Suzuki GS1000: do they really handle?

[The Pink Panther]

I had never really seen a Suzuki GS 1000 on board cam with a good pilot till i filmed my mate at Ruapona Bears Winter Series Round 1 last weekend you be the judge.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Xt9WaWWauo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Xt9WaWWauo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[schrodingers cat]

Sure has some straight line handling...:yes:

Cool vid:2guns:

[Kickaha]

Kevin "fucking" Orr, with just about anyone else riding it it'd be much slower and he still gets spanked by smaller bikes quite a bit

[The Pink Panther]

when you straddle a GS 1000 you look for the seat belt you then think does this thing have air bags. (quote racing number 56)

[imdying]

You can see where the GSXR1000 gets its manners from!

[Crisis management]

In their time they were a good handling bike, they had a good frame and gave plenty of feed back, I never raced mine but managed to get it two wheeled drifting over the hill into the pit straight a Puke consistently (when you could hire the track for the day & hoon around), you could either drift the front or rear dependant on whether you had your weight over the front or rear. Given we were still recovering from Kawasaki hinged frames in those days it was pretty fucking fantastic!

I could also bury it in the dirt at Castrol....but that was my skill rather than the bikes!

[CRM]

Great vid - just like being there - can nearly smell it.

[Stylo]

Great vid - just like being there - can nearly smell it.

Great Vid !

Obviously not your StD GS1000 , what ever you've done to it worked well around Ruapuna ....awesome . Ruapuna is the longest race track in NZ ...tell me I'm wrong

[sidecar bob]

Sure has some straight line handling...:yes:

Cool vid:2guns:

The whole time i was watching it thats what i was thinking, then i scroll down& thats the first post. Well done.

[The Pink Panther]

Stylo uhmmm to be honest you have no idea what you are talking about. Fact.
Track length whats that got to do with a lap time?

The GS 1000 motor is standard fact, its called a gd pilot with tuned Suspension running a dot trye fact.

The Pink Panther rides bikes and films cars and bikes in around NZ for tv fact, i am the Thebedfordboyz Fact.

Ruapona is my home track Fact.

I like to lap time . Fact (carn't help it)

I know a fast car /bike at a given track fact including weather and track conditions.

Dont hit below the belt unless u know the Facts.

did you notice when the rear was spining up i guess not . it was it your face.

IT is a fun video .

[AllanB]

1978 yeah they were the shit man!

The alloy swingarm was hot news - incidentally now in demand to retro fit to old Kawasaki 900-1000's. :yes:

A bag of arse by today's standards.

That is a well sorted example with a pilot who knows his bike and home track - GREAT VIDEO.

[98tls]

Nice watch,watched it then plugged it into the speakers cranked it up and watched it again x2,rather that than the latest and greatest for me.:zzzz:

[Kickaha]

Stylo uhmmm to be honest you have no idea what you are talking about. Fact.
Track length whats that got to do with a lap time?.

Well as a general rule the longer the lap the longer the lap time :yes:


The GS 1000 motor is standard fact

Do they come out standard with Keihen CR carbs stock?


its called a gd pilot

Good, pffffffft it's only Kevin :bleh:

[The Pink Panther]

i dont think CR Carbs come under engine mods . Simply
GO Mace

[flyingcrocodile46]

Awesome video of an awesome ride on an awesome bike. Good shit. :niceone:

I had a 78 in 79 which the PO had set up with a Yoshimura 3/4 race cam but standard carbs jetted for a 4 to 1 and pods (he kept the good carbs). Still, she would show a top speed of 240kph on the clock if I tucked in tight. I have no idea how accurate the clock was but she went like stink and nothing with less than 16 valves could touch her.

That said, she wouldn't have touched that thou. Not the way that front end was lifting (let alone the obviously superior rider skills). I'd be guessing but she looks to be putting out over a hundred ponies at the rear wheel (maybe even 110?)

[flyingcrocodile46]

PS... As for handling? The video says it all.

I'd imagine that the frame and forks are braced and that the shocks and front fork internals have been seriously upgraded to help achieve such smooth handling. My front and rear would be awash at half the speed Lol

[Kickaha]

i don't think CR Carbs come under engine mods . Simply
GO Mace

I would be extremely surprised if that was the only modification to it

There used to be another one of those raced out there a few years back by a rider equaly as capaple as that one but his wouldn't lift the wheel like that

[flyingcrocodile46]

I would be extremely suprised if that was the only modification to it




As was I.

Quote found from the the mechanic Greg who works the bike.

"The motor's pretty stock - dialled cams,worked head,Dyna etc - but still only 1000cc. The Keihin 31 CR's finally arrived - 3 months from Canada ! and were the missing piece - it's much more responsive now.It's set up as a midrange motor - a look at the track will explain this,our South Island tracks are pretty technical.
Serious racers will wonder why he's not harder on the gas in lefthanders - he'd had a couple of exciting moments earlier - it's still got the alternator and full cover fitted. That's next for attention.
Cosmetics are still as purchased - they'll be done when he comes back to NZ permanently - owner flew in for this weekend."

[Stylo]

Stylo uhmmm to be honest you have no idea what you are talking about. Fact.
Track length whats that got to do with a lap time?

The GS 1000 motor is standard fact, its called a gd pilot with tuned Suspension running a dot trye fact.

The Pink Panther rides bikes and films cars and bikes in around NZ for tv fact, i am the Thebedfordboyz Fact.

Ruapona is my home track Fact.

I like to lap time . Fact (carn't help it)

I know a fast car /bike at a given track fact including weather and track conditions.

Dont hit below the belt unless u know the Facts.

did you notice when the rear was spining up i guess not . it was it your face.

IT is a fun video .

Panther, you sent me this messsage as a PM earlier ( with an element of vitriol ) and I replied , in Kind without reading my original reply....

Just read my reply and ...it looks fine, problem ? ....maybe you've mistaken me for someone else ?? ..........:angry:

[Paul in NZ]

Looks more fun than a bowl of custard down yer trousers - well done and half ya luck..

[flyingcrocodile46]

A little more mechanic quoting FYI

"Frame - unbraced as yet... Progressive springs in front, Konis with (yes!) GS450S OE springs fitted on the back - the springs on the bike as received were way too stiff & it wanted to swap ends under brakes.
GSX1100 swingarm and 18in wheel.
Motor - small chamber,small ports 1000S head, cleaned up & pocket ported. Standard 1000S Cams dialed to 107 - 109.
Pipe fitted when purchased was a NZ made road 4:1 with the right headers but wrong tailpipe - so a matching talpipe was made up.
Don't know yet what has been done to the bottom end - it was bought as a race bike but I believe it was one of several this guy had & was not developed to any great extent
We've concentrated on getting it to handle well and put it's power down as well as possible.
It would be a really nice road bike - the pipe is actually too quiet despite what it sounds like on the vid
The biggest aid to speed of course is a rider with a big set of 'nads...

All the above is of course going to change as the owner decides what level he wants to take it to."


The man knows his GS's. This bike has lots of untapped potential:yes:

[The Pink Panther]

I was miss informed on specs to the gs motor my mistake . will this thread cost me a friendship pretty much . Cars are so much esaier to film free lance .
ride dirt you learn change your own bloody tubes.

[flyingcrocodile46]

I was miss informed on specs to the gs motor my mistake . will this thread cost me a friendship pretty much . Cars are so much esaier to film free lance .
ride dirt you learn change your own bloody tubes.

I don't see why it should cost anybody anything. It's a good thread, a great bike, rider and mechanic.

You weren't really wrong about the motor specs, a ported head, a better set of carbs and 4 into 1 isn't much of a deviation from standard. Just properly fed and well tuned. By new bike standards it's about equivalent to installing a decent exhaust system and a power commander.

Your friend Kevin is obviously a very good rider, Greg is certainly in agreement and the evidence speaks for itself.

Fret not

[BMWST?]

i was really keen on one back when they were new,was actually on my way to buy one but i passed about three or four on the way so made a detour and bought a Honda 900 instead.The biggest drawback they had imo was the lack of ground clearnance compared to the honda 900.i think i would have liked an S tho.....

[T.W.R]

Full comparison test from Two Wheels January 1980

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/92553-Z1000-vs-GS1000?p=1935872#post1935872