From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 66 – first published in 2017.
Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Sue Scaysbrook
Short-lived it may have been, but the GS1000S remains one of the standout motorcycles of the ‘seventies.
When Suzuki finally joined the four stroke multi club with the excellent GS750B in 1976, it had the lightest, best-performing 750 on the market. But in those heady times, the horsepower race was well and truly on, with a seemingly never-ending string of models flowing from the Japanese Big Four, each one slightly faster and/or more powerful than the last. Kawasaki had the Z1000, Yamaha the XS11, and Honda, eventually, the DOHC CB750 and 900. Given the success of the GS750, in that the model had no major problems or shortcomings, it was a comparatively simple step to join the 1-litre ranks, which Suzuki achieved by the simple expedient of lengthening the GS750’s short stroke from 56.4mm to 70mm to increase the capacity from 748cc to 997cc. The robust bottom end remained basically the same, and remarkably, the GS1000 engine was lighter than the 750 engine.
The new offering did the rounds of the expos and shows in late 1977, to wide enthusiasm, and went on sale in February 1978. Power output varied from country to country but was variously quoted as being 90-100 hp. The two-valves per cylinder GS1000 had a relatively short life, being replaced with the four-valve GSX models in 1980, but they were very good sellers and enjoyed more than their fair share of competition success. In the USA, Wes Cooley captured consecutive AMA Superbike Championships in 1979-1980 aboard the Yoshimura GS1000, and won the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hour Race twice, riding with Mike Baldwin (1978) and Graeme Crosby (1980).
As a celebration of this success, Suzuki brought out what quickly, but unofficially, became referred to as the Wes Cooley Replica – officially the GS1000S. Although identical to the standard model engine-wise, the S sported a bikini fairing – the first production Suzuki to do so. The fairing itself added 5 kg to the model and contained a clock and an oil temperature gauge as well as the standard speedo and tacho. Whether the fairing offered any aerodynamic benefits is open to question, but it certainly was distinctive looking and popular. Two colour schemes were offered; blue/white and red/white. As with the state of tune, specifications varied slightly in international markets. Some markets (Germany and Australia to name two) received the model fitted with a 17 inch rear wheel, which was standardised to 18 inch from the 1980 model run. The 1979 model sold in Australia as the ST reportedly was more powerful than the subsequent SN of 1980, and used 28mm carbs. In 1980, the dashboard was altered to include a fuel gauge, 30mm carbs and higher-lift camshafts with more overlap, resulting in a wider spread of power. Although visually identical, the 1980 model did have numerous detail changes. These included CV carbs and transistorised ignition, redesigned brake calipers and discs, revised and slightly rear-set footrests and shorter megaphone-style mufflers.
Having restored a basket-case GS750B and clocked up quite a few miles on the rebuild, I am fairly familiar with the feel and foibles of the GS range. And familiar is probably the most apt word to describe the feeling upon settling onto the seat of the GS1000S proffered by Steve Leembruggen, owner of Sydney-based Old Gold Motorcycles. Steve is a big, big fan of this model. “When I was young and had no money, I owned one of these and I commuted daily from my home in Sydney’s outer west to Hornsby in the north, where I worked for Procycles,” says Steve, nearly 30 years later. “I put 160,000 km on that bike – which included going away with my wife Pam for our honeymoon – and it never missed a beat. When I reluctantly sold it, the new owner put another 60,000 on it with no problems at all, before he sold it. It’s probably still out there, plugging around – these are fantastically rugged motorcycles, and fast too.” Literally hundreds of motorcycles pass through Old Gold on their way to new homes, but when the featured GS1000S appeared Steve stepped in immediately. “Whoa, this one’s a keeper”, he declared. “It’s in wonderful original condition and rides beautifully.” Handing me the keys, I decided to find out what he was so excited about.
All that had been done to the S since its arrival at Old Gold was to fit new Pirelli tyres, give it an oil change and a once-over, and fit a new battery. Not that this was a perfunctory exercise, because these bikes are bullet proof and need minimal maintenance. Running my eye over the handsome blue and white GS, it was easy to see that this is a mighty original and obviously well cared for machine. The original Suzuki mufflers are good looking jiggers, with their long slow tapered megaphone style, just like the Dunstall pipes of the previous decade that were all the rage with the café set. The cockpit provides a neat view, which today seems a bit vintage, but that’s because it is. The fascia is wrinkle-finish black plastic, with a pair of big instruments on each side and a stack of ‘idiot lights’ up the centre, crowned by turn signal indicators. This latter set of amber lights is actually very handy, because the indicators turn themselves off after ten seconds, whether you’ve executed your turn or not. Up top, near the dark-tinted screen, sits a fuel gauge (reasonably novel for the day and not all that accurate), a clock of the tick-tock non-digital variety, and an oil temperature gauge.
It’s odd how the memory works, because back in the day, when I rode the odd GS1000, they seemed like absolute catapults when it came to acceleration; now it just seems reasonably quick. I suppose that’s because back then I was usually wringing the neck of the poor thing around Amaroo Park, where as today it’s just a brisk squirt on ordinary roads. But that lusty urge is still there; stacks of mid-range grunt that means you don’t need to go near the upper end of the rev range in this situation.
It was time to seek out a few curves, and instantly, you’re reminded of just how well this machine handles. It’s the same observation made by Wes Cooley when he switched from his KZ1000 Kawasaki in 1978, onto the new Suzuki. Cooley was heard to remark that there was little to choose in the power department, but the Suzuki was streets ahead in handling. That was also true of its predecessor, the GS750, which set new standards in this department thanks to its superbly executed, full cradle frame, with the swinging arm pivoting in needle roller bearings, which has been carried over to the one-litre model with very few changes. This is just as well, because there’s precious little to fiddle with in the suspension department. The rear shocks have no damping adjustment, only five settings for spring tensioning, while the front forks have air caps that are pretty fiddly to set. But even in as-received state, with no fiddling in the workshop, the GS goes around corners like few other Japanese ‘superbikes’ – the new Pirelli hoops assisting greatly in the glued-to-the-road feel. And even though the brakes look fairly pedestrian – just plain, un-drilled 275mm discs with single pot calipers – they certainly do their job.
Given the specification, the GS1000S should have been lapped up by local (Australian and New Zealand) Production racers of the time, but it wasn’t, for several reasons. Firstly, it wasn’t released for the 1978 round of events that culminated in the Castrol Six Hour races on both sides of the Tasman. For those events, Suzuki punters were armed with the ‘standard’ GS1000E, which in local form came with cast alloy wheels shod with a 17 inch rear tyre. This big fat hoop was found, in the lead-up races, to overheat due to sidewall flexing, and subsequently fry the tread. Via a bit of skulduggery, a solution was found in the official parts catalogue, which listed the Canadian model with wire wheels front and rear which were lighter and importantly, fitted with an 18 inch rear tyre. In a flash, the Canadian model was adopted with open arms by the Australian/NZ importers, and twenty sets of wire wheels were air-freighted into Sydney in time for the 1978 Six Hour. After the early demise of the Crosby/Hatton Honda CBX, which had taken pole by nearly half a second but lasted only a handful of laps in the race before being mysteriously retired, the wire-wheeled GS1000 of Alan Hales/Neil Chivas swept into the lead and stayed there until half distance, when Hales uncharacteristically threw the model down the road and out of the race.
One year later, the same duo kept their noses clean to win on what was basically the same bike – the new four-valve GSX1100 Suzuki having not yet sold in sufficient numbers to be eligible for the race. Once the new GSX (in both 750 and 1100 form) came on stream, the two-valvers were seen as obsolete, which in actual fact they were not. But in the eye of the fickle buying public, more (valves) meant more grunt, power, kudos; there was no turning back. The 1979 Castrol Six Hour Race however, marked possibly the only local race start for the GS1000S, a single entry being placed by Suzuki Tasmania and ridden by Rob Scolyer and Craig Bye. Scolyer qualified the GS a respectable 14th with a 59.0 second lap, 1.3 seconds behind pole man Dennis Neill’s Honda CB900F. The Tasmania duo came home in 19th place on 344 laps after losing 5 minutes resetting the points around half distance.
So the short-lived GS1000S saw scant race action, and little publicity. It consequently sold in fairly low numbers, at least in Australasia, which makes it a rare bird today, particularly in original and unmolested form, as this one is. And this time around, Steve Leembruggen is adamant that the S, “ain’t going nowhere! I made that mistake once, but not again!” he says with some conviction.
Specifications: 1979 Suzuki GS 1000 S
a.k.a. Wes Cooley replica
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.
Transmission: Helical gear primary drive, five speed gearbox with chain final drive.
Carbs: 4 x 28mm VM Mikuni.
Frame: Tubular steel duplex.
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)
Tyres: Front: 100/90 x 19. Rear: 130/80 x 18.
Brakes: Front: 2 x 275mm steel discs with single piston calipers. Rear: 1 x 275mm disc with single piston caliper.
Fuel capacity: 19 litres.
Top speed: 210 km/h (130 mph)
