BUYING AND SELLING
Suzuki’s GS1000 offers peak performance for off-peak money. Is this beefy machine the best-value ’70s four you can buy?
Is the Suzuki GS1000 the next big thing. Plus industry insight
Suzuki took a real bite out of their competitors when they launched the first of their four-cylinder GS range in 1976. The GS750 was the first big-bore Japanese machine that could genuinely boast handling to match its performance.
Honda might have been first to the market with their CB750 – but while it offered genuine sophistication and swagger at its 1969 launch, by 1976 it was starting to look a little long in the tooth. Kawasaki’s Z1 had also taken performance to a new level, but it’s road manners were a little less impressive. The Suzuki GS750, on the other hand, offered a 120mph top speed, terrific acceleration and markedly superior handling. Two years later, Suzuki upped the ante again with the 1978 GS1000. It was bigger and faster – but with equally fine handling and even more power.
Amazingly, the GS1000 engine is actually lighter than the 750 mill from which it was developed. But both engines are among the most reliable and durable units to come out of Japan. The frame is massively strong, too – with a massively braced headstock and needle roller bearings for the swingarm. It was an instant hit in litre-class production racing back in the day and it remains a potent package on the road today.
Yet – at the moment at least – you can still buy a good GS1000 for a fraction of the price of a Kawasaki Z1/Z900 or an early Honda CB750. And that surely makes the first-year model shown here well worth considering – especially when you take a closer look at its condition. It’s a Us-market import, but is registered in the UK on an age-related plate and the frame and engine numbers confirm it’s a genuine 1978 model.
The frame was repainted a couple of years ago and looks to be in excellent condition. The tank, side panels and wheels have been resprayed, too, and the bike drips with genuine NOS parts including a front mudguard, chainguard, front master cylinder, rear shocks and intake rubbers. It even has the original owner’s manual and tool kit under the seat.
The exhaust system is the original, (a real plus point, as they are no longer available new and decent used systems are rare and expensive) as are the seat, clocks and switchgear. Although the handlebars are from a Z1, a pair of Uk-market handlebars are also included in the sale.
The recorded mileage is just 22,000 and the engine was fully serviced around 50 miles ago. Everything works as it should, according to the owner, who is asking £6750. If you fancy a ready-to-ride example of probably the best big-bore air-cooled four of the ’70s, call him on 07564 318920.