The Best-Looking 776

Suzuki has been quietly building one of the best middleweight parallel twins on the market for three model years. You've met it as the GSX-8S (naked), the GSX-8R (faired), and the V-Strom 800 (adventure). The 8TT is the fourth wrapper. A retro-styled sport-naked with a front cowl, a single round headlight, bar-end mirrors, and a color palette (blacked-out with red wheels and yellow accents) that looks like Suzuki finally hired a designer who rides.

Chase's bottom line, after riding every flavor of this engine: "I can say without a shadow of a doubt, this is my favorite one." The 8TT takes a great power plant and finally gives it the bike it deserves.

Performance highlights

776cc parallel twin, 74 horsepower, 53 lb-ft of torque, 447 lb wet, 4.6-gal tank. Throttle response scores an 8 because the 270° crank does what it does on every bike this engine touches: instant torque, proper engine note, zero lag. "It's just punchy, and it's instantly there. Like, if I want it, I have it." In city traffic you can pull from any gear at any rpm and the bike responds like it's been waiting for the cue.

Acceleration is also 8. The 40–80 roll-on in second gear was "not bad" even on wet pavement with traction control at level 3 and the aids still engaged. In dry, fully unleashed, this bike will absolutely keep up with its louder, sportier cousins.

Agility takes the drop to 6. The 8TT's handlebar gives you leverage for low-speed maneuvering, but "the turn-in is a little lethargic. I think that is down to the suspension." Chase called it out specifically. The soft, comfort-biased damping that feels great on broken city pavement is also what makes the bike feel slow to commit in a corner. Preload is rear-adjustable; compression and rebound are not. You can improve it. You can't fix it without aftermarket.

Brakes are a 6 and Chase wanted more. "The brakes are kind of fine. Kind of mushy. Given how fun the engine is, I wish the brakes had a little more bite, a little more feel." Stopping power is adequate. Feel at the lever is not. The engine is writing checks the brakes don't fully cash.

Suspension (6) is the through-line on all the handling concerns. It's set for comfort: cruise, cafe, commute. Not for canyon carving.

Rider experience & tech

Comfort is 8 and it's the saving grace. The seat is wide, on the plush side of firm, with enough room to move around on longer rides. Body position is upright with a slight forward lean. You sit in the bike rather than on it. Chase: "like slightly like a couch." That's the compliment, not the complaint.

Tech is 7. Three power modes (A / B / C), five-level traction control, bidirectional quickshifter, and a 5-inch color TFT dashboard with genuinely well-organized information architecture. The one glaring hole, same as every other bike in this review backlog, is no cruise control on a ride-by-wire bike. There is no excuse. Fix it, Suzuki.

Ease of use hits the 9. This is where the bike earns back what it loses on agility. The clutch assist is real. Release from a stop is as smooth as any bike on the board, "almost feels like it assists you in releasing the clutch." The menu system is simple. The controls are intuitive. Mode changes are instant. A first-time rider could get comfortable on this bike in an afternoon.

Versatility is 7. City: excellent. Coffee shop runs: excellent. Light weekend cruising: excellent. Aggressive canyon day: under-equipped. Touring: survivable without cruise, not ideal. Fun-for-the-money at 7 is fair, $11,149 gets you a proper twin with real electronics and a design that makes the parking lot stop and look. The value is there; the missing features (cruise, better brakes) are the reason it's a 7 and not a 9.

The Chase Score & final thoughts

With a Chase Score of 72/100, Good Tier, the GSX-8TT is what happens when a great engine finally meets a bike that matches its personality. 34 ride points + 38 usability points = an enthusiast's daily driver that leans casual on purpose.

Buy it if you want retro-cool looks, the best middleweight parallel twin on sale, and a bike you'll actually enjoy staring at in the garage. Skip it if you're a canyon rider or a daily commuter who'll miss cruise control. Look at the GSX-8S for sharper handling or the GSX-8R for the full-fairing version. Chase's line on the naming: "GSX, GSX-S, 8TT, 8R. I get it. I just don't like it." The bike's better than the name.