‘It makes me feel 25 again!’ ‘The Suzuki feels like it was made for me’
Some moments in life end up leaving lasting impression. For 58-yearold Nigel Greenway it was a fleeting glimpse of a Suzuki GT550 as a teenager that put him on the path to becoming a proud GSX-S750 owner some 40 years later.
“I distinctly remember being sat at some traffic lights on my Yamaha Fizzie,” says Nigel, “when this GT550 pulled up next to me. I was just captivated by the size of it and the glossiness of the paint and chrome. It must’ve imprinted on me because I’ve had a subconscious brand loyalty to Suzuki ever since.” After a break from bikes, Nigel returned to two wheels in the late 1990s and owned a couple of Bandits, before jumping ship to Honda with the purchase a CBR600F.
“The Honda was a fantastic bike and I enjoyed riding it. But I started getting tired of its weight and size, as well as the sporty riding position. Plus, I felt a nagging tinge of guilt that I’d been disloyal to Suzuki. So the time came for the Honda to go.” After a bit of research, Nigel found himself at Oxfordshire Suzuki dealer Kings, who had a stonking deal on a pre-registered showroom model that Nigel couldn’t resist. “Kings gave me a great trade-in on my Honda and then I financed the balance on Suzuki HP over two years. It costs £119 a month. I think it’s such a good value-for-money model and mixes practicality with performance.
0 miles
Before I bought it, I did my research. I read a lot of owner reviews online, as well as road tests, and they all said that it had that great mix of usability and performance. I took a test ride on Kings’ demonstrator and within 200 yards I was convinced it was the bike for me. It was made all the sweeter by getting it at a great price, as well as a good part-ex deal.
100 miles
It was a snowy day in March when it was delivered but I rolled it into my carpeted garage and just spent the next few days looking at it! It was an ex-display model so it came with a load of extras already fitted as part of the deal such as the rear seat cover (£135), wheel rim decals (£25), frame sliders (£310) and graphics kit (£120). After my first ride, I got a Kappa flyscreen (£130) just to help with windblast.
200 miles
In terms of moving it around in the garage, it’s a lot lighter than my old CBR600F which makes it a lot easier to live with on a day-to-day basis. That lightness is also evident on the move, too, because it’s really agile and easy to steer. But for all its lightness, it’s not at all flimsy. Nothing feels cheap, it’s really well made. The paint is nice and deep, the switchgear has a positive action and I really like the dash, particularly the gear position indicator – it’s funny how we didn’t have them years ago but now they’re invaluable.
400 miles
The suspension deals with rough roads really well; it doesn’t jar over potholes and it gives a nice, plush ride. The forks and shock are only adjustable for preload, but to be honest I wouldn’t want anything more – the factory setting is spot on. I love the fact that the KYB forks are gold – it just adds to the overall look of quality and performance.
600 miles
I was very gentle with it during the running-in process and I run up the first 600 miles fairly quickly just doing little jaunts in the evenings. Even though I wasn’t revving it hard at all, the four-cylinder 750cc motor still had enough low-down torque to make it feel fun. I took it back to the dealership for my first service, which was completely free. .
miles 900
The engine is brilliant. It’s smooth, sounds great, and there’s exceptional throttle connection. At 112bhp it’s plenty powerful enough. I like how I can be sensible on it but when the mood takes me, it can make me feel 25 again too. I haven’t touched the three-level traction control, but it is reassuring to know that it’s there. I can’t fault the brakes either, they’ve got good power and feel.
My pledge for this year is to ride it more; as much as I love its looks, it’s made to be ridden and works brilliantly as a fun bike. For the type of riding I do, relatively short blasts, it’s wonderfully comfortable and feels as though it was made for me. The seat isn’t particularly plush, but I can sit happily for an hour or so before I start shifting around. I worked hard for my whole life to get this, my first brand new bike, and my GSX-S750 has totally lived up to expectations. I absolutely love it.