Try before you buy: this is the mantra we should live by when shopping for a new motorcycle. Oftentimes, a motorcycle will appeal to us on paper, but once we swing a leg over and go for a ride, it could leave us wanting, or on the flipside, be a bit too much for us to handle.
And while all motorcycles are cool in their own right, there’s no denying that the old adage of “different strokes for different folks,” applies here, too. Luckily, nearly all manufacturers are more than happy to let us enthusiasts swing a leg over their machines and take them out for a spin free of charge.
Case in point: Suzuki, with its demo tour across the US.
Scheduled for the first half of 2024, the Hamamatsu company is bringing all its new and returning models near you, so you can easily try them out for yourselves.
Among the bikes on offer are the groundbreaking superbike GSX-R1000R, as well as its smaller siblings, the GSX-R750 and GSX-R600. The all-new GSX-8R and GSX-8S parallel-twin sport and naked bike will also be available for test rides, and so too will the entire V-Strom range of ADVs. Those looking for liter-class performance won’t be disappointed by the GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000 GT. And of course, no Suzuki event would be complete without the iconic Hayabusa.
Check out the schedule of events below:
| Venue | Date |
| Savannah Motorsports | Mar 15 – 16, 2024 |
| Deland Motorsports | Mar 15 – 16, 2024 |
| Arizona Bike Week | Apr 3 – 7, 2024 |
| Kevin Powell Motorsports | Apr 5 – 6, 2024 |
| Plano Suzuki | Apr 19 – May 20, 2024 |
| Road Atlanta | Apr 19 – 21, 2024 |
| Hankster's Motorsports | May 3 – 4, 2024 |
| The Motorcycle Mall | May 3 – 4, 2024 |
| Road America | May 31 – Jun 2, 2024 |
According to Suzuki’s official website, demo ride hours are from 9:30am to 5:30pm on Fridays, and 9:30am to 4:30pm on Saturdays. It also mentions that ride times may be subject to change due to weather conditions. So be sure to check back on Suzuki’s website a day to two before you head out to the demo rides.
Suzuki’s been asserting its dominance recently, with the launch of a slew of new models. I’m particularly excited about the Suzuki GSX-8R. A breath of fresh air in Suzuki’s sportbike lineup, the 8R is proof that Suzuki isn’t one to sit by the wayside while its competitors roll out potent middleweight machinery.
Locking horns with the likes of the Yamaha YZF-R7 and Aprilia RS 660 is surely a challenge in its own right, let alone competing head-to-head with these bikes in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup.
But which are you going to go for on the tour? Let us know in the comments below.
