Suzuki will maintain the top tier of its sportbike family unchanged aside from a few new colors in 2025, with both the GSX-R1000R and GSX-R1000 carrying over from last year. These machines have been holding steady now, as of the writing of this article, for seven years, with the last major overhaul coming back in 2017. Prior to that, it was eight years between notable updates, so maybe the 2026 version will get some love on the mechanical end of things.
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On the bright side, Suzuki continues to have a compelling pair of machines on its hands, proving time and again to be versatile, easy to use, nimble, and punchy according to our tester the last time we took the GSX-R1000R for a spin.
At the heart of each superbike is a 999cc DOHC inline-four engine with Suzuki Racing Variable Valve Timing. It’s an engine full of character in our experience, with plenty of pull throughout the rev range and an aural presence that is unmistakable. Riders can easily tailor the nature of the power output via the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector system, which utilizes input from the bike’s MotoGP-derived IMU and engine control module. Both machines have bidirectional quickshifters and Motion Track ABS and traction control systems.
The chassis consists of an aluminum twin-spar frame that has also been designed using input from the brand’s MotoGP learnings. The GSX-R1000R gets the higher-spec Showa suspension package, with a BFRC-lite shock and BFF fork, both fully adjustable. The GSX-R1000 comes with Showa’s BPF fork and a remote reservoir shock. Both machines make use of Brembo braking kit at the front and Nissin kit at the rear.
They are both solid and competitively priced literbikes, though they do lack a handful of elements, particularly in the electronics department, that you’d find equipped on their competitors. For riders eyeing the 2025 GSX-R1000R, you’ll be able to choose from a Candy Daring Red and Glass Black color scheme that comes with red wheels and gold-anodized suspension components, or a Metallic Matte Sword Silver with blue graphics and black wheels. The GSX-R1000 will come in Candy Daring Red or a Metallic Matte Sword Silver. Pricing will start at $18,649 for the GSX-R1000R and $16,499 for the GSX-R1000.
