Suzuki GS 1000 S test

Menus

• "Wes Cooley Replica" or GS 1000 shake
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Start-up
• In the city
• On the road
• On the highway
• In duet
• Braking
• Consumption
• The interview
• Convenient
• Production
• Coast side
• In case of purchase
• Conclusion

"Wes Cooley Replica" or GS 1000 shake

It was nicknamed "Wes Cooley Replica", from the name of the American rider who, at the helm of a machine of similar appearance, won the AMA Superbike championship in 79 and 80. Tracker’s DNA for this replastered GS 1000 released in the year from before whose sales were very disappointing…. Suzuki exchanged the rear wheel of 17 for one of 18, fitted carbs of 28 instead of 26, fixed a fairing head of fork (the very first of series installed on a motorcycle of the mark), a blow of smear and presto! , voila, one more model in the range without causing too much headache to engineers. And to bait even more, the GS 1000 S was even offered 2000 francs cheaper than its big sister (whose career, suddenly, collapsed completely). Plastered, of course, but kneaded in a gilded strike with fine gold ….

Discovery

When you look at the GS1000S from the side or even more from the rear quarter, you are amazed by the apparent length of the bike, visually further accentuated by the small fairing and its long, straight saddle. Optical effect or reality? In the design of this Suzuki, several details contribute to generate this feeling. Starting with its white bodywork, traversed by a luminous line from the tip of the front mudguard to the seat backrest, thus illuminating the windshield, tank and side shields on its passage. To add more, we decorated her dress with slimming horizontal lines, running from bow to stern.

The small fairing dresses the front of the bike nicely. We can very clearly distinguish the flat and the two screws initially intended to fix the integrated mirrors which equip the distributed motorcycles…. out of France !

Note also the two very soberly designed mufflers, tilted slightly upwards and which never stop stretching towards the rear (these very elegant pots will, unfortunately, be shortened on the versions released in 1980).

In short, a motorcycle with a successful design: the Suzuki GS 1000S really looks good in its white livery enhanced with black stripes and blue stripes giving it a false appearance of a two-wheeled Ford GT40…. We have to admit that the GS 1000S looks good so adorned and the addition of its nose screen gives it a good look while adding a very attractive little "sport" touch…. The design of this fairing seems to have been the subject of special care. In its lower part, it is equipped with two small spoilers, witnesses of aerodynamic research.

Nothing changed…. More than thirty years after its birth, the GS 1000 S is still as beautiful as ever !

By slipping behind, we discover a very functional black dashboard. Everything is there: fuel gauge, on-board watch, oil temperature indicator overhanging the speedometer and the tachometer, themselves separated by a column of colored indicator lights (from bottom to top: neutral, oil pressure, full headlight and right and left turn signal indicator). Finally, there is also the key switch and…. more unusual, but very judicious: the choke control.

A dashboard like this, it’s a blow to no longer look at the road !

After admiring the softness of the saddle (real two-seater, as we haven’t done for a long time, ask the passengers of today’s motorcycles what they think!), Let us slide our gaze towards the lower layer to discover the engine, underlined by its two blunderbusses and framed by its pair of alloy rims. They too, superb! Entirely in cast aluminum, considered at their first appearance among the most elegant, thanks to their sober design that does not weigh down the general silhouette..

And then this engine…. Simply masterful! A true cathedral with a massive appearance and full of details of chiseled beauty. As soon as we approach it a bit to detail its excavated cylinder head and the fins allowing it to disperse the heat emitted by its combustion chambers, we are impressed by the finesse and precision of the foundry. Obviously, no detail has been overlooked to make the GS 1000S a magnificent motorcycle..

Generously alternating polished aluminum surfaces and small chrome touches here and there, the engine of the GS takes the light particularly well. Which makes it all the more pleasant to watch !

In the saddle

The motorcycle imposes it, yet on board everything becomes natural. The position, from the start, seems excellent and the maneuvers at a standstill do not require Herculean force. Very quickly, you feel very good on the gigantic saddle of the GS 1000 S ….

Start-up

It is first with a hollow scraping, accompanied by fleeting metallic noises, that the big four paws can be heard. Then, very quickly, the music turns into a hoarse and regular growl that is rather pleasant to the ear ….

In the city

Soft and progressive clutch, precise and correctly stepped gearbox…. Driving around town is not a punishment. Admittedly the Suzuki is imposing, but quite manoeuvrable, thanks to an extremely relevant geometry. In addition, the legs do not roast in the heat of the engine, even in the worst traffic jams….

On the road

On the road, National, or departmental, the GS1000S proves to be a treat to drive. The thrust is always vigorous and the engine well supported by an efficient, precise and gentle gearbox at the same time, during the rapid upshift imposed to go from 50 to 130 km / h authorized in a minimum of time. At prohibited speeds, no sway occurs when the motorcycle rolls over a defect in the asphalt, or on a poorly flattened bitumen joint between the lanes. The handling remains imperial in all circumstances, it holds its course perfectly, swallows the curves without stirring a rump and falls into the trajectory with disconcerting ease…. And above all, the GS1000 S is not stingy in (good) sensations. On its handlebars, one finds oneself with delight light years from the pleasure of riding today’s motorcycles, often sharp and poor in torque at low and medium revs. You don’t have to go at crazy speeds to have fun with it. However, if asked, the GS1000 S will remember that it was born with the status of a "grand touring sport" machine and will prove quite adept at catapulting its rider into gaits now practically punished by the stake. The Suzuk ’GS1000 S is the most enjoyable to drive on the secondary network as it is versatile. Its engine, both supple and elastic at the bottom, will also know how to express all its punch to play pleasantly on winding paths and cut the road during long journeys without worries ….

On the highway

Downright imperturbable on the highway, enough to achieve greatly suppressed speeds without even realizing it. The fairing appears to be well thought out, the pilot’s head does not toss, no vibration interferes with and the extension of the engine makes it possible to pick up a slack at the slightest touch on the throttle. It is also advisable to rent the right driving position, no risk of cramp or neck pain ….

Despite its large wheelbase, the handling of the Suzuki GS 1000 S remains easy and setting the angle is really easy ….

In duet

What comfort! Carrying someone around is the guarantee of an almost perfect trip. Long, wide saddle, devoid of protruding ridges, barely raised at the rear. And then the support bar is still very useful during vigorous acceleration! Perfectly adjusted footrests sparing any work on the thighs, this bike is perfect for a duo…. In fact, the GS 1000 S behaves even better when there are two on its back ….

Braking

The context is no longer the same thirty years ago, the braking of the GS 1000 S now seems very weak. Admittedly, the Suzuki has three discs, but between its weight including all taxes and the technology of the early 80s, bringing the machine to a halt requires a firm grip with the right hand and an innate sense of anticipation as soon as it starts. should handle the emergency! However, if the trappers will be disappointed, the normal user can still count on the patties in daily use..

Consumption

7.5 liters per cent in mixed use. Always under the bar of nine liters even by pulling on it like a repressed of the motoGP. Less than 7 liters while circulating peacefully. The Suzuki GS 1000 S knows how to behave…. And hold back !

The interview

The engine on this motorcycle is considered one of the most indestructible around. Don’t worry too much about cold noises, it’s okay (but annoying!). Oil change every 5,000 kilometers, front / rear pads to be changed every 10,000. Ban Ethanol, unleaded 95 or 98 gasoline.

Convenient

Reserved for frequent travelers, props have looked into its case, in particular Krauser who offered rigid saddlebags, as practical as…. Moderately pretty !

Production

Appeared in 1979, the Suzuki GS 1000 S will only remain in the catalog for two years. It is from the GS 1000 delivered in 1978 and differs only in the trim, the carbs increased from 26 to 28 and the rear wheel from 17 to 18. It was available in blue / white and red / white. Two models of GS 1000 S were offered. To properly differentiate them and successfully identify a motorcycle that is strictly original, it is good to know the main differences from one vintage to another. The 1979 GS1000S model is fitted with round chrome turn signals, two long silencers, full sail brake discs, classic breaker and capacitor ignition. On the 1980 model, the decoration is quite different, the indicators become black and rectangular, the dashboard (yet so successful!), Gives way to that of the GS1000E version, the two silencers are very noticeably shortened, the brake are perforated, the ignition is electronic, the different stems, the angled and black levers, the pilot’s footrests are always foldable, but of a different model, the front brake calipers differ slightly and the engine power has gained a few 4 horses. Curiosity: the Suzuki GS1000 S marketed in France are the only ones in the world to be exclusively equipped with classic chrome rod mirrors, instead of sport mirrors integrated into the fairing. We still don’t know why. The GS1000 S will be replaced by the more modern GSX, with a more "square" design from 1981.

Coast side

In 1979 the GS1000 S was sold for 22,343 francs (3,500 €). Today, a beautiful copy, in perfect original condition, complete, still well maintained and unrestored will sell for around € 3,000. As for a fully and perfectly restored motorcycle, it will easily find a buyer for…. 6000 euros.

Wes Cooley (double AMA 79/80 champion) in action. The GS 1000 S looks like two drops of water like the motorcycle of the American champion, hence its nickname "Wes Cooley Replica" ….

In case of purchase

This motorcycle has become rare and its spare parts almost impossible to find. A neglected and / or incomplete copy will have great difficulty in finding a buyer. The bet, however, deserves to be tried. The Suzuki GS 1000 S will inevitably increase in value and many clubs or stubborn enthusiasts can help get this superb bike back on wheels. Among the good tracks: Sauveur Camilleri, unwavering and big fan of Suzuki GS from the first hour. Beautiful and neat restorations. His good knowledge of the Suz ’4-stroke range allows him to help out a few collectors looking for hard-to-find parts. Claude Millard (compulsive Suzukist). BP 39 – 07170 Villeneuve de berg (Ardèche). AFC Moto. Spare parts for Suzuki from the 70s / 80s. Suzuki defense. The oldest dealer of the brand. Pierre and Nadia know nothing about the GS 1000 S.

Conclusion

What a pity that Suzuki was the last to arrive in the four-cylinder industry at the end of the 1970s! It is for this reason that the GS 1000 S will only be in the catalog for two short years (too little time to establish a reputation …. and the surprise effect had already been won by Kawa with the 900 Z1 six years earlier!). As bitter as it was, Suzuki had to admit the obvious and admit that it was on the wrong track with the development of the rotary engine. As lost time can never be made up…. Unfairly missed the mark in its time, this efficient and charming motorcycle well deserves a second career !

Strong points

• Very affordable price
• Concrete engine
• Very beautiful object
• Performances
• Handling

Weak points

• Parts becoming rare
• Old-fashioned braking
• Blurred positioning
• Noisy cold mechanics
• Very few survivors

Suzuki GS 1000 S technical sheet

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