Suzuki Pe175
SUZUKI PE175
CYCLE WORLD TEST
A Lightweight Six-Speed Enduro That is Already Winning
We tested the first Suzuki PE250 in December 1976. We took it to Baja California and ran it for two days and one night, until we logged 1000 miles. We were impressed with the new' PE and predicted both smaller and larger displacement models. The smaller 175cc model is here.
The wait has been w'orth it.
The new' 175 may be the best small bore enduro bike presently available to the general public.
It would be only a little bit wrong to say Suzuki produced the PE 175 off the parts shelf. Like its big brother and its rival, the Yamaha IT 175, the smaller PE is a mixture, or maybe a descendant, of the motocross bikes: same basic frame and suspension, with revisions for lower speed and rougher ground, same basic engine as the 125 RM but increased in cc’s and tuned for more torque and less power within a wider rev band, and the same good gearbox with ratios juggled for engine and chassis and rider demands.
It has a sleek, uncluttered, business-like look. All necessary enduro items are furnished. but the fat has been left off. The odometer is a fine example. Right, odometer—not speedometer. Most riders find the standard speedo becomes mostly blur in enduro conditions and because the speed needle takes all the dial, the odo, that more useful gadget that measures how far you’ve traveled, is usually small.
Suzuki did the logical thing and replaced the speedometer with a giant odo only. The numbers are twice normal size and can be read w hile bouncing over rough ground. The reset knob is equally large, can be worked with gloved hand and clicks the dial forward and backward by lOths. As a clincher, the odo is tucked away behind the front number plate, for protection.
There is a flaw. The odometer only reads up to 99.9 miles. Some enduro loops—or point-to-point sections—are longer than 100 miles. Further, many enduro sanctioning groups post cumulative mileage at speed changes even when the event is broken up into several loops or sections. For that reason, riders often keep time on a cumulative mileage basis. In a long, close event, the 20 or 30 seconds a PE 175 rider might have to spend converting what the odo says into cumulative mileage could mean the difference between winning and losing.
A 5-in-1 combination wrench rides behind the right side of the front number plate. It slides into a bracket attached to the top triple clamp and a rubber band holds it in place. This mounting looks too simple and we were sure it would fall off. but it didn't. The big end of the w rench fits the rear axle, the 12mm box end fits the wheel adjuster, pipe bracket bolts, chain tensioner protector, handlebar clamps and triple clamps. A steel pin jutting from the 12mm box is used to pull the axles. At the > opposite end is a spark plug wrench and a box end that fits the front axle. Enduro riders have been building combination tools like this for years. Now' the PE has one stock. (Although this one tool wall fit many parts, the serious enduro rider will still carry others.)
The new PE’s 3-gallon gas tank is plastic and has been designed to keep the fuel as low as possible. It is fairly narrow' for such a large tank and not much of it extends above the frame’s backbone. To keep the weight low. the tank’s bottom is staggered; the left side is lower than the right. The right hand bottom is stepped, to allow' clearance for the pipe and also give maximum tank volume. The single petcock is located on the low side and has the lever pointed inward so brush and knees won’t shut it off. At the top is a large filler hole with a plastic cap and attached safety strap. The strap prevents dropping the cap and the generously sized filler hole makes it easy to see the fuel level while filling. This seems like the right approach to large tank design and helps make the 175 feel even lighter than its 228 lb.
Other color-impregnated plastic parts are the side number plates, headlight housing and fenders. The large front fender is the same fine design used on the latest Suzuki RMs and does an excellent job of proteçting the operator.
The rear fend|gf is wicfë and long, has an integral taillight, and a flat-ribbed "área between the seat back and rear frame loop. This flat spot makes it easy to attach a leather tool bag or spare tube. Both fenders have molded-in stiffening ribs, to keep them from bending and rubbing the tires when packed with mud.
The suspension is the same as the PE250, with rates adjusted for weight. The front forks are leading-axle jobs that allow over 9 in. of plush travel. Rubber gaiters keep mud out of the seals and help protect the stanchion tubes.
The rear features gas-charged KYB shocks in a cantilevered position. They have dual-rate springs and let the rear wheel move a distance almost equal to the front. They don’t have remote reservoirs and aren’t rebuildable. The bodies get cooling air through vents in the number plates, though, and no fade was noted during many hours of hard work. Spring rates are perfect for play riders of all weights and for intermediate riders up to 150 lbs. The “A” enduro men can easily swap shocks or springs from the accessory people or the PE250.
This fine suspension is connected to a solid single downtube frame much like an RM. It has a large backbone tube triangulated and gusseted at the steering head. Two small tubes go under the engine and curve up and forward where they attach to the backbone tube. The seat rail tubes connect close to the backbone and continue back to become the rear frame loop. A curved tube is hung below' this seat rail tube and has another tube that ties its middle to the main frame at the swing arm pivot. The swing arm is a steel, rectangular box design that Suzuki has used successfully on their production motocrossers.
Although the drive sprocket sits close to the swing arm pivot, a spring-loaded chain tensioner is still employed. To help protect the tensioner and rear sprocket, a bolt-on tubular steel guard is furnished—a nice touch appreciated in rocky areas.
The bike is delivered with side stand and brackets for a centerstand. Casual riders prefer the former and serious enduro entrants like the latter, for ease in changing tires quickly on the trail, so a centerstand is an option.
Tires are IRC rim-saver knobbies. Extended sidewalls protect the rims from rock-caused dents and from damage when the bike must be ridden on a flat, an important bonus for qualifier-type racers. The IRC tires gripped well in dirt and across rocks. Shoulderless aluminum rims are laced to strong hubs.
Braking was good, but not quite great. The rear unit has a nice lip to block water and dust from the drum, and while it isn’t completely waterproof it did seem to reduce loss of brake power immediately after water crossings. Brake torque is taken by the swing arm. unlike the full-floating system on the newest RMs. Didn’t seem to matter, though, as the suspension keeps the back wheel on the ground even with brake torque working against it. The front brake, housed in a nifty conical hub, also gets wet and also dries quickly with a couple applications.
The generous air cleaner lives in a large air box, serviced via a lid on the top. The lid didn’t make friends with us—its sharp edges gave one of our men a gashed finger while poking around for the filter.
At first glance the PE 175 engine seems to be an enlarged RM 125. Not so. More a result of the same design crew working on both projects. The clutch interchanges but cases, barrel and so forth are timed and sized for mid-range power and good pull through the rev range. Pointless ignition is fitted and the lighting coil has enough output to handle the stock lights and/or a modified system for night work.
The gearbox also has RM parts, mostly in the shift mechanism, but the ratios are carefully spaced. The first two are for crawling through the underbrush, then there’s a choice of two for blasting, well, sort of, out of turns, and then there are two for fire roads and flat-out stuif. All are correct for the job, and the high top gears give the 175 a maximum speed of 70 or better, assuming the ground is hard. Closer gear spreads would improve drag potential, and lower gearing on the top would let the little motor pull 5th and 6th in soft dirt or sand, but overall the ratios are well suited to the engine. The compact little engine has an exceptionally wide, smooth powerband and the clutch always completely engages and disengages smoothly. The high crossover pipe terminates in a forestry service-approved spark arrester. Quiet, unobtrusive, and legal.
A small headlight nests in the plastic housing. It is surprisingly bright and has a high and low beam. A token rock guard for the glass lens will only stop objects larger than 5/8-in. A heavy wire mesh screen would be better.
The little PE comes with a good wraparound steel skid plate. It has one hole in the bottom so transmission oil changes may be easily performed, and two more holes in the right front to allow the owner to check front motor mount bolt tightness. The bottom attaching bolts are located in depressions so they won’t hang up when the plate is skidding over a large rock or fallen tree. Neat.
One thing that will eventually cause problems is the location of the side stand spring. Suzuki places their return springs under the stand, which gives a nice uncluttered look but . . . eventually a rock will surely shear the spring peg and let the stand flop. Very annoying when in the heat of competition. Better they put it on the top, where it’s ugly but safe.
Except for that small thing, detailing is complete. The throttle cable has a heavy, formed-rubber housing that slides onto the throttle and routes the cable out of harm’s way. The front brake cable moves through nice nylon cable guides like the late Yamahas have been using, and a heavy duty cable clamp holds the odometer and front brake cable in place on the fork slider. Both hand levers have formed covers that allow quick access and give good protection to the pivots. And the drive chain is a D.I.D. 520 TR, just like the RMs use. We have found the D.I.D. TR chain an excellent choice, giving a long, trouble-free life.
Riding the PE is pure delight. It has a solid, light feel that permits the rider to play for hours without fatigue. Both front and rear suspension components are matched and set up for comfort as well as > control.
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Power delivery is smooth but even so, to go fast requires the rider to wind the engine and stir the gear box constantly. This characteristic isn't one of poor design, but standard practice on any small engine asked to propel a full sized adult at racing speeds. Mid and low range power is good for its size and it can play mountain goat all day without loading up or complaining, but total power output doesn’t seem as good as a Yamaha IT175.
The PE175 is a hard bike to fault. It feels a bit high at first, a function of the long suspension travel, but that impression is forgotten as soon as the bike is in motion. The 175 is light and feels lighter. There appear to be only a few, differences between the PE and its closest competitor (the IT 175), yet the PE steers with more precision and is as stable at top speed. Suspension control is so close in both bikes that picking one as better than the other will depend on the rider’s individual taste and experience.
SUZUKI PE175
SPECIFICATIONS
$1179
Forks on the 175 are the same as those on the C-series RMs, but have one inch less travel and one inch more engagement. Damping rates are about half that of the RM, while the dual-rate spring is slightly stiffen This combination is perfect and, enhanced by low seal friction, produces a soft, compliant fork which is ideal for the bike.
The rear end of the small PE offers a plush ride with excellent control. Relatively soft spring and damping rates allow full use of the generous amount of travel, yet bottoming rarely occurs. Those over 150 lb. in weight and/or very aggressive riders may wish to increase spring rate by 10 lb./in. or so; the majority will like the suspension as is.
The PE175 doesn’t have the finely honed precision of, for example, the Hercules. Doesn’t quite have a specialty like the woods-perfect Alpina.
Nor does it make the demands of the high-priced jobs. A 16-year-old novice can ride all day behind his dad, the four-stroke slowpoke, and enjoy himself while the PE doesn't foul plugs or topple over. And the Suzuki enduro team can—just did—finish first and second overall in a national enduro. riding PE175s.
So. Small-bore fans looking for an ex cuse to buy a new bike, or forjust the right mount for wife, daughter. son. etc.. are advised to check out the PE175.
