This old guy had a lot of trouble wheeling the GS out of his garage. I could see why he might want to sell the bike - he was wider than he was tall and I doubted if he could he get more than the tip of a foot on the deck at a standstill. Not that the Suzuki GS750 was ill-proportioned, just that it wasn’t set up for the vertically challenged. With a bike that weighed 500Ibs anyone under 5’ 10” was going to be in big trouble.
A 1979 model. In nice nick despite the 44000 miles of abuse and four owners in twelve years. Rather surprisingly, none of these owners had done any major mods. The bike still sported a shiny (obviously not the original one) four into two exhaust and stock seat. Mine for £1000! That was three years ago, the clock now reads 78000 miles and the bike has been used for just about everything. From wild drag racing to daily commuting to Continental outings.
The drag racing did show up the clutch, which is probably the same as that in the 550! It rattled a bit when I bought the bike but didn’t start slipping until I’d done about ten wheelies in an hour! I knew something was wrong when the tacho read 10000rpm and the speedo 50mph - in fifth gear! It would've been easy to melt the motor trying to keep up with my mates but an empty bank account persuaded me to restrain the right wrist.
Pattern plates went in after a predictable fighting match with the screws retaining the clutch cover. I don’t think they’d been touched as there was no evidence of gouged screw-heads. They just didn’t want to come out, a couple snapping off... I think the steel and alloy had corroded together. I was relieved to find that the old gasket came out in one piece and was reusable. If you use pattern ones make sure it doesn’t block off any holes in the casing.
The pattern plates lasted no more than 4500 miles. I was really enraged when the clutch started to slip in town. Careful examination of the clutch drum revealed it was warped - I don’t know whether it was caused by the new plates, old age or my own cack-handedness. Anyway, a used drum and set of plates was acquired from the breaker for the same cost as the pattern plates.
The happy ending soon disappeared when the final drive chain started creaking. By then daily adjustment was needed. Not only was the chain dead but also the sprockets were well hooked. I subsequently found out that a chain and sprocket set lasted for less than 6000 miles. GS Suzukis do give their chains a hard time, especially in the bigger models. 70 horses and 500lbs do invoke heavy forces on the transmission.
About a week after replacing the chain, there was an almighty clanging noise from the side of the engine. I thought the gearbox was falling apart! I was almost relieved to find that the final drive sprocket was loose on its shaft. If it had actually fallen off all hell would’ve broken loose. Araldite was used on the fixing this time. Again, this is quite a common GS fault! Also, be aware that it’s quite habitual for chains to snap and dig holes out of the crankcase - often repaired with Plastic Metal, which works for a while but can fall out when you least expect it. Having an engine dump its oil at 100mph could turn out to be quite invigorating!
Between 50000 and 60000 miles the bike ran with an incredible reliability. Just change the oil and filter every 2000 miles. This gave me time to really appreciate its virtues. Handling was secure, with none of the flightiness of later GSX models. It wasn't fast turning but went where you pointed it as long as a bit of muscle was applied to the low, narrow bars. The rear Koni shocks kept the back end in place even when the front forks lost their way. The springing was about right but the damping was too soft to cope with the mass over harsh bumps. It says something for the inherent strength of the tubular frame that it never became terrifying.
If the bike was let down in any one area it was comfort The bars and pegs were well matched but the seat was a relic from an era when motorcycling was more pain than gain. I stuck it out for two months. Even on the mild commute to work it caused anxious moments and shrivelled marital tackle. A cute K & Q saddle for £20 from the breaker transformed the comfort. My mates laughed initially, but on the first 250 mile outing they were suddenly envious at my lack of bum pains. 500-600 miles in a day is possible.
Hard riding, especially in baleful weather, had one undesirable effect - the finish went off so fast that the bike could age five years in a weekend. Engine alloy, wheel finish, anything made from steel, and chrome all corroded promptly. Once the corrosion got a grip an inordinate amount of effort and time was needed to clean it up. So intense was the urge towards going back to nature that within 12 months the silencers were reduced to rubble. Another common GS trick that must’ve much enriched the coffers of after market exhaust manufacturers.
The GS isn't heavily tuned by modern standards, runs OK either when the baffles are burnt out or with a pair of megaphones designed for old British twins. It’s a bit noisy but the growl’s acceptable below 5000 revs in town. It's interesting to note that 30 year old British silencers manage to retain their chrome!
At 63000 miles the camchain rattled away, although I'd never had to touch the automatic tensioner, which turned out to be reusable. The replacement went in without a full engine strip, although you have to be careful with the valve timing - a tooth out could mean a sump full of valves and pistons... That happened to a friend who had his Z1000 camchain replaced by a professional! Probably, the camchain was the original one the bike shipped with from the factory as they usually last for 50000 miles.
By 65000 miles I was becoming a touch worried about the electrics, the most common malady on the GS series. Mine were original right down to a fuse-box prone to rusting. Blowing lights were the first sign of something amiss. The alternator and rectifier/regulator burn outs are so well documented that I had a look at the electrics before great expense was involved. I couldn't find any obvious problems, such as loose wires or rusted connectors. Phoning around a few mates they reckoned it was most likely the rectifier/regulator about to expire. A used Superdream item was fitted and the bulbs stopped blowing.
For a while. Unluckily, that wasn’t the end of the story. 3000 miles later the rectifier was burnt out, as was the alternator. That coincided with a period when I was using all the revs in the lower gears to keep a mate on a Z650 in sight. A new GS750 might better 125mph but my high mileage example didn't like to go over 115mph, though in the early days 120mph was possible. Neither was acceleration startling, although the engine had a reasonable mix of power and torque below 7000 revs.
A new Suzuki rectifier/regulator and rewound alternator solved the electrical hassles. However of late I've started to worry over the state of the wiring loom. Aged Japs often start shedding their insulation after fifteen years. The lights are barely adequate, the switches indifferent (needing regular doses of WD40) and the stop-switch only lasts for 5000 miles.
Despite minor problems from such ancillaries, the engine still impresses with its ruggedness. Many have done more than a 100000 miles. The chassis seems heavily built, but, judging by the level of corrosion, only because it’s made from the cheapest possible steel. It’s about due for a complete strip down, blasting and repainting, but I don't know if it's really worth the effort on such an old, high mileage bike.
A typical effect of age is on the disc brakes. Every horror that you ever read about discs is true for the GS750. Even with rebuilt calipers, discs that aren't warped, Goodridge hose and new fluid, the brakes were never brilliant, having the same kind of sensitivity as a Russian condom (I've actually used one...). New brakes might last fifteen to twenty thou but I never got more than 8000 miles out of mine. Crap adequately sums them up, the GS saved from accidents by its stability and a useful amount of engine braking.
I fell off two times. Not bad going in 34000 miles of hard use. I can’t even blame the cagers because each time it was down to poor tarmac condition. Once, a huge pothole caught out the front wheel when we were well heeled over. The bike went into an almighty wobble and the next thing I knew I was bouncing down the road like a football. The other time a layer of gravel sent us into a massive slide. My skin was damaged much more severely than the GS; saved by its engine bars and sturdy build.
Last week, I bought a really immaculate GS650M Katana. Fast and fierce compared to the aged GS750, flash and modern rather than classic and sedate. I like the differences between the models, will give the 750 an easier time in the future.
Gary Barnwell