Suzuki GS450

Careful reading of the UMG, and other motorcycle magazines, revealed the Suzuki GS450E as a worthy machine if one that wasn't exactly going to inspire. The local dealer had a couple of examples on offer. Both 1988 models, but with rather different mileages - 23000 and 45000! Oddly, they both looked in similar nick, only when they were started was there a great difference in the level of engine rattles and knocks. Priced at 875 and 650 notes, I soon decided that the lower mileage, higher priced bike was the better option.

For a middleweight vertical twin the GS450E turned out to be remarkably smooth. Pistons move up and down alternatively, a single gear driven balancer taking care of the vibes. Couldn't fault it, if anything a little too remote running for my tastes. A newish looking stock exhaust system gave a very muted note. At first, I thought it a rather slow and mild bike but a bit of throttle work got her wound up nicely, the 40 horses finally managing to shift the 380lbs of highly conventional metal.

Handling was a bit on the slow side but usefully stable. It took maybe two minutes before I felt right at home. My one complaint was that the tyres felt very remote from the rider. The first I knew about a lack of grip, the bike trying to skate off the road. It didn't take much effort to get things back under control - just snap the throttle shut and the plot would come back into line. Similarly, trying to shoot around corners too rapidly needed a mere closed throttle to tighten up the line. Definitely a great first serious bike for someone used to the milder stuff, though it's too powerful to make the new learner regime, even if it's basically a lot safer than some of the radically detuned behemoths on offer.

My first few weeks with the Suzuki passed in a pleasant haze. Some friends were so impressed with the ease of use that they too tracked down examples - one of them ran a CBR900, but delighted in using the little Suzuki as a winter hack! I could see their point, not only was it a lot easier on the consumables, much less likely to be thrown down the road due to the excess of power on the dire surfaces, it was also easier to throw through the dense traffic and didn't inflict unwanted pains on the human body at the more mediocre speeds necessary during the winter months.

Not that it was so slow that motorway work was likely to be dangerous. It would hurl along with the rest of the traffic at 85-90mph without any kind of hassle, with a little bit of gumption left up to 100mph. 105mph, though, was the most it could manage even with a gale to the back of me and a downward stretch to the front. I did have sufficient mechanical sympathy to back off when the bars and pegs started rumbling with the vibration, the engine dancing into the red zone. About the only time the motor showed any signs of the combustion process going down.

Generally, the bike was well competent, able to do anything I wanted without a murmur of protest. All was well and fine until about three months, and 2000 miles, into my ownership. I came out one morning to find the battery dead. The usual GS electrical death scenarios ran through my mind but I restrained myself from putting a match in the petrol tank and whipped out the battery. There was much more white crud than acid. Down to the breaker who threw me a better looking example for a fiver. I then did the almost impossible - connected the battery up the wrong way around. There was a loud bang when I turned the ignition on but no accompanying flames. The main fuse had melted. Replacing that, and fixing the battery in the right way around, much to my relief, had the bike running again. True, the indicators were a bit psychotic but I could live with that!

Another few months went by with the usual oil changes and tyre kicking, then the front disc started to scream for mercy. Dead caliper pistons and seals, as well as the usual down to the rivets pads. Rather than buy new stuff, another barrage of insults were exchanged with the breaker until a full working caliper and pads were acquired for the mighty sum of a tenner, though he'd originally demanded three times that.

Soon after that, a 200 mile, 100mph motorway blast gave the engine a real workout. By the way, even at such extravagant speeds it still managed 45mpg, against a normal 50-55mpg. The result of such constant speed on a bike which sported nearly 30,000 miles was a heavy dose of exhaust smoke on the overrun. The original GS400 twin could burn out its exhaust valves on a whim, a trick not entirely eradicated on the GS450E - I had been using cheap unleaded fuel, which probably didn't help!

The bike didn't actually stop running, it just became slower and slower with a stroker-like effluence out of the exhaust. Another fight with the breaker, I had a pristine GS450 cylinder head in my hands - I'd also noticed that the cam lobes on mine were quite deeply scored. It took an afternoon to do the swap. I used the old head gasket with some goo; new ones prohibitively expensive. The motor started up fine and ran as well as when I'd first bought the bike.

The old exhaust valves and their seats were well pitted, looked like they were just about ready to break up. Mind, the bores looked perfect and even with the old gasket there weren't any oil leaks. Oil changes were done at 1000 mile intervals but it never leaked or consumed a drop once the valves were back in working order. Before replacing the head I rarely did the valves; afterwards I checked them over when I did an oil change but they never needed any attention!

The bike demanded quite a lot of TLC in its chassis. More down to widespread rot than actual wear, though obviously once a little corrosion would get into some component then it could lead to rapid wear. I had to replace most of the chassis bearings over 25000 miles of riding, take the frame down to the metal to coat with red-oxide paint and even get someone to apply a welding torch to parts of the rear subframe. It was fairly obvious that Suzuki didn't expect anyone to keep riding the bike after the first 35000 miles!

I persevered, adding many minor touches to adapt the bike to my needs - a flatter set of bars, 2:1 seat, 2-1 stainless steel exhaust, etc. By the end of two years the bike looked better than when I bought it, which compared to some of the rat GS450's I'd seen loitering with intent was a minor miracle - just shows what a bit of effort can achieve. However, with such a high mileage, I began to suspect that the main bearings were rumbling away and it was time to trade in.

A heavily discounted GS500E seemed the business - I ended up paying just over two grand after the trade-in deal. Fast revving and turning, the bike needed some adaptation on my part and I still have the disturbing feeling that the front wheel will flip away without any warning. As well as being faster accelerating, doing 110mph, the 500 has better economy at 55-65mpg! Some actual progress in motorcycle design. Wow!

That's not to put the GS450 down. The vast majority of my memories are pleasant, only the exhaust valves and easy rot chassis letting the side down. Most of the 450's are now very high mileage, thus nearing the end of their natural life. With the 500's available at bargain prices new, used ones turn up ridiculously cheap. But they are very different bikes to the 450's despite sharing similar engines. I'd rather like the 500's engine in the 450's chassis - there's no pleasing some people!

G.H