READ OUR 1ST RIDE HERE

’ ve been riding our long term test bike - the Suzuki GSX-8S - for the best part of a month now . No prizes for guessing the one question I ’ ve been asked more than any other ? Yup ... “ Is that a LAMS bike ?” It ’ s kind of ironic , after explaining I wanted a bike that blatantly was not a LAMS bike , yet , here we are ... that ’ s the question people keep asking me . Ok , so , I don ’ t expect everyone to have an encyclopedic knowledge of every single motorcycle out there , but , I would like to know what it is about the GSX-8S which makes people think it might be LAMS machine . It goes like a cut-cat So , it must be something aesthetic that gives the LAMS vibe . Maybe because it ’ s a parallel twin like all the other recent LAMS bikes ? Either way , I ’ m ok with people thinking I ’ m on a LAMS bike , because it makes it kind of a sleeper , and THAT is cool on a whole new level . I wanted something fast , and although the GSX-8S is not brutally quick ( it ’ s still pretty perky with 83hp / 62kW ), it is more than fast enough to have fun . A lot of fun . I went for a strop over the Remutakas a couple of weeks ago , and three corners in I had a massive grin on my mug from ear to ear . It ’ s one thing to enjoy a ride , but only once in a blue moon do I ever physically crack a smile inside my helmet while riding . Here I was , carving up the Remutakas , suddenly understanding this middleweight sportsbike marlarky . The feeling of riding a motorcycle with more lean angle than you have the balls for , enough snot at your right wrist to pull a wheelie out of corners and , even though I was not breaking the speed limit , I was having an absolute blast . To the uninitiated , sure , the GSX-8S may LOOK like a LAMS bike , but it ’ s firmly in the fully licenced middle-weight sector of the market . It ’ s got spirit , it ’ s got a bit of sparkle about it , and every morning when I get on it , I feel a little bit of excitement , even if I ’ m only warming it up to take on my normal mundane commute . The Suzuki GSX-8S is a sleeper in more ways than one . Keep an eye out for it .

KIWI RIDER 99