After an infuriating escapade with a bike which I had not test ridden before purchase, I vowed never again. That was my new year’s resolution in 1986. It lasted a mere seven weeks until the day I collected my new Suzuki GSXR1100 which, up until then, I'd not seen in the flesh. Working on the theory that lightning never strikes twice, I (and the Listening Bank) coughed up £4360 for the blue and white missile. In 3 years of ownership I've not been disappointed.
At the time, I wasn’t tempted by the GSXR750, which, although a superb bike, had earned a reputation for fragility and twitchy road manners during ‘85; I'd had enough of warranty issues and handling problems with my previous machine. However, Suzuki had clearly learnt from the 750 experience and beefed up various essential bits of the 1100 (gearbox, engine and frame) with the result that the 1100 weighed in at 434lbs as opposed to the 388lbs of the 750. Even so, the 1100 was considerably lighter than its rivals.
The engine, unlike similar, rival sports machines, was oil cooled, developed a quoted 130hp fed by a 5-speed box to a 150 section rear tyre, suspended by Suzuki’s single shock Full Floater system. The aluminium frame not only looked the business but has also proved strong and rigid, yet weighs a mere 18lbs. The massive front forks and 12" discs ensure that the bike is well up to life in the fast lane in the South East of England where the high proportion of Volvos demand much of the bike’s ability.
Enough of that, though! The glossies have already thrashed the thing - suffice to say that I reckon the bike's brilliant in all respects when used on the road rather than the track. It corners as if on rails, the engine delivers more than ample power and torque at all revs, the fairing keeps all but the worst of the wind and rain off, the brakes work wet or dry and the headlamps chuck out sufficient light to illuminate a football pitch. Even so, I'm not completely blinded by the machine's excellence: the GSXR does have some weaknesses.
First, the 4.2 gallon fuel tank is too small. It gives a maximum range of about 120 miles (much less if you‘re trying hard) before a reserve of allegedly just under a gallon (I've never tried to find out as I hate walking). Later models have a larger tank, but that’s no help to me and the location of petrol stations becomes an obsession on longer journeys.
I reckon Suzuki planned it that way as a distraction from the seat which, after (you've guessed it) 120 miles rapidly assumes the softness and comfort of a concrete block. In July last year I rode over 1000 miles in 24 hours round the A and B roads of the North of England - don't ask why. By the end of the trip I was walking like an inmate of a Turkish prison.
Equally, at lowish speeds the fairing works so well that without wind blast all your weight is supported on your arms and leads to unwelcome attacks of biker's back. Nevertheless, I still use the bike for touring in the UK and the penalty free zones of Europe. Whilst the GSXR is not a tourer as such, it’s possible to carry a reasonable amount of gear, using a tank bag and one of M&P's small racks.
I rarely carry a passenger - I don't know anyone that daft - but on the few occasions I have, the seat’s subframe has shown a disturbing tendency to flex up and down. Another bleat is that the GSXR is fitted with a side stand only. All very well for mass reduction, but a pain in the butt when trying to remove the back wheel or merely oiling the chain. A paddock stand is a must. I got mine from DEP in Kent for £28 and it’s worth every penny. Even more infuriating is that the stand self retracts, so you have to make sure the bike isn’t facing downhill when parked. Suzuki must do a roaring trade in left-hand lower fairing panels - I've yet to meet a GSXR owner who hasn't found his bike reclining horizontally at some time or another. Apparently, a bit can be sawn or filed off the stand to solve the problem but I've never bothered. Incidentally, just to be different, mine fell over on the right side, but that’s another story.
Consumable wear was reasonable for the power and fun enjoyed, but would give hackers terminal nightmares. Metzelers work well, 4000 back and 8000 miles from the front tyre. Chain and sprockets lasted 125000 miles (Really?? - 2021 Ed.) and cost £180 to replace with genuine items, although I could have saved £37 not replacing the wheel sprocket which was barely worn. Whenever I remove the back wheel I dismantle and grease the suspension linkage - an easy job which takes about an hour. Pads last around 7000 miles (the feel of the brakes was improved by fitting Goodridge hoses). With the ultra high performance available only a fool would neglect consumables.
I keep meaning to do something about the useless mirrors, which give a good view of your shoulders when they are not vibrating in tune with the engine, it’s amazing that I still have a driving licence left. Two years back I fitted a Vine & Hines exhaust, not so much for the claimed extra power but to get rid of the hideous standard silencer which must be the ugliest bit of the bike. Why don’t Motad do a Neta replacement? After three months the old pipe was reinstalled because of the noise. Not that I have much of a social conscience, more because I was fed up with headaches and sticking a into my ears every time I took the bike out.
As far as the engine is concerned it’s been trouble free, as expected. Hopefully the GSXR engine will carry on the reputation for robustness and longevity of the GS and GSx. It’s serviced by a dealer every 3500 miles and I change the oil every 1750 miles. There has been a minor oil seepage between head and barrel but this is contained by having the head tightened down between services.
The only real problems have been electrical. I've had two tachos replaced under warranty. The tacho scale starts at 3000rpm and the owners handbook recommends a 1000-1200rpm tickover! The other electrical glitch was a duff coil (£35), apparently a common failure. The anti-dive solenoids gave up the ghost when water found its way into the housing on the fork leg. Re-soldering one joint and cleaning with WD40 solved the problem, but resetting the solenoid a very amusing without a manual.
Miscellaneous niggles: the fairing is flimsy (weight saving again) and has cracked around the mirror mounting bolts; so too has one of the side panels - nothing that Araldite can’t mend; the zip on my jacket scratches the back of the tank and one of the front discs has warped (but not enough to merit replacement).
Finally, various motorcycle mags have said that GSXR1100s are fitted with a restrictor in the exhaust to keep power output down to he 125bhp limit. I went through the rigmarole of taking off the exhaust to derestrict mine. I shouldn't have bothered, there weren’t any. It would we that only later models are fitted with restrictors.
So am I happy with my GSXR? You bet! Its the bike I've kept longest and I can’t see me selling it in the foreseeable future. I accept that it’s fairly expensive to run and that it has its share of unwelcome idiosyncrasies, but then no machine is perfect. I've had years of fun from mine and that’s what motorcycling is all about. Would I be tempted by the '89 model? Maybe, but it’d have a hard act to follow and, anyway, I never buy a I bike without a test ride, do I?
E.C.V. Gibson