Silence in the garage, the lights go out – a motorcycle your dad would hang on a poster, with electronics that would embarrass him, comes to the fore. It's the Suzuki GSX-8TT (2026).
Suzuki's new Suzuki GSX-8TT (2026), which drives it parallel-twin with a 270-degree crossover of the crank arms, it comes to life even at low revs and launches 81.8 hp (61 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 78 Nm (57.5 lb-ft) at 6,800 rpm – numbers that even the Hayabusa didn't have on its poster in the seventies.
To a hundred in a flash, top speed at 210 km/h
There are no official factory data (yet), but the dynamics of the same engine in the GSX-8S suggest that 0–100 km/h in ~3.8 s and top speed around 210 km/h (130 mph) – just put on a retro helmet and you're instantly transported to the future.
Steel frame, KYB shocks and Nissin calipers
Twin-spar steel chassis carries KYB inverted forks front and a link to the mono-shock at the rear, which means a compromise between comfort and precision without the buttons for a doctorate in tuning. Pair Nissin radial four-piston grab jaws 310mm discs, while at the rear a 240mm disc ensures that the rear tire doesn't learn calligraphy.
Electronic candy: SIRS in retro packaging
“Retro Spirit, Next Generation Performance”, they say in Hamamatsu. And it's true – Suzuki Intelligent Ride System brings:
- Three driving programs (A/B/C) and four levels of TCS
- Bi-directional Quick Shifter for clutchless gear changes
- ABS in the background for moments of crisis
- Easy Start and Low RPM Assistso that the engine does not stall at traffic lights
- 5-inch color TFT, which switches between day and night mode and supports Suzuki mySPIN smartphone connectivity.
Design: when GS1000 AMA free your mind in the digital age
Metal fuel tank with black “chassis”, round light with flat bottom and bar end mirrors – it all quickly reminds me of T500 “Titanium” and racing GS1000S from 1979, except here the LED flashers don't suffer from nostalgia. Even the extended "chin spoiler" hints at an old superbike, but without the 70s nerves of steel in the corners.
Ergonomics and everyday practice
The headquarters is at Suzuki GSX-8TT placed on comfortable 810mm (31.9in), the tank is burning 16.3 liters (4.3 gal.), and the factory declared consumption is 4.2 l/100 km (55.9 mpg)In combination with 203 kg (445 lbs) mass of the “wet” motorcycle, this means a solid range of around 380 km – enough to gossip about everyone who drives electric over Sunday coffee.
Competition? The Yamaha XSR-900 will roar
In the elite club of neo-retros, Suzuki has 9 999 £ starting prices (expected ~11,200 € in our country) a fairly sharp knife for the dining table, where the more expensive ones sit Yamaha XSR900 and more “plasticized” Honda CB1000 Hornet SPIf we combine price sharpness with ample torque and light suspension, any cafe racer The barista quickly replaced the milk frother with a GSX-8TT key.
Conclusion: a titan of the past cutting the asphalt of the future
The GSX-8TT is like a time machine – you press the starter and instantly find yourself between the dusty photos in your father's album and the bright dots of a TFT screen. Suzuki has cleverly mixed retro aesthetics and modern technology, added an engine that has grunt where the roads need it, and put a price tag on it that won't eat up your grandmother's inheritance. If you're looking for a motorcycle that will make you smile on the bends but won't resent you for being too slow in the city after work, this is it. GSX-8TT actually the most logical illogical choice in 2026.
And when someone asks you why you didn't take something stronger, you just smile and answer: “Because I didn’t buy a trailer for my ego, but a motorcycle for my soul.”
