Suzuki has, rightly or wrongly, developed quite a reputation for itself for, let’s just say taking it easy when it comes to innovation. The company’s modern-day lineup of bikes, including those sitting at what many would consider as the upper echelons of performance, continue to rock engines dating back to the early 2000s, with enhancements composed of adhering to emission standards far and few in between. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Suzukis are among the most reliable and dependable things on two wheels out there. However, in an industry driven by advancements in technology, particularly premium, fancy features, Suzuki is definitely sitting last when compared to the other big three Japanese manufacturers. Beginner riders, particularly in Europe, now have a new option to choose from in the naked sport bike segment. For the 2022 model year, Suzuki has updated the GSX-S125, the naked version of the popular GSX-R125 sport bike.
As expected, updates consist of nothing more than “striking new colors” and Euro 5 homologation. Just like the Hayabusa, Katana, and V-Strom before it, young riders hoping for a thorough tech and design refresh on the naked Gixxer will have to wait a little longer—or maybe forever. Nonetheless, the updates are worth mentioning. The new bike gets a redesigned exhaust system that features a dual-exit muffler. The catalytic converter is bigger and beefier too, resulting in a bike that’s quieter than ever before. The throttle body has been upsized slightly, too, now at 32 mm, and the airbox at 4.3 liters.
The Suzuki GSX-S125 can be operated with either an A1 or B license in certain parts of Europe. This isn’t to say, though, that more advanced riders aren’t allowed to swing a leg over this beginner bike and have a blast. It retails at an approachable 4,290 Euros, translating to $4,847 USD, and is expected to hit the European dealership network by June 2022. The new colorways consist of Baltimore Blue, featuring Suzuki’s classic blue and silver livery, a more understated Detroit Black complemented with blue alloy wheels, and Seattle White, with contrasting red alloy wheels and black accents.
