stop signs and motorists I really came to enjoy the motor which was well-suited to this type of riding. The short first gear on the GSX650F was a nice change from the supersport bikes which come equipped with gearing more suited for the track than stop and go traffic. Just dump the clutch and start clicking through the 6-speed transmission without worry, the GSX650F surges forward without a hiccup. An effortless clutch pull and smooth shifting transmission made city traffic a breeze. With no undertail exhaust or excessive engine heat pouring out at the legs the Suzuki was quite bearable if traffic came to a stop for any amount of time. There is no berserk rush to the power delivery but it won't put you to sleep either. Redline is at 12,500 but it likes to be run in the 4,000-8,000 RPM range where it sings nicely in the power curve. The GSX650F motor has all the necessary ingredients to deliver an entertaining ride to anyone in the market for an inexpensive sporty ride in the middleweight class. If you are in the mood for utter madness however, this motor will probably not suit your primal likings as the Suzuki pumps out the ponies in a pretty civilized manner. Overall handling on the Suzuki was quite balanced and agile. It turns in well, sticks to a line, and can be gassed hard out of a turn. While not being the most sophisticated chassis, the GSX650F isn't going to do anything to get you in trouble. That is of course if you don't push it far beyond its limits. While riding the bike I tried to do just that to see where its breaking point was. I saw my opportunity in the form of two rapidly approaching GSXR1000's in my mirror with some young aggressive riders at the controls. What better way to see how the GSX650F would fare against some much more advanced hardware. As I let the young bucks come by they took a quick glance, surely with fear in their eyes as they observed my proper upright riding position and the very intimidating backpack carrying my camera. As they rolled by I decided to tag along the rear as we hit a twisty section of road. As it turned out the little Suzuki didn't fair too bad, staying right with my two test subjects quite easily until we hit some open road where the bigger bikes could flex their muscle. Soon I was a mere speck in the mirror as Suzuki's natural pecking order took over and the GSX650F was shuffled to the back. The GSX650F was quite composed and its 475 pound dry weight transitioned nicely at a moderate pace. The wide handlebars do a good job of giving you the proper leverage to position the bike into the apex. While it is quite balanced and agile it might not be your favorite track day weapon. At more serious speeds while pushing the bike, the front end seemed to have a touch more trouble staying composed, becoming quite uneasy and a little on the springy side. The rear seemed to be doing a good job keeping the back end in line but I was easily able to find the limits of the front fork with a good amount of flex and some quivering at the bars. You could tie the GSX650F into a bit of a knot if you really wanted to get aggressive with transitions, throwing the bike hard on it's side or really doing some late braking. Speaking of brakes, while not the strongest I've ever put my hands on, they did have good feel and more than capable stopping power. The GSX650F comes equipped with Tokico 4 piston front brake calipers and 310mm brake rotors combined with a lightweight single piston rear caliper and a 240mm rear brake disc. Keeping the rubber side down were Bridgestone Battlaxe BT011's up front and BT020's in the rear with a 120/70 ZR17 and 160/60 ZR17 front/rear tire combo. These tires worked excellent in the many different conditions I was forced to ride the Suzuki in. My two weeks with the bike were filled with a generous amount of wet weather riding on the GSX650F and the Bridgestone's gave me good confidence in the rain, enough to ride a few wheelies in a slight drizzle for some photo opportunities. In the dry conditions they were equally up to par providing good traction both front and rear. << Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>

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