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single-sided arm pivoting from the forward casting below the line of the crankshaft. To permit the required steering lock, the front swingarm was curved, with a rather massive single shock absorber running from the arm back to the frame near the cylin- der head. So that's the suspension side. As previously noted, the steering was a completely separate ex- ercise. From the upright holding the front wheel on the left side, a steering arm with ball-joints at each end connected to a junc- tion box, from which the tele- scopic arm (the "steering shaft" from Parker's original design) ran to the steering head, which was controlled, as normal, by han- dlebars connected to a stem. The huge 330mm front brake sported an opposed six-piston caliper, with Yamaha's ABS, which itself had been developed on the FJ1200. But while the radical front end was the visual signature of the GTS, it was by no means the only innovative feature of this quite daring motorcycle. Although the engine was derived from the five-valve-per-cylinder FZR1000, it was detuned (and limited to 100 horsepower worldwide) with lower compres- sion and milder cam timing, with Yamaha's own electronic fuel injection. This used sensors for throttle position, air density, engine revolutions, coolant temperature and the oxygen content in the exhaust system, with continuous adjustment to maintain optimum mixture and fuel economy. Inside the exhaust system lurked a three-way catalytic converter, which was claimed to reduce harmful exhaust emis- sions by 60 percent. In terms of fit-out, the GTS was fairly plush, with an elec- tronic fuel gauge, clock, anti- theft ignition, a choice of two screens and a generous pillion seat. Genuine luggage was also available—at a price. One styling feature that received a less than enthusiastic reception was the fuel tank, or rather, what looked like the fuel tank. With the en- gine block and head cantered forward by almost 45 degrees, the fuel injection system intakes sat vertically, capped by a volu- minous airbox. This relegated the fuel tank itself to a space above the gearbox, with a plastic shroud encasing the whole lot. For a motorcycle which must have absorbed a considerable budget to develop, the GTS1000 enjoyed a very brief existence; on sale for just two years in North America, although it re- mained available in other mar- kets a bit longer. The reasons for this are many and varied, but one is that Yamaha tried to mar- ket the machine as both a sports bike and a tourer. The riding position, with the rider's weight forward, was a bit too sporty for long distance touring, but the engine, detuned from the FZR's angry 130 horse- power to 100, ran out of breath well below the 10,500 red line. The milder spec was also intend- ed to boost low and midrange grunt but needed around 6000 rpm on the clock before it really got moving. There was also criticism of the front brake, with claims that the ABS was over-sensitive, and that at low speeds the bike felt heavy and unresponsive. And then there was the price of $12,999, a considerable sum back in 1993. Any or all of these factors may have been responsible for slug- gish sales in the target market of the USA, but buyer reluctance has always been influenced by fashion, and convincing riders that the long-loved telescopic front fork was dead was never achieved in the case of the GTS1000. In the eyes of Joe Public, the GTS was unusual looking, had none of the exotic design flair that graced the other quirky front-end model, the Bimota Tesi, and was expensive (although it was less than one third of the Bimota's price ticket here in the States). It was also prodigiously thirsty, British tes- ters complaining of a fuel range of just 120 miles and consump- tion of around 33 mpg. Today, the GTS1000 is a rare bird, but it always was. Spares are not exactly plentiful, but there is an Owners Club with nearly 400 members who assist with locating parts, and rightly regard the model as a cult clas- sic. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives CN III ARCHIVES P134