Page last modified: 01/21/04

1978 GS1000 review

Class: cruiser/muscle bike
Engine: air-cooled horizontal four 4-stroke
Displacement: 997 cc
Valve Arrangement: DOHC 2
Transmission: 5-speed
Final Drive: chain
Brakes: single disc front and rear
Weight: 542 lbs

The 1978 GS1000 was voted the machine of the year by Motor Cycle News readers. It competes well against the muscle bikes of its era. A strong engine and general purpose design make the GS1000 appealing on the open road as well as on the drag strip. User accessible components for backyard mechanics are a plus. Later models have zoopier features, like an extra disc brake, shaft and a sports design. Performance features found on the smaller GS's are rarely found on the competition.

The GS came in ST, SZ (Katana), EN, LN and SN versions. The ST came in white and offered a cafe fairing, chrome pipes, seating for two, oil temperature gauge and quartz clock. The Katana came in silver and offered a lower riding position, sport fairing, seating for one, antidive suspension, black exhaust pipe and clip-on type handlebars. The EN came in black, was minus any fairing, but did have chrome mufflers and air boxes. The LN had a two-tone blue and maroon paint job. It offered leading axle forks, pullback handlebars, chrome front and rear fenders, chrome exhaust and mag-type wheels. The SN came in a blue and white paint job and offered low racer handlebars, mag-type wheels and a sport fairing.

Also take a look at the GS750 and 850 of that era. Both are capable of +124 m.p.h.