Suzuki GSX series

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The GSX Series is Suzuki's range of sport touring motorcycles with four-valved engines. The earliest GSX models were introduced in the early 1980s to complement and later replace the two-valve Suzuki GS series. Later, Suzuki recycled the name to match the recycled, former super sports engines.

[edit] Early GSX

Among the earliest GSX models were the two-cylinder GSX 250 and the GSX 400.

[edit] Current GSX

Current GSX models are powered by in-line, four cylinder engines with four valves per cylinder that are derived from the early Suzuki GSX-R Series and also used in the Suzuki Bandit Series. They feature a combined air-/oil cooling system called SACS (for 'Suzuki advanced cooling system').

The GSX series is produced as the GSX600F and GSX750F faired sport touring models, now in their second generations, and the unfaired, twin-shock GSX 750 and GSX 1400 models.

The earlier GSX 1200 Inazuma was offered in Japan only for a short time besides the GSF 1200 Bandit to cater for a clientele that went for a more traditional styling and a somewhat higher build quality. When it proved sufficiently popular for overseas export, it was quickly developed into the current GSX 1400.

The GSX250F is known as the Suzuki Across and is notable as it has a rear petrol tank and a helmet storage area where the petrol tank usually is.

See also Suzuki Katana.

The GSX1300R Hayabusa hypersport bike has nothing in common with other GSX models but three letters of its designation and the most basic design parameters.

The Suzuki GSX series is the evolution of the GS series of 2-valve per cylinder air and oil cooled four stroke motorcycles. The first 4-valve engines were produced for the 1980 model year, but retained the "GS" designation for the US market until the release of the GSX-R models in 1986 (1985 outside the US). GSX engines were based on Suzuki's "TSCC" (Twin-Swirl Combustion Chamber) engine design, and shared little in common with previous 2-valve models. The venerable Katana superbike was born from this engine design, with designations of GSX-S, but share nothing in common with the more modern GSX-F Katanas, which are heavy low-frills sport-touring bikes. The original Katana models carry an almost cult-like following today for their groundbreaking styling and performance, along with Suzuki's other sporting milestones such as the 1985 GSX750RR and the RG500 Gamma.

The GSX engine is arguably one of the most reliable engines ever mass-produced for a motorcycle, with the 1100cc and 1150cc engines still very commonly used for drag-racing and hillclimbing competition in the US.

The TSCC engine was once again redesigned in 1983 with the introduction of a completely new GSX750, Suzuki's first modern mono-shocked sportbike in both a naked (GSX750E) and half-faired (GSX750ES) version. Although this bike received solid reviews from testing magazines (and came to be the testers' preferred 750 sport machine for the year), its release was an ill-timed duel against Honda's all-new V4 engine in the form of the VF750 Interceptor, which was voted Bike of the Year for 1983 by several magazines for out-of-the-box track-worthiness and technological "wow" factor (although both the Suzuki and the Honda bore striking resemblance to each other aesthetically).

The Katana (GSX750S) retained the previous 4-valve engine for that year (1983), but received the updated engine for 1984, along with Suzuki's other big-bore 4-valvers. This is the engine that the first GSX-R series bikes were based from, but it was redesigned again for the second-generation GSX-R in 1988, with the original GSX-R plant being handed down to the first of the GSX-F Katanas as an all-new model for 1988. This progression of the first-generation GSX-R engine was also launched with another new series for the 1989 model year - the GSF "Bandit", in 250cc and 400cc versions (400cc only for the US market). It was once again re-released in 1995 as the powerplant of choice for the larger Bandits, in 600cc and 1200cc versions, both either naked or half-faired "S" models.

For 1984, the GS(X)750E/ES was eliminated from Suzuki's lineup for the American market due to increased tariffs imposed by the US government on all imported motorcycles displacing more than 700cc (repealed in 1988). This was a bold move initiated to help a failing Harley Davidson, as the company was on the verge of bankruptcy after employees purchased controlling interest back from AMF (of bowling-pin fame), the company credited with ruining H-D's market reputation after purchasing them in the mid-1970s. This 50% tariff is the reason behind the glut of de-stroked 650cc and 700cc Japanese motorcycles sold in the US in the mid-1980's - unique to the rest of the world - and is also the reason the GSX-R debuted in the US a full year later than the rest of the world.

The 1983 GSX750ES was a ground-breaking model in its own right, with air-adjustable anti-dive forks, preload and compression-adjustable rear mono-shock (dubbed "Full-Floater" suspension by Suzuki), disc brakes at both ends, and features that are still rare on modern bikes, such as a fuel gauge and digital gear indicator. The bike disappeared from dealers in 1984, to be replaced with the GSX700 - a bike with a de-stroked engine and minor cosmetic differences. Minor tweaks internally included taller pistons and slightly differing cam lift and timing - this plus a change in factory gear ratios enabled Suzuki to produce a motorcycle with near-identical performance specifications to the GSX750ES, even though engine displacement was 15% smaller to satisfy the revised US import guidelines. This work was mostly in vain for the US market, however, as the GSX750S Katana was completely restyled in 1984, and the GSX-R750 was released abroad, painting a certain demise for the comparably ho-hum 'ES. 1984 also saw an update in color schemes for the GSX750ES in the rest of the world, with the naked "E" being dropped in favor of the half-faired "ES and a new "EF" model with full upper and lower sport fairings (never available as a factory option in the US).

The GSX750E lived on for a few more years abroad, but was eventually superseded by the GSX-F series Katanas. The GSX-S Katanas were also dropped from Suzuki's regular lineup, replaced by the GSX-R series. The GSX1100 lived on with significant styling changes for the 1984 model year, including a full-faired 124bhp monster of a musclebike, the GSX1100EFE (GS1150EF in the US). The larger bikes, although still sought-after as classic superbikes, were also replaced by the GSX-R and GSX-F Katana lineups, with significant body styling changes, upgraded suspension and braking components, and revolutionary frame revisions.

As the owner of both a 1983 GS750E and a GS750ES in the US, this author is understandably a bit biased towards these models. But even as a single-year motorcycle, the 750ES lives on as an excellent and affordable all-around motorcycle - although one with limited aftermarket and manufacturer support for parts. The US-only GS700 is still fairly common, and the GS1100/1150 engines routinely fetch top-dollar in competition circles.

More information about all Suzuki motorcycle models can be found at http://www.suzukicycles.org, and specifically about GS/GSX models at http://www.thegsresources.com.

Final note - modern non-US GSX-model motorcycles ("GSX750 Retro", "GSX1200 Inazuma", GSX1400, etc.) carry little in common with their early to mid-eighties cousins other than a common ancestor in their powerplant. The GSX1100S Katana has been reissued as an anniversary model several times for the Japanese domestic market (where the GSX400S Katana remains a very popular model with styling straight from the early-1980's), and Yoshimura has recently released a small handful of fully re-worked factory GSX1100S Katanas for sale, requiring potential buyers to win an essay contest before being granted the opportunity to purchase one of these rare beasts.