Retro vibes wrapped around a modern machine. (Photos by Kevin Wing)
Every now and then a motorcycle comes along and just hits you. Merely looking at it lights a fire in your heart and starts the I-gotta-have-it gears spinning in your head. The first bike to do that to me in a long while is Suzuki’s new GSX-8TT.
The GSX-8TT is a contemporary UJM with a middleweight Twin, a smattering of electronics, and a user-friendly attitude.
When Suzuki unveiled the GSX-8S at the EICMA show in November 2022, it struck me as a stylish middleweight naked bike, a modernized, larger-displacement version of the popular, long-running SV650 (which has been in Suzuki’s lineup in one form or another since 1999). The GSX-8S’s engine was an all-new 776cc parallel-Twin with a 270-degree firing order to give it a V-Twin character. That powerplant has become a versatile workhorse in Suzuki’s lineup, powering multiple V-Strom 800 models as well as a range of GSX-8 models, including the fully faired GSX-8R and a pair of new-for-2026, retro-inspired models, the GSX-8T and GSX-8TT.
The GSX-8TT’s bar-end mirrors pay homage to the 1980 Suzuki GS450S. The Suzuki logo on the tank has raised rather than painted lettering.
We’ve previously tested the GSX-8S and GSX-8R and found them to be fun, agile, versatile bikes with reasonable price tags. Perhaps because I’ve ridden hundreds of motorcycles and approach my evaluations of them as objectively as possible, I tend to be a rational, function-over-form kind of guy, focusing more on performance and practicality than style. The 8S and 8R check the sensible boxes, and I’d be proud to have either in my garage. But I’m still human. My heart wants what it wants.
Suzuki’s 776cc workhorse.
When I saw a photo of the GSX-8TT when it was unveiled last summer, my heart skipped a beat. When I saw it in person a couple months later, I was smitten. The TT in Pearl Matte Shadow Green has gold wheels, and I’m a sucker for gold wheels. (The other color option is Glass Sparkle Black with red wheels.) It also has a quarter fairing inspired by Suzuki’s GS1000S AMA Superbike raced by Wes Cooley in the ’80s, adding an undeniable cool factor. Other stylish features include a chin spoiler, bar-end mirrors, a stitched seat, and an “8” badge on the radiator shroud that looks like an 8-ball.
Nissin radial calipers pinch 310mm discs.
The TT’s GSX-8T stablemate is a naked version inspired by the Suzuki T500 from the late ’60s and early ’70s, a bike known as the Titan. The GSX-8T and 8TT have the same engine, frame, and chassis as the GSX-8S, but they have a larger, more sculpted gas tank (it holds 4.3 gallons vs. 3.7 on the S). They’re also equipped with a lithium-ion battery – a first for Suzuki – that’s smaller and lighter than a conventional battery and has a lifespan of 10-plus years.
Cool style from nose to tail: gold wheels, groovy green paint with contrasting accents, an ’80s-era quarter fairing, and a stubby tailsection.
GEAR UP
- Helmet: Shoei GT-Air 3
- Jacket: Cortech Revo Leather
- Airbag Vest: Dainese Smart Air
- Gloves: Cortech Sport Lite
- Pants: Cortech AA Dyneema Jeans
- Boots: Cortech Sport Lite
Suzuki invited a small cadre of motojournalists to its American headquarters in Brea, California, to check out the 8T and 8TT. On Sept. 11, a warm, sunny day of remembrance, I rode a V-Strom 1050DE down to Brea and walked into a conference room where examples of both bikes were parked. Side by side, they look similar, but I was drawn to the 8TT like a magnet. Its color-matched fairing with colored accents that are repeated on the tank seals the deal for me. It gives the bike old-school vibes and an easygoing style.
Riding away from Suzuki’s campus on the 8TT, I was immediately thrust into dense urban traffic. A variety of features and systems contribute to an easygoing nature that matches its looks. Easy Start and Low RPM Assist get things going. The counterbalanced parallel-Twin revs up smoothly while its stubby exhaust burbles quietly. Shifting is a breeze thanks to a slip/assist clutch and an up/down quickshifter. The Suzuki Intelligent Ride System includes three drive (ride) modes that adjust throttle response and four traction control modes.
Carving corners on Malibu’s Decker Road.
The 8TT is a bike I just wanted to ride, so I selected drive mode “A” (most direct) and TC mode “1” (least intervention), then left them there. Pulling away from and slowing down for traffic lights was effortless. Darting in and out of gaps in traffic felt intuitive. The 8TT weighs 448 lb with a full tank – it’s not a featherweight, but it isn’t porky either. Its mass is well-balanced, and the bike feels svelte and purposeful. The bubble windscreen is so low that my helmet is always well above it, and there are no extraneous bits or bobs to distract the eye.
Soon I was on the freeway in the heart of L.A.’s concrete jungle. At 75 mph, the GSX-8TT hums along smoothly with enough power in reserve to make passes or escape trouble as needs require. When we strapped a GSX-8S to Jett Tuning’s rear-wheel dyno, it made 75.9 hp at 8,300 rpm and 53.3 lb-ft at 6,700 rpm. Respectable numbers, and the 8TT is peppy, but it could use another 20-25 hp. (Maybe I’m just greedy. I re-watched the movie Weird Science the other night for about the hundredth time, and if I was making a Frankenstein-style dream bike instead of Kelly LeBrock, I’d give it at least 100 hp at the rear wheel.)
The GSX-8TT was made for smooth sweepers like this one on Deer Creek Road. Its suspension and Dunlop Roadsmart 2 tires get a little overwhelmed when pushed hard on tight curves.
After about 50 miles on the freeway, I-10 abruptly ended and dumped me onto the Pacific Coast Highway near the Santa Monica Pier. Soon I was riding past the skeletal remains of houses along the coast that burned in the Palisades Fire last January. Then I came upon a solemn sight: the Waves of Flags memorial on the enormous front lawn of Pepperdine University’s campus in Malibu. Each September, the university honors those lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks by displaying nearly 3,000 flags – one for each victim. The memorial is beautiful and sad and moving, and every year it stirs up memories and emotions from that fateful day in 2001.
West of Pepperdine are the legendary canyon roads of Malibu – Latigo, Encinal, Decker, Mulholland, Yerba Buena, and Deer Creek. These are the roads where motorcycles reveal their true nature, their strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.
Tucked behind the bubble screen is a 5-inch TFT display and a USB-C charging port.
If there’s one word I’d use to describe the GSX-8TT, it’s “smooth.” The engine feels velvety, delivers power in a predictably linear manner, and doesn’t impart any annoying vibration in the grips, seat, or pegs. The transmission feels basted in butter, with a light pull to the clutch lever, effortless action at the shifter, and the ease of an up/down quickshifter. The seating position and ride quality are agreeable. In stereotypical fashion for a Japanese motorcycle, everything feels composed, purposeful, and precise with no rough edges.
While this bike has a playful side and lends itself to carefree riding, it falls short of exciting. That’s not to say the GSX-8TT is all style and no substance, but it does feel like a bike that follows the rules and colors inside the lines. For a sporty, almost-naked bike, I found myself wishing it had a naughty side. Less reserved and more rebellious. Less yacht rock and more rock ‘n’ roll.
The round headlight is inspired by bikes from the ’60s and ’70s.
Attacking tight, technical canyon roads in Malibu on the GSX-8TT was a blast – up to a point. At a 7/10ths pace, it dutifully obeys the rider’s commands, tipping into corners easily and holding its line faithfully. But the 8TT doesn’t give the rider clear signals that it’s ready for more. Throttle modulation feels like a rheostat, but in the upper rev range power falls flat. The only adjustability on the KYB suspension is rear preload, and the damping is on the soft side (for a 200-lb rider). The Nissin brakes provide predictable stopping power but lack consistent feedback. And the Dunlop Roadsmart 2 tires offer middling performance. Stay within the 8TT’s comfort zone, and it does just fine. There’s little to be gained by pushing it farther.
As an everyday streetbike – commuting, cruising around town, getaway rides on Sundays – the GSX-8TT excels. Complementing its smoothness is a user-friendliness that makes it as likable as a Labrador. It just feels good to ride around on this bike. And when you park it at a bike night or in front of a coffee shop, you can step off it with pride. People will give it (and maybe you) admiring looks. They’ll ask questions. You’ll smile, nod, and say, “Yep, she’s mine.”
The GSX-8TT has a great profile. If it were ours, we’d install a fender eliminator to tidy up the rear end.
Practicality implores me to tell you that the 8TT comes with a USB-C charging port near the instrument panel, a full-color 5-inch TFT display with adjustable brightness and day/night modes, and LED lighting all around. Genuine Suzuki Accessories include a solo seat cowl, tank side protectors, billet clutch and brake levers, and clip-on tankbags and other luggage.
Suzuki has done a good job with its GSX-8 series. It offers a range of options for those in the market for a middleweight streetbike: a modern naked bike (8S, $9,249), a fully faired sportbike (8R, $9,699), a retro-inspired naked bike (8T, $10,649), and a retro-inspired semi-naked bike (8TT, $11,149). Other than the 8R’s clip-on bars and slightly sportier (but still mostly nonadjustable) Showa suspension, the differences between them are mostly aesthetic. Is the 8TT worth an extra $1,900 (a 20% upcharge) over the 8S? That depends on how much value you place on style. My heart says it’s a fair premium.
2026 Suzuki GSX-8TT in Pearl Matte Shadow Green
Check out more new bikes in Rider’s 2026 Motorcycle Buyers Guide
2026 Suzuki GSX-8TT Specs
- Base Price: $11,149
- Website: SuzukiCycles.com
- Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles
ENGINE
- Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse parallel-Twin, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
- Displacement: 776cc
- Bore x Stroke: 84.0 x 70.0mm
- Horsepower: 75.9 hp @ 8,300 rpm (rear-wheel dyno)
- Torque: 53.3 lb-ft @ 6,700 rpm (rear-wheel dyno)
- Compression Ratio: 12.8:1
- Valve Insp. Interval: 15,000 mi.
- Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection w/ 42mm throttle body x 2, throttle-by-wire
- Lubrication System: Wet sump, 3.7 qt. cap.
- Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/assist wet clutch
- Final Drive: Chain
CHASSIS
- Frame: Tubular-steel perimeter main frame, cast-aluminum swingarm
- Wheelbase: 57.7 in.
- Rake/Trail: 25 degrees/4.1 in.
- Seat Height: 31.9 in.
- Suspension, Front: 41mm inverted fork, no adj., 5.1 in. travel
- Rear: Single link-type shock, adj. spring preload, 5.1 in. travel
- Brakes, Front: Dual 310mm discs w/ radial 4-piston calipers & ABS
- Rear: Single 240mm disc w/ 1-piston caliper & ABS
- Wheels, Front: Cast aluminum, 3.5 x 17 in.
- Rear: Cast aluminum, 5.5 x 17 in.
- Tires, Front: 120/70-ZR17
- Rear: 180/55-ZR17
- Wet Weight: 448 lb
- Fuel Capacity: 4.3 gal.
- Fuel Consumption: 44.4 mpg
- Estimated Range: 191 miles
The post 2026 Suzuki GSX-8TT Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.
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