Suzuki Vs1400gl Intruder
RIDING IMPRESSION: SUZUKI VS1400GL INTRUDER
Hamamatsu gets a big case of Milwaukee Madness
ROLL OPEN THE THROTTLE at 30 mph in top gear on this motorcycle, and it leaps forward. Each power impulse is clearly felt, harsh and metallic—Thump! Thump! Thump!—but much, much more rapidly, as if the bike were powered by a machine-gun burst hitting against paddles on the rear wheel. As the bike passes through 50 mph, the pulses smooth, and the sensations become more familiar, like something
related to normal motorcycle experience. Before, it was unique: Nothing else accelerates so hard from such low rpm, and nothing else tells its rider more clearly that big pistons, propelled by near-explosions, are doing the driving.
The source of this wonderment is Suzuki’s new 1400 Intruder, a 1360cc V-Twin that has raised the ante over any production Harley by 20cc. With this machine, Suzuki has replicated the classic, big American
V-Twin experience, and in some ways gone beyond it. This quest for authenticity has produced a motorcycle with strong character, but not one without faults.
At the Intruder’s heart is an allnew, 45-degree V-Twin engine. A long-stroke design (94mm bore, 98mm stroke), this engine is basically air-cooled, but with some extra heat pulled off the rear cylinder head with a supplementary oil-cooling system. Each head houses a single, chaindriven camshaft and three valves— two intake and one exhaust. Crankpins for the two cylinders are staggered 45 degrees apart to help reduce vibration and give a firing order that sounds good.
Suzuki’s intent behind this hardware is to provide a simple engine that makes class-leading low-speed power. And low-end is certainly there in abundance; the Intruder reaches a thudding, 88 lb.-ft. torque peak at a low 3000 rpm. With all that bottom-end, the 1400 uses only a four-speed gearbox, and most riding on this machine takes place in fourth gear; above 30 mph, there’s no reason to be in anything else.
But while the four-speed offers plenty of gears for acceleration, it still may be a mistake. With its current gearing, the big Intruder is turning 3 170 rpm at 60 mph; and at that speed, it vibrates and rumbles a bit, although in a comfortable, big-Twin fashion. But go just 5 mph faster, and that comfort disappears in an electric buzzing of the gas tank and seat. With the engine mounted in rubber only at the front, this 1400 Twin seems little smoother than most Harleys with rigidly mounted engines, and far rougher than the ones whose engines float in rubber. A tall fifth gear would go a long way toward alleviating this problem.
The chassis of the big Intruder closely mirrors that of its smaller namesake, but at a larger scale and with a hulkier, more muscular appearance. The steering head is raked out to an extreme 36 degrees, and trail is a whopping 6.5 inches. This has negative effects on handling: The fork wants to flop to either side during low-speed turns. Holding the front end on line is easy on the model fitted with a pullback handlebar; but another version equipped with a flat, drag bar offers less steering leverage, making low-speed riding a workout.
As speeds increase above a brisk walk, the steering lightens up, and the flopping tendency is left completely behind. Actually, with its strong engine, and more ground clearance than you might expect, the Intruder can motor down a twisty road at a fair pace. Pushed beyond that, though, it wobbles and misbehaves, at least in part due to dual rear shocks with very little discernible rebound damping.
The seating position of the Intruder is Harley-traditional—feet forward, torso inclined back slightly. The Intruder is not Harley-expansive, however, which becomes apparent on long rides. Either the backrest formed by the front edge of the rear seat needs to be further aft, or the footpegs need to be further forward. In any case, such a big motorcycle should offer more stretching room.
Beyond the vibration and the seating position, there’s much to like about the Intruder. All controls function easily, and the gearbox is a model for how a big Twin should shift. The exhaust note is surprisingly authoritative in this era of 80-decibel noise limits. Engine response couldn’t be crisper, and nothing on the market now can match this biggest Intruder for low-speed power. Finish and detailing at least meet the high standards set by the 700 Intruder, if not exceeding them.
In the end, the Intruder seems to have captured some of the virtues of the more radical Harley-Davidsons— in particular, the high style and the winning engine, character—and amplified them, while only slightly mitigating a few of the liabilities, like engine vibration. In pursuing those goals, Suzuki may have built the Japanese V-Twin with the most character, but not necessarily the best VTwin of them all.
