Faults:

Replaced front springs second day with Sonic straight rate. Read the tech info at Sonic... very interesting.

Replace rear shock at 18k with a Works Performance... what a difference. Using Shinko's front and rear. 150's and 160's on rear and 110/90 18's on front... The Tourmaster Aramid.. $175 for both and feel great. Getting 7k on rear.

Carbs need servicing every several years due to ethanol. Going to try to use REC gas from now on. DEKA ETX14 lasted 9 YEARS AND STILL HAVE IT ON THE BIKE FROM 6/12!! Next service it gets a new replacement!!

Replaced shaft u-joint boot... right now at the 38500 mark and was much easier than I assumed. Thought I had to take the swingarm off!! DON'T DO THAT!!

One headlamp bulb. A couple times installed new caliper kits. Overhauled masters (all) once so far. Use DOT4 synthetic and flush every two years. Get the cheapest Might Mite Vac pump and it's very easy...

Lastly the header pipes will rust and on this service I finally took the exhaust off and sandblasted them clean and then sprayed with Rustoleum manifold flat black!! GOOD FOR 2000 DEGREES!! Special stuff... mufflers are still perfect . Final product looks real good. Chrome was long gone... needed to save them.

General Comments:

Love this bike and feels the same as my XS1100 78 model that got to 95,000 miles. Handles much better, especially with the Sonic springs in the fork tubes. What a difference!! Always figured this was the best of all the shaft driven 1100's ever to come out of Japan. The books say it has the best and longest lasting motor. Love the fact it's a tappet adjustment valvetrain instead of shim under bucket!! Makes life a lot easier. Check them every 15k and do it right!! Toss a K & N in the airbox and leave it stock. Add a plexiglass bar mounted fairing -tall smoke- and enjoy comfort rivalling the heavyweights.

Mine has a small soft trunk on the rear luggage rack from REN and works great. 3 or four gallons size. It doesn't have much chrome and I use a solution called Bike Brite soapy suds to clean this bike... Good stuff!! New bikes cost so much and what do you get for your $20k? Nothing like this!! Rockets that can't go to the store and get a gallon of milk and V Twins that couldn't pass on the open road with a downshift or two with my Zook in high gear!! Find a nice one with low miles and that hasn't been beat up, and spend a couple bucks on the front springs and add a shield and don't run the piss out of it, and she'll roll longer than any of the other bikes in your pack!! The 1127cc motor is one of the best air cooled four bangers from Japan... EVER!!

I'm also a Victory guy and a 72 R5C with chambers guy!! The one I had in high school. A zippy little thing. Feels like a 100 with 40hp!! Rubber side down.....

Faults:

Oil jet plugged (top end overhaul).

Forks rebuilt.

Clutch disks and slave cylinder.

Rebuilt carbs.

Both gauge needles snapped off (replaced with China gauge set).

Oil leak from custom valve cover oil feed (silver soldered it).

Original tank rusted through; bought a used one and epoxy sealed it.

General Comments:

This bike was a project bike that had sat out for a long time up north. I bought it since it had the rare factory fairing, although it needed a windshield and pocket covers (made some from PVC). Surprisingly a lot of parts are still available for it. I rebuilt the forks, replaced all wheel and later head bearings, new brakes & tires, replaced the 1" bars with a higher rise 7/8" bar with Hayabusa controls, added a China gauge panel, adapted a gear position indicator from an older Suzuki GS, modded the oil feed for the cooler and valve cover to use AN fittings, added a homemade Y-fitting for valve cover feed, added a tail trunk with additional LED rear lights and added rectangular LED turn signals and electronic flasher. Replaced the OEM headlight with a Hella E-code and a Nineo LED H4 bulb, which makes night riding far better. The most bothersome thing about it (like most older bikes) is having to mess with the carbs. If a modern fuel injected bike like this one was sold, I'd buy it. Oh, and the airbox is the dumbest design I've ever seen on a bike - it is non-removable until you pull the engine. I run a K&N air filter.

I use it to ride to and from work on dry days, about 300 miles per week. It is not as comfortable as my older GS1000G with a Vetter Windjammer, but it is more powerful and once I sorted the carbs it is a very reliable bike that gets decent gas mileage, although ethanol-free gas is a lot more per gallon than government-subsidized crap gas. It's not bad to work on, I have done a lot to it these past 7 years. The tire sizes are somewhat hard to find in an affordable tire. I'm currently running Metzelers front (Z6) and rear (Z8) with Dyna beads for balance.

I added an oil temperature gauge with the sender in an oil filter adapter, and an oil pressure gauge. The cooler really works, since in 50 degree weather I never see temps over 120. So far this year, I have seen temps of around 150 degrees in 80 degree ambient. It heats up quickly when idle. If there was room, I'd add an oil thermostat.

I love UJM style bikes with shaft drives and wish Suzuki would have sold the GSX1400 here with a shaft drive. Someday I may convert it to fuel injection.