Why I chose the Suzuki GSX1400

Why I chose the Suzuki GSX1400
After waiting two months for shipment , Suzuki finally called to say my new GSX1400 had arrived. Off to the dealership I went to trade in my WR450 on the new black beast. After fiddling with paperwork for what seemed to be an eternity, I was taken around to my new machine. As the guy was explaining all the features of the bike (I was thinking – yeah, yeah, it’s got handlebars, wheels – just let me ride it away), I noticed a difference between this machine and other GSX’s I had previously looked at. Instead of the two rather large exhausts protruding from either side of the bike, this had one enormous pipe hanging off the right side. I quite liked the look of the twin pipes so I was a little disappointed at first with the “enhancement” for the new model. I didn’t stew on this long though because I was about to take delivery of a brand new fuel injected 1400cc motorcycle. Once all formalities were taken care of, I hopped on the monster bike and fired it up. I noticed that for such a large engine – it didn’t make a lot of noise. I guess that super sized silencer must be doing it’s job.

For the first couple of months, I had taken the 1400 on a few rides, including a run down to Byron for lunch (although we made such good time it ended up being breakfast). On each ride this bike impressed me. The upright sitting position, well padded seat and high, wide handlebars made for comfortable riding, regardless of the distance. I was able to keep up with the others most of the time, although once the needle approached double the recommended speed for open roads, I found it a struggle to fight the wind from blowing me off the bike. After I became accustom to the unique handling characteristics of the 1400, I found it quite easy to maintain speeds comparative to my GSXR600 through the sweepers. It is only when the twisties tightened up that I found the lower foot pegs on the 1400 forced me to back off a bit.


The real test was yet to come though. In October, some friends and myself set off for Phillip Island to watch the MotoGP. This wasn’t to be a two day boring trip down the highway, No, no, no, no. This was four days of exploring the best motorcycle roads this country has to offer. I added a Ventura rack and a small screen (primarily to protect the chrome gauges) for the trip. Loaded up with an additional 25kg of luggage over the back wheel, I found that I still had no need to change the fully adjustable suspension from the factory settings. Each day we would travel more than 600 kilometers, along varied road surfaces, over tight mountain roads and open highways, and just about everything in between. The big GSX ate it all up. Fuel economy was impressive as well, during one stint I got 350Ks out of the 22 litre fuel tank (not bad for a 1400cc motor). Another plus is the fact that I could safely use 91 octane fuel, which meant that while my mates were lined up for the premium fuel– I could just roll up to one of the available regular unleaded bowsers. During long stints on the bike I even acknowledged the value of those little extras like the rubber mounted foot pegs. That small screen did more than just protect the gauges too. I found that I was now able to cruise at warp speed for long periods of time without that severe wind blast. I did notice though that after the screen was fitted, I now get a wobble in the steering when I take my hands off the handlebars. This hasn’t caused enough concern for me to remove the screen though. I am glad I had this bike for this trip. It lived up to and surpassed my expectations.


Although I tend to avoid using this bike for commuting (due to the fact that the air cooled motor can get quite hot sitting in traffic) I found it easy for lane splitting. The mirrors sit higher than most car mirrors and the excellent turning circle make tight maneuvers a breeze. Also launching from the lights is an absolute rush with all that torque.

Having owned this motorcycle now for eight months I must say I am still very pleased with my purchase. It cost less than 13 grand and offers so much. Below is a summary of the pluses and minuses that I have discovered.

Plus
Comfort - Plush seat, high handlebars, rubber mounted foot pegs.
Power / Torque - This might not have the power of the litre sports bikes but its power is spread across the rev range. In top gear at 100k/hr this machine purrs along at 2900 rpm. Just twist the throttle and feel that torque.
Handling – Handles well, just hold the handlebars firmly to keep control.
Suspension – Fully adjustable, although I am yet to find an excuse to adjust them.
Brakes – Massive disks with 6 piston calipers. Stops very well for a bike of this size.
Fuel – Will take 91 octane fuel. Good if you are out where premium is unavailable. Good economy as well.
Fuel gauge – Yep it has one.
Hazard lights – Good for hazardous situations.
Engine immobiliser – Comes standard.
Maintenance – Everything accessible. Center stand helps.
Appearance – Comes down to personal taste. I like it.
Price – Less than 13 grand. What else can you get for this amount of money that gives you all of the above?

Minus
Wind buffeting – Only a real problem at extreme speeds and a screen will reduce this.
Tyre wear – Don’t expect more than 8000Ks from the rear.
Oil cooler protector – It doesn’t have one. What can you expect for the money though.
Chain – I would have preferred shaft. I would imagine with all that torque I wont be getting great mileage out of the chain.
Noise – It’s just too damn quite.
Cleaning – Requires much more time and effort than the sports bike.