Motorcycle Sport, November 1994

GOOD VIBES

What's a VX800 then? Well, it's a sort of modern retro bike, classic styled, with a hi-tech approach - the sort of thing we should have been riding in the bad old days.

Is there such a bike? There is, and it's been around for over four years.

To my eye, Suzuki's promotion of the machine has been more low profile than Salman Rushtie. When I arrived to collect it the nice man at Suzuki told me it was 'my kind of bike'. Hmmm... I wasn't convinced. After all, I own a bike with a fairing and I seem to have ridden nothing but bikes with fairings for the last decade-and- a-half. Being practically ripped out of the seat by a gale force airflow over a set of wide bars, at speed, wasn't exactly my idea of motorcycling Nirvana. Still, I'd give it a try. Parked outside the company's HQ at Crawley, in blistering August sunshine, the VX800 looked as if it was 'the right bike at the right time'. In this heat, I was going to enjoy riding the 'little' beast on the open road.

My eyes glazed over as memories flooded back. Shades of the summers of my youth, a time when freedom meant a pocketful of spare plugs, a 5oz can of Bardahl, warm breezes through the hair, and flies on gritted teeth. My god, was I really that old? The bike has nicely understated (a euphemism for 'conventional') styling. With an unusually shaped petrol tank merging smoothly with tapered side panels, I realised I was looking at (roll of drums) Son of Katana. But it doesn't take long for the eye to return and stay mesmerised by the lovely big, 800cc short stroke, 45 degrees, V-twin engine. Despite water cooling, Suzuki have left the fins on the cylinders and the big mill really looks the business.

That will do nicely... I was ready to rock 'n' roll! Going the direct route home, through London from Crawley, is about 30 miles and traffic is always horrendous. On the other hand, the M25 and M3 route is more than double that distance, but in this weather on that bike, it was no contest. The 'magic roundabout' won hands down. For 65 miles I was as cool as a salad cucumber, but I didn't learn much about the bike. Sure, the engine was everything I had expected, and more.

I can't remember the last time I rode with a motor underneath me that didn't vibrate at any revs. And you could pick your cruising speed. If I had been in a hurry, the bike would have comfortably lolloped along at just under the 'ton'. At the legal limit, the engine pulls at 5,000rpm in top gear and red-lines at 8,500rpm. Just the way I like 'em. As part of my normal working routine, I ventured into London's West End a couple of times during the next few days, and found I could zip the VX in and out of traffic like a DR born. The shaft drive is almost unnoticeable and causes little reaction in the suspension when accelerating from standstill.

The bike has a 10 feet turning circle and this gives it a good lock when manoeuvring through dual carriageway, traffic snarl-ups. Despite its 470lb dry weight, it was easy to handle, had a delightful five-speed box and (of course) a super, tractable engine, and we rarely got stuck behind anything. I even caught DRs sneaking surreptitious glances at it, at the traffic lights.

Invariably, they were wary of the bike and proved it by not blasting away when the lights changed. Now, that is respect. So far, so good, but the only way to really get to know a bike is to ride it over every known type of road. A trip to destinations north was called for, somewhere in Wales perhaps - say Anglesey. Good idea; I'd stay with friends at Bolton and Abergele on Friday and Saturday, and then return on Sunday. That should do the trick. Friday midday, and I'm on the road again.

The VX doesn't have luggage carrying facilities except for bungee anchor points. I suppose people like Givi Nonfango and Krauser make panniers and fittings for it, but with the 'box standard' bike you're on your own. In consequence, my old reliable Nonfango hard case is on the 19 litres tank and contains a small camera bag. A brand new Baglux Adventure tail bag sits on the pillion seat and holds everything I need for two nights and a hectic social life!

The weather is good, but a little cold, and I'm ready to blast the cobwebs away. The M40 speeds me to Oxford and onto the A40. Traffic is worse that I expect and the VX is confined to traffic hopping. Almost every successive mile enhances my liking for that superb V-twin engine. Power delivery characteristics are amazingly similar to the K100RS (eight-valve) motor. If I want power, I've got it. Anywhere, anytime, in any gear, it's right there under my right hand. There's even a marked degree of engine braking which ensures a relaxed ride and enables me to slot in and out of lines of vehicles without as much as a glimmer of brake light. Eventually, I reach the A417 and head towards Gloucester and Ledbury. This is one of two roads I always look forward to riding. The other - the A49 - will come later and is a blue riband for hard chargers. Traffic doesn't improve and is almost as bad as a bank holiday,but just occasionally I manage to get a run at some of those great bends.

When I slightly misjudge the entry speed of a corner and need to scrub off speed, the huge, single disc at the front does its job well. Handling is good, but road holding is a little er... odd. I think this peculiarity is caused by two things. In the first instance, there is no adjustment possible on the front forks, which are definitely set too hard. Isolated bumps cause the front to skip, or lighten, and although it doesn't present a problem it sure as hell rattles your teeth.

At the other end, the rear unit which has five preload and four damper adjustments is difficult to assess because of the seat! As strange as that may sound, it's true. The seat is too soft and spongy, so that when the rear wheel hits a bump the impression is that suspension damping is set too soft. Actually, it's the seat that keeps bouncing and not the suspension. It took me two attempts at adjustment before I realised what was happening. Perversely, this doesn't make the seat one of the most comfortable I've ever sat on. It's OK, nothing more, just OK. Unfortunately, it does tend to 'blur' feedback from the rear end.

Slow-speed handling was quick, but not quite neutral. A tiny degree of oversteer was noticed on roundabouts and when turning tightly between stationary vehicles. During high-speed cornering the bike understeered a little when the engine wasn't driving the rear wheel hard enough. This wasn't a factor if gear changing was performed so that the VX could be powered through bends at (at least) 4,500rpm. Admittedly this isn't 'normal' riding and anything of a lesser pace proved that it didn't really matter what gear you were in! With oceans of instantly available grunt under the right hand, rapid exits from bends were the big factor that enabled a continuously high average touring speed.

When it came to high-speed, straight line steering, the VX (like most modern bikes) was predictable and sure footed. These days, though, that's a characteristic more affected by tyres than any other factor. When you write something like the above, it seems as if the criticism is of a major fault, but it isn't meant to imply that. I don't think a tiny road holding oddity will bother most riders, even if they do notice it. The tyres incidentally, were the well-proven Metzeler Laser (front) and Metronic (rear) which I find a little over-sensitive at slow speed and prone to white lining. Despite their good grip, excellent feedback and predictability in the wet, I would be inclined to try Bridgestone or Dunlop radials in an attempt to improve the VX800's road holding - if it bugged me in the long term. The A49 proved as enjoyable as always. Providing you are on full alert through the rural farming areas of Herefordshire and Shropshire, there are all types of bends and curves to please all types of rider. I rode hard for over 90 miles and although the VX's tubular frame flexed a little here and there, the bike responded magnificently. Any shortcomings when being ridden like this were more down to me than the bike. Ride it properly and it rewards you with supreme enjoyment and a sense of elan that only a good motorcycle can provide.

Terrific low-down torque More and more, I was equating the VX with my own KRS. It has the same (apparent) 45 degrees power 'curve' with a lovely soft delivery through bends, and terrific low-down torque out of them. Keep it in the right gear, when hard charging, turn the power on and the bike will handle anything you can dish out. It would give most middle-weight road rockets a run for their money and it would do it safely and with less effort.

The wide bars are not restrictive, and when charging hard, almost encourage you to make like Graeme Crosby and hang off the bike! There's no way I do that on a public road ... Saturday morning and the destination was Anglesey.

I took the necessary M62/M56 route out of Bolton, switched to the A55 at Helsby and struggled along behind a parade of Middle Lane Owner's Club drivers, as far as St Asaph. Merciful relief when I switched to the (pre-planned) B5381 for a slow 16 miles to Llandudno Junction. A disappointing road, but at least it was empty, though I learned little about the VX that I didn't already know. I crossed the Britannia Bridge from the mainland, simply to look over towards the famous Menai Suspension Bridge, and I wasn't disappointed. It really is a beautiful, aesthetic structure. Almost a quarter mile long and 100 feet high, the bridge was designed in 1881 by Thomas Telford. In those days supporting chains were treated against rust by using linseed oil - not wine, as the White Knight claimed in Lewis Carroll's Through The Looking Glass. However, at the onset of World War II the bridge was strengthened and the wrought iron chains replaced by steel versions. One hundred feet below the bridge, tidal currents of the infamous Menai Strait are among the fiercest in Britain. In the 1870s over 700 vessels were registered to Menai ports, which was one of the most important shipping centres in Britain. Of course, things have changed a bit since then, although larger vessels can still be seen in the Strait. Right next to the bridge, and just over the A5's more modem Britannia Bridge, is the village with the longest name in Britain. What's in a name?

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (the locals abbreviate it somewhat) was a hoax name coined in the 19th century. Translated from the Welsh, it means St Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St Tysilio near the red cave. It may have been intended as a joke, but it drags in the tourists and the town council laugh all the way to the bank! I stopped at the splendid Visitor's Centre, which is a multifaceted complex based around a railway theme, and with all information departments clearly signed with boards resembling early, post-war platform signs.

In addition there is a book shop, cafeteria, toilets and a huge woollens department selling quality goods such as Pringle knitwear. This isn't surprising, because I was told the place was owned by that esteemed company until a few years ago, when it was bought (ironically) by Edinburgh Woollen Mills! It was here that I bumped into Ann, from Sutton, on a 250cc Honda, who was heading for Trefor for a week's holiday. A motorcyclist of only two years' experience, Ann already has a trip to the Pyrenees behind her and claims that the bike is the only true love of her life. London to Trefor on a 250 - no problem! Humbling, isn't it? I head for Beaumaris and Pentraeth to pick up the A5025, which will take me (more-or-less) around the coastline of the island. The road varies from slow to fast, with everything in between and the surface is just as variable. Good for riding, the A5025 has little else to commend it. The scenery is non- existent and Anglesey is pretty flat anyway. I depart twice from the road to explore two of the island's most picturesque beaches, Red Wharf Bay and Moelfre Bay. Both are impressive, but in poor light and from the roads on which I approached I find little to photograph. I save my film for the conclusion of the ride, Holyhead and the Holy Island. The famous little island is the terminus of both the A5 trunk road which was toll operated at the time it was completed in Holyhead, and the North Wales railway line from London's Euston station. The bustling nature of the little `capital' town can be largely attributed to its role as a ferry port. Packet boats have set sail for Dublin from as early as the 16th century and still do, though these days they are Super RoRos and Sea-Cat catamarans. Without doubt, Holy Island, in common with all the towns along the Menai Strait, is in the most interesting and picturesque part of Anglesey and this area is well worth a visit. I rode right through the town, past the ferry port and harbour, and out towards Holyhead Mountain.

The next hour was spent exploring a couple of short, unclassified roads before pausing in the shadow of the 700 feet mountain in what used to be a huge limestone quarry, but is now a country park managed by the Anglesey Coastal Heritage. The peace and quiet was sublime. I took the opportunity to relax for a while, watch the ferries come and go and observe a motley selection of sea birds wheeling and diving. And I took a few photographs!

Returning to London after the overnight stay at Abergele was a monumental drag, and my attempt to make it more interesting by planning a route through the farming area of north Wales was not very successful. Usually, I'm good at interpreting maps and actually enjoy riding through winding back lanes, but the B5429, A494 and B5104 have very little merit! In general they are too narrow with high hedges, and demand at great deal of respect if safe riding is paramount, which it should be on roads like this! At one stage I was stuck behind a milk tanker for nearly four miles before finally passing it, only to find the driver's mate about five miles further up the road in an identical vehicle. Just not my day! After putting a total of nearly 800 miles on the VX800's odometer, I found fuel consumption practically identical to the bike I was continuously comparing it with - the eight-valve K100RS. Motorway riding at high cruising speeds returned about 40-42mpg. Over twisting Welsh roads, with the bike pushed hard, the extremes were 46 to 52mpg. And ridden sensibly, it would be easy to squeeze over 50 miles out of each gallon of the cheapest unleaded.

And as for oil, well, I didn't even need to top it up. These days it is difficult to find an out-and-out bad bike. Most motorcycles are good if they fulfil the role a rider asks of them. You name it and the VX can do it. A great town bike, it is also comfortable on the open road where its only restriction is the lack of fairing, though even that is a subjective point. Feel the need to scratch it along country lanes and the big V twin takes the frantic 'four' feeling out of high-speed cornering.

The VX800 will do most things and this promotes it to one of the cheapest all- rounders on the road today. However, the two factors which make the bike special are the gorgeous V-twin motor allied to the super civilised shaft drive. So good, I could eat them. Personally, I would like to see a version of the bike with a half, or full, fairing and designer luggage cases. The latter might not be a problem, because I'm certain Krauser or Nonfango could come up with something.

The VX has the perfect configuration, and engine characteristics to make it the best middle- weight sports-tourer (or tourer) on the market.

Mind you, it's not far short of being that already. If you are half way convinced, raid the petty cash, get down to your friendly Suzuki dealer quickly and steal one from him for an insignificant £4,999. VIC BARNES