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Any GS 650 owners out there ?
- Thread starter mototwin
- Start date
Do you mean the Suzuki GS650 which was built around 1980-83? It was a four cylinder bike with either a shaft (the "G") or chain drive ("E") and there was even a turbosupercharged variant. I don't know the production numbers, but I am certain it was more than just 200. My local vintage motorcycle group has a member who owns one of the "L" variants which is equivalent to a Yamaha Special (with pseudo-chopper styling) and he rides it all the time.
I had the larger GS850G - but I will admit, that I was always attracted to the 650 model which seemed very neat and tidy and just as good for a one-up rider like me.
Pete
I had the larger GS850G - but I will admit, that I was always attracted to the 650 model which seemed very neat and tidy and just as good for a one-up rider like me.
Pete
Member tz750 has one.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/yamaha-made-200-650s-with-750-motor.2261/
Some others:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/1972-yamaha-gs650-xs650-w-factory-750cc-engine.19241/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/original-xs2-on-ebay-a-743cc-1-of-200-ligit.16843/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-craigslist-postings-depository.895/page-38#post-531787
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=45968.0
http://www.xs650.com/threads/yamaha-made-200-650s-with-750-motor.2261/
Some others:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/1972-yamaha-gs650-xs650-w-factory-750cc-engine.19241/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/original-xs2-on-ebay-a-743cc-1-of-200-ligit.16843/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-craigslist-postings-depository.895/page-38#post-531787
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=45968.0
Ooooppppsss....sorry. I wasn’t aware of the YAMAHA GS650.
Hmmmmmm - very cool.
Hmmmmmm - very cool.
Very interesting - thanks for the note Mototwin
AndyH
XS650 New Member
I have a Jan 1984gs650 gt in superb condition if anyone wants to buy it. Paid £5000 for it so I’d like to get my money back
AndyH
XS650 New Member
Should say it’s a Suzuki
There is a classified section to buy/sell/trade.
Posting pics and any history of work done and/or maintainence, goes a long way to get what your asking for.
Love to see a pic.
Posting pics and any history of work done and/or maintainence, goes a long way to get what your asking for.
Love to see a pic.
Nice bikes. A couple of people on here have GS's but not the 650's. I have an 82 GS650Ez.
Story here
https://www.xs650.com/threads/gs650e.58867/
Never owned any GS Suzuki model. But I did borrow a mates GS1000 for a test ride before purchase.
Seemed like a huge bike after my CB750 Honda. I was riding the GS along the motorway at a fair lick of speed when I caught the attention of the police in a marked Ford Escort car. Not having any insurance for the bike made my decision to F#ck Off at more speed an easy one.
At around 120mph the bike developed a central hinge in the middle of the frame! Yikes I needed three lanes of the motorway just to stay in a straight direction!
I got away, but needless to say didn't buy the bike.
Seemed like a huge bike after my CB750 Honda. I was riding the GS along the motorway at a fair lick of speed when I caught the attention of the police in a marked Ford Escort car. Not having any insurance for the bike made my decision to F#ck Off at more speed an easy one.
At around 120mph the bike developed a central hinge in the middle of the frame! Yikes I needed three lanes of the motorway just to stay in a straight direction!
I got away, but needless to say didn't buy the bike.
suzuki pete
XS650 New Member
I had a brand new GS650GT Suzuki in 1981 in maroon. They are a 673cc 4 cylinder air cooled double overhead cam 5 speed if I remember they are shaft drive as well. They have a 3.5 gallon fuel tank 4 carbs and do between 47 and 62mpg. They are fast as well. And can cruise on a good day at 95mph 2 up. With no problem. They are quite heavy for a small bike. But handle very well. They are quite Rare because most people bought the 850. But they was more than 200 made at least in the uk anyway.
Thanks for the note Pete - yeah, I always wanted one of those. My GS850G was a red '79 model and it was just such a perfect bike for taking off on a long trip - loved it. Fast, quiet, steady handling, decent brakes, reliable as a chunk of granite and absolutely the best seat ever put on a bike (IMO). It also had a very sophisticated suspension with variable damping rear shocks and air-assisted front forks - these were not found on other models at the time.
NOTE: that quote on the GS850G seat was in virtually every magazine test of big Japanese, German and American bikes, back when the GS850G was introduced into the market. Believe me, I read ALL of the tests very carefully because I was about to empty my bank account to buy my dream bike, and the GS850G was the best bang for the buck for my kind of riding.
But, of course, I stupidly sold it for a pittance around 1994-5 due to the usual reasons (mortgages, kids, education....etc.).
Last February, I bought a slightly rough but complete 1979 GS850G I call "Big Sue." Everything is there except for a couple of cosmetic items. I am told that she was "running when parked,"
and I even have a thread on her on this forum — but I haven't dug into that project just yet.
The PO told me that while he rode it daily, the bike was becoming hard to start so he took the points plate off to clean it and never got it back together (I have all the ignition system parts though). He also noted that the bike was becoming too heavy for him (surprise!!) so he left it not running for a decade and then sold it to me. Nonetheless, the engine is free and turns over with no "hard" spots or funny noises.
Given how tough those 8-valve DOHC GS engines are, I have high hopes that a good carb clean and some ignition work should have her going again. He ran a small machine shop out of his storage barn and so the entire bike is coated with a fine mist of cutting oil...so, I hope it will clean up OK too. As you can see, the paint on the tank, plastic side covers and tail cone is reached (Suzuki was not known for particularly good paint in those days - their one weakness AFAIK) but I know some good painters. Once I get it back together, if it runs OK, I will proceed with a full resto as I really liked how my old 850 ran and rode (although it was certainly not a lightweight).
The handling was good for the day (these early GS bikes were built like a bridge) and all of the magazine testers agreed that the GS-series bike were much steadier than any of the other big Japanese shaft-drivers at that time (GL1100, XS750 / 850 and wickedly torquey XS11 and, of course, the mighty KZ1000).
The two parts that are missing are the dash pad which surrounds the choke knob and the decorative "Suzuki" emblem which covers the fork brace below the headlight. I'd also love to find an original exhaust system, but these tended to rust out pretty quickly so I'd guess I will be just staying with the Akropovic system that is on the bike now.
So, if anyone has those parts or knows where I might find them - please PM me.
Cheers,
Pete
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