The Suzuki GSX1400 Owners Club

The Suzuki GSX1400 Owners Club

Reviews

A review originally written for MCN by Andrew Nelson- 23/08/02

I had been talking of getting back into biking for along time, since a nasty bike accident followed by an extended period on four wheels. Despite my regular trips to bike dealers and shows to paw over various bikes nobody, particularly my wife, thought I was going to actually going to bring one home.

At the ripe old age of 33 I was now thinking of a retro style bike rather than a supersports model, based on a combination of wanting comfort and a desire to keep my licence long enough to run the bike in. I also personally prefer the raw look of an un-fared street bike with the engine featuring prominently in it’s looks, (this might be something associated with me being an Engineer).

I was trying to weigh up whether the Suzuki Bandit 1200 would suit me better than the FJR1300 and would continually change my mind depending on my mood. Then the GSX1400 entered into the equation.

Before even considering the performance of the GSX1400 it’s looks had already won me over. Liking the look of a particular bike is a very subjective thing, but I have met very few people who haven’t admitted liking the look of the GSX1400. However a few, including my wife, still think a fared supersports bike looks better.

At the time I was looking to buy (November 2001), there were very few press reviews on the GSX1400. None of those I read had found any problems with the handling or performance of the GSX1400 so I bought one. Much to the amazement of family and friends who thought the timing couldn’t be worse with our second child on the way. My thinking was that if I waited till after she arrived I’d never be able to do it.

The first thing that you notice astride the GSX1400 is that it is a big bike and from it’s raw muscular appearance you expect it to be a handful to ride. It isn’t. In fact I would say it is a very easy bike to ride, so long as you respect it’s power. I say this not because it has immense power but because the power delivery comes in very quickly from low revs, making it all too easy to get up speed very quickly without trying to. The bikes 228kg disappears as soon as you’re on the move and even at a standstill feels well balanced.

Tne thing that did disappoint me was the relatively quiet purr on hitting the start button. From it’s looks I had expected an imposing and aggressive raw as it fired into life. However, there are easy ways to rectify this small problem with the wide selection of after market exhaust available. These also have the added benefit of not being so restrictive at higher revs where the standard pipes seem to strangle the engine.

One look at the torque and power curves for the GSX1400 explains the way the bike feels to ride. The large capacity engine does not produce immense peak power, topping out at around 110bhp*at around 7000rpm. But it produces over 100bhp from just over 5500rpm and maintains it past 8000rpm. At just 3000rpm the engine delivers around 50bhp and a corresponding 112Nm of torque which rises to 126Nm by 5000rpm. (*Suzuki claim 106bhp. Dyno tests usually seem to vary from 104 to 110bhp, although one bike magazine only got 98bhp. It may be that some imports are to Japanese specification which are restricted to 98bhp).

The characteristics of the 1402cc, DOHC, fuel injected, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, oil-cooled engine make the power readily accessible. The bike pulls hard and cleanly from 2000rpm (at which point it’s already past 30bhp and 100Nm of torque!) and for normal riding it’s not necessary to exceed 5000rpm. However, if more rapid progress is desired, 5000 to 7500rpm is where it really happens. Those used to supersports bikes may be taken aback by the low down grunt and pick-up of this bike but then may be disappointed that it’s all finished by 8000rpm, whereas most supersports don’t start getting exciting till way past these revs.

But before comparing the difference in the rev range of these types of bikes you need to consider the difference in their gearing. At 7000rpm the speeds in respective gears for the GSX1400 are around 51, 77, 97, 115, 131, & 148mph. An 80mph cruising speed is achieved at around 3800rpm in top (6^th). Now compare that to a GSXR600 for example and at 7000rpm the speeds are around 34, 48, 60, 70, 79 & 88mph. This means the 1400’s 2nd gear is close to the 600’s 5^th. The 1400 revs to 9000rpm and the 600 to 14500. These bikes are different breeds and both have their benefits. My brother having recently bought a 2002 model GSXR600, at 27 he said he wasn’t ‘old enough’ to ride a bike like the GSX1400. Both Suzuki gearboxes are faultless and precise.

In my mind, however addictive and fun high revving engines are, for everyday road riding the GSX1400 makes far more sense at my age and for the type of riding I do. It also is so much fun to pull away from the lights without being up at high revs and still get a quick pull away or open just the throttle and get an instant response at any revs. The fuel injection system works excellently.

It’s not a wheelie machine like it’s 1200 Bandit stablemate but it will lift it’s front wheel without too much effort. For high wheelies you’re going to have to encourage it a bit more.

As for handling no the GSX1400 doesn’t flick about down the back roads like a supersports. But it isn’t hard work either. It handles very responsively and has a very reassuring steadiness in the way it changes direction. You don’t have to keep the revs up to be on the power either which makes progress very smooth and easy.

Fully adjustable suspension is provided front and rear, with large 46mm front forks and stylish piggy-back shocks at the rear. Ground clearance for cornering is adequate.

At speed the bike feels very sure-footed and stable. Wind buffeting from this un-fared bike is not as bad as you might expect. It is possible that the brick-like aerodynamics at the front end takes the wind pressure of the rider’s chest and head. Certainly up to 80mph buffeting is not a problem and I would say it only becomes tiring at speeds continuously over 100mph. If you are likely to be travelling for long periods at such speed then consider buying a nose faring. Top speed is in excess of 145mph, which is adequate for this type of bike.

The riding position is ideal for me (5ft10.5inches) and I have found the bike extremely comfortable for long distance trips. The broad seat with 6 usefully located bungee-hooks are ideal for strapping my bag for the daily commute to work. The 22 litre petrol tank provides a good range and with an average of 40mpg returned, I tend to fill up every 150 to 175 miles. The fuel gauge seems accurate and twin trip counters are provided along with a clock in the easy to read twin chrome effect speedo and rev counter. Another practical feature is the 10.8 litre under seat storage space, plenty big enough for a set of waterproofs, spare gloves and your locks and chains.

A benefit of the engine characteristics is for two-up riding. Not only is the GSX1400 very comfortable for a pillion with a well cushioned seat with plenty of room and well placed foot-pegs, but the high capacity engine’s smooth production of power from low revs makes it ideal for carrying a pillion. I wouldn’t say it’s an ideal touring bike because of the lack of fared wet weather protection for the rider, but it’s ok for the pillion as they get shielded by the rider.

You hardly notice having a pillion on board performance wise, but you do when braking. The set-up is twin 320mm discs with 6-pot callipers at he front and a single 260mm disc with a 2-pot calliper at the rear. For solo riding the brakes seem powerful and responsive and don’t suffer from fade (this might not be true for track riding – I’ve not tried). Two-up and they feel less confidence inspiring although seem to do the job satisfactorily. This is the only time I’ve felt that the brakes are working hard.

I can’t fault the standard fit Bridgestone BT020 tyres (190/50R-17 rear & 120/70R-17 front), which perform well under all road and weather conditions. These may be one of the reasons that the bike feels reassuring to ride in the wet. It will spin-up in the wet if you are too eager with the throttle when pulling away or overtaking. I have totalled 3500 miles so far and they still look to have many miles left in them, I am hoping to get close to 5000 miles out of the rear – we’ll see.

One thing that has surprised me is that I seem to be adjusting the chain every 500 miles or so. I do regularly lubricate the chain but this still may be due to poor lubrication and might be helped by fitting of a Scottoiler. It may of course just be due to the handfuls of torque that get transmitted through it.

My particular bike hasn’t suffered with any corrosion problems despite having been used in all weather conditions (baring ice and snow) since I bought it. Generally I’m impressed with the quality of the finish. A few minor niggles here and there including depth of paint on the white wheels. Bt overall considering the bike is priced at £6500 OTR (and many dealers offering discounts) I am satisfied and consider it better finished than many more expensive machines. Insurance is a pleasant surprise with a grouping of 14 (some even quoted it as a 13 when I was getting quotes).

Take a test ride and see what you think!