This was Suzuki's entry into the short-lived turbo era. Everyone but Kawasaki missed the point, we don't want small turbocharged bikes that could run with the big bikes, we wanted big turbo'ed bikes that were insane!
The owner of this one had a theory that Suzuki put out the advanced fuel injected turbo-ed bike as a test program for the small car engines that came in the nineties. Only about 1100 were made, apparently 350 came to the US, no idea how many came to Canada, but Suzuki seemed to put a minimum number of 200 for any model. Who knows?
Our local dealer had the demo model in for a dealer show. Someone had to ask, "Does it run?" Well, it did and we got a chance to try it out. It needed some experience to use it effectively, the turbo took a long time to spool up. I want one.
What is the thing's displacement, Mr G? 550, 650cc?
ReplyDeleteTedious but true, with sincere apologies for being a garrulous geriatric braggart:
After he whipped past my mild-mannered* '76 BMW, ducked back in my lane, and slowed us both down to the legal limit, I whupped the Mickey Mouse lederhosen off a fellow on a Honda CX500 Turbo. More precisely, I went a lot faster than he did on an only moderately twisty California road. He'd come close on the straights but fall way back on the corners (although I noticed he was hanging one doughy white buttock way, way off the inside, as per the AMA Superbike champions of the time, while his bike was maybe 15° off vertical).
A few minutes after he'd disappeared behind me I was sitting at a traffic light. Here he comes, up beside me, and he bellows:
"You can't ride like that! This is AMERICA!"
Thirty years hence, I'm still waiting for the perfect crushing rejoinder to come to mind.
* 120psi in the right cylinder, 85 in the left, 75,000 miles on the whole shebang with never a top end refresh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZQlsVMN77Y
ReplyDelete1:17 / 1:41:36
Börde Klassik, Oschersleben 2023 – klassischer Motorradrennsport in Deutschland
imagine the miles of metal flake that could be painted on that thing.
ReplyDeleteRats, What can you say to something as inane as that? I certainly can't come up with a reply. The XN85 was 650cc.
ReplyDeleteMarshall, no comment on the ultra kitschy mirrored Turbo text?
ReplyDeleteMeester G, if you look up in the rear view mirror don't pretend you didn't know you were about to get blown away.
ReplyDelete