Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126284
c..o CN l-< V ..0 o .... u o 1978Suzukis 4-stroke for the drt, "Fastest" , 1,000 (Top left) The GS1000E is the biggest new Suzook. The " E" des ignation means mag·type wheels, dual discs and dual (stepped) seat. Suzuki claims 11.8 seconds in the quarter m ile and 137 m .p.h. top speed. (Top right! The new 370 four-stroke single. (Above) The new PE (Pure Enduro) 175 weighs 2091bl., has 9.1" travel front. 7.9" rear and features a six-speed trannv, (Below) The new RM 125 and 400 will come with an aluminum swingarm. (Bottl>m) The 264 lb . DR370 is Suzuki's answer to the TTSOO. Its sister ship, the street·legal SP 370 will be available in April or May; the DR in February .: or March. 8 At the' head of the '78 Suzuki new model line is the GSIOOO, available in two models, the standard GSIOOOC and the GS1000EC. The "E".rnod el, at a suggested retail price of 52999. is the sportier version of the latest entrant in to the superbike ranks with Suzuki Star mag·type wheels. dual front disc brakes, "oversize 'V ' ~ tires". self-: cancelling turn signals and custom dual (stepped) saddle. "The Fastest" is the claim found in Suzuki's GS I 000 advertising . brochures. With quarter mile claims of 11.8 seconds and a claimed top speed of 137 mph with the .499 lb . machine , their brag may be fact although both Yamaha with claimed l I -second runs and Kawasaki who also claims to be "The Fastest" will keep the GSI 000 honest. The GSIOOOEC will be available probably in April or May of 1978 , but the GSIOOOC should be on your dealer's floor as early as February at a suggested retail of $2749. Both will be there on a limited quantity basis of one' crate per dealer. The SP370 and DR370 put Suzuki in the four -stroke , single cylinder offroad market. The SP370, a dual pur· pose machine, weighs in at 274 street legal pounds and rolls off the dealers' floors at a suggested retail of 51349 . The SP's off-road oumer·part . the DR370 will go for 51279 suggested retail. The DR weighs in at 264 and will show up first in February or March; the SP will follow in either April or May. Both cycles feature a 370cc four stroke motor with a five -speed gearbox . laid down gas /oil shocks give 5.2- travel at the rear wheel while the leading axle forks provide 7. T' up front. The non -street -lega l DR comes with knobbies, a giant bash p late and neat tiny ligh ts. The SP is lega l dow n to the turn signals and tria ls un iversa l tires . For serious off-road competitors. a new 172cc. 209 lb . PE (enduro) model is offered. The PEI75 features a six speed gearbox. leading axil' forks with 9.1 " travel . gas/oil sho cks with three load settings and 7.9" rear wheel tr avel. The tank . sidepla tes, fenders and front numberplate/headlight mount are all in yellow plastic. The u pda ted PE (P ure Enduro) 250 feat ures the same plastic part s a nd suspension specs. The PE250 will show up in limited quantity in March/ April. t he PEI 75 in April/May. . Updated feat ures in the famou s RM motocross machine line incl ude aluminum boxed swingarms on the RM I 25 and RM400 bikes . The 123 and 402cc machines also have full floating rear brakes. air forks wit h ' 9.1" travel . reservoir-type gas /oil shocks with two damping adjustments and three load settings for 8.9" rea r wheel travel and plastic parts as on the PE models . The RMI25 is a six-speed, the R M400 a five -speed. The RM250 does not have the aluminum swingarm, nor does the R M I O O. Size -wise , Suzuki's bottom of the line m ust be the new JR50 , a 49cc RM· styled m in ib ike tha t stands only 19" ta ll. Billed as the perfect machine for youngsters to safely learn to ride upon , theJR50 is a n absolute $299 ge m that's a lmost tiny enough to ca rry on a full sized cycle as a spa re. Sma ller th a n , b ut ce rta in ly as exciting as a new model motorcycle are KYB (Kaya ba) Pro-line pneuma tic motocross ' suspension units. The air/spring forks feat ure 10" of travel , are claimed to be 15 % lighter th an conventional fo rks , and are totally ad justable for damping force as well as spring/air rate . They go for a recornmended $380. The all air (no me tal spring) rear shocks feature four stages' of rebound and compression damping (16 total combinations). adjustable ai r "spring" rate and , like the forks . claim a weight savings. They'll sell for a recommended retail of $225. Both the forks and shocks are available for a variety of MX bikes. The forks can be purchased to fit Husqvarnas , Penton /KTMs , Maicos , Yarnahas and of course. Suzukis. The rear units are available for all of the brands mentioned (except Yamaha . .. no monoshock) plus Honda. U.S. Suzuki. in addition to their new model line, also is unveiling wh at . Vice Presiden t of U .S. Suzuki Motor Corp. R.R . Orth describes as a "bold new -advertising approach." T hrough the int rod uct ion of "st ra tegic ne w mo dels" coup led wit h " im pro vement s, througho ut th e line ," Suzuki ho pes to mee t President of U.S. Suzuki Motor Corp . K. Shim izu 's corporate goal for 1978 of 150 .000 un its sold which he says will give U.S . Suzuki a 15% market share. The approach consists largely of increased radio and TV advertising made possible by an " almost double" ad budget.