Anyone with knowledge on GS100S Suzukis?

[MikeH1A]

This little baby has been listed locally. Not many pop up in this neck of the woods and some that do are GS1000 bikes painted to look sharp in the S colours. Does anyone know much about the "S" bikes and what distinguishes them from their more "mundane" sisters? Any info available anywhere on production run numbers and frame/engine numbers?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =509421598" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does this look to be what he is describing it as?

Thanks, Mike

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Hello Mike, this information was taken from Jarmos Suzuki website on the 1000s model.
Ive also included some photos below of what the bike should look like. Some had mirrors on the fairing, while this one has them mounted on the controls. Pay special attention to the gauge pod as it was specific to the S model.


A letter ”S” after a Suzuki model name normally means that the engineers have basically mounted a cockpit (bikini) fairing to the bike to make it (look) more sporty. That's even the case with the GS1000S. I believe it was the first standard Suzuki sold with a fairing.

GS1000S was based on the GS1000E but didn't have its pneumatic rear suspension. The fairing gained the bike's weight with 5 kg (11 lbs) and included a clock and oil temperature gauge on the instrument panel. The rear wheel diameter was increased from 17 to 18 inches on the S model.

Apparently the German version of the GS1000S did have the pneumatic rear suspension and had a 17-inch rear wheel. Slightly different bikes were sold in different parts of the world.

The GS1000S is also known as the Wes Cooley replica. The GS series worked well on the track, too, Wes Cooley and Yoshimura winning the young AMA Superbike Championship for Suzuki in the late seventies. The Suzuki GS1000S actually homologated the fairing for race use in the AMA Superbike class. It was very fast bike, being one of the absolute fastest motorcycles in the world. In today's standards, the model was a suicide machine with poor high speed stability but back in 1979 it handled as well as its competitors.

The beautiful GS1000S was manufactured under two years, 1980 being the last model year for the GS1000S. Then the GSX1100S Katana took its place being the fastest and sportiest Suzuki motorcycle. Apparently the nickname ”Wes Cooley replica” came some time after the model was released and the model was never officially known as the Wes Cooley replica by Suzuki. Apparently the GS1000S started being called that after Kawasaki released their Eddie Lawson replica years later (source: Daniel Kaplan, USA).

The GS1000S was available in color combinations Blue/White and Red/White.

'79 GS-1000 S Wes CooleySuzuki GS1000S 1979
a.k.a. Wes Cooley replica
Overall Length: 2 220 mm (87.4 in)
Overall Width: 775 mm (30.5 in)
Overall Height: 1 250 mm (49.2 in)
Wheelbase: 1 505 mm (59.3 in)
Dry Weight: 238 kg (524 lbs)
Engine type: Air-cooled 997 cc inline-4, DOHC, 8 valves. 90 ps (66 kW)/ 8.200 rpm, 78 Nm (8,5 kg-m)/ 6.500 rpm.



'79 GS1000SSuzuki GS 1000 S 1979
a.k.a. Wes Cooley replica
Overall Length: 2 220 mm (87.4 in)
Overall Width: 775 mm (30.5 in)
Overall Height: 1 250 mm (49.2 in)
Wheelbase: 1 505 mm (59.3 in)
Dry Weight: 238 kg (524 lbs)
Engine type: Air-cooled 997 cc inline-4, DOHC, 8 valves. 90 ps (66 kW)/ 8.200 rpm, 78 Nm (8,5 kg-m)/ 6.500 rpm.

[MikeH1A]

Hi Allan,

Thanks for the info and the pics. The bike in question is heading towards $NZ 7,000 at the moment. This isn't a silly price down here for something like this. The guy says he's owned it for 21 years. Obviously some work to do on her but - they don't come up too often down here.

Not sure the wife would appreciate me bringing her home, so I may have to wait a bit longer for one of these. I do like the look of them though - sorta big and muscular.

Mike

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Hi Mike, you don't have to convince me its a nice bike, I like them too but I've also got enough bikes on my "bike plate" right now.
I like red a bit more than blue as a first choice but in this case I find the blue to be more striking and makes the bike look as you said 'big and muscular' With the little fairing and colour schemes etc its definitely a bike you will always remember once you've seen it.

[Craig380]

Even nicer with a stepped seat, rearsets and a Yoshi pipe