Amazing how good this GS1100E is

[dweller]

I've got my low mileage original '82 GS1100E dialed in pretty nicely. I've only got about $2000 into it, 10K original miles, looks and runs like new. Rebuilt carbs, fresh tires, upgraded charging system. All stock. I'm just astounded by how good this thing is! I've been running around town and on shorter trips on all kinds of roads. It just flat out works. Smooth and plentiful power, super comfortable, steers and handles perfectly. I guess I'm just surprised how well this thing holds up compared to much newer and "better" bikes that I've had or ridden in the past ten years. Was this bike really that much ahead of it's time in the early 80s? Has anyone else noticed this? Perhaps that's why GS Resources exists...

 

[gustovh]

Welcome dweller, post is useless without pics. But yes they have a good engine and ride well, well thought out.

V

 

[GS1150Pilot]

The same thing could be said for bikes from all four of the major manufacturers of that time period-Yamaha with the Seca 900, Honda with the CB900f and 1100f, and Kawasaki with the GPz. They are all very nice rides when people take the time to get them up to snuff. Trouble is, many folks buy these bikes cheap, fail to make needed repairs or do proper maintenance, and then switch to newer bikes thinking the old machines sucked.

 

[Steve]

If you look back when the bikes were new, Suzuki was seldom the first with anything that was really "new" and "ground-breaking", they usually introduced something about a year after the others. In most cases, it seems that that year allowed some more development and refinement, meaning they had a better product. Other forum members could give you better details about exactly what changes made the best improvements over the competition, but the end result was, as you found, a bike that simply WORKS.

And if there was ever any doubt about the engine, just take a trip to your local drag strip. They are STILL running engines based on the GS1100 and GS1150, some of them producing hundreds of horsepower.

.

 

[dweller]

This thing is so much fun to ride. No wonder it's considered one of the first "superbikes". Next on the task list for the winter is fork rebuild (replacing the Progressive springs that the original owner installed with Sonics and also installing cartridge emulators, new seals, etc.) and also front caliper rebuilds.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Actually, I think the CB750 was the first bike to be called a superbike, and that was nearly 15 years earlier. I could be wrong, but I think the criteria for superbike status used to be a quarter mile in under 13 seconds and a top speed above 120.

 

[wymple]

Suzuki broke ground with tech a few times. The old 500 Titan was the bike that proved large 2 strokes could live more than a real short time. The GSXR was revolutionary for reliability in a very high hp 750. Was the Water Buffalo the 1st water cooled 2 stroke? They also, I think, were the 1st to fuel inject a motocrosser?

 

[dweller]

Picture added in first post

 

[Guest]

Suzuki broke ground with tech a few times. The old 500 Titan was the bike that proved large 2 strokes could live more than a real short time. The GSXR was revolutionary for reliability in a very high hp 750. Was the Water Buffalo the 1st water cooled 2 stroke? They also, I think, were the 1st to fuel inject a motocrosser?

Suzuki was actually the second company to produce a water-cooled three-cylinder two stroke named the GT750.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Welcome and happy for you.
However any experienced bike tuner can see it's running way too lean. I've never seen OEM GS pipes that blue.

 

[Big T]

You'll find it will run even better once you cure the air leaks

 

[dweller]

Hahaha, you guys diagnosing running current condition by looking at a picture? No air leaks. Jetting is flawless. Valves in spec, compression/leakdown great. I've been through the carbs completely and done plug chops at a few different throttle openings. That bluing likely came from long ago. There were intake leaks when I got the bike. Almost positive that it was the throttle shaft seals, which I replaced. Never made much sense to me to strip down a set of carbs and not do the throttle shaft seals...

 

[Guest]

And who can forget the Wankel Suzi?!? I love my '83 GS1100e, but the buzziness is a bit of a buzzkill...heh...

 

[Grimly]

. Was the Water Buffalo the 1st water cooled 2 stroke?

Not sure if this was the first or not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scott_Motorcycle_Company#Second_World_War

 

[Rob S.]

...I love my '83 GS1100e, but the buzziness is a bit of a buzzkill...heh...

Buzziness?

I guess I'm just riding too low in the power band. I generally like to keep her below redline. Plus I've got those spongey Grab Ons that were so popular in the '70's and '80's.

 

[bobgroger]

And who can forget the Wankel Suzi?!? I love my '83 GS1100e, but the buzziness is a bit of a buzzkill...heh...

I have had both 80/81, and 82/83 1100e bikes. The later bikes vibrate more. And ALL the e bikes vibrate more than the 2 valve bikes.

 

[bwringer]

Agreed -- these bikes function far better than one would expect. They were among the first thoroughly modern machines you could trust to take on a trip and return.

There are a several reasons for that.

For one, Suzuki was the first to figure out handling and frame geometry. The GS750 and GS1000 in the '70s and the later derivatives, including all the shafties, have excellent handling and ergonomics. With a few suspension upgrades, they handle astonishingly well. Suzuki also paid careful attention to comfort and ergonomics. They were MILES ahead of the competition of the day.

The 1100E is a bit of a long pig, but can still be made to handle pretty darn well.

This is all somewhat arguable, but Honda in particular developed a reputation for reliable machines you could trust to finish a trip, and Suzuki was a close second in reliability, with better power and handling. Kawasaki was arguably in third place, and Yamaha a distant fourth. All were absolutely rock-solid compared to the English, Euro, and American competition. Remember when Harley riders considered it perfectly normal to rebuild their engines every winter, oil leaks were expected, and every ride required a couple of pickups following?

In the present day, Suzuki GS issues and how to address them are quite well-known. We routinely ride them hard for thousands and thousands of miles.

Suzuki, far more than Honda, tends to re-use engineering and parts for as long as possible, even sharing a lot of part dimensions across several models. This corporate trait means a greater parts supply 40 years later. OEM parts availability is also surprisingly good, although it is slowly dwindling.

Starting in 1980, brakes were another often overlooked Suzuki strong point. With rebuilt hydraulics, fresh pads, and braided stainless lines, stock GS stoppers work astonishingly well. A lot of people complain about GS brakes and look for upgrades based mostly on deteriorated and rock hard 40 year old brake pads. The stock stuff actually works better than most people think once you undo the effects of time.

 

[wymple]

"This is all somewhat arguable, but Honda in particular developed a reputation for reliable machines you could trust to finish a trip, and Suzuki was a close second in reliability, with better power and handling. Kawasaki was arguably in third place, and Yamaha a distant fourth."

I would put Kaw at the bottom of that pile for reliability, with Yamaha and Suzy battling for 2nd behind Honda. But it's all subjective as Suzuki had great bikes with what some think was the worst wiring of the big 4. Yamaha had great motors, a little lax in the trans area. I think Honda over complicated some stuff like wiring as exercises in engineering. The last year of carbed Goldwings had an amazingly large mess of vacuum lines, and you know what happens to those. I preferred Yamahas until I picked up a near new 82 GS1100. From about 84 on up, when they fixed their damn stupid starter mess on the Viragos, they were far better than the competition. Great charging systems, wiring, best clutch & rear drive units you could find. We had Intruders with problems, Shadows (which I still like) and some KZ stuff. Fried a KZ engine going to the Black Hills, a Suzuki twin going to Branson. Lost the electronic ignition on 2 Suzukis on road trips to Ohio and Southern Missouri. My Yamahas and mildly problematic Guzzis did me better overall. A pair of the lowly regarded Viragos never let me down anywhere, and my XS650's were golden.