Cycle World

2018 SUZUKI GSX-S1000Z

Source: HEART OF A CHAMPION: Some retirements are better than others. Even now, more than a decade on, the 2005 GSX-R1000 engine is still making us smile.

The thing I like most about the 2018 GSXS1000Z is that Suzuki has given it the heart of one of the rawest 1,000cc sportbikes of all time, the 2005 GSX-R1000— otherwise known as the K5. Its meaty, long-stroke inline-four was legendary for its ruthless low-end and midrange power, and while it’s been domesticated in its current form, you can still feel the beast within the GSX-S1000Z.

The 2018 model year sees Suzuki building upon that famous platform with simple yet effective performance and styling updates to the GSX-S1000 and matte-black GSXS1000Z. The company kept upgrades straightforward in the hopes that modest price tags

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