Why are CBs and KZs the popular ones.

[oldGSfan]

Never timed them so I can't say much except 'similar' power.

I rode the GPz more, had it for a year longer and it was quieter and more comfy than the Katana. I could feel the GPz's extra oomph after I put in the 1166 kit, not a ton but nice to have. The Kat was not stock, with that Kerker and re-jetted, it was putting out great power but you needed to wring its neck a bit more. That very loud Kerker dissuaded me from opening it up WFO, it was just annoying to me and others. So in normal riding the GPz felt stronger.

Just wondering, you had both the GS1000SZ & GPZ1100 at the same time. Did you ever run them against each other thru a 1/4 mi. Around here, the 2 Katana 1000's were about dead even with the 1100's of the day. We always wondered how.

 

[mustangflyr]

Back in the late 80's I had both a 80' GS1000ET ( still have it ) and a 80' GS1000ST. The ET was/is stock and the ST was modified with Mikuni 33 mm smooth bores, green coils, a 700 Lockhart oil cooler, Kerker 4 into 1 and was stock bore. obviously the ET would quickly accelerate from a traffic light but the ST departed the light like it had been "Cat shot". Quite difference between them, Both fun but preferred the ET.

 

[rphillips]

Have you thought about returning the ST to orig. & swapping the the mods to the ET? Exact same bike but prices for the orig. ST are out the roof. GS1000SZ is a totally different animal....Hey, you got any pictures?

 

[mustangflyr]

Well no I didn't consider doing a swap like that mostly because one had been totaled out from under me by an impatient girl in a car. When the ET was replaced 2-3 weeks later I said I was going to wear this one out, as of today not yet. Not to mention the PO of the ST actually sawed off the passenger peg/muffler mounts on the frame because he couldn't fit the Kerker 4 into 1 on it, and the brackets went missing after that. Now I had thought that ST frame with those factory rear sets with the ET body pieces could be interesting. But that poor ST was sold a long time ago and ended up painted red and yellow, poor thing.

 

[rphillips]

Nuff said, we still like pictures.

 

[mustangflyr]

A pic

A pic

OK Here's a shot of the ET in my driveway still stock, forty+ years of caretaking and 134K miles. Stay tuned.

 

[rphillips]

Pictures bring memories. I had one , that same color, don't remember how many miles, not near as many as on my "78". Really nice old bikes. 134K, kind'f like a Timex or the Energizer Bunny.

 

[Gorminrider]

Whenever I'm scrolling on Instagram looking at suggested pages I always see photos of honda CBs and Kawasaki KZs, original or cafes that's the bunch of what I see. I get happy when i see a GS on a suggested page photo, and I've noticed that pages from the middle east seem to enjoy the GS alot.

Now I didnt live back in the day, so I dont know how it was back then, but I know that at least on social media the KZ and especially the CB steal the thunder.

Does this all have to relate with Honda having the first affordable four cylinder and Kawasaki bringing out the Z soon after?

Note: there was a German I believe who made a 4 cylinder bike before honda, looked very short and stubby and was a wheelie machine i assume, one of the photos of it is the front wheel being up. It was not a normal consumer bike though.

The cafe crowd snuffles through the ads for four stroke twins and Honda has the strongest longest trail....

I sort of remember . I read all the mags during the 70s and Suzuki was right in there with the other two. My "keener" friend bought a new Suzi 4 (550? not sure)to replace his water buffalo...me I had a 74 CB350F....but as to why they all REALLY want Hondas especially twins, to chop up, guessing it's probably where one guy started and popularized the CHEAP "cafe build" thing with the handiest barn find...Suzuki doesn't show on their preferred "twins" radar. as they were mostly known for two strokes until they switched in the later 70s. Running out of Honda twins the second best are 4s...Note You don't see much excitement over two-strokes...

old Beemers and old English bikes are too "precious" to cut up, though of course someone somewhere has. Likewise, CX/GL500 ,Goldwing, water-cooled, shaft-drive ilk...the radiator is Not Cool in "The Build"

 

[argonsagas]

Honda was, of course, first to market in many categories (not just four cylinder bikes), and the first to demonstrate that motorcycles could be reliable and keep their oil on the inside. Their marketing was extremely well done, and I think the name "Honda" was also a factor; it's simple and doesn't sound nearly as "alien" or obviously Japanese as the others. Honda opened the door for the rest.

Kawasaki, of course, focused on developing the reputation for engine performance. Not just the KZ, but the insane two-stroke models as well. They were quite a bit behind in handling, including some infamous faults, but quite a few people didn't care about anything but quarter-mile times. Bold styling also played a large part for Kawasaki and Yamaha as well; people don't buy motorcycles to blend in.

Suzuki was the first to get all the basics of handling right. Frame construction, geometry, and ergonomics were light-years beyond the competition for several years. Styling wasn't as "in your face" as Kawasaki and Yamaha and they were perceived as a step behind on power as well for a while. Any doofus can yank a throttle open, but the advantages of ergos and handling were completely lost on a lot of people.

So anyway, I think those market positions from the '70s and '80s explain a lot of the lingering differences in appeal. If you were in high school in 1974 or so, you had a poster of the Z1 on your wall. That's the kind of thing that sticks.

Fast forward 30 or 40 years, and we find that Suzuki's GS models are extremely reliable, with far better handling and ergonomics than other vintage bikes. Once sorted out with a few basic upgrades, a GS can be flogged mercilessly for years and years, and is a joy to ride and live and travel with. Sure, modern bikes are more powerful and handle a little better, and ABS is a game changer. But if you know what you're doing, you give up very little in spirited street riding, reliability is just as good or better (and repairability is definitely better), and the ergonomics are far superior to almost any modern era motorcycle.

In all my experience, I've seen for an absolute fact that GS owners ride much further and faster than KZ and CB owners. There may even be more restored CBs and KZs on the planet, but I will guarantee that we are wearing out far more of the side treads of far more tires.

That was nicely said.

I particularly liked the point you made with " people don't buy motorcycles to blend in."

 

[mustangflyr]

80' gs1000s

80' gs1000s

Well I found a couple of pictures, top giving a ride to one of my niece's, and the underneath picture is Moi commuting on my hotrod 1980 GS1000S. (I didn't butcher it I bought it that way ). A buddy of mine shot this pic while driving in his car.

 

[mustangflyr]

Another picture

Another picture

Found another picture, This was taken at " Riding Into History" in St Augustine FL. That's my 1000ET in the foreground behind it on the left is some all around nice guy named Dennis Gage ( err Dennis the checks in the mail ?) and on the right myself.

 

[mustangflyr]

Last one this time.

Last one this time.

This time another " Riding Into History" picture. Taken during a rest stop on the " Grand Marshall's Ride " this is Kevin Schwantz relaxing on my ET. The organizers ( Bill 7 you know who you are ) asked if Kevin could use it on the ride. Of course I said yes and all in all a great event.

 

[wymple]

I believe there are far more GS survivors than Honda or Kawasaki. I see GS bikes quite a bit, the others not so much. Rarity breeds value. It's the price Suzuki paid for being a better bike. Except for the wiring.....

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Hmmmn ... not sure there. I see as many vintage Hondas and Kawis here as I do Suzukis, and Honda engineering during those years was pretty fantastic.

 

[Nessism]

Honda is third on my list of desirable UJM's. Only Yamaha is worse, not that they made bad bikes, it's just that they focused on cruisers more than the others and didn't offer alternatives. Honda = heavy. Honda's v4's are another thing all together though.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I don't find the CB900f to be that heavy-and certainly not compared to the XS11 I had. I think the Honda is nicer over the road than my 1150 was, actually-stock or modded.

 

[Rob S.]

As I sit here staring at Suzi, I can't help but recall my '71 CB350 and my '73 Z1. Each one had a fine metal badge, secured with two screws, on each side of the tank - "HONDA" and "KAWASAKI." Also bold stripes; the Z was a gorgeous two tone.

The 11E tank? One solid color, with a decal on each side. Same goes for the side covers. It's like they were trying to hide the "1100." I've had guys standing right next to her asking, "Is it a 750?"

There was no pretense, in 1982, that the decals were more aerodynamic than the badges - just cheaper. Remember the "750 Four" side cover badges? Of course you do.

The Honda and the Kaw were Cadillacs. The Suze wasn't even a Chevy. It was a Toyota.

PS - Is there a bot in the house?

 

[dpep]

PS - Is there a bot in the house?

Not anymore.
...

 

[oldGSfan]

I'm with you there Ed. Yamha had it in the RZ/RD sphere, Honda lost the plot IMO with the DOHC 750, I found it to be a lesser bike than the SOHC. Kawasaki always had the pizazz, going for the max performance and craziness with the triples. But Suzuki was the balanced one, in the end. Then the early to mid 80's came along like mullets - I watched friends buy 80's bikes like Secas, Visions, even XN85s, CX500 turbos, all the funky 80's bikes. None compared to the '82 GPz 750 I found for a friend during my USAF days in Texas. It was painted to match the Eddie Lawson. That 750 was better than my '82 KZ1000 in every way except grunt.

On a downer note, the guy I found it for was never stable on a bike. He dropped it during a safety class where you had to brake and turn when the light went green in the lane (or straight) you needed to take. He just didn't have any feel for machinery and when he sold it in Athens Greece, I was happy to see him leave motorcycling, turned out to be forever, which was/is good. I was also happy for the guy that he sold it to, and had a conversation with him at the 'auto hobby shop' the day he bought it. He rode off without a helmet after our chat, and 5 minutes later he died. I remember I warned him about the streets being made up of a lot of crushed marble. His head hit a curb after a high side. I felt so sad for his parents, far far away, hearing the terrible news. It shook me up and I hardly knew him.

Honda is third on my list of desirable UJM's. Only Yamaha is worse, not that they made bad bikes, it's just that they focused on cruisers more than the others and didn't offer alternatives. Honda = heavy. Honda's v4's are another thing all together though.

 

[Rob S.]

Not anymore.
...

Thanks for your kind words and thoughtful suggestions...wait a minute, I'm not a bot. Last I checked.