Suzuki Gsx-8TT, how the Japanese retro naked goes

Riding the Gsx-8TT, 81 cm above the ground, even this writer, who is 193 cm tall, is comfortable: the legs are not too bent and the back position is natural, almost vertical and with the arms stretched forward. Less tall riders still touch the ground with their feet thanks to the slim waist of the bike. The instrumentation is all enclosed in a 5-inch Tft Lcd screen with two backlight modes, day and night (switching from one to the other when entering a tunnel is very quick - not always the case). The mirrors on either side of the handlebars offer a very good view of what is happening behind, only complicating life a little when passing between the mirrors of trailing cars. The starter benefits from the new lightweight (2 kg less) and compact lithium-ion battery, which also offers increased reliability and durability. The riding position is slightly front-loaded, favouring a sportier ride, although in the long run it is not as tiring as we have experienced on other models.

Compared to its sister Gsx-8S, the TT has a more padded seat and, therefore, a slightly higher seating position. Right from the first few metres you can appreciate the liveliness of the Japanese twin-cylinder engine, which even at the lowest revs picks up vigorously to give its best between 3 and 6 thousand revs. Of the three available riding modes, the most centred, in our opinion, is B: C is good for wet conditions, while A suffers from a slight on-off effect due to the considerable reactivity at every impulse on the throttle grip. The Quickshift gearbox is also very good, not lightning fast but smooth and precise both upshifting and downshifting, regardless of engine speed. We also found the suspension response to be excellent, even though there are no particular adjustment options other than the preload of the monoshock: it is a good compromise between riding comfort and support in sporty driving. Just when you push a little, you appreciate the agility of the Suzuki that dances well between the curves without losing precision. The same grade also goes to the braking system, powerful and modular, with a non-invasive Abs: the power is always there, even after intense use. In short, the Gsx-8TT is a bike to use every day and then go and have fun at the weekend, perhaps by mounting the bags available among the accessories. Without a passenger, however, if you don't want to antagonise him: there are no handles for him, only the (unusable) leather strap on the seat. The small fairing is aesthetically very successful, but a little less so from an aerodynamic point of view: it protects just the torso and shoulders, but the head remains at the mercy of the wind.