Suzuki GSX-S1000X

The “crossover” has become a staple ingredient of the car marketplace—straddling the gap between car and SUV by adding raised suspension but no real off-road ability—and the same idea is rapidly spreading across motorcycling. Suzuki joins the fray in 2024 with the GSX-S1000X.

Although not an adventure bike like the V-Strom 1050DE, the GSX-S1000X is set to have taller suspension than the GSX-S1000GT that its heavily based on, giving some of the style and height of an adventure bike without the compromises of dual-purpose suspension or tires.

The bike’s existence has been confirmed by its type approval under UNECE regulations needed in the EU and most of the European continent. As well as the bike’s “X” designation—a letter often used in the names of car-based crossovers, so it makes sense to use it on bikes too—the approval confirms the GSX-S1000X’s main specifications, marking it as the biggest and heaviest GSX-S1000-based model yet.

The certifications show it has the same 999cc four-cylinder engine as the naked GSX-S1000 and the full-faired GSX-S1000GT, making 150 hp at 11,000 rpm and 78 lb.-ft. of torque at 9,250 rpm. It’s fitted in the same aluminum-beam frame as its sibling models, with a slightly longer 57.9-inch wheelbase, up from 57.5 inches. That’s likely to be the result of a slightly longer-travel fork. The overall length rises by the same amount, from 84.2 inches for the GSX-S1000GT to 84.6 inches for the 1000X, showing that the rear bodywork and license-plate bracket are borrowed from the GT, and all the added length is from the taller suspension. The wheels are still 17-inch cast alloy units, not the larger, wire-spoked design you’d expect on a true adventure bike, making the GSX-S1000X a rival to the likes of Yamaha’s Tracer 9 GT+.

How much taller? Overall, the 1000X comes in at 50.8 inches with its screen in the lowest position, rising to 53.2 inches with it fully extended. The equivalent figures for the GT are 47.8 inches and 50.4 inches. However, that height will in part come from a taller screen, not all from the raised suspension. The fork only needs to be around an inch longer than the GT’s to account for the growth in wheelbase and length.

The GSX-S1000X is substantially broader than the GT, too, coming in at 36.4 inches compared to 32.5 inches. That’s due to wide bars with hand guards. The mirrors are also bar-mounted rather than on the fairing, and spy photos of a prototype spotted earlier this year show it to have stacked headlights, like the GSX-S1000, rather than the bug-eyed look of the GSX-S1000GT.

All that extra size counts against the GSX-S1000X on the scales, with a curb weight of 511 pounds, compared to 498 pounds for the GSX-S1000GT. Perhaps the biggest change, though, is the top speed, which drops from 149 mph for both the S and GT to just 134 mph. The chances are that’s an electronically limited top-end, given there’s no change in power or torque; Suzuki probably wants to ensure the bike doesn’t suffer handling problems at extreme speeds due to its extra height.

With the GSX-S1000X type-approved, it’s likely to be just a matter of weeks before the bike is officially unveiled.