The middleweight segment is like the wild west. There is everything from sport bikes that can commute, nakeds that are great on a racetrack, dual-sport bikes that are great on the highway, adventure bikes that can dance on dirt, and cruisers that can tour. While you can find everything for everyone, the difficult part is finding an overlooked midweight motorcycle that quietly does everything well. The good products are quickly found out and become popular, while the ones that don’t make the cut are ignored. Still, some good products can slip under the radar, and we’re going to have a closer look at one of these that, despite possessing all the tools to be a success, is overlooked. The Suzuki GSX-8S Is An Overlooked Midweight Motorcycle That Quietly Does Everything Well SuzukiSuzuki’s GSX-8S is bookended by two very competent models: the SV650, which is a legend in its own right, and the GSX-S1000, which delivers incredible value for money. Those two models both cater to customers who are looking for value, but in different ways. The GSX-S1000 delivers among the most horsepower per dollar, while the SV650 offers peace of mind through reliability and low ownership costs, coupled with fun. The GSX-8S follows the same path, but its pricing is a little premium compared to its siblings as well as the competition. Suzuki GSX-8S Price: $9,249 Suzuki GSX-8S corneringSuzuki has priced the GSX-8S towards the premium end of the segment when it comes to the mainstream middleweight nakeds. It is surrounded by products that try to distinguish themselves, with varying degrees of success. The GSX-8S has one of the higher-displacement engines, so its power and torque figures are near the top as well. Suzuki GSX-8S Engine SuzukiSuzuki’s idea behind its new generation of products has been to ensure there is a high level of component sharing to keep costs down and reliability up. Therefore, the engine in the GSX-8S was designed to power all of Suzuki’s middleweight bikes, including the sport bike and adventure bike. That explains the extra capacity over the usual midweight displacement.Despite its 776 cc displacement, though, Suzuki hasn’t given it a high horsepower figure, choosing instead to endow it with more torque, which makes it very agreeable in the real world. This 270-degree parallel twin generates 83.1 horsepower at 8,500 RPM and 57.5 pound-feet at 6,800 RPM, which are middle-of-the-pack figures.It helps that it has a by-wire throttle, so there are ride modes, traction control with four levels, and a two-way quickshifter that will shift whichever way you want, no matter the throttle position. A six-speed manual gearbox and chain drive complete the driveline. Suzuki GSX-8S Chassis SuzukiSuzuki loves a twin-spar chassis, but the aluminum ones have become a little too expensive. So the GSX-8S has a twin-spar frame made out of steel, with the engine used as a stressed member. It does compensate a little with an aluminum swingarm to reduce unsprung weight. There are some quality components on this ‘Zook: KYB suspension that includes 43 mm inverted forks and a link-type single shock with preload adjustment.The front offers 5.1 inches of travel. The brakes are also from a respected manufacturer: twin 310 mm floating discs are grabbed by radial four-piston fixed calipers from Nissin. At the rear, a 240 mm disc is paired with a single piston caliper. 17-inch alloy wheels round off the chassis, with ABS present at both ends. Suzuki GSX-8S Dimensions SuzukiThe GSX-8S is middle of the pack when it comes to size, with a length of just over 83 inches and a seat height of nearly 32 inches. Ground clearance is a good 5.7 inches, and the wheelbase is under 58 inches, which should make it nimble. The fuel tank holds 3.7 gallons. It is a little portly, at 445 pounds wet, which negates the advantage its larger-displacement engine might have had. Suzuki GSX-8S Features SuzukiThe GSX-8S has a 5-inch TFT display with clear graphics and easy-to-use menus, but although this bike has been on sale since 2023, it still has no Bluetooth or navigation capability. A little research will tell you that this omission is a choice made across all three Suzuki 800s – the GSX-8R and the V-Strom 800 also do not have Bluetooth. This can be a deal-breaker in 2026, but it isn’t something that cannot be worked around.The 2026 update has given it two new colorways: an all-black and a red/black combination that is mostly black with splashes of red on the tank, and with red wheels. The accessories list is short, and features items like an engine cowl, pillion seat cover, a flyscreen, billet clutch and brake levers, and clip-on tank bags. Suzuki GSX-8S Competition HondaWe’re leaving the truly premium/exotic middleweight naked bikes out of this conversation, as they price themselves out of consideration. That gives us a massive range of motorcycles to choose from. We’ll take them in order of price to make sense of things. The most affordable competitor on this list is the Honda CB750 Hornet E-Clutch ($7,999).Despite its low price, this is definitely one of the best options in the segment, with a combination of great performance, aggressive styling, and now, the convenience of the E-Clutch system. In the same price ballpark is Suzuki’s other middleweight, the SV650 ABS ($8,149). It isn’t as modern as the GSX-8S, but it does make a case for being the more fun Suzuki of the two!CFMotoFurther up the ladder is the Yamaha MT-07 ($8,599) – this focuses on light weight rather than a big power figure to generate its performance, and is a lot of fun as a result. One of the value kings is up next, the CFMoto 800NK ($8,699) is what you’ll want if you wantEuropean character in a value product – and you get a stonking 100 horsepower to play with. A couple of Triumphs are up next, with the Trident 660 ($9,145) and Trident 800 ($9,995) bringing their three-cylinder flavor and retro-type looks to the party. We get to an inline four next, the Kawasaki Z900 ($9,999) which is a little long in the tooth, but is quite a premium product.HondaThere is one model we haven’t talked about, and that is the Honda CB650R E-Clutch. Despite the inline four engine, it has a similar focus as the Suzuki – better torque over a high horsepower figure. It is now standard with the E-Clutch system, and its 5-inch TFT dash has Bluetooth and navigation. It differs significantly in the kind of styling it offers, with a retro, organic look to the insectoid sharp-angles-and-creases look of the Suzuki. With a curb weight of just 11 pounds more and twice as many cylinders, and a price $550 less than the 8S, it makes a convincing case. Suzuki GSX-8S Vs Honda CB650R E-Clutch