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Suzuki Gladius (2009) – Bob Pickett takes out the SV650 replacement... with surprising results

With thanks to Johns of Romford, Rush Green branch for the loan of the bike

2009 Suzuki Gladius... looks much better in the flesh If there is a manufacturer who understands the middleweight bike market, it is Suzuki. If you take a look at their range, you will find a dozen models, all catering for subtly different markets. So why introduce yet another one?

The simple answer is sales; the long dominant SV650 has seen market share hit by two main rivals: Ducati’s Monster 696 and Kawasaki’s ER-6n – a success story that surprised everyone except Kawasaki. With the SV650 getting a little long in the tooth, it was time for Suzuki to fight back with a new model; say hello to the Gladius.

On picking up the Gladius (the name means ‘sword’ in Latin), comments from other customers at the dealer all revolved around the looks. This is a bike that definitely looks better in the flesh (“I didn’t think I’d like it, but now I’ve seen it rolling, I think it looks good” was one comment). The paint schemes – lime green/black (or ‘angry wasp’), dark red/white (‘girly’ - most thought it looked pink) or blue/white (possibly a little bland) make the bike stand out.

Budgetary constraints have brought benefits; the steel trellis frame is more attractive than the pressed aluminium one on the outgoing SV (giving it a not dissimilar look to the Monster). The new frame also lowers the seat height by some 15mm, making it much closer to the height of the original 1999 model SV. It is also tiny! First impression on sitting on it is “where is the rest of it?” But this lack of size, along with the low seat height makes it easy to trundle around at walking pace.

2009 Suzuki Gladius... this really is a small bike Pulling away, the lightness of the bike is apparent. This, along with the fairly upright riding position and the slightly strange, swept back bars (though nowhere near as odd as the ER-6f’s up-and-outward angled ones) do slot the rider into a neutral, relaxed stance. Taller riders may well find the Gladius to be cramped; at 5’10” I was comfortable enough but would have appreciated a little more room at times.

For a naked bike, you would expect town work to be where it excels; but to be honest, it isn’t the best home for the Gladius. In slow moving traffic, slight throttle movements cause the bike to lurch, making for a juddering ride. Feathering the clutch seems to help, but the sensitive throttle can get irritating until used to the way the bike performs.

Once the roads open up however, the picture begins to change. Suzuki has put a lot of effort into revamping the 645cc v-twin engine, adding twin-plug cylinder heads and a heavier crankshaft and when moving freely there is a willingness to the ride. Upping the revs to 6,000 smoothes the ride, reduces the vibrations at the bars and sits the Gladius at the edge of real power.

Out on the ‘A’ roads, initially I was struggling to get a real connection with the Gladius, until I got some more heat into the Dunlop Qualifiers. This section of the test was undertaken in cold, wet weather; and I find Dunlops take a little longer to come to operating temperature. But once things dried out and the tyres started to grip more, I developed confidence in the Gladius and pushed harder. And the Suzuki becomes a far more rewarding machine when it is being worked, making it a light, easy to ride bike with enough punch to dispatch any four wheeled obstacles.

2009 Suzuki Gladius... the funky looking pipe keeps the noise down Motorway work is easier than might be expected. By hugging the tank with your knees, windblast is deflected away from your lower half. The odd-looking headlight does seem to assist in pushing the wind away from your helmet, but you do take a fair amount straight to the chest. And whatever you do, don’t get stuck behind a lorry. The buffeting isn’t handled well by such a light bike. So set yourself up, surge past and settle back to enjoying the ride.

Overtakes aren’t a problem, just open the throttle and what felt like a lurch at low revs translates into a welcome surge of torque, hauling you past your target before moving up a gear. The very light clutch and typically smooth Suzuki gearbox also make life much easier in an environment where you’re looking to keep the revs up.

Of course, to plan those overtakes you need decent mirrors; and for me, the ones on the Gladius are a bit of a mixed bag. It was easy to get the left-hand one to give a clear view but no matter what I did, I still saw a lot of elbow in the right hand one. I also found when settling forward into the bike when pushing on, I found the mirrors hard to use. Possibly extending the stalks would help improve this situation.

2009 Suzuki Gladius... simple but effective display The real surprise for me was moving onto the back roads. Take the Gladius to the twisties and it totally comes into its element. That short, taught frame makes the Suzuki simple to flick around, the bars and riding position also conspire to give the rider the confidence to really work the bike and see what it can do (I found myself pushing harder on the Gladius after only a short time together on still damp back roads than I did on an ER-6 that I’d taken on these same roads in the dry). The basic suspension copes with the demands being asked of it well, perhaps better than you would expect.

The brakes also cope well. Basic they may be, but they do provide sufficient stopping power for such a small, light bike. They are non-intimidating – ideal on a bike that will see new riders thinking about buying one – but more experienced riders would appreciate a touch more bite.

Verdict: The Gladius is going to find a wide market attracted to it. The newly qualified would do well to consider one. It is one of those bikes that will be easy to ride, but has enough in reserve to keep the fun coming for some considerable time when they get more experience under their belts. The short of stature will also find this bike ideal for their needs. Experienced riders might find it a little restricting after a while… but until then, take it out on those back roads and surprise riders of far more exotic machinery as you hang on their tails, with little obvious effort.

Thanks again to Johns of Romford, Rush Green branch for the initial loan of the bike

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