Parallel twins have dominated the mid-size naked bike category as of late. Simplicity, ease of use, and cost of manufacturing stack the chips in the configuration’s favor, but Suzuki has long clung to its V-twin-based SV650 to contest today’s middleweight class. That all changes in 2023, as Suzuki lifts the covers off the parallel twin-powered GSX-8S at EICMA 2022.
The new naked utilizes the House of Hamamatsu’s built from-the-ground-up 776cc twin. The modern mill touts an 84.0-mm bore, 70-mm stroke, and 12.8:1 compression ratio. Like many of its category rivals, the GSX-8S benefits from a 270-degree crank, which mimics the power pulses and character of a V-twin.
