Everything always happens. Just when you talk about the qualities of the Suzuki GS 750, an email from a friendly Slovak may come. Some time ago I had given him the address of someone who wanted to give up his Suzuki GS 1000 for age reasons.
A dream bike
Globally, the Suzuki GS 1000 was seen as the best Japanese four-cylinder engine up to that time. But there were already so many thick Japanese four-cylinders. Among the then seriously limited Czechoslovakian motorcycle enthusiasts, the GS 1000 was also not unique. He was just another unreachable dream bike. This beautiful specimen has in the meantime undergone the same fate as many beautiful classics: He went abroad. Because our price picture within the European market is apparently rather shabby. The GS 1000 in the photos is in the lobby at Lubomir. And when the weather is nice, he can play outside.
Call for a new round
After Suzuki almost broke the Wankel adventure, the Japanese decided to play it safe. They also just, like the competition, made four in-line engines, UJMs. But they did very well with the GS line, because they had the examples to hand.
With the GS 750s, Suzuki had proven to make good steering, fast, reliable motorcycles. And the GS 1000 again benefited from the experiences that had been gained with the 750 cc four-cylinder. The GS 1000 was the best steering '1000' of its time, the engine had so many reserves that tuners like 'Pops' Yoshimura could do very nice things with it. In the American 'Pro Stock' class, the tuned blocks delivered up to 300 + pk at 14.0000 rpm. Certainly in the States there is still a wide range of fast stuff for these machines.
Go for the original
The GS 1000s were adapted according to the wishes of the time and the taste of their owners according to the familiar recipe: Sporty with a 'drop-eared steering wheel' plus a 4 in 1, or tourist with cockpit and suitcases. At the moment it is still the case that it is better to go for the top and originality. To choose the most perfect copy possible. At the lower end of the market, where prices are low, free thinkers who see such a Suzuki as the basis for a caferacer (or - how did they come up with the idea - for a scrambler or a bratstyle bobber) are chewed by free thinkers.
The state of affairs
A well-maintained GS 1000 with a ton on the clock can be a great purchase. But you can still find copies under the 1.500 euro that are a good starting point for a project, or suitable as an everyday classic. Quite a few parts can still be found at motorcycle breakers. But remember that color and chrome parts are scarce. Providers such as CMSNL.com can still deliver the best shimmer. But with that, the purchase price of a challenging project is quickly multiplied.
In the current internet-driven market picture in the Netherlands, a very nice GS 1000 is already asking about 4.000 euros. But for now those machines will remain online for quite some time. Until they are discovered by an enterprising Slovak like friend Lubomir or another enterprising European. And Lubomir reported, almost wagging his tail, that his pride would have cost him as much as 6.000+ euros when buying locally.
