One Owner 1978 Suzuki GS1000 Superbike

[@thorerik678]

I just moved to the Vancouver WA area and am restoring my 78 GS1000. Mine has the black tank and tail piece

[@alanreilly9056]

Dear Sir please note I live in Australia and am now 65 years old and very early 1980 I also purchased a Suzuki GS1000, chain drive model and it was all black in colour. Overall, ( like you mentioned ) it was the best handling bike I ever owned I once rode the Suzuki GS1000 from Sydney to Cairns ( the top of Queensland ) for a holiday, some 2500klms one way, it took me three days to ride there and then another 2500klms back home that was when I was younger and could ride long distances, but not anymore! Ride safe

[@marklaramie7393]

Beautiful, simply beautiful, I bought new in 1978, the GS 750, thanks again Mike for posting

[@edwinthompson159]

I like when people have owned and ridden their bikes for decades, it carries their life stories with it. Very nice bike and history.

[@speedtriplerider7853]

It's a cold, wet and windy Sunday here in Manchester (hey what's new) so my Speed Triple is staying in the garage but who cares as this video has really brightened my day up. I was a Suzuki fan boy (strokers) in the 70s and when these hit the market I very nearly bought one but a new-born baby swayed me in the direction of financial caution. So, listening to Todd's tale of his bike brought back some very bittersweet memories for me. I must say Mike all your mates seem like really nice, calm and dedicated bikers, proper bikers if you know what I mean. Yep, feel very uplifted after watching. BTW mate me and the missus are off to Scarborough (Primrose Valley) next weekend but sadly not on the bike. Take care and keep up the great work.

[@geoffgreenhalgh3553]

I'm from Stockport (it rains here a lot also). My mate bought one new when they 1st came out. Sadly he is no longer with us.

[@budlistar5312]

As I am in your same age group I think these bikes just LOOK like a motorcycle should. Not like the high ass wheel out by itself bikes of today. Not that I’m judging todays bikes because evidently that’s what the young guys want, it’s just an age thing I guess. Love your videos.

[@wlingrell]

It might be just me but I find these old bikes look so much better than the new bikes. Love these machines. Those were the days. Still love my 1986 1200 Goldwing Aspencade.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks a lot Wayne! Cheers, Mike

[@johndorber6877]

I had a new 1980 GS1000S years ago and it was the perfect bike. It handled like a dream, was not too thirsty, great breaks, really comfortable and tight suspension and a seat that was as comfortable as a good armchair. A drunk ran up my back early one Saturday morning and it took me about three years to trade and save my way back up to the 1 litre class bikes whilst still paying off the finance company. I've always loved that model though.

[@adep6189]

Can you remember what your Gs1000S cost you brand new in 1980 .? Regards

[@johndorber6877]

3600 Australian Dollars on the road@@adep6189

[@philsince59]

Love it man! Thanks for the great video! I bought a brand new 1983 gs1100e in 1986. There were still new old stock '82s and 83s available at my local shop in Costa Mesa California at that time. Funny considering the supply chain problems now where you can't even get a bike. I loved that red 83 gs1100 and still think it's one of the greatest bikes ever. I forget if it was motorcyclist or cycle world magazine that named it superbike of the year that year. I was 27 then and 63 now, and I've had a lot of bikes before and after that one but that was my dream bike. Should have kept it - just like those Hot Wheels , GI Joe's , Schwinn Stingray and 63 VW 27 window ragtop bus. Oh the pain! LOL.

[@larrys.3992]

80,000 plus miles = allot of memories! Todd has one nice machine.

[@Jack908r]

I had picked up an 81 gsx1100 square headlight model in Australia years ago. Had gone around the clock once. Ride that bike everywhere (lived in Australia at the time). Dead reliable, great fun, and comfortable. Was heavy though. Sold it eventually. But yeah great bike.

[@jimh.5286]

I had a new 1978 Honda CB750K...then a friend offered a ride on his new Suzuki GS1000 - wow. I was shocked at how superior it was - more responsive, better handling, more comfortable, smoother. Years later my brother-in-law wanted to buy a bike and asked me if I could find one for him. I found a mechanically-sound, but cosmetically-rough 1982 Suzuki GS1100G (basically the same as the GS1000) for him. But when I rode this GS...I bought it and sold my brother-in-law my pristine Honda! I still have the Suzuki, fully restored. Great bike!

[@nickrider5220]

A great tale of ownership and a brilliant bike to have kept. As a kid I remember seeing a guy on a gs1000e pick up someone after school, I watched it in awe ! I really want to buy a big Suzuki gs, the bike that was my first motorcycle pin up 😎

[@MrSoundsandVision]

Todd! What a nice fellow to listen to! Love his stories!

[@geraldchristensen2826]

I bought mine new in Arvada Colorado in the fall of '77, sight unseen. The deal I made was that it would be the display model until its replacement arrived. Poor thing did manage to collect a belt buckle scar. I think I brought it home soon after Christmas. I rode it everyday the first year, rain, blizzard, no difference to me (I had a red white and blue snowmobile suit). I have all the magazine reviews. I've always been a Suzuki fanboy, thank you Roger Decoster! The bullet proof roller bearing bottom end is a direct descendant of the two stroke designs. She currently waits in my storage unit for another rebuild V 5.1?)... I still have, and will use again, the seat made for me ages ago, but will get new foam. I'm going back to original spoke hubs and will lace up modern tire size rims, and a very early GSXR front end, with the triple clamps made ages ago to my drawings. I use the tank and swing arm from the GS 1100 series, super bike bars and a very old set of rear sets that have been on the bike nearly since new (Raaschke?). I need to rebuild the ancient Fox Shox, and do an engine transplant, and on and on and on. There's been quite a few GS bikes that have rolled through my life, but this one has stuck like glue. I'm 67 going on 14, I run a very small Moto/Bicycle shop as a retirement hobby, The current stable includes a Canondale MX 440, a wire spoke Gold Wing (in progress), an RSV Aprilia, A '01 Ducati 900 SS, '84 Yamaha FJ (Targa), A GS 1150, etc. I love this channel (ages ago I accumulated about a dozen R.E. 750 interceptors, and am a BSA nut as well, my youngest brother is the current caretaker of the '68 Interceptor) so I like seeing the bikes that visit the cul de sac. THANKS

[@brianmilthorp6690]

I had a '78 as well and it was amazing. Tons of power and a great handler. Probably the best U.J.M. of its time.

[@larylongprong]

Sweet as, A mate had a GS1000 back in the early 80's used to do a 160K run up north doing over 200 Kph two up most of the way!

[@dgordon130]

Excellent episode Mike and thank you! A lot of really cool Japanese classics out there. Love that you include them too!

[@steveharvey4036]

Memories of my 1980 GSX1100 - remember thinking 'what no kick start! what if the battery fails'. Still think a kick should be an option, nothing like the feeling when they fire under your boot. (think it's called relief) ha. Thanks boys.

[@practicalplinking6133]

A co-worker (salesman) at the time said it was able to break the speed limit in every gear !!

[@sterlingfury]

I had three of these...very nice

[@MrAndrew1953]

I had a GS1000 in 1979 - very good bikes.

[@SherKhan-b1kes]

Great presentation and congratulations to Todd. I owned a Gs1000S for 10 years and did all the work myself. When I sold it to buy an adventure bike she had done something like roughly 360,000Km’s. The clutch seemed the Achilles heel. Also had the same Alu swing-arm that came from the Gsx1100E, made a positive difference. Thanks for your reviews 😉

[@TheMightyGarage]

Many thanks for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed the video. It was great to hear about Todd’s bike. Best wishes, Mike

[@anthonycarty9433]

One of the few bikes visiting the cul de sac that the neighbours didn't hear . 😁 A very nice bike indeed with sensible , it gets ridden upgrades . Thanks for posting .

[@bsimpson6204]

Mate of mine bought one when they very first came out, we could not belive it when he showed up at the pub on it, it was a monster!!

[@victorkent768]

Hi just seeing what's on tube these days about GS1000 I have a 1981 S the blue one since 1982 so a while ,Shane it's been of the road for 8 years but had it running last week hope to be out riding before the end of march 2024. Mines has a lot of patina to like Todd's OMG my tank is proper knackered left I bit of petrol in got some new pin holes to sort out. I will have a look at your other vlogs

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks a lot Victor. I hope you enjoy the videos and I’m hoping to have some more visitors out to the cul-de-sac this year!

[@Doug19651983]

Love that bike, original owner bikes are my favorite. Todd is a great guy as well. Thanks Mike.

[@mikebuchholz2054]

Great bike I miss my 78 Black GS 1000 EC bought it in 79 with 1400 miles for 2500 proceeded to build the he'll out of it Great wheelies bike, now that I'm 62 I wish I could find another which I did but 10k is a little to much for memories. I like that you left the stock exhaust on it, I still have mine in my attic but I think I'll hold on to it, now I ride my Busa 2002 and 2011 concours Kawasaki but they both fell big now especially the Concours just bought the lowering adjustable stand and struts for it because with the 31 inch seat height I'm tippy towing on it 28 length pants but 6 speeds are nice on interstate anyway your a lucky man to still have yours Best of luck and enjoy it until your son has the privilege to get it Great Video ! Mike

[@josephrz6230]

Beautiful bike. I had a 1978 GS1000E that was black & white. I bought it new as a leftover in October 1978. I traded in a 1976 Honda CB750F for it, and the GS was a world of difference. The new GS handled way better and was much faster. I once swapped rides with a guy that had a Honda CBX and he was amazed at how much faster and better handling the GS1000 was. I know that GS1000 could have eaten that CBX for breakfast.

[@DarR1299]

I owned one of those as well. Wire wheels and single front disc brake which I hated. Although handling was better than its peers of that era, it sucked and plagued with tank slapping high speed wobble north of 100mph. Air suspension forks were very hard to tune. Ignition timing were points which I changed for electronic ignition. On the plus side, the engine and the intact velocity sound was awesome.

[@michaelarchangel1163]

A pal of mine has a nosecone faired GS1000 S model in blue and white. Best regards from Wales.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks a lot Michael for your note. I appreciate it. Cheers, Mike

[@flyingmerkel6]

I had a 1980 GS1000G. Great bike. Mine was worn and beat up. Still just a great bike to get on the open road and cruise.

[@daveb1268]

Great to see another old GS thou going strong; they are brilliant, do it all motorcycles. I bought my blue & white 'S' model in 1982 with only 500 miles on the clock - I still have it; 24,000 miles, original / unrestored & still running brilliantly, still on points ignition too ! In the UK, the 'E' models (78 / 79) had the fluted tanks, 26mm slide carbs and cast wheels with solid twin front discs as standard. I remember the magazine ads for it: 'the lightweight heavyweight ' ( ha ha !). The UK market S model for 1979/80 came in either blue & white or red & white with 28mm slide carbs & solid discs - we never called them Wes Cooley replicas back then... they were nicknamed 'ice cream vans'.... The G model was shaft drive with CV carbs - a fast lorry of a bike. Probably the most comfy seat ever seen on a motorcycle... Thanks again Mike 👍

[@bferguson9277]

Quite an era when that bike came out. Nice example there and an interesting story, too.

[@donparker1823]

Great to see this bike and hear his story. I also met my wife when all I had for transportation was a 1971 Honda CB750. Good memory. I have a 2021 KTM 790 Adventure now, which she will pretty much not ride with me on some 45 years later.

[@davidwillis5016]

Thanks

[@tadpoles10]

On my second cup of tea this morning .. 😂 Thanks to Tod for sharing his story behind the bike, it's very quiet for a 'big bike'. atvb t ..

[@trevor8419]

These reviews are great. If I ever get out to the other side of the country I’d love to stop by on my SR!

[@davidlake4826]

Brilliant, Brilliant. A survivor in original hands from new. Right up my street. Thank you. Please carry on with the great content. 👍

[@mldiode]

The Days when Suzuki was a strong brand. Love the two into one upswept pipes. I can so relate being an original owner of a 70’s Japanese motorcycle. So many memories. Miles of smiles. Today I rode around 130 miles. Some in a light rain. Actually some welcome cooler weather here in Central Florida. Thanks for sharing…

[@30smsuperstrat]

Great bike! I hope suzuki gets back to being innovating soon.

[@bobwampler3387]

OMG! This brings back some memories. My first bike was a new 1974 Suzuki GT380 that I had a few years before selling it for college money. My first new mode of transportation out of college was a new 1980 Suzuki GS750, which is very similar. Good times.👍

[@rover100bunson]

i had one, solid machine

[@DutchVanHelsing]

Top Man...whatta a Guy !

[@Xanty55]

I remember that I drove the first time a GS 1000 in 1979 on a German Autobahn. As a young guy I was familiar with full throttle but not with 1000cc. The bike had at high speeds its own behaviour, to say it with friendly words. I had great respect for the winding roads at the German "Schottenring" which I had the intention to discover for a hill race for my not street legal Yamaha XS 400. It is always great fun for me to watch your inspiring videos on sunday morning by coffee and cake. Therefore many thanks for your efforts and greetings to all the other watching motorbikers. Hans, on a relatively cold and rainy morning here in Bavaria, Germany.

[@raypusey8037]

Great Bike - Great History - Great Stories. Ray 🇬🇧

[@nautn]

Thanks Mike. Another vintage bike with a great story. Also it is nice to know the Bedroom Nortons are on their way to be back on the road. The GS 1000 sparked a memory of hanging out at Sears Point Raceway. In the open class, there were Z900s, GS1000s and a few BMW R100s. But the king of the track was "Jaws", a big bore Norton Commando.

[@felipedourado5721]

Please, let me know, why was Jaws the king? For the better handling over the Japanese and german bikes? Was it for the power? Was it for the combination of both? Or dit it have some special features? Thanks, ride safe (but fun), peace from Brazil. ✌

[@nautn]

@@felipedourado5721 Jaws was one part of the formula At the time, Sears Point was great for a bike like Jaws. Tight turns with a few straights. But the magic was the rider.

[@felipedourado5721]

@@nautn Oh, it sounds nice. I mean, a purpose buit steed for a special Knight. Such pride about that combination kept me wondering if his name was "Sir Bobby". 😉 Best regards from Brazil. ✌

[@TheDavey333]

Nice GS Thou’, well done Tod for keeping the survivor going 👍 2 vids in 2 todays, your spoiling us Mike 😄

[@henryhawk978]

Enjoyed the video Mike. The Suzuki is a really nice bike Can't blame your friend for wanting to keep it. RIDE SAFE!

[@davidpettinger6350]

Hi Mike, love the big old Suzi's. Missed out on the 1000 but had GSX 1100 and Katana.

[@splodge5714]

Great bike, nice to see a Japanese classic in the cul-de-sac. Best of the UJM, mine had the cast wheels.

[@manfredmatzdorf4728]

Hey, Mike, great bike and nice story! Greetings Manfred

[@KelapaLima]

Nice video and great overview. Had a 1983 katana 1000, and then a 1979 gs1000s back in the day. Fabulous engine. GS1000 is on my re-accumulation list!

[@andikarkalake3750]

Sehr schöne Maschine🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@terminalfrost3358]

In the process of building 2 GS 750's. One is actually being built as a 710... 750 frame/1000 engine. I've ridden it around but it's back apart for finish fab/final build. Nice bike in the video. Healthy sound!!! Couldn't tell if the carbs were stock or not? Is he running the VM26's ?

[@hdevo80]

Great bike!

[@paulscountry456]

Those were better and faster than the big KZs even the Z1R and I road both, I worked at a Kaw dealership and rode all those bikes and the GS 1000 just felt so much sportier and better handling was there with huge aftermarket at the time.

[@haydanvalley]

Great story Todd and good to put a friendly face to the name from GS Resources. I did a bunch of work on my 1977 GS750 two years ago but it only lasted as a short fix. I hope to give it another shot in a year or two when I retire and have more time.

[@guylr7390]

Great old survivor and a dedicated owner. The first Japanese street bike I recall coming with alloy spoked rims however was the 1974 Yamaha TX650. Let me know if there is an earlier one.

[@michaelmathews295]

The Yamaha 650 twins had Akront copy aluminum rims on their spoke wheeled bikes in the early 70's.

[@kennypool]

Great bike, thanks for the video.

[@54macdog]

Ok, it's a UJM but these are fantastic bikes. Superb choice. Love seventies bikes.

[@practicalplinking6133]

UJM= a commie journalist's term !!

[@geraldscott4302]

I bought a beautiful almost like new Yamaha XS1100 Special back around 1985. I don't remember the exact mileage but it was somewhere around 5000. I kept that bike for 9 years, and ran the mileage up to around 89,000. Not a single problem. The don't build bikes the way they used to. The late '70s/early '80s was the heyday for Japanese bikes. Todays computercycles are basically just trash. That Suzuki is absolutely beautiful.

[@billrbca]

While I still have my 71 T120 - Suzuki GS's were 'great' bikes as well...I had a GS850G...

[@practicalplinking6133]

The first American Suzuki Katana was a 1000cc !! Did the kid across the street with the kick-n-go ever want to race ya ??

[@anonw3829]

I had a Z1 and got smoked by a much better handling '78 GS1000...I traded to a GS a few months after getting embarrassed. The GS handled incredibly well. Braked better and was just as fast as the Z1!

[@dionmoore879]

Better & better content. Cheers

[@Kevin-cy9cv]

I agree, a bike project is like 125 projects!

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks to Todd. "It's a Keeper"!

[@ampini212]

I bought a '79 that looks just like the one in the video. Wire soles and all. I've had about 7 or 8 years now. I've had many issues through the years but that's from tinkering and not knowing exactly what I was doing in the past. It has a whooping 13,274 original miles on it. Not as pretty as yours though. Can't seem to bring myself to get rid of it so I bought a '78 1000L to supplement parts and possibly bob it. Time will see

[@geoffgreenhalgh3553]

Hi Mike, get him to check his rear sprocket , it looked chipped at 5.37 mins in.

[@azdaniazdani5298]

I see u from malaysia👍👍

[@williammiller1732]

I had one years ago had an 1230 kit in it has three disc gave 1800 bucks for it had it five years road bejesus out of it but 85009 miles on it sold it the other guy rode it three years and his son rides it now 300 thousand on it .mine had a kicker still

[@chuckhahn9279]

Is that the paint i sent you the mix code for? I cant remember if it was you or someone else on the GSR

[@wdhewson]

The Suzy is from the era when the Japanese where making the best possible motorcycles, and engineering trumped accounting.

[@mred7030]

ah those were the days .

[@Beanerds]

Beautiful motorcycle ! I always liked these but sadly way out of a 14 year old's budget

[@kjrutter17]

I have a 78 gs1000ec that's in need of total restoration tank is totally rotten really having a problem finding a decent one if anyone has any advise on where to try would be much appreciated I'm in the UK.

[@jerryandnancywertzbaugher7778]

😎

[@78a67h]

Interesting but for a classic you need a FACTORY STOCK bike.

[@ralphfoley4827]

The GS1000 was a good improvement over the Z900

[@michaelcase8574]

Spoked wheels and chrome fenders...probably never to be seen again.

[@N3RFTHIS]

Half as loud and twice as fast as any harley of the time and still faster than most

[@frankie1615]

BMW's didnt have kick starters & GUZZI's , nice bike but never the less