Faults:

Have to clean carbs every 35000 miles.

Carb slide is made out of plastic, so wears fast.

Clutch master cylinder and brakes must be flushed every 5 years.

Lots of tires.

Uses 5 qts oil.

General Comments:

Fastest, most reliable, good handling, easy servicing, smooth engine. Long distance bike. Had 4 at one time.

Oil cooled engine makes it run cool with a large engine cooler.

Drove it daily and on any many trips. Got 35-45 MPG. Hated to part with it and gave it to a friend who ran it with wrong gas that destroyed the carbs.

After 110,000 miles it still did not burn oil.

Too old now to buy it back.

Faults:

Plastic choke mounting nut broke, but could have been from the bike tipping over.

General Comments:

The bike runs great, cold blooded at first start, but gets better as you get a regular starting pattern down.

Handles heavy at slow speeds, but it is a heavy bike and you get used to it.

Smooth power band, and if you take it easy you get good MPG.

Shifts smooth and is very nimble at higher speeds.

Faults:

- Carbs rebuilt (early ethanol was a mess).

- Shaft drive coupler broke at 49k (replaced).

General Comments:

Hands down, the best bike I've ever enjoyed riding!

It was my first, at 25, and at the time I was buying it, it was being sold by an adult rider who decided to sell it as his wife had a bad back and couldn't ride with him any more.

Even though it was my first ride (I was taking the Rider Education course) and people were trying to talk me out of it except, I'm 6'0" and 250 (built like a linebacker, not fat-ass) aced the class (I rode dirtbikes, modified mopeds and regular bicycles since I was 3) and riding a motorcycle was a joke to me (easy that is).

That said, he had the tank bra, rear sissy bar accessory and a clip on windshield, but I wanted the full fairing and GIVI luggage, and was determined to get one, even though they stopped producing them in 93/94.

After calling around for a month, I finally found one, complete with windshield, in some warehouse down in Texas. I was ready to pay up to $1,000 for it and the guy came back at me and said, "$250, shipped, but it needs to be repainted). HECK YEAH!

Let me tell you something, this bike, with full fairing, is NOT the same bike. No, at that point, you can blip the throttle and be up to 100-120mph in a few seconds and not feel like a fly on a windshield holding on for their dear life. In fact, I would often drive one handed, wearing sandals and shorts, while smoking a cigar as I drove home from Vermont on Route 100, down to 22 and the Taconic, and finally to the Palisades back into NJ.

To make it even sweeter still, I purchased a Sargeant seat redesign, Progressive front forks (The bike needs it or it dives on braking. Add a fairing and it really needed it. It always stayed planted in turns after that), had a 3 piece 46 liter GIVI luggage set with backrest. I also added floorboards where the engine guards would have bolted in, and finally... a 200 watt, 4 speaker (2x kickers custom fabricated into the GIVI luggage and 2x JBLs for the front cockpit pockets) Sony Cassette/CD/MP3/10 disc changer and remote in the trunk, with a control knob attached to the left mirror that could be controlled while driving without even taking my hand off the handlebars. I also decided to get better optics from Clearview Windshield who was able to make a new one off of the original (I waited until winter and mailed mine to them).

Oh, and for the engine... Many had complained about the off idle stumble and rough spot further up the tach. I eliminated this by advancing the ignition 3 degrees and then richening the carbs by 3/4 of a turn out on each.

Was this thing smooth? So smooth.

Fast? Lightning.

Fun? Smiles always.

Compliments? Every red light had men AND women asking me what kind of bike it was, including many offers to buy it from me. "Nice bike!" was heard every time I went out on it. And adding a Suzuki style "S" to the front fairing made it look that much more finished (I did the same with my current BMW K1200LT).

Funny thing is... I TRIED giving it away, several times, to the club I was with (The G-Men Club that was on Yahoo) and nobody would take it. I just simply couldn't sell it to someone who couldn't handle it (it was a tall bike, but as soon as you rolled past 2mph, it was upright and steady) and more importantly, I wanted someone who appreciated it to have it. Finally, one of the guys in the club had an accident and I called him and asked him if he wanted to come and get her... He couldn't believe it, did, and some almost year and a half later, called me to ask if I wanted her back? He put some work into her (maintenance) and I paid him for the parts that went in to it.

So, I guess what they say about, "If you love something, set it free..." actually comes true? And then, a few months after having her back, I see some guy riding down the road and I'm on the BMW and he's on his G. I roll up and say, "Nice bike... I have one just like it... except, mine's got luggage and a full fairing." His eyes bugged out of his head and he asked if I was selling it and I said, "Actually, I am." We exchanged info, became friends, and I sold him the fairing and luggage for $1k and the bike for another $1k to someone who just wanted a bike.

Funny story... the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama was going to receive the bike for their collection (I was donating it to them, seriously), but the guy who answered the phone the day I called to arrange for pick up gave me this attitude and brush off, and hung up on me, and then a week later, calls up frantic and asks, "OMG, did you call me last Friday? I just saw on my calendar that you were supposed to call to arrange a pick up of the bike and I think I hung up on you?" I laughed and said, "No worries... it happens." He says, "Phew, I thought I missed out on the bike." That's when I laughed again and said, "Yeah, you did. I sold it to two different people and made two grand instead. Take care!" as I hung up the phone on him this time. LOL!!!

So... I have memories, photos and SO many memories of the fun this bike gave me, tearing up back country roads and racing against people who thought I was just some older dude with a touring bike... BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM and up to 100mph in a few seconds launching out of a toll booth. Blowing away other crotch rockets and having the luggage and touring comfort to ride all the way down to the Tail of the Dragon or all the way up to Nova Scotia and SO many places in between. :)

PS - I had the best version of this bike ever configured with every option you could want on it (including the floorboards and stereo). There was no better looking "G" ever on the road.