[轉貼: 國外車友對於GSX1400的評價]
It was back around New Year 2002 my missus and I took a stroll round Riossi in Stockport, and spotted this vision in blue and white, the GSX1400 and instantly fell for it.
Our Kawasaki VN800 had served us well for the last 2½years, and we were not really looking to replace her, but the GSX1400 caused us to bring out the calculator and see if we could afford to buy this gorgeous machine.
Three weeks later, deals done, and I rode away from Riossi at Old Trafford Manchester on my shiny new toy, a Suzuki GSX1400K2. It was immediately obvious that modifications were necessary in order for me to operate the rear brake safely due to a bad break to my right leg six years earlier, so this was soon sorted placing the right footpeg in front of the brake pedal enabling me to use the footbrake now as a heelbrake.
Immediate impressions on riding home after so long on a cruiser were ones of seeming to be very far from the ground, and riding a very narrow bike, probably the same feeling when jumping from a sports bike to a supermoto. The brakes seemed very powerful, the engine incredibly smooth and quiet after my rumbling v-twin with after-market pipes.
The 1400 has a very lusty motor, looking at the specs it was apparent that most of the action would take place between 1,000rpm and around 7,500rpm, but first I had to get the 500 mile service out of the way before I was allowed to exceed 4,500rpm. As it turned out, this was not too much of a chore, the 1400 being able to outrun all but the most determined traffic using these revs, indeed 100mph comes up at about 4,800rpm and 70mph at 3,200rpm, so you can see where I am coming from. The gearbox is as expected from Suzuki, slick and with not one false neutral to date.
From 500 miles to 1,000 miles the rev limit was restricted to bursts of 6,750rpm, most definitely enough to see off most contenders in the traffic light grand prix. The tyres, (Bridgestone BT020s), and brakes, (same equipment as the GSX-R1000), bedded in nicely, giving excellent grip and stopping power. There has been some criticism of the brakes in the national motorcycle press, but to date and 3,300 miles of riding have given me no cause for alarm, although I will be changing to braided hoses at a later date. After riding a cruiser for so long, and a good one at that, the handling was a revelation, steering sharp and true, and with some easing of the very conscious counter-steering required on the VN800, the 1400 feels positively sporty.
Fuel consumption seemed quite heavy at first, 36mpg being the best I could achieve, but the fitment of a Dynojet Power Commander III improved this to an average of 41mpg, and the already excellent fuel injected response from the motor was noticeably better. I fitted a pair of Scorpion blue anodised cans which made the most beautiful noises, but sadly my insurance company decided they were a no-no, and they had to go, and have since been replaced by a set of stainless emarked road legal Scorpion cans, which still have a much more pleasing tone than the original equipment, and are insurance and Police friendly.
With the 1000 mile running-in period completed, maximum revs are allowed, although some owners have recommended a further 500 or so miles to allow the engine to loosen off completely. Acceleration is simply stunning, and rolling the throttle on in any gear brings on phenomenal forward motion a firm grip on the tank and bars essential, especially so in the lower gears. I have read of owners tuning their 1400s with after-market exhaust systems, cams and big-bore kits, even a turbo by one bloke in Australia, but I find the performance more than enough on UK roads. Just a note on how easy it is to unleash this mildly tuned beast, when I had my PCIII fitted my machine gave 107.2bhp at the rear wheel, another 1400 fitted with an Akrapovic 4-1 gave 124.5bhp, so there is plenty of potential, simply by changing the exhaust system.
The overall finish is pretty much spot on, although some fasteners have gained a rather milky appearance, which I will probably replace at a later date with some stainless items. The paint and chrome have a high quality finish, which hopefully should last well.
The riding position is extremely comfortable, with bars and pegs falling naturally to hand and foot, the seat is wide and well padded making this one of the best machines I have ever ridden for spending long spells in the saddle. The one item I did buy to further improve comfort was a mini-screen which works very well removing most of the uncomfortable buffeting caused by riding a naked machine at high speeds, (not that high, honest officer!). The mirrors gave some concern at first, I had excellent views of the pavement either side of the road, but could see very little of what was going on behind. A trip to Riossi solved this, I fitted 1 inch extensions to the mirror stems, problem solved.
Two up riding is absolutely no problem, the seat has plenty of room even for an 18 stone rider with an 11 stone pillion, and the engine cares not a jot with no noticeable decrease in performance. I did have to buy a buddy belt, as the wife was having problems holding on under acceleration, a problem not faced on the VN800. There is enormous (for a bike) storage space under the seat, and ample securing points for any number of luggage straps you may care to attach to the bike, including two retractable bungee holders under the seat edge.
The engine is now well run in at 3,300 miles, it is smooth, effortless, and powerful, as I said earlier, most of the grunt is low down, from 1,000rpm to 7,500rpm, not that it hits a wall at those revs, but the urge flattens out, although the motor will quite happily spin up to its 9,000rpm red line, its just that it isn't necessary to get the best out of the engine.
The suspension is supple and fully adjustable at both ends, although I have not found the need to venture from the factory settings so far. It may be worth mentioning one negative aspect of the bike at this point, that being the failure of a number of rear suspension units reported by 1400 owners. This failure apparently occurs when owners have adjusted the preload on the rear shocks, which have subsequently leaked oil from the upper seal. Suzuki has addressed this problem on the K3, and changed the design of the rear shocks, and are dealing with warranty cases as they crop up, (warranty is for 2 years, plus one year free roadside recovery). I will be adjusting the rear preload on my shocks just before the bike is due its 4,000miles service to see if I have any problems, in which case I will be insisting on K3 replacements.
So thats about it, what can I say, the 1400 is the best bike I have owned thus far, great to look at, and even better to ride. Take a wander around the rest of my site, read my diary of the bike, view the photos, especially those showing the mods I had to enable me to heelbrake, and follow some of the links to some excellent GSX1400 related sites. Even better, go and try one for size, you will not be disappointed.
