Suzuki GSX-8R Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule for the Suzuki GSX-8R, sourced from the owner’s manual and cross-referenced with other parts sources from the web. You can see screenshots from the owner’s manual at the end of this document for reference.
The Suzuki GSX-8R is a new model for Suzuki in 2024. It’s a fairing-clad sport bike based on the same liquid-cooled 776cc DOHC parallel twin motor with four valves per cylinder as the 2023 Suzuki GSX-8S, but the Suzuki GSX-8R has a full fairing and different suspension. In base trim, the engine makes 62 kW / 84 hp at 8500 rpm, and puts power down through a six-speed box and a chain drive.
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Suzuki GSX-8R Service Intervals
Overall, the Suzuki GSX-8R has 3750 mile / 6000 km or annual service intervals, like many other liquid-cooled Suzuki motorcycles.
At every service, change the oil and filter, inspect or replace the spark plugs, inspect or replace the air filter, and do a host of other checks (listed below).
The major valve service interval for the GSX-8R is every 15000 miles / 24000 km.
The GSX-8R has a cable clutch, so keep the cable lubricated, check that it’s in good condition. Periodically change the brake fluid.
And of course, make sure you change the coolant periodically too — more often if you use anything other than Suzuki super long-life coolant (blue).
Aside from that, make sure you maintain the chain of the GSX-8R. See below for guidance.
Suzuki GSX-8R Maintenance Schedule
Below is the maintenance schedule for the GSX-8R. Follow the earlier of distance-based or time-based intervals.
Note that there’s a checklist of other items to do at every service — see below.
| mi x 1000 | 0.6 | 3.75 | 7.5 | 11.25 | 15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | Every |
| Standard annual inspection checklist (see below) – Perform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Engine oil – Change (Mobil 1 10W-40) Drain plug torque: 23 Nm / 17 lb-ft | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Engine oil filter – Change Torque: 20 Nm / 15 lb-ft | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Air filter (polyester foam type) – Clean | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Air filter (non-woven type) – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Air filter (non-woven type) – Replace | ✓ | |||||
| Spark plugs – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Spark plugs – Change (NGK LMAR8BI-9) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Steering – Check for smooth operation, adjust as necessary | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Front fork – Check for smooth operation, no leaks | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Rear suspension – Check for smooth operation, no leaks | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Coolant (Suzuki super long-life coolant) | ✓ | 4 years | ||||
| Brake fluid – Replace (Castrol DOT 4) | 2 years | |||||
| Brake hoses – Replace | 4 years | |||||
| Throttle valve sync – Inspect / Adjust | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| PAIR (air supply system) – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Evap emission control system – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ |
Suzuki GSX-8R Annual Inspection Checklist
Below is the annual inspection checklist for the GSX-8R. Do these inspections at every service.
| Suzuki GSX-8R Annual Inspection Checklist |
|---|
| Fuel hoses – Inspect condition and routing |
| Radiator hoses – Inspect condition and routing |
| Clutch – Check function, adjust play. Lubricate cable as necessary |
| Brake fluid – Inspect level Brake fluid drops as brake pads wear |
| Brake hoses – Inspect condition |
| Drive chain – Inspect condition and slack See below for guidelines (see below for condition check guidelines) |
| Drive chain – Clean / lubricate Perform every 1000 km / 600 mi |
| Lights and electrical equipment – Check function |
| Tires – Inspect condition and pressure |
| Chassis bolts and nuts – Inspect / Tighten |
| General lubrication – Perform Perform every 1000 km / 600 mi |
Maintaining your Chain on your Suzuki GSX-8R
The Suzuki GSX-8R, having a fairing, is a bike that’s more likely to be flogged than the GSX-8S. So maintain your GSX-8R’s chain regularly. Whether you use your bike as a commuter (especially through rain or dusty conditions), weekend canyon carver, or occasional track bike, the chain can get a lot of abuse and needs to be regularly cleaned, chained, and re-tensioned.
To clean the 8R’s chain, use a good-quality (and affordable) chain lube like Motul Chain Paste, or use a complete Motul Chain Care Kit to clean and restore a chain.
Suzuki recommends that you maintain your chain according to the following schedule.
| Chain maintenance item | Every |
|---|---|
| Check chain * Correct tension / slack (20-30 mm / 0.8-1.2 in at loosest point) * Adequate lubrication * No excessive wear / damage | Ride (pre-ride check) |
| Clean and lubricate chain | 1000 km / 600 miles |
Damage includes loose pins, damaged rollers, dry or rusted links, kinked or binding links, excessive wear, and improper adjustment.
Measuring and adjusting Chain Slack
For Suzuki motorcycles, chain slack is defined as the free play of the chain (the bottom segment) at its loosest point.
To measure chain slack on the GSX-8R:
- Put your bike in neutral and on its kickstand on a level surface with no load on it (no passengers or luggage))
- Find the loosest point (watch the chain move up and down as you wheel it around)
- Use (optionally) gloves or a rag to move the chain up and down at the middle part of the bottom chain segment. Measure the deflection with a steel ruler or another one you don’t mind getting dirty.
- Check chain slack at multiple points, moving the bike forwards or backwards.
Target chain slack for the Suzuki GSX-8R: 20-30mm (0.8-1.2 inches)
If the chain slack is out of spec — either too tight or too loose — you need to adjust it.
Adjusting chain slack
This is the procedure to adjust chain slack on the GSX-8R. It’s similar to the process on most motorcycles, but the torque specs for the GSX-8R are below.
- Loosen the axle nut. You’ll probably need a breaker bar.
- Loosen the lock nuts on the left and right with a wrench.
- Turn the adjuster bolts until you reach the target slack level. Make sure you keep the chain aligned, using the alignment marks on both sides of the axle.
- Tighten the axle nut (torque: 74 lb-ft or 100 Nm)
- Re-check the slack to make sure it’s still right.
- Tighten the adjuster lock nuts (22 Nm / 16.5 lb-ft)
Wheels and Tires for the GSX-8R
The Suzuki GSX-8R ships with Dunlop Roadsport2 X tubeless tires to suit its 17-inch cast rims. It wears modern standard sportbike dimension tires, so there’s a wide variety of aftermarket options.
Below are the tire sizes and recommended pressures.
| Wheel | Tire size | Tire pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 120/70ZR17 M/C 58W | 250 kPa / 2.5 bar / 36 psi |
| Rear | 180/55ZR17 M/C 73W | 250 kPa / 2.5 bar / 36 psi |
If you ride your GSX-8R aggressively, adjust the tire pressures to suit your riding style.
About the Suzuki GSX-8R
The Suzuki GSX-8R is a fairing-clad middleweight sport bike that’s for the everyday rider, in similar vein to the Yamaha YZF-R7.
The GSX-8R follows hot on the heels of the GSX-8S, the naked middleweight sport bike. They share a lot in common, but the GSX-8R has suspension, handlebars, electronics, and fairings designed for more aggressive sport use — or at least, more comfort for the passenger. Plus, more style!
The core of the GSX-8R is the same as the GSX-8S (and the V-Strom 800), a 776 cc parallel twin engine with a 270-degree crankshaft. It makes a claimed 62 kW / 84 hp at 8500 rpm, which is a very useable amount of power in everyday riding. Reports of the GSX-8S say that it has lots of mid-range punch.
Front suspension on the GSX-8R is a Showa SFF-BP fork that’s non-adjustable, and the rear shock is a Showa monoshock that’s adjustable only for preload
Like many modern middleweight sport bikes, the GSX-8R comes with a bunch of ride aids to make piloting it easier. It comes with a 5-inch colour TFT display, something which is de rigueur on new models these days, plus ride modes, traction control, and of course ABS. The GSX-8R falls short of offering cruise control or cornering ABS, though — this is still targeted at the “affordable” end of the market.
The Suzuki GSX-8R is also a callback to the 2nd gen Suzuki SV650, which was the last version with a fairing. Since that, there hasn’t been an everyday middleweight sport motorcycle with a fairing from Suzuki.
Reference — Screenshots from the Manual for the Suzuki GSX-8R
Below are some reference screenshots from the Suzuki GSX-8R’s owner’s manual, which was released late in 2023.
You can download the full manual for the Suzuki GSX-8R directly from Suzuki’s website here.
