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Suzuki GSX650F (2009) – Suzuki brings back the GSX... and Bob Pickett finds this incarnation is definitely no teapot

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

2009 suzuki GSX650F... not a teapot When Suzuki launched the original GSX600F, critics leapt upon the unusual styling, cruelly labelling it (and its’ 750cc bigger sibling) ‘the teapot’. Despite this, the bike found a home as a budget sports-tourer – a niche the new bike will ultimately be considered as falling into.

The new bike draws no heritage (name aside) from the original GSX range. It definitely is no teapot in terms of looks – the long double-check at the lights from an R1 pilot who pulled up next to me verified that. The styling takes queues from a two-year old GSX-R600… and there is definitely nothing wrong with that!

So it looks good. But is it a sheep in wolf’s clothing?

The first surprise for me came when I sat on the bike. It was very much in my mind that I should try to avoid comparing the GSX to a Bandit (I owned one for a year), but I confess to expecting it to feel like a Bandit with a full fairing strapped on. I was wrong. You find yourself far more forward facing than you would expect, but less radical than a full-blown sports bike. So while the weight is pushed forwards, the wrists are not taking up too much of the load.

The GSX also pulls off another nice trick – the height is 30.3 inches. And it is quite broad (it feels about twice as wide as the ER-6f I currently own). But despite this, my 29 inch legs were long enough so that both feet were planted firmly on the floor.

2009 suzuki GSX650F on the road - smooth Start the engine… and it is SO quiet, almost a whisper as it sighs into life. According to the press releases from Suzuki, the engine has been retuned for both an increased top end, but more importantly a smoother ride. And this is silky smooth. Feeding in the revs gently, the bike just whirrs easily into action, pulling from 3,000 revs. But 6/7,000 revs seems to be where the 656cc four works best. In the heart of the midrange, this sits on the edge of real power (and an engine note that changes from purr to howl) up from 7 to 8K, but is still flexible and strong.

Despite the sporty pretensions of the GSX, it is a fair bet that it will spend a fair chunk of life on the commuter run. So the decision was to take it onto a combination of local side turnings, town centre roads, large and flowing ‘A’ roads and the badly maintained, hellishly busy ordure that you endure riding into the centre of London. So we’re looking at a mix of good-quality down to frankly quite vile surfaces. And to handle this, you need a bike that is (a) able to lay down power in a controlled way for the town work, but (b) lets you up the ante when things open up. For this to work, it also needs (c) a suspension that can soak up the rough stuff but when you are able to crack on provides you with confidence that it can handle what you thrown at it. Last of all, town and inner-city trundling will see you working the gear box, so you need a clutch that isn’t going to require too much physical effort, combined with a smooth gearbox.

Not asking for much am I? Well I’m more than happy to report that the GSX gave me all of this – and how.

As we launched onto the road to start the test ride, it began to rain, so I was apprehensive. But the GSX let me dial in the power gently – and this, with the immediate feeling of poise and balance, saw me happily ambling along behind the world’s most polite driver (he pulled up and let EVERYONE out!). But after a couple of miles of this I was relieved when a gap opened up – and opening the throttle saw me hauled past Mr Manners in a lovely smooth wave of torque. So now it was time to get out on what should be the most enjoyable part of the ride – ‘A’ roads.

‘A’ roads are a delight on this bike. The way to ride it is to settle into the bike, relax the shoulders, let the engine haul you along, building and dropping the power as you fancy. Getting into overtaking opportunities, just crack open the throttle and the engine just ups the game and drives you forward, despatching traffic with aplomb. The power is delivered in a totally linear way; no surges, no surprises, just more and more power, building all the way up to the 12K redline.

2009 suzuki GSX650F... good, clear display - and I have grown to love the gear indicator And praise to the suspension. This bike weighs a fair bit (216kg claimed dry weight), but you forget it when riding as it sits plush and comfortable, but keeps the bike taught and holds shape when you push it harder. The rain continued to come down right through this test, but I always felt confident in the sure-footed nature of the bike. There is one raised overpass with low-ish walls I use a lot, so every time I ride past, I just know there is going to be a gust of wind that nudges me sideways. Not on the GSX650F – it held shape and position and just carried on in the same smooth, unflustered way it had handled everything else so far.

I didn’t have time to venture onto motorways, but if you did want to tour on the GSX650F, it really wouldn’t have any problems taking up that role. The stability, spread of available power – not to forget the very comfortable saddle – will see bike and rider rack up the miles with ease. And the fairing and screen do a good job of deflecting the windblast. When I sat up, it tended to hit me around the top of the chest, but when settled in and leant forward, the air appeared to be pushed up and around, adding to the ease of riding.

Off of the fun stuff and on to the worst; inner city commuting. In many ways this is the hardest challenge. Facing roads damaged by untold numbers of buses and lorries, plus traffic numbers are way too high, so you’re looking at being bounced all over the place and changing gear constantly. And this is where I noticed the Bandit’s heritage. Like the Bandit, the GSX650F has a fairly heavy clutch – but also shares that lovely, slick gearbox. So feathering the clutch can get to be hard work, but it really isn’t too much of a chore. Once again, the suspension handles the quite frankly dire lumps and bumps. My confidence in the bike now allows me to look at filtering when the traffic gets backed up – and it easily slides smoothly past with no effort.

Notice that word smooth? And how it keeps cropping up through this article? I didn’t do it deliberately, but it sums up the GSX650F experience nicely.

2009 suzuki GSX650F... a bike that impressed so much, I bought the test machine! Reading this, I suddenly realised that I have not mentioned the brakes at all. This gives testimony to the no-fuss way they get on with the job. Given the poor weather I was never going to put myself in a position where I needed to drop anchor hard, but I did apply a firm squeeze when I had the chance – and came to a halt in a steady, controlled manner. They’re not the sharpest brakes out there, but they do the job well enough. More initial bite and increased feel would be welcome though. Braided hoses might be a common alternation to the GSX650F.

Verdict: The biggest problem for the GSX650F is that it will be unfairly compared to other bikes. Its looks will get it berated for not being a GSX-R; its specs and heritage will get it called a Bandit with a fairing. It isn’t either of these. Thinking back, there was another bike that was criticised for very much the same reasons – the Thundercat.

The Thundercat was berated for not being a CBR600F beater. But it had a wonderfully flexible engine, and provided a plush, composed and comfortable ride. Once it stopped being considered an out-and-out sportsbike and was thought of as living at the sporty end of the sports-tourer arena, it made sense (though sadly this was too late in its lifespan to save it). The GSX650F is very much a Thundercat for the Millennium – let it be recognised as such from the outset and praise its qualities, rather than moaning it isn’t something it was never meant to be.

But just how much did I like the GSX650F? I bought the demo bike! And I got about 20% reduction in price… for a bike with just 580 miles on the clock (and 100 of them were mine from the test ride). So 20% off list, for a bike not even fully run-in? Bit of a no-brainer really.

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

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