Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

a forever. Suspension travel is a ' full six inches in front and approximately 3\4-inches in the rear struts, w hich is p lenty. Even with 400 lbs. aboard and the shocks in the softest setting, the struts rarely bottomed. The ride is Cadillac-plush, yet grand prix precise in . the steering. The forks took up the minor road ripples, bobbing like a copulating canine over expansion joints and blown-up pavement. Steering was light, but spot-on and the GS750 can be ridden hands off without any twitchiness. Single hydraulic discs front and rear, br ke the 500 lb. scooter down with a great authority, and even my wife's small hands can reach the levers easily. Suzuki's famous attention to detail extends to the meters and controls of the GS750. The big speedometer and tach glow red in the dark, like aircraft instrumen ts, making them much easier on the eyes and less distracting than the bright green packages that everybody else offers. There is a row of warning lights down the center of the meter cluster, capped by a digital readout that tells at a glance which of the five gears you're in·. Handlebars are off the RE ro tary and sweep back comfortably w here. the rider can reac h the grips witho ut straining. TI,e grips themselves are the new hard-ribbed style that is comi ng in and, comb ined with the acute wrist angle and stiff th rottle spring, caused me some discomfort as well as blackening of the palms. I would remove the return spring, if it were my own motorcycle, and just rely on the two-cable throttle . setup to shut the slides. I , • As with most touring bikes, t he h o m on the GS750 is a joke. Later prod uct io n models may co me with a lou der hom. The gas tan k is not too wide, but the filler cap hides u nder a locking cover that makes it so mewhat of a bother to inspect. Those who prefer to dispense with the trapdoor cover will be pleased to find a smooth, finished well and a chromed gas cap showing. There is even a headlight switch included on the left handlebar. It is installed in the permanent-on position , but all the owner has to do is remove the switch and re-install it backwards to return control of his lamps to the driver. A new, permanent magnet, three-phase alternator delivers up to 17 amps, (200 watt charging to handle all the electrical accessories Americans like to bolt on). What's it like to ride? In a word, impeccable. Throw your leg over the low, sprung 'd ualsea t and hang your hoofs on the driver's rigid footpegs , activate the choke, ignition on, and press the starter button. No fuel tap to tum on; there's a demand-valve that operates when the carbs are sucking. The engine fires immediately, and you adjust the id le with the choke. In about a m inut e it's warmed u p. Y ou can even start it in gear , if yo u're in a h urry . Press th e shi fter down .fo r first cog and release the light, d o cile clutch. The engine doesn't vibrate, period. Getaway is smooth, quiet, impressive. There is no particular point on the torque curve where the engine comes on the cam (which is lobed identical to Z-900 specs, by the way), but there is a discernible power rush from 7,000 RPM up to t he redline at 9,000 . Torque , say the experts, is a function of piston crown surface, rather than stroke, and the GS750 seems to prove that theory. Even with a passenger aboard, the pulling power remains unimpaired. The GS750 feels light as a 500, but not small. What it lacks in bulk it makes up for with wheelbase and a big bike feel. At mile-high altitudes, highway passing sometimes required a double-shift . in to third gear to get around the rolling roadblocks, like you have to do with a 500. Part of the problem with passing acceleration probably derives from the high overall gearing that gives the good gas mileage. It is a fair tradeoff. At 100 mph indicated on the meter, the engine is only turning 7,500 RPM. Top speed must be in the 120 range. Our ride took us from Helena to Glacier National Park, across the chimney of Idaho, and finished in Spokane, Wash. After some 536 miles, we were enthusiastic about the GS750. The heavy-duty drive chain didn't even need adjusting, the eight test bikes fin ished clean, and I would liked to have ridden o ne home to Long Beac h, but we had to m ake way for th e nex t batch of moto-jo urna lists. Lasting impressions The total absence of drive-train p lay. Somehow Suzuki has closed up the to lerances of gear-lash, etc. and produced a 750 that doesn't snatch or jerk. Gearshifting exhibited the usual new-bike stiffness, yet after only some six or sev en hundred miles, neu tral was easy enough to lo cate and only downshifting a t a stop required so me clu tch-play. The mirrors repose in rubber-bushed stalks that do a good job of cancelling whatever jolts might have reached the handlebars. You can check the oil level through a little window in the engine sump. It is a wet-sump lube system, by the way, incorporating a pressure-feed to the gearbox bearings. Neat. The little touches do not go unappreciated: The handy glove box behind the seat; the oiled air filter which . saves maintenance co st and problems; the PVC recycle system ; the lightweight feel in traffic, the heavyweight feel o n the open road; the fact that many parts will interchange with the new 400cc twin four-stroke that Suzuki soon will come out with; the 1977 model designation, which will help it hold resale value in the blue book. . Recommendation If you know someone who is in t he market for a big, comfortable road cruiser co mbined wi th a sp ort y , mediu m weigh t around-to wn hauler, t ip him o r her to t he Suz u ki GS750. Dealers shoul d be ready to de liver the m about September. The retail price will be in the $2,100 neighbo rhood. It sh ould be noted that Suzuki offers a list of factory accessories including bags, fairing, clothing, etc. that neatly sidesteps the "try and find it, then try and fit it" problems of equipping a new bike for real ridmK 13

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