Comparing a GS650 to GS850, 750, 550 etc…

[Guest]

Greetings Suzuki people! I’m a new member here but have long admired early Suzuki fours. For most of my riding career, my one true love has been my trusty ‘71 Honda CB500/4. In the 14 or so years I’ve had it, I’ve toured the country on it, commuted, camped, done the DGR, explored rural New England dirt roads, etc. I love the bike. It’s old enough to be interesting to me yet modern enough to use in today’s world. And I can fix it myself!

Anyway, I mention this because while I love the Honda, I’ve long wanted a newer bike to take the commuting pressure off the old CB. Two years ago i bough a lovely Ducati ST2 for this, and wouldn’t ya know it, that darn thing is a maintenance handful too
This year I was pretty sure I would buy a new V7, or a beautiful new Royal Enfield twin, but we just bought a house so that may not happen for some time. And 2 or 4 older bikes would be more fun than one new one anyway!

These thoughts have rekindled my interest in the GS Suzukis. They have much of what I love about my Honda, but with the benefit of 10 years newer and more developed. I especially liked GS850 and 650s for their shaft drive. What a great stablemate to my Honda!

I don’t know enough about the Suzukis, but it seems like the GS650 is a sweet spot. Lighter than the 750 or 850, something like 70 HP! I like the medium size. And I’ve seen nice examples for under $2k recently.

What do you Suzuki folks say? The 650 doesn’t seem as popular. How does it compare with the rest of the lineup?
And i should mention I have no interest in the GL models. I’m tall and I prefer the UJM style 650G or GT. I would probably install superbike bars or something similar. I put CB400f bars on my 500 and love the slight forward lean. Other than that possible change, a 650 looks pretty darn perfect……

 

[Supercub]

I've always liked the Suzuki fours, I recently picked up a GS1100G. I've seen a few 650s for sale that were pretty inexpensive. One in Old Saybrook now for $650. I would have grabbed one but since I have an Enfield 650, I thought I should broaden the herd. You cant go wrong with either. I was looking Ducati but there were too many sketchy ones and they aren't suited for my riding style. The Suz and the Enfield do it all. Any older bike will need some work to get it roadworthy. Make sure the bike has paperwork and a rust free gas tank and it's best to buy from the last registered owner rather than a flipper.

 

[Who Dat?]

Either the 650G or 850G will probably do you fine, depending on your riding style.

As you mentioned, the 650 is lighter (about 80 pounds). Plenty of room for a single rider, will get a bit "cozy" with two aboard. Engine is rated at 72 HP. Only available in the US for three years, '81-'83. Slight differences from year to year, but nothing major.

The 850 is a much larger bike. It actually shares the same frame (identical part number) with a 1000G or 1100G of the same year, so it's much better for two-up riding. Even though the engine is considerably larger, it's only rated at 78 HP, but it has tons more torque lower in the powerband, where you spend more of your time (unless you are racing). Because of the increased torque, engine speed is lower at any given road speed, making it more relaxing for longer rides. The '79 850 was the only year with a kickstarter, points and VM carbs. The '80-'81 850s kept the same basic crankcase, but had a different clutch cover that did not have a hole for the kickstarter. '82-'83 850s had a slightly revised crankcase with a totally different clutch cover and a couple other minor refinements.

I have put many thousands of miles on both of these bikes and would get another one, if the situation presented itself.

 

[Nessism]

An 850 or 1000G is much heavier than a CB500, but light years more capable for long rides. The first gen 850 and 1000G shafty bikes have one of the most comfortable seats ever installed on a motorcycle, too. The 650 is a more sporty package, with good power and reasonably light weight. It vibrates more than an 850 too.

 

[Gorminrider]

I had a 650. Likeable not perfect. The cam walks-tonktonktonk...the shaft drive can fail at the secondary and on the hub.....and that aside, I always wished it had 6 gears...at 70mph on a flat road, it was a natural (but missing) reflex...I had the same urge on a Honda GL500..which I might add, actually had better ergonomics than the 650..for me anyways.But it had its particular weakness-that-must-be-fixed- the water pump seal...but all that aside they were both nice bikes to ride...the 650 was better handling as a scoot, i think....both were maybe a little top-heavy-both are tall bikes!

 

[AnotherGeezer]

Just bought a nice 83 GS750E out of Meredith in August. Been busy acquiring parts and upgrading where necessary. These bikes are getting harder and harder to find clean so if you're looking, be diligent about scouring the ads.

 

[Rob S.]

Something like 70 HP! [/QUOTE]

Where did you see that number? Because if it's a 'manufacturer's claim' and the bike is not modified, figure much closer to 55 at the rear wheel.

 

[Grimly]

Something like 70 HP!

Where did you see that number? Because if it's a 'manufacturer's claim' and the bike is not modified, figure much closer to 55 at the rear wheel.[/QUOTE]

Generally; the manufacturers never quoted rwhp, always crankshaft and often ignoring draggy losses like pumps, generators, etc.

 

[Rob S.]

Generally; the manufacturers never quoted rwhp, always crankshaft and often ignoring draggy losses like pumps, generators, etc.

Of course. Used to be the same for cars. When folks wised up to it, GM said, 'Oh That's gross. You want net.'

The "gross," or the 'claim' is meaningless. How many of us ride down the street with just a crank?

In 1982, Cycle World was only too happy to tout Suzuki's claim of 108 horsepower (11E). Eventually they got their own dynomometer. Radar gun for top speed. Even computer for "corrected" 1/4 mile times.

 

[Guest]

All good info, much appreciated!
I got the power figure from http://www.suzukicycles.org/GS-series/GS650.shtml#gsc.tab=0, which I think just takes data from old brochures. Don't worry, I am very familiar with old Japanese marketing! My CB500 makes 50 HP according to the marketing of the time, but I think it's really under 40 at the rear wheel.
I'm not obsessed with the power, but wouldn't mind a bit more grunt than my little 500 can offer. What I love about the 500 is that it is powerful *enough* but also really well balanced. Much lighter than a CB750, narrower, better handling. Not as powerful, but I always thought on a twisty road I could at least give a 750 a run for its money

The GS650 seems to occupy a similar space in Suzuki world. A bit smaller and lighter, but not wanting for power. I don't know if I want an upgrade from my 500 or simply a good "hop on and go" stablemate. The 500's nimbleness makes it inviting and fun, and I'm always finding myself exploring little country roads around here, even dirt roads. My Ducati ST2, however, is more of a commitment. Not as fun on the small 35mph country roads, and I'm much less likely to go exploring in the sticks. If I'm headed for the mountains, or any longer trip, it's always the better choice for me. If the Honda and Ducati are parked next to each other, and I want to run to the store 5 miles away, I'm much more likely to hop on the Honda. And I think that's the vibe I want from a GS bike.
But, I really like the sound and feel of a bigger air cooled four cylinder. Before I stumbled on the Duc I seriously considered a Bandit. But now that the Ducati occupies the faired touring bike slot, an older GS seems appropriate...
Anyway, thanks for tolerating my ruminating thoughts. As I said I always admired the GS bikes and am getting more serious about eventually finding one for my little collection!

 

[Jedz123]

If your finding your self on secondary roads (dirt with low maintenance) I would recommend the 650 if your bent on shaft drive. They are surprisingly spry especially in conditions south of 60MPH. I have recently acquired a GS1000G and it's an absolutely stellar road bike but I would be hesitant going down dirt roads for an extended amount of time. The 1000G is actually lighter than the 850G so I couldn't imagine riding an 850G down a class 4 road.
If I was looking for a bike that checks off all the roads you enjoy riding on, a GS650G would fit the bill best. Be wary as the 650's are plain bearing cranks and if they ever lost oil pressure in their lives can lead to some severe low end issues. I have looked at a couple GS650's for "cheap" and they made some god awful noises low in the case... However you keep oil to them and they are pretty stout little motorcycles. You could save weight and get a 550 which sport the roller bearing bottom ends but your back on a chain... And honestly your better off with a GS twin IMHO.
Looks for a GS650G, bigger tank, more comfortable seat, better stoppers and handling. However you will likely come across a "L" for cheaper and with a little extra coin you can get the bike to where you want it.
Cheers.

 

[Guest]

If your finding your self on secondary roads (dirt with low maintenance) I would recommend the 650 if your bent on shaft drive. They are surprisingly spry especially in conditions south of 60MPH. I have recently acquired a GS1000G and it's an absolutely stellar road bike but I would be hesitant going down dirt roads for an extended amount of time. The 1000G is actually lighter than the 850G so I couldn't imagine riding an 850G down a class 4 road.
If I was looking for a bike that checks off all the roads you enjoy riding on, a GS650G would fit the bill best. Be wary as the 650's are plain bearing cranks and if they ever lost oil pressure in their lives can lead to some severe low end issues. I have looked at a couple GS650's for "cheap" and they made some god awful noises low in the case... However you keep oil to them and they are pretty stout little motorcycles. You could save weight and get a 550 which sport the roller bearing bottom ends but your back on a chain... And honestly your better off with a GS twin IMHO.
Looks for a GS650G, bigger tank, more comfortable seat, better stoppers and handling. However you will likely come across a "L" for cheaper and with a little extra coin you can get the bike to where you want it.
Cheers.

That all makes good sense. Can you clarify the “G” versus “L” comment? Just looking around the internet, I can’t figure out if they’re the same except tank, seat, and handlebars, or is it a different frame with more rake?
In other words, could I buy an “L” and switch some parts around and turn it into a “G?”

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

G means is Shaft drive. L is Suzuki's cruiser style: Smaller tank, pull-back bars. You could have a GL.

 

[Gorminrider]

Shaft drives generally lose power versus chains because they have to twist the engines output 90 degrees...coming from a cb500 you might consider that as not much of an upgrade. Plus, 4 cylinder bikes are not especially known for low RPM torque though crank timing might play into that bit of random desiderata....I'm not sure exactly how they'd compare to an RE650 twin ...

..........it's hard to interpret exactly what you are expecting from a GS650 ( I certainly couldn't define my own before getting one ), but if it's just a nice sound, stylish looks, nice road handling and something to fiddle with over the winter, they do fill those requisites!

 

[Guest]

Gotcha, I’m using the wrong nomenclature. What I’m wondering is, are the cruiser ish GS bikes the same as the UJM ones, but with different seats, tanks, bars, pegs etc?

 

[Gorminrider]

Where Honda would build an entirely new bike, Suzuki would tweak the look using the same frame and engine. They are definitely "UJM" if the definition of UJM is :"Uses Stanley parts"

 

[ddaniels]

Different frame, I believe, between the L and the G. Also different forks. You can't mount a G seat on an L frame. Stepped seat on an L verses a mostly flat seat on a G. An L tries to emulate a cruiser style bike, basically, where you tend to sit back more on your tailbone. You'd have better luck getting the slight forward lean you want with a G. I've never owned a 650 but my first bike was a 550L and, while it was nimble and fun to scat about town on, after just a little bit on the highway, your hands and arms would feel like bugs crawling all over them. Very buzzy bike. I've also owned a 1000G and an 1100GK (touring package). The 1000G was far and away the most comfortable, most fun (for me) and had a much more pleasing exhaust note than the little 550L, which was very raspy sounding.

 

[Supercub]

From the few specs I've compared, the L has the same HP as its counterpart. You could make some mods that would make an L more sportier but it will cost the equivalent of the difference of a G or E. You probably won't reclaim that expense if you went to sell it. If you found an L that was immaculate, wasn't beat on and cheap, that's a curve in the right direction. I've had a GS450E and GS500, they are fun, well performing bikes that will do everything, at half the price.

 

[Who Dat?]

The 1000G is actually lighter than the 850G so I couldn't imagine riding an 850G down a class 4 road.

You are quite correct, but the difference is only 10 or 15 pounds. After 550+ pounds, what's another 10 (or 15)?

I forget which is which, but the '80/'81 1000G is lighter than the same year 850G by either 10 or 15 pounds.
The '82/'83 1100G is also lighter than the same year 850G by the other amount.

Whatever the year, the 850G was the heaviest GS until they added the touring package to the 1100G and made the 1100GK.

 

[Jedz123]

G means is Shaft drive. L is Suzuki's cruiser style: Smaller tank, pull-back bars. You could have a GL.

L's also come with 1 front brake and a leading axle fork (sometimes because I have seen L's with twin brakes and standard forks too), frames are different and owning many bikes in both in L and G or E variants the G and E variants seem more stout for handling than the L's. Sometimes I think Suzuki just grabbed what was in the bin and made bikes accordingly.