Suzuki GS series

Hi,

When I was shopping for my first bike, my choices were between Suzuki GS and Yamaha XJ and Honda Magna (someday). I was only interested in standard and cruiser styles. I'm glad I decided on the XJ as it seems like there's a bigger community and the performance is better. I was looking at 80s 550, 650 and bigger bikes.

What is the general consensus on there bikes, wrt performance, reliability and fun factor?

 

I'm pretty sure that you are going to get biased opinions.

I have a Seca 750 and it's the perfect bike for me. Solid, comfortable, reliable, easy to work on (compared to some newer bikes, but a bit more complicated than the other XJs), and it doesn't look like it can do what it can do.

 

You'll find the Suzuki GS 650 is unbreakable, but XJs are great too.

 

Yeah, that's the impression I got, except for some easily fixable electrical problems (starter?). Plus, rear disk brake is nice.

 

I got this '81 a few months back, but haven't had a chance to start the resto, looks a solid start, though.Web Page Name

 

That's a good looking bike!

 

THE gs850l engine is considered overbuilt and, as they say, bulletproof. Have heard that for years.
I have a friend's GS850L in my garage. He rode it through college out in Oklahoma accumulating 30+ thousand miles. It was last inspected in 1996, I think. He then moved here to SC.
Had a head gasket leak and took it apart several years ago (pistons are in a box). Then he moved a few times. That's a bad thing with parts in boxes.
Anyway, I'm trying to sell it for him. It is a parts bike as he isn't interested in going through all the paperwork to re-aquire a lost OK title and then transfer it here.
The only things I really see missing are the rear brake master cylinder and the carb to head boots which apparently rotted away.
I like the style and would be so tempted to restore it, but with no title, that temptation subsides. I wish someone near me would buy it and get it outa my garage where it's been for about 6 years.

 

Better bike in every way. Suzuki builds STRONG drivetrains. I'd take a 650 Seca over the GS650 simply because it is such a pretty bike, unless we're talking the GS650M Katana, which is pretty rare nowadays. The GS650 in general is kinda rare for some reason, especially the chain drive version. I'd take the XJ900 over the GS850 for the same reasons, although the 850 is considered the best of the lot when it comes to durability (the XJ at 853cc is actually an 850 too if you think about it).

Yamaha styling was a cut above the Suzuki's. The 850 was frumpy.

The 750 Seca didn't have the lubrication issues of the 80-82 GS750, so it wins there. Once 84 hits, the Suzuki is clearly the better machine. It begins to incorporate many of the design features that will make the GSXR such a paradigm shifting motorcycle.

From 83 0n, the GS550 is a 16V motor. Better performer, better handler than the Seca. I'd have a 550 Katana over the 550 Seca for the rarity and possible collector potential, but the Seca overshadowed the older 550 with the 8V motor. The GPz was king anyway at that point.

Once you hit the liter range, there is no comparison, Suzuki rules the roost in this era.

You can't go wrong with either series in my opinion, but I'd rate the Suzukis higher.

 

Throwing two cents in to an old thread.
I've owned 2 GS850s since the late 80s/early 90s. One has done 140K, the other 250+K.
The only real weak spots on them are the charging systems - now easily fixed with a Shindengen SH-775 series regulator. Of course, high mileage will show up other wear-outs, like the not-all-that-good front calipers (easily replaced with something more modern, from Kwack 600s, etc) and occasional rear drive spline failure - although that only affected '82 bikes, iirc.
When Suzuki were building the 850 they deliberately made the components fairly bullet-proof, to make sure they would establish its reputation as a good model for touring and general hacking around. A consequence of that was the overall weight being higher than you would expect from a more modern bike. The weight disappears when you get moving, though.
There was one bike that also impressed the shit out of me back then - the XJ900. I know of one back then that did 350+K, and had only needed a new starter chain in that mileage. When last seen, the then-current owner was quite happy with it, and it was running fine.
Of course, when the opportunity came up to get one dirt cheap, I leapt at it.
The difference in design makes itself felt between the two - the GS is basically a 70's bike, the XJ definitely an 80's design. It's possible to throw the heavy old GS around like a fat sports bike, but even though it has fairly neutral handling, you're always aware it's not really designed for it. The XJ, otoh, has a head start, being lighter and narrower, which definitely helps. Didn't take long before I was stuffing the XJ into corners with abandon and not feeling the warning twitches I would have been getting from the GS. Of course, compared to a proper, modern sports bike, even the XJ9 is woefully outdated, but it's still capable of out-performing me.