The 2025 Suzuki GSX-8TT blends retro café styling with modern ergonomics and real comfort. Its neutral rider triangle, fluid suspension, and smooth parallel-twin make it a standout for riders who want the look of a classic racer without the punishing posture. With a few key upgrades, it becomes one of the most comfortable retro machines you can buy today.
Retro café racers often favor style over comfort, but the Suzuki GSX-8TT breaks the pattern. Voted the Most Comfortable Retro Café Racer in this year’s Luimoto Comfort Awards, it delivers neutral ergonomics, lightweight handling, and a smooth parallel-twin that never feels strained. Add comfort upgrades like Luimoto seat covers, Gold Gel inserts, and tank grips, and you get a bike that’s as enjoyable in city riding as it is on weekend backroads.
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Time to Read
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~7 minutes
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What You’ll Learn
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• Why the GSX-8TT earned its reputation for comfort
• How Suzuki balanced retro style with modern ergonomics
• Simple ways to improve comfort on any café racer
• Which Luimoto upgrades make the biggest difference
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Next Steps
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• Shop comfort upgrades for your motorcycle with Luimoto
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Retro café racers traditionally ask riders to trade comfort for aesthetics: low bars, tight knee angles, and thin seats are replete throughout the category. Even modern interpretations of the style tend to lean more toward visual heritage and performance than ergonomics.
But every so often, a manufacturer manages to strike a rare balance: preserving the iconic café racer silhouette while creating a bike that people actually want to ride every day.
And in 2025, Suzuki nailed it with the GSX-8TT. According to you lot, anyway.
That’s right: this bike won the 2025 Luimoto Comfort Award poll for the retro café racer segment. Read on to see why, and discover accessories that can help make your motorcycle more comfortable no matter what you ride.
And while you’re at it, check out this first ride video by MOTOBOB we found on YouTube:
The GSX-8TT doesn’t shout for attention. Instead, it quietly nails the essentials that matter most when you want a retro machine for real roads and not just Instagram photoshoots. A stable chassis, relaxed body positioning (for a café racer, anyway), excellent suspension, and a buttery-smooth 776cc parallel twin make it a bike many riders say they could live with day in and day out.
Suzuki’s secret sauce here is actually pretty obvious once you take a closer look at this motorcycle: you get classic style on the outside but modern practicality everywhere that counts.
Unlike many café racers that pitch riders forward dramatically, the GSX-8TT settles you into a neutral, comfortable riding triangle that still preserves the sporty silhouette.
Slightly raised clip-on-style bars keep wrists relaxed without losing the café look.
Mid-set footpegs provide a natural knee angle that most riders should find suitable for both commuting and weekend rides.
A wide, gently sloped seat provides room to shift weight during longer rides.
Manageable seat height helps most riders reach the ground and flat-foot the bike confidently at stops while maintaining a sporty stance on the road.
It still looks like a café racer. It just won’t cramp you up or give you early arthritis like the wrist-destroying bikes of the past.
The GSX-8TT isn’t here to dazzle anyone with gimmicky bells and whistles. Its comfort (and much of its fun factor) comes from refinement and thoughtful tuning:
The 776cc parallel-twin delivers smooth, even torque with minimal vibration.
Long-travel KYB suspension handles rough pavement better than most retro machines.
A lightweight but planted chassis keeps the bike stable without feeling sluggish.
Wide handlebar leverage makes maneuvering effortless, whether in traffic or carving backroads.
There are also a few add-ons to provide commensurate safety with most modern motorcycles: think rider-assist electronics like ABS, traction control, and selectable ride modes. It’s a retro café racer that doesn’t punish or imperil you for riding it.
The GSX-8TT is imminently rideable right off the showroom floor, but there are a few easy ways to enhance the experience even more. Here are a few ideas:
Comfort or gel seat inserts to cushion impacts and extend saddle time.
Small touring windscreens to reduce fatigue from windblast.
Adjustable levers and bar risers to fine-tune reach and wrist angle.
Tank grips and frame pads for better control in corners and stops.
Luimoto’s lineup of Suzuki-compatible products offers upgrades for both style and comfort:
Luimoto seat covers add a premium appearance with improved traction and long-term durability.
Luimoto Gold Gel inserts help absorb road shocks to keep you comfortable on longer adventures.
Luimoto tank grips reduce sliding, which is essential for increasing control in café-style riding positions.
Each upgrade enhances the GSX-8TT’s versatility without compromising its unmistakable character.
Shop Suzuki Upgrades from Luimoto
Want to learn more about this model? Check out this review on YouTube:
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Engine
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776cc liquid-cooled parallel twin
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Power / Torque
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~82 hp / ~57 lb-ft
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Transmission
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6-speed w/ assist & slipper clutch
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Frame
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Steel frame with modern rigidity balance
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Front Suspension
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KYB 41mm inverted fork
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Rear Suspension
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KYB monoshock w/ preload adjustability
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Brakes
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Dual front discs / single rear
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Seat Height
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~31.9 in
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Curb Weight
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~445 lb (varies by market)
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Electronics
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ABS, traction control, ride modes, TFT display
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This year’s Luimoto Comfort Awards included dozens of submissions across different categories. Here’s how the competition stacked up:
Most Comfortable Factory Motorcycles Overall: Suzuki GSX-8TT & The Honda CB750
Most Comfortable Sport Bike: Suzuki GSX-8R
Most Comfortable Supersport: BMW S1000RR
Most Comfortable Naked Bike: Honda CB750
To learn more about the reasons for each choice, read our full articles on every winner, which we’re publishing right up until 2026.
And remember, these aren’t our choices; they’re yours! So if you don’t see a specific model or category you expected, be sure to vote for it next year when we do this again!
If you’re shopping for a retro café racer, make sure you’re keeping your eyes peeled for:
A riding posture you can maintain for more than 20 minutes.
Suspension tuned for real roads, not just showroom appeal.
Gentle vibrations, especially in the seat and bars.
Seat width and cushioning that match your body type.
And for the love of all things holy, take a test ride. A bike’s comfort rarely matches its appearance.
Luimoto designs premium seat covers, tank grips, and gel inserts for riders who want comfort without sacrificing style. Whether you ride a retro café racer, naked bike, or ADV machine, Luimoto upgrades make every mile smoother, cooler, and more controlled.
No matter what kind of bike you ride, Luimoto upgrades can improve your comfort and turn heads when you blast past pedestrians.
