Show us your Suzukis and explain why you prefer them

I have owned Hondas, Harleys, Triumphs, Yamahas and Kawasakis. But for some reason I like Suzukis the best. Are they the redheaded stepchild of the motorcycle world because they are generally the least expensive? Seems to me that they have reliability going for them. And many of the late models have fine finishes and look damned good going down the road. Thoughts?

My Zukis-

I have two Suzukis at the moment and like them very much both..

a TL1000s and SV650.. unbeatable V-twin power..

The DR800 was one of the crazies Suzukis IMO.. and the biggest mono cylinder bike EVER.. :)

ohh, pictures..

Love the DR. Simple and reliable. Gets me all over northwest Colorado. Great for trails, dirt roads and highway. Never has it left me stranded!

Love my DR's too. Simple and light, go anywhere bikes. Change the oil and ride. My DR650 has close to 20,000 miles on it and it just keeps chugging along.

"The DR800 was one of the crazies Suzukis IMO.. and the biggest mono cylinder bike EVER.. :)"

I follow the DRBIG thread on ADV. Too bad there weren't more in the US. Seems many Aussies are still riding them. here----- http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362489

What can I say that hasn't been said over and over and over. V-Stroms rock! Inexpensive, absolutely reliable, fun to ride - I love mine!!

Badass looking VStrom- I like to hear that zuki stuff over and over and over I guess. What do you think of the new Wee Strom???

the drz because it's a fat pig of a bike that just keeps pulling. only issue was the stator, twice. and a dirty air filter. 12,000 miles.




the gs500 because it's a fat pig of a bike that ... floats valves happily over and over again, forgives newbs of very stupid mistakes, and didn't kill me. road it home 3 hours from the buy with a nail in the tire and a rusty chain. 32,000 miles later i sold it for what i paid for it with only 3,000 miles. issues ? one battery and some green worms in my overflow line tha tcaused troubleshooting headaches for a month.

the gs taught my son about what i love, the drz my daughter. i don't need much from two wheels besides dependability.

It's funny - I've always been in the minority about the looks of the Wee - I think it's quite attractive. And I'm in the minority again - I don't like the look of the new one as much as the old one. Are you old enough to remember those old Felix the cat clocks where the eyes and tail went back and forth? Looks just like that to me However, putting in the Gladius engine and the other improvements make it very attractive. If it's as reliable as this model it's going to be fabulous. I bought this one Oct 1 last year and I've put over 16,000 km on it in the last 5 months (22,000km total now) and all I've done is regular service and tires. I can't say enough good stuff about it. I've taken it over some pretty rough roads too - Titus Canyon in Death Valley and a few in the interior of BC that were pretty challenging for someone of my experience level and it handled it well

Why Suzuki?

A 1970 TC90 Blazer as seen below (borrowed photo) was my first bike. It was my daily school transportation and paper route workhorse, and my weekend recreation all rolled into one. It had a 4x4 dual range transmission and in lo-range would have climbed a tree straight up if it could have caught adequate traction.



I rode the dog out of it and it stayed with me until I began to fiddle with the engine and failed to properly insert a wrist pin clip. That clip later let go and ruined the cylinder and the piston.

Between the TC90 and the DR650 I owned Hondas and BMW's.

In January 2010 I bought the DR over the other 650 cc class options for a bunch of reasons: reliability, ease of maintenance, suitability to purpose, and the Nicosil cylinder coating and the oil cooler (rather than going liquid cooled).



If it sits neglected in the carport for 3 months between rides it still starts right up, smooths out in a minute, and gets me there and back.

ohh, my little GN400, how can I forget that beauty!!

My 01 GSXR1K (I Miss it)

The Replacement

I've been accused of having fun once in a while on my Zook's

Thanks for contributing everyone. I hope this thread keeps rolling along just like the Suzukis we ride.

I'm in the midst of some upgrades on my 1982 GS1100EZ...I'll post a few when she is done here in a week or so. 80K+ original miles. She has NEVER left me stranded. Still has the original stator & R/R...anybody who has owned an old GS will know that is a very rare thing! Only reason the valve cover has been off is to adjust valves.

With exhaust and battery changes, the bike sits @ 49lbs lighter than stock. I have installed a set of vintage Mikuni VM33 smoothbore carbs, as well...so she should scoot along pretty well, I'd say. Not that she didn't scoot along just fine before...

Here she is mid project. I have since mounted a nice Mocal oil cooler, a Vance & Hines 4 into 1 street megaphone, but no pics yet. Need chain, counter sprocket & some minor wiring, and she'll be ready to roll again!





Suspension changes are as follows (all straight bolt up. No frame mods required...I can revert to stock in the matter of a few hours)

2nd gen Bandit 1200 forks, front and rear brakes, and rims. Triples from 1989 GSXR 750-top clamp is a Speigler unit that allows me to run handlebars. Rear rim and brake in the stock swing arm with GS sprocket carrier and 5/8" offset counter sprocket...and 530 chain conversion, obviously.

She might be heavy and down on power compared to modern bikes, but I don't care. This bike never fails to put a big, stupid grin on my face....

that what's all about!!

I have two; an SV650 and an old TS400 (that's in too may pieces to photograph). I use the SV650 for longer sport type rides or long days on the interstate. I dig the v-twin's good, honest, useable power. The fit and finish is fantastic and maintenance is simple. Its a good, solid, and affordable workhorse, without a lot of unneeded fluff.

My TLR, and for me she's one of the best suzuki's bikes.

Dude, all your bikes look great!!!!

acording to your blog that SV is SOLD :huh
http://www.coloradomotorcyclerides.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=71