April 1987 saw me waving goodbye to my second Suzuki GS750 with mixed emotions. Glad to be rid of a bike that had three weeks earlier broken down with little puffs of smoke wafting up from the bike, on only the second ride of the year. Further, the bike was untaxed and the insurance was just about to expire. Sad to be rid of a bike, which was on later reflection a reliable, good handling machine with a versatile and free revving engine developing just the right amount of power. After reconsidering the breakdown in the cold light of day I realised that it had been caused by my own stupidity when I had unwittingly trapped a wire under the tank after fitting a pair of horns.
In actual fact I have owned two GS750s. Both were black 1977 models with wire wheels and triple disc brakes. The first machine had been purchased for £850 in 1981 and sold in 1984 for £650. Bought privately, this bike was in very good original condition. When the original exhaust system began to rot I replaced it with a Marshall four into one which had been included in the original purchase price. The Marshall was a little on the noisy side but improved mid-range pulling power. I think the exhaust was a contributing factor to the two speeding fines I picked up. The second, much rougher, machine was bought early in 1986 for £550 and sold for £650 after I had carried out a great deal of restoration work, including the purchase of quite a few second hand parts.
The two GS750s were used for riding to work and touring, with many of the latter miles accompanied by the wife on the pillion. Ridden fairly sedately the handling is quite stable. Fuel consumption averages 45mpg and Pirelli tyres last 5000 miles on the rear and twice that on the front. Using a different combination of Roadrunners and Michelins produced an unacceptable low speed wobble at the front, as does a combination of either of these tyres with Pirellis. With Pirellis front and rear a high speed weave sets in at about 80mph, but this is both controllable and predictable and never amounts to much more. I should also say that both my bikes were fitted with standard shocks which can easily be improved upon, finances permitting. However, with a wife, mortgage and dog to support, I rely on the shoestring budget approach.
One of my fondest memories of the GS750 is a trip to the British GP at Silverstone. Accompanied by a friend on his Yamaha XS750, the extra speed and marginal handling advantages of the GS were more than welcome as I desperately tried to maintain the excessive pace set by the demonic riding style of my friend. Sweeping fast through sleepy Warwickshire countryside and blasting up to top speed on one particular stretch of dual carriageway, that ride will always remain firmly etched in my memory if only because in those halcyon days there seemed to be little traffic or few jam-sandwiches to impede our swift but safe progress. Nowadays, being older, wiser and much more boring, I tend to use my motorcycle less aggressively but I still manage to recapture the same enjoyment of riding and pride in ownership that the true motorcyclist feels.
I found that the GS could still cope with the odd solo high speed blast but more sedate two-up riding can be just as stimulating, after all you can't see too much of the countryside over 50mph. During my periods of GS750 ownership I've encountered relatively few mechanical hassles. The first bike had covered 13000 miles and 1 did another 10000 miles, the only minor impediment to reliability had been clutch slip on fast take-offs and a slight oil weep from the tacho drive on the cylinder head, which incidentally was apparent on the second, older GS.
I only had the GS professionally serviced once. In 1982, I left it at a superbike dealers in Birmingham (now gone to the wall) for a minor engine service and was charged £50. I was so unprepared for this that I had to resort to my flexible friend. The considerable expense acted as a big deterrent to further rip-offs. Regular oil changes seemed to be the best insurance towards engine longevity with professional attention only being called for in drastic circumstances or where expensive special equipment is required. The second bike had electronic ignition obviating the need for points changes and regular ignition timing checks. That modification was the only sensible one carried out by the previous owner. £550 was about 20% over the odds when I bought it. Cosmetically it was a bit of a wreck, but this was no great problem and by the time I'd finished it looked almost as good as new.
Mechanically the bike was very good and with 20000 miles on the clock and had lots of life left in it. The remains of the exhaust system were holier than the Pope, the chrome on the front guard was exceedingly rusty and the non-standard straight bars were bent. The speedo was in km/h, so I never knew. how fast I was going and, most dangerous of all, the main fuse had been thrown away and the leads twisted together. The rear tyre was bald and the front brake so spongy that the lever came right back to the handlebars.
About a month after buying the bike the rear brake caliper seized up, stranding the wife and I in the middle of nowhere On. Our first decent long ride. I hate to think what might have happened had it seized at speed - it was locked solid, leaving the bike immobile. When I tried to fix this problem the bleed nipple snapped off... the remains of the standard exhaust system were replaced by a Motad. The mudguard and speedo were replaced with used items at minimal cost.
After twelve months of ownership the second bike was beginning to approach the condition of the earlier machine. The rusting frame was repainted by brush. The chewed up engine screws were replaced by chrome plated Allen bolts. New nuts and bolts added a further gleam. New Fiamm horns replaced the laughable stock item (and caused the minor fire mentioned before). These were as new and cost a mere five notes from a breaker. Most new parts can be bought by mail order or from a good dealer, although my local one was useless for anything more than an oil filter. The more expensive bits can usually be found second hand, although this method can take weeks to come up with the right bit at the right price.
Anyone reading this article at this stage (who hasn't fallen asleep) may wonder just why I sold the first GS if it was in such good condition. Well, I suppose, in retrospect I acted foolishly, but I had just been caught speeding on the bike and received a not inconsiderable fine at a time when I could least afford to pay it. There was also the mortgage to pay and other financial pressures. In any event, at last I had come full circle and (to mix metaphors) was back to square one.
Anyone thinking of buying a GS750 should inspect any potential machine carefully. Some of them will have been run by would be street racers and suffered a bit from crash damage, although the frame is quite tough. The clutches are on the weak side, but fairly obvious in their poor performance. The alternators are also on the weak side, especially if the engine oil isn't changed very often (the engine overheats which in turn roasts the alternator and thence the regulator and rectifier).
The brakes are good but calipers corrode. I have been lucky in not having any major mechanical defects but I suspect this is quite typical, since with minimum maintenance any GS will be reliable provided it not been round the clock. There are still a few around and prices are still quite reasonable. I can say with confidence that the cosmetics can be done well, quite cheaply. I have minimal mechanical proficiency but find I can do a reasonable job if I am patient. Any one with more sense/money will have fewer problems.
Compared to the GS1000 I owned from new back in 1978 the GS750 doesn't quite match the go, but is useful, lighter, nimbler and general easier to fix. It was also lot easier on consumables and lots more fun to ride around country lanes, although the 750 is still far from perfect on this score. Compared to the GSX550 I have just bought, the GS750 shows its age as a '70s design, when big fours were just too heavy and ponderous. But the GS Is also a darn sight cheaper and has much more torque at the bottom end. But at the end of the day, it's the pleasure you get from owning a bike that matters.
Martin Bradley