The Suzuki GN400 single is described as bland by the UMG and, by magazines more accustomed to using big words (thanks - Ed), as dreadful and utterly appalling. It would seem that no-one a good word for it. Yet this machine took me on a 4500 mile trip to Lapland and on several other continental jaunts without a single misfire or serious mishap; the worst problem a broken earth lead from the battery.
I like motorbikes that get bad press reports. My previous bike was a Yam XS250 and you should have read what the ‘experts’ said about that one. My mate owns it now and it’s still going strong, but I digress.
To be fair, the Suzuki GN400 will not go down in history as one of the great motorcycles of all time, but it is nowhere near as bad as the knockers would have you believe. It arrived in this country at a time when the columns of the motorcycling magazines were full of letters bemoaning the loss of simple, low tech bikes like what we Brits used to build. When Suzuki and Yamaha responded with the GN400 and SR500 hardly anyone bought them (needless to say) and the last few of each model were sold at a discount price that (in terms of Jap prices) made ‘em almost a bargain.
My GN is a 1980 model which has now done 32000 almost trouble free miles. I bought it secondhand from a postgraduate student who needed the money to go to Fiji to study fruit bats. As a reason for selling a bikethis was pretty original, so I paid the full £400 asking price. Unfortunately, the little sod had switched the petrol tap to reserve so I ran out of fuel on the ride home, luckily only yards from a petrol station.
The bike had 11000 miles on the clock, which I believe was genuine as I'd seen it languishing in the local showroom for over two years - I couldn't afford to buy it then. I have done 21000 miles on it and the GN’s still running well. The only things wrong with it were a duff flasher unit which I replaced from a breaker (five quid to you,mate) and shot swinging arm bearings, which were an absolute bastard to change, but not expensive if you go to a bearing dealer.
At the moment, the bike is sitting outside in the sunshine, looking good after its annual clean. It has one cylinder with a two valve head, one carb, a five speed box, very basic electrics, uses no oil, very little petrol and can be completely serviced (rebuilt almost) in a Saturday morning.
Because it is light the performance is not bad at all and it'll hold 70mph for as long as my arms will take the strain. Certainly, it vibrates a bit around 4000rpm but at least the engine isn’t remote. Running costs are low. Tyres last almost for ever, the front Swallow running for 20000 miles with no signs of wear. The second chain (British, sadly) didn’t last long but the Jap replacement is holding out well. The price of Suzuki spares is astronomical, a camchain tensioner costing £27 (my fault as I was a bit heavy handed with the spanner). The price of a silencer was so high that I cut off the old one and fitted a nearly new XS250 silencer.
Apart from the above and one new battery (a pathetic 6 volt job straight off a moped, but only £6.50) nothing has gone wrong and I’ve never been let down on the road. I change the oil every 2000 miles and oil the chain when I remember - that is about it. I like this bike and am not looking forward to the day when I have to replace it.
The trip to the North Cape was not quite the Last Frontier expedition I'd expected. Apart from the top box, I used a tank bag, throw over panniers, a small holdall and a lightweight tent, all of which fit securely on the GN. Fortunately, I was travelling alone, a 400 would not really be man enough for two up touring. The North Cape itself is bleak and cold with the usual cafe/rip-off shop and a very expensive car park. A bit of a let down really. Lots of bikers, though, from all over Europe, so the atmosphere was very friendly. My total mileage for the trip was just over 4535 in just two weeks, the bike ran perfectly all the way.
A trip to France was shorter and a lot warmer. The climb up the pass at the Col de la Bonnette was the most spectacular ride I've ever done and went up and up for over an hour. There was even another GN at the top! I wish I could tell stories of lurid breakdowns or spectacular misery but the only time I’ve come off the bike was near Alta, in northern Norway. As I rode along the side of a fiord, suddenly a eagle made a dive for a fish and I was so busy watching the spectacle that I went off the tarmac onto the gravel at the side of the road, sliding off and trapping my leg under the bike. Fortunately, a coach load of German tourists were coming up the road and I was rescued by the driver and the courier, a lovely blond girl whose left tit was called Brigitte (according to the label). I wasn't hurt and the bike only suffered a bent indicator, but I spent the rest of the day feeling a total prat. The moral is if you're going to watch birds stop the bike.
I have to admit that the bike is lacking in street cred, but at least it isn’t likely to get nicked. It’s also quite rare and quite cheap to buy if you can track one down. In any case, very few bikers today know how to start a single without an electric foot - the GN’s easy to start once you get the knack of giving the kickstart a full bodied kick. During a recent posing session at Box Hill mine was the only bike nobody looked at. I consoled myself with a large 99 ice cream and rode off into the sunset. I suppose it is a bit bland really.
Jim Peace