Buying an old GSXR750 - reliability?

**orangeback** · 21st September 2008, 20:36

they are good old skool suzk , they are a lot ove work to ride fast, but alot of the later model bikes won't shake them if your on the game , i ride mine with 1000 and busa at times, with ease. they are hard to find in good nick (OME) as most people have owned one, at some stage and floged the arse out ove it, 85 are shorter wheel base and 86-87 longer and more stable ove the 200km mark. the one in dun loks good for the money ( but its not a true gixer if its not blue ) youll see a lot ove TQ still run the motors or have so that it self should tell that they are a stong old skool suzuki.

**FJRider** · 21st September 2008, 20:47

Originally Posted by MarkH

To be honest I am not too sure if I can buy another bike at the moment, I will have to see how a couple of things pan out this week and I have some expenses in October to consider. I'll probably end up putting this idea on hold till next year. I wonder if it is worth buying in the middle of winter - I might get a better deal at that time of year.

But what I am getting from your replies here is that a cheap old gixxer might go OK without costing much or I could be in for some expensive servicing - it's a bit of a crap shoot with 20+ year old bikes. Maybe I should just win the lotto and buy a nice new bike (or, if it's the powerball then several new bikes).

Life is a lottery... just make sure you out last the bike, whatever... whenever... winter is the best deal / time to buy...

**Creeping Death** · 21st September 2008, 21:31

I had a 91 GSXR1000M for about 7 years,only probs in that time was brake pads and fork seals leaking but that's part n parcel of owning a high powered sportsbike...oh and rear tyres...anyhow,have you looked at this one on Trade Me http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-177399806.htm looks fairly tidy and a bit later than the one you are looking at.Cheers!

**T.W.R** · 21st September 2008, 22:14

The F,G,H models are good enough engine-wise, but check thoroughly for stress fractures around the headstocks & the wheels (the 6 spoke set-up was brittle) and a few that got crashed actually snapped the front end completely away from the rest of the frame. H models had updated rear shocks as earlier models over heated quickly.
J series 750 (1st of the Slingshots) are better again with better frames & beefed up motor and also better wheel combination for better a selection of tyres.

This would be worthwhile looking at though

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-176356306.htm

**slopster** · 21st September 2008, 23:40

And as far as the re vining etc goes from memory it costs $350 all up and that includes the tech check which is same as a wof but a bit more pedantic. I went through the process early last year and it wasn't too much of an issue. You will need the paperwork to show it was previously registered.

**Geemsee** · 22nd September 2008, 13:18

I had a couple of these a few years back, the early ones (slab side) F to H models were the lightest.... but weave all over the road if you have the wrong (or worn) tyres on and the anti-dive on the forks was well er.....lethal, believe me I found out a few times!! Reliability (engine wise) they're pretty bullet-proof, but the frames are not the strongest so check for stress cracking (particularly on the swing-arm bracing) or any crash damage. If i were you i'd pay that bit more and go for the L (or M) model (easy to spot as they have USD forks!) these were the best handling of the oil cooled models and they'd ironed out all the weak spots by then, they were also a lot faster and much more stable over the bumps! Happy hunting!!

...thats a 750 M on the pic btw!!

**GSXR_BIKER** · 23rd September 2008, 09:15

Hi, have just finished restoring one of these beasts, (check my threads for a pix) absolutly love the thing, I advise buy one, tidy it up, have fun and keep it. These are such a classic bike, voted the 2nd best bike ever made by Superbike Mag... Youll love it!

**MarkH** · 23rd September 2008, 09:23

Originally Posted by GSXR_BIKER

Hi, have just finished restoring one of these beasts, (check my threads for a pix) absolutly love the thing, I advise buy one, tidy it up, have fun and keep it. These are such a classic bike, voted the 2nd best bike ever made by Superbike Mag... Youll love it!

Very nice - how much money did you sink into the project? I am guessing that you devoted a hell of a lot of time into it - not so bad when it is a labour of love.

**FruitLooPs** · 27th September 2008, 16:51

I purchased an 87H from down south for $2k a year or so ago.

Was good, went great when it was running on 4 cyl. In the end the bugger bent a rod just after i'd sunk $500 into the head which had it running on 4 reliably (for a week.. dammit!). The valves can start to leak, as an age related problem rather than from abuse not super common but does happen (mine had 1 leaky valve hence 3 cyl). The rod on mine bent because of a bad carb on no.1 cylinder I think.
I've got it in the garage, in bits being reassembled right now - Just need the odd part and i'm back on the road, with a different set of carbs this time!

Oh yeah, they don't like over-revving either, no limiters on them so watch it.

You'll be smiling when you open the throttle tho

Met a TQ fellow who had blown 3 of them running an aftermarket rpm limiter set at 14,000rpm (redline is 12.5) jump sprockets on the cam chain - later ones (early 90's) have shim heads that can spit shims if you overrev it too.

Mine had 80'000kms on it, so pretty well used. However the bores and pistons are pretty mint still - so yeah they should go for quite a while if properly looked after. Old shocks on them are pogo, front with new oil would be okish fine for general use. The rear on mine has just got a 2005 R1 oem shock (nearly a straight swap) which should sort things quite a fair bit