Suzuki GSX-S750: Three Quarter Litre Weapon
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Suzuki GSX-S750: Three Quarter Litre Weapon

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By JeffWare - 31 August 2021

Words: Jeff Ware Action Shots: HMC Photography

The Suzuki GSX-S750 first arrived in 2017 and it received rave reviews. Being a ‘Big cc Nation’, the 750 hasn’t been as popular here as it has been in Europe, however, it shouldn’t be overlooked, it is one of the best performing naked bikes on the market. Here’s our review…

The 750 version of the GSX-S is one of the most underrated bikes on the market.

Testing the Suzuki GSX-S750 has been a lot of fun. This is the 2020 model, unchanged for 2021, and it’ll set you back just $12,690.00 ride away, which is a bargain. This one is Metallic Triton Blue, which is like the Suzuki racing blue and it looks fantastic especially in the sun, it really gets that sparkle from the pearl. It is also available in Matt Black.

The GSX-S750 is underrated here in Australia but it is huge in Europe and Japan and rightly so. The 750 is one of my all-time favourites, it’s so much fun and anyone who’s a fan of three-quarter-litre engines and remembers the 750-era fondly will really get a kick out of this machine.

The awesome K5 GSX-R750 engine, one of the best motors ever made and extremely engaging.
The stainless-steel four-into-one has a nice note.
 

I’m no stranger to the GSX-S range or the GSX-R range. I had a GSX-S1000 long termer from Suzuki, plus a GSR750. I went to the GSX-S1000 world launch in Spain in 2015, I’ve also had numerous GSX-R750 and 1000 long term project bikes with Suzuki over the years, plus I collect older 750s. I’m a bit of a GSX buff I guess, I rate the 750cc engine particularly highly.

Tractable power off the corners with a real top-end kick.

On the street and track I prefer them to the 1000 and I’ll tell you why. First of all, I love the engaging engine. From low rpm it still pulls hard, just not with the grunt of the 1000, it’s got plenty of pickup and Suzuki have done a really good job with the gear ratios. The gearing and the way the torque is delivered is spot on. It’s zippy with a nice intake growl plus a GSX-R750 style rasp to the exhaust.

Raspy exhaust note and a 180-section rear tyre.
Decent Nissin four-pot calipers up front, basic ABS system.

Just sitting there at idle, the GSX-S sounds really good – it’s just egging you on and getting you ready to ride… it’s punchy off the turns, it’s fun around town and is just a really good motor with plenty of stick for the road and you just don’t need any more really. For a naked bike on the road, which will serve as a daily ride, the 750 is enough.

The 750 has got a good strong midrange supply of power and torque, a nice smooth throttle with good fuelling and is even engaging around town, so those commutes need not be so boring. What is really fun about it though is when you open up the taps on that motor and get all of that impressive 115 horsepower out of it! The four revs high. It makes peak power at 10,500rpm but it revs harder and has plenty of overrev as well. It’s an engine and gearing combo that really puts a grin on your face…

No quickshifter but one could be fitted without an issue.

The gearbox is accurate and clean in shift with nice and close ratios right through the ‘box but sadly no quickshifter. It would be nice to have one, it’d make the bike a bit more fun to ride mostly.

A quickshifter would be nice. The gearbox is a gem.

Like I said, the intake howl is so sweet and Suzuki have had so much success with the GSX-R750 motor that you ca’t help but admire and enjoy it. In fact, this engine in this guise goes right back to 1985, as you may know but can read more about here, and that motor has gone around in various dimensions over the years, this one as far back as the 2005 GSX-R750.

Very compact and basic dash functionality and layout.
The brakes are older tech but very good and front feel is exceptional.

The 750 feels a lot lighter than its hefty 213 kilos might otherwise suggest. It doesn’t feel that heavy, it feels nimble and chuckable, a lot more than the GSX-S1000 or the Katana, and it’s a sweet handling bike. The 750 has beautiful geometry, it’s one of those motorcycles that makes you feel a level of control that it is almost as if you have your hands on the front axle…

The brakes are older tech but very good and front feel is exceptional.

On the GSX-S750, whether you’re braking into corners or rolling into them carrying lots of corner speed, which you really can with that slipper clutch, the chassis just gives you control and it gives you confidence. You feel like you’re always in control and you’re riding the bike to its limits, not getting taken for a wild ride, with stacks of power that’s hard to tame and hard to control. You can really get the best out of this machine yourself, which is what makes it very rewarding.

The 750 has sportier suspension than the 1000. The setup is quite firm at both ends and fairly basic but surprisingly, despite the fact I am 95 kilos in gear, it is spot on for me. I didn’t touch one clicker or preload and I’m talking riding on fast, smooth, grippy roads where you are braking deep into the apexes and then getting hard the gas with lots of lean angle, through to the bumpy roads out in the countryside – some fast some slow.

Comfy riding position and general ergonomics.

I love the seating position of the GSX-S750. It’s a fairly small bike, a little bit wide around the tank, but not too bad. It has fairly narrow ‘bars for a naked bike but they’re a really comfy bend and they have plenty of leverage. Being fairly old school, the GSX-S has got a very basic LCD dash but it has everything you need and is small and compact, Street Fighter style.

The TC and other menu controls are operated by the standard Suzuki left button, a very user-friendly simple system I really like. The levers are adjustable and generally everything is standard and fall easily to hand. You can read more about the electronics in the breakout. I spent most of the time with the TC on level 2 and found the Nissin ABS to be basic but more than up to the job in my emergency stop testing. For the price point, it’s got everything you need electronically, and it’s a good fun basic bike that takes you back to the roots of riding.

The bike is a bargain price and may not be continued much longer so grab one while you can.

The Nissin brakes are super impressive, with four piston radial-mount calipers and 310mm semi-floating rotors at the front. They have strong initial bite and a nice intimate feel and modulation to them, with lots of stopping power. The rear brakes are OK for cornering and stability also. I would not change the brakes in any way on this bike, even the lever position and shape feels really natural and nice so Suzuki have clearly done a fantastic job here.

Braking into turns is a very strong point on the GSX-S750.

The GSX-S offers a fairly vibe free experience out on the road, of course up in the revs it does get a bit buzzy but that’s because it’s a highly tuned 750 superbike motor! Aside from that, it’s comfortable and you can ride it for hours and hours. The seat is comfortable, it’s plush enough, but has a sporty enough support to it.

The bike has just enough room between the seat and the footpegs for me. I’m 187 centimetres tall and I’ve got long legs and felt a bit cramped, but I wouldn’t want to sacrifice any ground clearance for that and I like that sporty position for cornering. The dash is a little hard to read at a glance, the mirrors are vibe free and OK, if a tad small, and the sidestand is easy enough to flick down in boots. I didn’t test the bike with a pillion on the back.

The GSX-S750 is one of the best handling naked bikes on the market thanks to the GSX-R600/750 chassis pedigree.

Headlight is pretty good at night, indicators look a bit old school.

There’s plenty of steering lock for U-turns, an immobiliser and steering lock security system, and a little room under the seat, so it makes it good around town bike. For out of town there’s a 16-litre fuel tank, so it’s got a good fuel range, and it’s got Suzuki’s Low RPM Assist, which raises the revs as you release the clutch, which helps around town, plus it has a one press Easy Start starting system so you just hit the starter button once and it fires into life…

The GSX-S750 is very nicely finished, it’s got really good paint and neat graphics. The black frame, swingarm, wheels, ‘bars, clamps and engine look good along with the other blacked out parts. The fasteners are typically good Suzuki items and overall, this is a lot of motorcycle, with top Japanese quality, for under $13k ride away…

Personally I think it is one of the best looking naked bikes on the market in this blue colour with graphics. It is called Metallic Triton Blue.

Overall, the GSX-S750 is worth considering if you need an allrounder and daily rider that you want to have a really good time on during the weekends up the local twisties with your mates or even on the occasional track day.

SPECIFICATIONS

Price: $12,690 On-Road ($64 per week with Suzuki Finance – check here)

Warranty: Two-year, unlimited kilometre

Colours: Matt Black, Metallic Triton Blue

Claimed power: 84kW[114hp]@10,500rpm

Claimed torque: 81Nm@9000rpm

Wet weight: 213kg

Fuel capacity: 16L

Engine: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, in-line four-cylinder, 749cc, 72 x 46mm bore x stroke, 12.3:1 compression ratio, Traction Control

Gearbox: Six-speed, constant mesh

Chassis: Steel tubular diamond frame, tapered swingarm

Rake: 25.2°, Trail: 104mm, Wheelbase: 1455mm

Suspension: KYB 41mm inverted forks, 120mm travel, preload adjustable, Link-type monoshock, 138mm travel, seven-way preload adjustable

Brakes: Nissin ABS, Nissin four-piston radial mount calipers, 310mm floating rotors, single caliper and 245mm rear rotor

Wheels & Tyres: 10-spoke cast aluminum wheels, Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 tyres, 120/70 – 17, 180/55 – 17

Dimensions:

Seat height: 820mm

Overall height: 1055mm

Overall width: 785mm

Overall length: 2125mm

Instruments & Electronics: LCD multifunction display, Easy Start, Traction Control System, Nissin ABS, Low RPM Assist, Dual Throttle Valves, Immobiliser System.

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