GS 1100GZ 2-ownr 11k mi from new GS specialist updates-brakes-charging-tires
1982 Suzuki GS
| Price: | US $5,000.00 |
| Item location: | Akron, Ohio, United States |
| Make: | Suzuki |
| Model: | GS |
| SubModel: | 1100GZ |
| Type: | Touring |
| Year: | 1982 |
| Mileage: | 11,900 |
| VIN: | JS1GU71G0C2101663 |
| Color: | brown |
| Engine size: | 1,100 |
| Vehicle Title: | Clear |
| Contact seller: | Contact form |
Description
SPOILER ALERTS! The final photo shown with this auction is of the 2 Katana GD1000SZ's we restored last year for a client. So, o they are not included with the GS1100GZ (lol)
We can't compete with most sellers on price, ut fortunately for us (and you)! most sellers can't compete with us on GS knowledge and attention to detail. Essentially we start where most other sellers end. We take a low mile bike that has been decently stored and we address everything that might put a vintage bike by the side of the road. It's a time-consuming expensive process so I make no excuses for our prices. Our clients expect the finest GS examples they can find. That's what we do.
You are not likely to find any 11k mi. GS1100G with the attention to detail this bike has received. Stainless brake lines, ithium battery, ew charging system, ebuilt 2-brush starter (because the 2-brush units are more reliable) progressive springs with new fork seals, fresh head gasket (we change them so you don't have to worry about that going forward), ompletely re-done brake system. And to make sure your restored GS will 'stay restored' for as long as possible, e even cad plate much of the steel hardware (including axels and axel nuts, ngine mounting bolts etc). CAD plating is more corrosion resistant than the zinc plating or even chrome as delivered by Suzuki.
This lovely GS1100GZ example came to us from the original owner. For some additional photos at higher resolution, ave a look on our photo server:
https://suzuki-gs-bikes.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/8-valve-examples/Unbelievable-1982-GS1100G-1/i-QxCZq8X
The auction bike is a 1982 model but interestingly it was not delivered by the dealer and put into service until 1987. After 10k miles of usage, t was stored and not ridden again until we updated it over the past year. We were able to save most of its lovely factory paint while giving it otherwise a very thorough update mechanically, lectrically and cosmetically. The original exhaust presents very nicely, ot perfect, ut very nice for a non-trailer queen bike prepped for daily riding.
This auction bike is pure pleasure to ride. It is tuned with a high-flow air filter and a slight reduction in exhaust baffling while preserving the OE exhaust system. The engine is a very strong running example of a basically stock motor. We do a few things to improve cold starting. The richened choke circuit along with the amazing Shorai Lithium battery (shoraipower dot com) lights this G up instantly in any ambient temperature you care to tackle. These batteries weigh about 2 lbs (vs about 10 lbs for a lead acid battery) and will provide nearly full voltage to the starter motor after sitting for months without tending.
The mid-range performance of this G is spot-on thanks to needle-height shimming in the absence of a jet kit. The 4 carb slides take off in unison at the slightest throttle twist and keep right at it to peak hp at 8,000 rpm but, ith 66 ft-lb of torque showing up at 6500 rpm, say stop twisting right there and enjoy the ride.
The close-to-stock OE exhaust system provides a subdued rumble that will put a smile on your face--lovely and sweet to hear. The sound is the best i've ever heard from a factory 4-into-2 system. The only other deviation from stock on this 1100G was done by the original owner shortly after delivery--the fitting of a 150mph speedometer to replace the silly 85 mph units fitted in 1982 to keep the DOT happy.
We take handling very seriously around here also. While the forks were getting new seals the valving got it's first solvent bath in 30 yrs. We fitted a set of progressive springs (progressivesuspension dot com) and fresh 20 wt fork oil making wide sweepers or downhill twisty corners something to be enthusiastically embraced. The forks air pre-load system allows for the adjustment of static sag. This bike has nearly ideal static sag of 24mm. The 'drop-down' of the bike (as the rider settles into the saddle with the bike at rest) is about the same at the front end and back end. The dash display includes a bright red gear position indicator, nusual for the day. Non-GS-ers laugh about how 'you should know what gear you're in'. Maybe, ut I tell them on an 1100 it almost doesn't matter since you can take off smoothly in second or third and accelerate smoothly from 50 to illegal in 3rd, th or 5th. It is handy in the event of a sudden stop to see what gear you happen to be in.
We avoid hyperbole as in 'like new' but you can expect maintenance going forward to be the same as for a new bike. Oil change or two a year, heck final drive lube level, ire pressure, ilter conditions, etc. Get on this bike and enjoy it and appreciate the history that produced such quality machinery.
Lots of details below about this very special GS. Also included is our check-list for what it takes to get a GS ready for it's 'next 30 years.' Thanks for looking at our auction and if this isn't the GS of your dreams, ell us what you're looking for and we may be able to put one together for you!
Thanks to the internet, ricing is pretty transparent these days. Everybody knows what everything sells for. We recognize we cannot compete on price, ut fortunately for us (and you) sellers of those bikes can't compete with us on GS knowledge and quality of workmanship. It takes many hours of skilled labor to get a vintage GS into the condition of this auction bike and we have to recover those costs to keep the lights on here at the shop.
It is getting harder to find a good starting point for a GS restoration. Since these bikes are still being ridden, he pool of nice low-mile originals gets smaller every year--and the acquisition cost of good restoration candidates goes up as well as the cost of parts and labor to sort them out.
This is what we cover in our re-newal process. In addition, ote that this G got a fresh head gasket as the original looked dried out around the edges like it was about to give it up so we just pulled the head, leaned everything up and fitted a new OE head gasket. This repair is nice to have done already on a 30+ year old bike as they all need it done at some point and (trust me here) it's not always easy to get the top end apart without breaking a fin or other damage.
FORKS, ARS. LEVERS, WITCHES, ABLES Fork seals -replace Fork tubes polish small pits Fork springs-replace with progressive springs from progressive.com Throttle cable-replace Brake lever, heck/replace, ube pivot clutch lever, heck/replace, ube pivot service or replace brake switches tach drive-replace shaft seal tach cable-replace All other switches (check, epair or replace as required)
ENGINE replace head gasket with Suzuki OE part; head bolts re-torqued to spec Cam box gasket, eals-replace Adjust valve clearance-replace shims as required All other gaskets (replace as required): Clutch cover, tator cover, DI cover Fiber clutch plates (replace with Suzuki OE as required) Change Oil, eplace filter(Suzuki OE filter)4 qts Castrol 10-40 MC oil
TRANS & FINAL DRIVE Check sprockets Clean, djust chain R&R rear wheel, check rear wheel bearings
BRAKES Flush/clean resovoirs (this one got the front MC replaced) Inspect/rebuild calipers as reqd front pads-replace rear pads-replace bleeders, aps-replace brake lines inspect/replace as required
EXHAUST remove & detail replace 4 exhaust port seals
CARBS Remove, isassemble, ead blast bowl's, oak and clean passages Rejet to improve midrange Repace pilot jet plugs, -rings, askets as required Replace air filter drill choke pick-ups to improve cold starting polish #1, 4 float bowl and vacuum covers replace #1, 4 cover fasteners w nos replace airbox intake tubes and clamps adjust low speed idle F/A screws adjust vacuum to synch carbs
test ride between steps on jetting
TANK, ODYWORKS, HASSIS drain, lushtank, nspect for corrosion, e-line if required rebuild/replace petcock as required Remove & test rear shocks Strip clear coat, and and polish alloy cases Replace ignition and stator cover stickers Remove, lean and rebuild forks with new OE seals, eplace sliders, tc as required Prep & paint engine with high temp Alumiblast engine paint Fasteners (replace w nos or cad plated) -stator cover -clutch cover -clutch dowel -clutch act shaft seal -polish/replace fasteners as required
SWING ARM AND STEERING HEAD inspect and replace as required Remove / inspect plastic body parts replace tubes replace rotor retaining lock tabs, olts on front and back wheels
CHARGING SYSTEM -check components, lean grounds, eplace connectors -stator replace w/ rick’s electronics 5-wire -verify charging system in spec for both amps and volts
WHEELS & TIRES -detail, and polish after removal of tires -wheel bearings (inspect, eplace as reqd) -replace tires and tubes with new OE specDunlops
FRAME PAINT -touch-up and detail while bike is disassembled
REMOVABLE CHASSIS PARTS clean and detail as required powder coat or epoxy enamel stove black required side stand center stand brake torque tube engine mounting plates rear turn-signal mount tabs
Seat-inspect, lean Battery-replace with Shorai lithium
My thoughts about the GS1100 G platform
I owned one of the first Norton Commando's in NE Ohio in the late 60's. It was the fastest production motorcycle at the time and turned out to be the last gasp for the British bike industry. I've owned a few more Commandos since that first one went missing never-to-be-recovered, hile parked in front of Ray's Bar in Kent, H 3-days before I was to ride it up to a little music festival in NY, oodstock, Y that is. The 750cc Commando with it's 360 degree crank lay out sending the pistons up and down together, ith it's worthless drum brakes and 'vintage' suspension was more dangerous than a "Harley's Sxxk" bumper sticker in a Milwaukee biker-bar parking lot. In retro it's hard to imagine how crude that Norton was compared to the Japanese onslaught that was about to come.
Lost in the nuts-and-bolts discussion below of how this GS was prepared for it's next 30 yrs on the road (or on display in someone's shop or office)--is the fact that this machine was a defining moment for Suzuki. The GS1000, esigned in the mid 70's, as one of the first Japanese litre bikes and it was developed when Europe and the US still dominated sales of medium and large displacement bikes. Honda had sent a shot across the industry bow with it's 4 cyl 750 in 1977 but the Japanese still had to prove that there was room in this segment for 4 large Asian manufacturers.
The GS1100 brought a lot of technology together on one platform for the first time--a remarkable 8-valve motor built on a roller-bearing crankshaft, ne of the best motorcycle shaft-drive systems ever produced, lectronic ignition, reliable) electric starting, riple disk brakes, odern instrumentation, omfortable 2-up seating and lots more. Even more amazing is that this bike was nearly lost in the shadow of it's 'big brother', he GS1100E, 16-valve monster that ruled the streets, tracks and strips in the early '80's. The 1100E is a whole other story for another auction but consider these little-known GS facts: the mighty E's 'little 8-valve brother'--shaft drive and all--was less than a half second slower in the quarter mile, produced only 6 fewer horses than the E (94 vs 100) and actually produced more torque (66 vs 60 ft-lb) than the E! The G provided a smoother touring platform with arguably the lowest maintenance requirements in the history of motorcycling. Trust me on this--I was racing and wrenching on BSA's, orton's and Harley's at the time.
PUBLISHED SPECS FOR 1982 Suzuki GS 1100G
Air cooled, our stroke, ransverse four cylinder, OHC, valves per cylinder, 074 cc Bore x Stroke72 x 66 mm Compression Ratio8.8:1 Induction 4x 28mm Mikuni VM 28 SS carbs. Ignition / StartingTransistorized / electric Max Power 94 hp 68.6 kW @ 8000 rpm Max Torque 86 kgf-m @ 6500 rpm (66 ft-lb) Transmission / Drive5 Speed / shaft Front Suspension Telehydraulic forks Rear Suspension Swinging arm forks with adjustable shock absorbers. Front Brakes 2x 295mm discs Rear Brakes Single 295mm disc Front TIre 3.50 V19 Rear TIre 4.50 V17 Wet-Weight247 kg Fuel Capacity20 Litres Consumption average 46 mp/g Standing ? Mile11.8 sec / 108 mp/h Top Speed169 km/h 128 mp/h
PUBLISHED ARTICLE ABOUT THE '82 GS1100G
SUZUKI'S biggest shaft-drive machine - the GS1 1 00G - is the lazy man's tourer. Like a two-wheeled Cadillac, he big four-pot cruiser demands no more than fuel in the tank in return for a guarantee that it will make the going easy — and the coming back. The bike seems to speak to the rider: "Sit back, pen the throttle and relax. We'll be there in no time." With 92 horses and dynamo-smooth torque on tap, he suzuki makes easy work not only of pulling its own 550lb and five gallons of fuel, ut carrying people and luggage as well. In one easy move, ngineers have added a few important millimetres to the 70 x 64.8 bore and stroke of the GS1 000 engine to give the extra torque to tackle the weight. While it looks similar, t shares no common engine components with the 1,000cc shaftie: crankcases, rankshaft and cylinder head all bear different part numbers, s do the slightly modified camshafts.
The 34mm Mikuni carburettors are the same diameter as those feeding the 1 6 valve GSX1 100 motor, ut the internals are different. Interchangeable with the 1000 are the secondary gear set on the end of the gearbox and the final drive assembly. But even the ignition has undergone a change to reduce problems. While the GS1000G has mechanically advanced ignition, he 1 100 relies on electronics to complement its transistorised sparking system.
Brute bhp is down compared to the muscular GSX1100, ut the softer tuned shaftie developes a little more torque at slightly higher rpm. The effect of Suzuki's tuning exercise has been to smooth out the power curves so that the multi delivers an avalanche of grunt from 2,000rpm to the red line. This will endear it to those lazy riders. A weekend's touring on a variety of roads showed how effortlessly the GS covers the miles. Loaded with a pillion and camping luggage, he tourer felt just as easy to control as it did solo, ith plenty of engine flexibility from trickling speeds near tickover. So flexible was it, hat the gear ratios seemed artificIally low. On twisting country roads, op gear could pull the weighty beast out of corners from as low as 30mph.
Gearchanging was unnecessary. We simply drifted along with a touch of brake, whiff of throttle, ontent to know that traffic could be overtaken with speed and safety after a couple of snicks on the gear pedal. On such roads the riding position felt a little strange to a newcomer - with the semi-flat 'bars a good stretch away from the seat. But this made a lot of sense while blasting down the A45. It forced me to lean hard into the gale behind my tank bag. As with all unfaired superbikes, ind resistance can be a pain in the neck, ut at least this riding position takes the strain out of a bit of illegal enthusiasm.
Suzuki seem to have their seat design well sorted out - thank heavens. It's wide, ell padded, ong enough for two people without becoming over-intimate. And there's a grab rail. One minor criticism from my pillion was that the footrest height was a little too tall for her. It's likely to be OK for smaller ladies. Vibration was no problem to the rider through most of the speed range. It began to tingle at the top end, ut then few people are likely to spend long at 120mph-plus.
With this chassis/suspension set-up, uzuki have stayed with tried and tested designs. A conventional frame holds a pair of forks which feature adjustable springs- in common with all the shaft drive Suzies. The only problem was that the handlebars obscured the adjuster! Basically, he adjustment is made in a similar way to Yamaha's system - a screwdriver slot can be turned to select four different spring pre-load positions.
These adjusters are located behind push-fit plastic caps on the top of each fork leg, ut they were a little too close to the 'bars. A pity they were not as easy to adjust as the damper controls on the forks of the GSX -simple knobs by the spindle. There's no fiddling about with air pressure in order to balance the front suspension with the rear. It's often more important to get this balance right in orderto get the handling right rather than simply stiffening both ends.
I felt the Suzuki handled best when on medium-to-soft springing, ut with the rear dampers set on the hard side of the four positions. Given the fact that the 1100 is likely to be a beast of burden one weekend and a back road scratcher the next, his suspension tuning is essential for the serious rider.
2015 was the busiest year we've ever had at Akron Suzuki Works. We delivered 3 1982 Katanas (two GS1000SZ's--shown in the final photo with this auction-- and a GS550 'baby kat') plus several 1100E's, 's and L's. We had many GS fans stop by our booth at Mid Ohio vintage days in July. I wound up selling most of the sample parts we brought to the show including painted and striped 80-81 GS1100E side covers and body panels, 2-83 GS1100E sidecovers, anks and body panels painted base clear with OE emblems, OE shocks, eats and other nice bits. I'll be listing a lot of parts over the next weeks.
SPOILER ALERTS! The final photo shown with this auction is of the 2 Katana GD1000SZ's we restored last year for a client. So, o they are not included with the GS1100GZ (lol)
We can't compete with most sellers on price, ut fortunately for us (and you)! most sellers can't compete with us on GS knowledge and attention to detail. Essentially we start where most other sellers end. We take a low mile bike that has been decently stored and we address everything that might put a vintage bike by the side of the road. It's a time-consuming expensive process so I make no excuses for our prices. Our clients expect the finest GS examples they can find. That's what we do.
You are not likely to find any 11k mi. GS1100G with the attention to detail this bike has received. Stainless brake lines, ithium battery, ew charging system, ebuilt 2-brush starter (because the 2-brush units are more reliable) progressive springs with new fork seals, fresh head gasket (we change them so you don't have to worry about that going forward), ompletely re-done brake system. And to make sure your restored GS will 'stay restored' for as long as possible, e even cad plate much of the steel hardware (including axels and axel nuts, ngine mounting bolts etc). CAD plating is more corrosion resistant than the zinc plating or even chrome as delivered by Suzuki.
This lovely GS1100GZ example came to us from the original owner. For some additional photos at higher resolution, ave a look on our photo server:
https://suzuki-gs-bikes.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/8-valve-examples/Unbelievable-1982-GS1100G-1/i-QxCZq8X
The auction bike is a 1982 model but interestingly it was not delivered by the dealer and put into service until 1987. After 10k miles of usage, t was stored and not ridden again until we updated it over the past year. We were able to save most of its lovely factory paint while giving it otherwise a very thorough update mechanically, lectrically and cosmetically. The original exhaust presents very nicely, ot perfect, ut very nice for a non-trailer queen bike prepped for daily riding.
This auction bike is pure pleasure to ride. It is tuned with a high-flow air filter and a slight reduction in exhaust baffling while preserving the OE exhaust system. The engine is a very strong running example of a basically stock motor. We do a few things to improve cold starting. The richened choke circuit along with the amazing Shorai Lithium battery (shoraipower dot com) lights this G up instantly in any ambient temperature you care to tackle. These batteries weigh about 2 lbs (vs about 10 lbs for a lead acid battery) and will provide nearly full voltage to the starter motor after sitting for months without tending.
The mid-range performance of this G is spot-on thanks to needle-height shimming in the absence of a jet kit. The 4 carb slides take off in unison at the slightest throttle twist and keep right at it to peak hp at 8,000 rpm but, ith 66 ft-lb of torque showing up at 6500 rpm, say stop twisting right there and enjoy the ride.
The close-to-stock OE exhaust system provides a subdued rumble that will put a smile on your face--lovely and sweet to hear. The sound is the best i've ever heard from a factory 4-into-2 system. The only other deviation from stock on this 1100G was done by the original owner shortly after delivery--the fitting of a 150mph speedometer to replace the silly 85 mph units fitted in 1982 to keep the DOT happy.
We take handling very seriously around here also. While the forks were getting new seals the valving got it's first solvent bath in 30 yrs. We fitted a set of progressive springs (progressivesuspension dot com) and fresh 20 wt fork oil making wide sweepers or downhill twisty corners something to be enthusiastically embraced. The forks air pre-load system allows for the adjustment of static sag. This bike has nearly ideal static sag of 24mm. The 'drop-down' of the bike (as the rider settles into the saddle with the bike at rest) is about the same at the front end and back end. The dash display includes a bright red gear position indicator, nusual for the day. Non-GS-ers laugh about how 'you should know what gear you're in'. Maybe, ut I tell them on an 1100 it almost doesn't matter since you can take off smoothly in second or third and accelerate smoothly from 50 to illegal in 3rd, th or 5th. It is handy in the event of a sudden stop to see what gear you happen to be in.
We avoid hyperbole as in 'like new' but you can expect maintenance going forward to be the same as for a new bike. Oil change or two a year, heck final drive lube level, ire pressure, ilter conditions, etc. Get on this bike and enjoy it and appreciate the history that produced such quality machinery.
Lots of details below about this very special GS. Also included is our check-list for what it takes to get a GS ready for it's 'next 30 years.' Thanks for looking at our auction and if this isn't the GS of your dreams, ell us what you're looking for and we may be able to put one together for you!
Thanks to the internet, ricing is pretty transparent these days. Everybody knows what everything sells for. We recognize we cannot compete on price, ut fortunately for us (and you) sellers of those bikes can't compete with us on GS knowledge and quality of workmanship. It takes many hours of skilled labor to get a vintage GS into the condition of this auction bike and we have to recover those costs to keep the lights on here at the shop.
It is getting harder to find a good starting point for a GS restoration. Since these bikes are still being ridden, he pool of nice low-mile originals gets smaller every year--and the acquisition cost of good restoration candidates goes up as well as the cost of parts and labor to sort them out.
This is what we cover in our re-newal process. In addition, ote that this G got a fresh head gasket as the original looked dried out around the edges like it was about to give it up so we just pulled the head, leaned everything up and fitted a new OE head gasket. This repair is nice to have done already on a 30+ year old bike as they all need it done at some point and (trust me here) it's not always easy to get the top end apart without breaking a fin or other damage.
FORKS, ARS. LEVERS, WITCHES, ABLES Fork seals -replace Fork tubes polish small pits Fork springs-replace with progressive springs from progressive.com Throttle cable-replace Brake lever, heck/replace, ube pivot clutch lever, heck/replace, ube pivot service or replace brake switches tach drive-replace shaft seal tach cable-replace All other switches (check, epair or replace as required)
ENGINE replace head gasket with Suzuki OE part; head bolts re-torqued to spec Cam box gasket, eals-replace Adjust valve clearance-replace shims as required All other gaskets (replace as required): Clutch cover, tator cover, DI cover Fiber clutch plates (replace with Suzuki OE as required) Change Oil, eplace filter(Suzuki OE filter)4 qts Castrol 10-40 MC oil
TRANS & FINAL DRIVE Check sprockets Clean, djust chain R&R rear wheel, check rear wheel bearings
BRAKES Flush/clean resovoirs (this one got the front MC replaced) Inspect/rebuild calipers as reqd front pads-replace rear pads-replace bleeders, aps-replace brake lines inspect/replace as required
EXHAUST remove & detail replace 4 exhaust port seals
CARBS Remove, isassemble, ead blast bowl's, oak and clean passages Rejet to improve midrange Repace pilot jet plugs, -rings, askets as required Replace air filter drill choke pick-ups to improve cold starting polish #1, 4 float bowl and vacuum covers replace #1, 4 cover fasteners w nos replace airbox intake tubes and clamps adjust low speed idle F/A screws adjust vacuum to synch carbs
test ride between steps on jetting
TANK, ODYWORKS, HASSIS drain, lushtank, nspect for corrosion, e-line if required rebuild/replace petcock as required Remove & test rear shocks Strip clear coat, and and polish alloy cases Replace ignition and stator cover stickers Remove, lean and rebuild forks with new OE seals, eplace sliders, tc as required Prep & paint engine with high temp Alumiblast engine paint Fasteners (replace w nos or cad plated) -stator cover -clutch cover -clutch dowel -clutch act shaft seal -polish/replace fasteners as required
SWING ARM AND STEERING HEAD inspect and replace as required Remove / inspect plastic body parts replace tubes replace rotor retaining lock tabs, olts on front and back wheels
CHARGING SYSTEM -check components, lean grounds, eplace connectors -stator replace w/ rick’s electronics 5-wire -verify charging system in spec for both amps and volts
WHEELS & TIRES -detail, and polish after removal of tires -wheel bearings (inspect, eplace as reqd) -replace tires and tubes with new OE specDunlops
FRAME PAINT -touch-up and detail while bike is disassembled
REMOVABLE CHASSIS PARTS clean and detail as required powder coat or epoxy enamel stove black required side stand center stand brake torque tube engine mounting plates rear turn-signal mount tabs
Seat-inspect, lean Battery-replace with Shorai lithium
My thoughts about the GS1100 G platform
I owned one of the first Norton Commando's in NE Ohio in the late 60's. It was the fastest production motorcycle at the time and turned out to be the last gasp for the British bike industry. I've owned a few more Commandos since that first one went missing never-to-be-recovered, hile parked in front of Ray's Bar in Kent, H 3-days before I was to ride it up to a little music festival in NY, oodstock, Y that is. The 750cc Commando with it's 360 degree crank lay out sending the pistons up and down together, ith it's worthless drum brakes and 'vintage' suspension was more dangerous than a "Harley's Sxxk" bumper sticker in a Milwaukee biker-bar parking lot. In retro it's hard to imagine how crude that Norton was compared to the Japanese onslaught that was about to come.
Lost in the nuts-and-bolts discussion below of how this GS was prepared for it's next 30 yrs on the road (or on display in someone's shop or office)--is the fact that this machine was a defining moment for Suzuki. The GS1000, esigned in the mid 70's, as one of the first Japanese litre bikes and it was developed when Europe and the US still dominated sales of medium and large displacement bikes. Honda had sent a shot across the industry bow with it's 4 cyl 750 in 1977 but the Japanese still had to prove that there was room in this segment for 4 large Asian manufacturers.
The GS1100 brought a lot of technology together on one platform for the first time--a remarkable 8-valve motor built on a roller-bearing crankshaft, ne of the best motorcycle shaft-drive systems ever produced, lectronic ignition, reliable) electric starting, riple disk brakes, odern instrumentation, omfortable 2-up seating and lots more. Even more amazing is that this bike was nearly lost in the shadow of it's 'big brother', he GS1100E, 16-valve monster that ruled the streets, tracks and strips in the early '80's. The 1100E is a whole other story for another auction but consider these little-known GS facts: the mighty E's 'little 8-valve brother'--shaft drive and all--was less than a half second slower in the quarter mile, produced only 6 fewer horses than the E (94 vs 100) and actually produced more torque (66 vs 60 ft-lb) than the E! The G provided a smoother touring platform with arguably the lowest maintenance requirements in the history of motorcycling. Trust me on this--I was racing and wrenching on BSA's, orton's and Harley's at the time.
PUBLISHED SPECS FOR 1982 Suzuki GS 1100G
Air cooled, our stroke, ransverse four cylinder, OHC, valves per cylinder, 074 cc Bore x Stroke72 x 66 mm Compression Ratio8.8:1 Induction 4x 28mm Mikuni VM 28 SS carbs. Ignition / StartingTransistorized / electric Max Power 94 hp 68.6 kW @ 8000 rpm Max Torque 86 kgf-m @ 6500 rpm (66 ft-lb) Transmission / Drive5 Speed / shaft Front Suspension Telehydraulic forks Rear Suspension Swinging arm forks with adjustable shock absorbers. Front Brakes 2x 295mm discs Rear Brakes Single 295mm disc Front TIre 3.50 V19 Rear TIre 4.50 V17 Wet-Weight247 kg Fuel Capacity20 Litres Consumption average 46 mp/g Standing ? Mile11.8 sec / 108 mp/h Top Speed169 km/h 128 mp/h
PUBLISHED ARTICLE ABOUT THE '82 GS1100G
SUZUKI'S biggest shaft-drive machine - the GS1 1 00G - is the lazy man's tourer. Like a two-wheeled Cadillac, he big four-pot cruiser demands no more than fuel in the tank in return for a guarantee that it will make the going easy — and the coming back. The bike seems to speak to the rider: "Sit back, pen the throttle and relax. We'll be there in no time." With 92 horses and dynamo-smooth torque on tap, he suzuki makes easy work not only of pulling its own 550lb and five gallons of fuel, ut carrying people and luggage as well. In one easy move, ngineers have added a few important millimetres to the 70 x 64.8 bore and stroke of the GS1 000 engine to give the extra torque to tackle the weight. While it looks similar, t shares no common engine components with the 1,000cc shaftie: crankcases, rankshaft and cylinder head all bear different part numbers, s do the slightly modified camshafts.
The 34mm Mikuni carburettors are the same diameter as those feeding the 1 6 valve GSX1 100 motor, ut the internals are different. Interchangeable with the 1000 are the secondary gear set on the end of the gearbox and the final drive assembly. But even the ignition has undergone a change to reduce problems. While the GS1000G has mechanically advanced ignition, he 1 100 relies on electronics to complement its transistorised sparking system.
Brute bhp is down compared to the muscular GSX1100, ut the softer tuned shaftie developes a little more torque at slightly higher rpm. The effect of Suzuki's tuning exercise has been to smooth out the power curves so that the multi delivers an avalanche of grunt from 2,000rpm to the red line. This will endear it to those lazy riders. A weekend's touring on a variety of roads showed how effortlessly the GS covers the miles. Loaded with a pillion and camping luggage, he tourer felt just as easy to control as it did solo, ith plenty of engine flexibility from trickling speeds near tickover. So flexible was it, hat the gear ratios seemed artificIally low. On twisting country roads, op gear could pull the weighty beast out of corners from as low as 30mph.
Gearchanging was unnecessary. We simply drifted along with a touch of brake, whiff of throttle, ontent to know that traffic could be overtaken with speed and safety after a couple of snicks on the gear pedal. On such roads the riding position felt a little strange to a newcomer - with the semi-flat 'bars a good stretch away from the seat. But this made a lot of sense while blasting down the A45. It forced me to lean hard into the gale behind my tank bag. As with all unfaired superbikes, ind resistance can be a pain in the neck, ut at least this riding position takes the strain out of a bit of illegal enthusiasm.
Suzuki seem to have their seat design well sorted out - thank heavens. It's wide, ell padded, ong enough for two people without becoming over-intimate. And there's a grab rail. One minor criticism from my pillion was that the footrest height was a little too tall for her. It's likely to be OK for smaller ladies. Vibration was no problem to the rider through most of the speed range. It began to tingle at the top end, ut then few people are likely to spend long at 120mph-plus.
With this chassis/suspension set-up, uzuki have stayed with tried and tested designs. A conventional frame holds a pair of forks which feature adjustable springs- in common with all the shaft drive Suzies. The only problem was that the handlebars obscured the adjuster! Basically, he adjustment is made in a similar way to Yamaha's system - a screwdriver slot can be turned to select four different spring pre-load positions.
These adjusters are located behind push-fit plastic caps on the top of each fork leg, ut they were a little too close to the 'bars. A pity they were not as easy to adjust as the damper controls on the forks of the GSX -simple knobs by the spindle. There's no fiddling about with air pressure in order to balance the front suspension with the rear. It's often more important to get this balance right in orderto get the handling right rather than simply stiffening both ends.
I felt the Suzuki handled best when on medium-to-soft springing, ut with the rear dampers set on the hard side of the four positions. Given the fact that the 1100 is likely to be a beast of burden one weekend and a back road scratcher the next, his suspension tuning is essential for the serious rider.
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