How fast is is your old GS?

[Hap Call]

Back in 1983, I took my GS1100EX to a straight 9 mile road and wound it out to see the top end. By the time I got to third gear the speedo was pegged out at 85 MPH. I then took it to 5th gear and held on. The tach gradually went to 10000 rpm (red line is at 9000, I know, but Suzuki was conservative on its' redline and I was young and stupid) after about 5 miles. At that point, the scariest part was slowing down. The 1100 does not have the aerodynamics for that kind of speed and it was very twitchy.

I'm not sure what the top speed was (someone can calculate it) but I'm sure it was over 140 MPH.


Hap

 

[Anonymous]

I have taken my 1986 GS400S (Canada only that year) with 41,000 kms up to its 9500 RPM redline while lying on the tank. Speedo read 165 km/h (102 mi/h). I am fairly confident that that was a true speed because at 120 km/h my speedo is within 2% of a GPS unit mounted on the tank. I think that bike is fast enough for me, the world gets a little too blury for me around there, but I did touch 180 km/h on my fathers 1983 GS750E!

Martin

 

[Anonymous]

Once saw 115 mph on my 550's speedo,probably more like 105-110,T-bars,flat on the tank with the (badly balanced) front wheel vibrating away merrily!Took up two lanes of the motorway! 8O Never again!

 

[Rico]

Don't really know top speed on my 78 1000e. I looked down and saw about 125mph and still winding out then shut it down, so who knows, maybe 130?

Anyway this post is for my boy. @ 7yrs old he has his "Ton Card".
Two weeks ago we were dropping into a valley with open fields on both sides (good animal vission) and we opened her up to 110mph.

He handles straight line speed MUCH better then twisties. I guess he hears and feels the revs and holds tight and still. In the curves he's always looking and moving around. Our running joke is...
"Hey Tino, let me know when we're going to change lanes"

He's comfy on two wheels.


I've done 63mph on my bicycle. Thats 20mm tyres and me in my underwear 8O

Rico

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

63 on a bicycle is scary! It is SO EASY to go down. Just a little twitch and it's all over.

 

[RacingJake]

63 on a bicycle is scary! It is SO EASY to go down. Just a little twitch and it's all over.

Just asked LANCE

 

[Rico]

I've had bicycles that start the wobbs around 50mph.
But my latest frame (LeMond) 853 cromoly and dead straight showed little
need to shake. I did find myself with my elbow against the toptube as a stearing dampner.

But going fast by yourself is alot harder then 40mph in a pack. I've been racing so many years I feel safe, no real time to think. When your by your self all you have is time to think.

Rico

 

[Anonymous]

iv hit 53mph on my specialized hit big on a single track. fun.

 

[Anonymous]

I've done 63mph on my bicycle. Thats 20mm tyres and me in my underwear 8O

Are you nuts!!? It must be the water.

 

[Anonymous]

my friend took my suzu out and rode it harder than I ever have, got it up to 110ish and said it probably had about 10-15 more... guess that's a bit slow by most standards here.. I think my speedo is FAIRLY acc, w/in maybe 5-7 at that speed..

 

[lhanscom]

Oddly enough 63mph is my highest speed on a bicycle too, going down the Kancamangus Hwy in NH, with a 5 mile downhill. On a K-mart special bike. I was around 14 at the time, and hadn't learned anything about fear yet. I needed to stop at the bottom of that run, and smoked the brakes pretty good.

 

[Carter Turk]

How fast

How fast

I've past mountain bikers on my skateboard going down the Mt. Baker Highway. They were laughing at me as they passed as I was just carving turns standing up. So I laid down, they heard me coming and started frantically pedaling to no avail. I flew by, now I was laughing.

The fastest I gone a skateboard is 65 laying down, much safer than a bike.
Carter

 

[Rico]

Carter you are a mad man. I've been down that stretch a handfull of times, NEVER on a skate board.

But it does go to show that speed is a very relitive thing. One mans comfort is fear for another. Case in point; I just don't feel good going fast on water. The stuff is all aroud me (port city) and I've been in boats my whole life BUT....................I'm never comfy @ speed.

40 and loving life
Rico

post; HEY MOPO, you could go fast on a bike if it wern't so damn windy there.A tail wind'll take you out of town never to return :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

outran a Harley in 4th, caught 5th passed a Honda w/836 kit, smooth bores, 4 into ones on the tank. Went into oscilations, almost a tank slapper. that was in 1978, don't go there anymore, unless I do what "Pops" Yoshomira used to and bridge the swing arm. I just ride and enjoy my classic.

How fast? Who cares, took a week to clean every thing up. Brown doesn't show on black too bad.

 

[first timer]

can you tell me more about bridging the swing arm like pops yosh. Can you just run a 1100 alum swing instead.

-ryan

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The high speed wobble sounds like it was loose steering bearings to me.

 

[Jethro]

I opened up the new to me 83 1100E the other day on route 89 heading towards Vermont. It took some time, but the speedo looked like it said 120-130. It was hard to get an exact reading because I couldn't look at the clocks for more than a fraction of a second. Fastest I've ever been on a bike. I didn't experience any wobble or unstability. Actually tracked quite nice, but I won't be doing that again (much).

 

[ronin1166]

Used to pull redline in top gear on my 79 GS550E (rejetted, Yoshi Series 7 pipe) - probably about 117-118?
Just a wee bit shaky up there, but it had a few crashes under it's belt, and a rock-hard Michelin M45 front tire...

Used to pull redline in top gear on my 80 GS750ET (rejetted, Kerker pipe, Marzocchi Strada shocks, stock fork springs with a BIG preload spacer, fork brace) pegged 85 speedo in 3rd, magazines said that was about 127-128.
The bike just loved it, steady as a rock. I fondly remember blasting along the Columbia R. between Pateros and Wenatchee - 100-115 for dozens of miles. Good Times!

Did some luge-style skateboard runs with Carter T. 'back in the day'... 45-50 on the Crystal Mt. Parkway. Maybe a bit more on 'Bennett Hill' (NE 24th St.) in Blah-vue.

My stock 84 Kaw ZX900A Ninja will pull 130 indicated (-/+ 3%), sitting upright (I'm 6'-2"), with 2/3 throttle and leaky intake valves. Curious to see what she'll do with a fresh top-end, 972cc (ZX1000) pistons, and a Laser 4-2-1 pipe...

I'm currently building an 80 GS1100ET...1166cc, Web 168 cams w/ a bit of port work. She'll be wearing an 18in GSXR1100 rear rim.
I REALLY can't wait to see what she's got...

Ted

 

[Sandy]

I`m alive because I quit. That top speed stuff is addictive as drugs.

I hear you. Several years ago I couldn't live with out getting a good top end run on my slightly modded FZ750 in at least once a week, I live in the boonies so we can get away with that. A year ago I borrowed a buddies FZ1000 for a weekend trip and once again I got to play throttle jockey. Had up to red line in top gear a few times. That FZ runs pretty strong, I figure they go about 160 maybe 165. Anyway looks like my withdrawal program of not doing that for a while worked because now I'm quite content with the 130MPH (on good day) my GS1000 will do. And I kicked the habit without counseling too. Hooray!

 

[Boozy Creek Beast]

I have been up to 125 on my 80 1100E and just as I thought I was a Bad A@# my brother passed me on his 83 1100E.