Alright so I finally got my hands on this 1982 Suzuki GS1100 last week, been hearing all kinds of things about these old UJM bikes. Guy I bought it from said it ran great back in the day, but man, sitting in a garage for ten years does weird stuff to machinery. Paid cash, dragged it home on a trailer – didn’t even wanna try starting it on the spot.
First Look & The Teardown
Got it into my garage, lights flickered when I hooked up a fresh battery. Not great. Started pulling stuff apart, just like I do with any old bike I rescue. Seat came off easy enough, tank was next. Drained that old gas – smelled awful, like varnish. Tank inside looked kinda rusty. Underneath, all the original rubber hoses? Rock hard. Crumbled when I touched ’em. Replaced every single hose before even thinking about fuel.
Carbs… Oh Boy, The Carbs.
Pulled the carb bank out. Mikuni BS34s. Four of ’em staring back at me. Float bowls were gunked up solid. Jets completely clogged with this weird greenish goo. Had to soak the whole thing in cleaner overnight, used fine wire to poke through every little passage. Rebuild kits cost me a pretty penny too. Took me two whole evenings just to get ’em somewhat clean. Syncing them later? Yeah, that’s gonna be its own special kind of headache.
Firing It Up (Finally!)
New plugs, fresh gas, crossed my fingers. Hit the starter… nada. Just cranked. Checked spark – weak on cylinder 2 and 4. Those old ignition coils? Suspect. Swapped ’em out for some known good ones from my parts bin. Tried again. Coughed, sputtered, belched a cloud of white smoke (probably all that cleaner burning off!), and then… VROOM! Settled into this lumpy idle. Loud. That factory 4-into-1 pipe has zero baffle left inside. Sounds angry. Needs mufflers.
Taking Her For a Shake Down
Brakes felt wooden. Master cylinder rebuild kit time. Fluid looked like mud. Got the front calipers freed up, pads still had meat. Rear drum needed adjustment. Rode it around the block, handling felt solid, planted. But damn, this thing is BIG. Heavy. Steering is slow, like steering a ship compared to my modern bikes. Engine though? Man, even at half-throttle, you feel that torque. Pulls hard. But it vibrates, especially through the bars at certain RPMs. Not buzzy, more like a deep thrum.
Ownership Reality Check
Been living with it a few days now. Here’s the deal, straight up:
- GOOD: Engine is a beast. Smooth power delivery once you’re rolling, tons of grunt. Feels unstressed cruising. Frame feels solid, decent brakes for the era once sorted. Classic looks turn heads everywhere. Surprisingly comfy seat for long highway stints.
- BAD: Heavy! Feels top-heavy maneuvering. Thirsty as hell. Carbs are nightmares. Electrical system needs constant TLC. Finding replacement parts isn’t always easy or cheap. Suspension is basic – soft and wallowy. Vibration wears you down after an hour.
Would I Keep It?
Honestly? Probably not long term. Fun project? Absolutely. Massive cheap power? Yep. Great for short blasts? Sure. But as an everyday bike or even a regular weekend rider? Nah. She’s a demanding old lady. Needs constant attention, drinks fuel, and makes you work hard in the twisties. Felt amazing getting it running right, dodged a bullet finding that ignition coil issue. But today? Some young guy came by, eyes wide, cash in hand, talking about his dad owning one back in the day. Sold it to him on the spot. Sometimes the thrill is in the rescue, not the keeping. Dodged a long-term commitment bullet there.
