I rode 1250 miles in four days on the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX. There's one thing missing from this bike

There’s nothing like the anticipation of going on a big trip, and having already crunched out some big journeys on the easygoing Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, I was looking forward to my trip to northern Spain.

With a finite amount of time, but also not wanting to spend too long on motorways, I took the Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth to Caen in northern France.

Yes, the crossing is longer than Dover/Calais, but Portsmouth is an hour and a half closer than Dover  to my home, plus Caen is a good chunk south.

Read more

• Update one: First impressions after a switch from adventure bikes
• Update two: The hits and misses after 2350 miles
• Update three: Tyre swap transforms the handling

The addition of a cabin to recover from the early start, along with surprisingly good and wellpriced food, meant it was a nobrainer – and I arrived fresh and ready to go.

By late afternoon I was rolling off the ferry with the sole aim of getting some miles under my belt knowing that the real fun would start the following day as I headed into the French, and then Spanish, Pyrenees.

I got as far as Tours which was 200 miles away and could have easily gone further. The big GSX-S is one of the most comfortable bikes I’ve ridden, with a seemingly perfect relationship between the bars, pegs, and seat for my 5ft 9in frame.

It keeps the weight off my wrists, while my knees aren’t too bent, but has the benefit of taking  enough load off my bum to prevent aches.

I knew I was going to be using motorway toll roads prior to the trip, but also realised there is nowhere to easily store and access my toll ticket.

Unfortunately, there’s no small compartment or cubby hole on the Suzuki, which is a glaring oversight for a bike designed for travel. To compensate, I fitted a SW Motech Pro Micro tankbag which holds three litres but can be expanded to five litres (£112.99 sw-motech.co.uk).

I haven’t used a tankbag for years but it’s excellent. Secure, easy to fit, easy to open, small enough to not get in the way but big enough to carry valuables and a small bottle of water.

The following morning I continued my journey south with the destination of Navarra set into Google maps, just shy of 500 miles away.

My planned early start was thwarted by the fact that I had a glitch with the factory-fitted right hand pannier, which I’d removed during my overnight stop. The pannier would attach to the bike but would not lock on, leaving me seriously concerned at the risk of it literally falling off the bike.

I fashioned a wedge out of cardboard to keep the sliding/locking mechanism in place and for extra peace of mind I used my cable chain and Oxford disc lock as a heavy duty tether, just in case it were to break free.

It was a nervous few miles at the start of the day, but I soon realised my bodge/fix was working and I was able to relax.

By mid-afternoon I had the Pyrenees in sight, so used the motorway to get there as quickly as possible. Having been on the bike for over seven hours, it would normally be time to start looking for a place to stay, but not today.

Anyone who has ridden in the Pyrenees will know the roads are fantastic. Well-surfaced, varied, stunning views and incredibly devoid of heavy traffic. The next two hours were spent taking the most interesting roads I could see on my satnav as I crossed into Spain.

It coincided with the best weather of the trip and the arrival of the golden hour before sunset. It’s testament to the Suzuki that I still felt compelled to travel the long way to Navarra despite already being 400 miles into my day’s ride.

With the Suzuki proving good fun on the twisties, especially the free-revving 1000cc fourcylinder engine. When pushed, the suspension and brakes feel a little unruly and vague, but if you smooth things out, it’s a nice place to be.

My journey home involved more wonderful roads as I headed up to Santander. With work to do I caught the Brittany Ferries Pont Avon back to Plymouth, where I got a good night’s sleep and even saw a few dolphins in the Bay of Biscay.

By the time I arrived home, I’d done 1250 miles in four days and, aside from the pannier the Suzuki did exactly what I expected of it being comfortable, reliable and fun.