The Riders Tales
| 1991 Suzuki VX800: 1 Standard type, 800cc V-Twin, Water cooled, Shaft Drive Color: Black Price Paid: $2700 U.S. History: I bought the VX in January of 1998 in Orange County, California, and have put 3,400 miles on it in 9 months. The bike had 7,800 miles when purchased and had not been modified. Modifications: Progressive (Brand) fork springs, $45, Metzler ME-Z1 tires, Approx. $220 for both. Opinion: I'd been interested in the VX since I saw one on the showroom floor when they first came out. But, until recently, I'd had no need for another bike. After moving to Ventura, and doing a lot of riding on the mountain roads nearby (especially Highway 33 north of Ojai) my old Yamaha XS1100 Special seemed to be lacking in the handling department. Finally, after reading everything I could find about them, including reviews posted here, I took the plunge. No regrets at all. The VX is a very good do-everything bike. After changing the fork springs and installing radial tires it makes quite a good canyon bike. It won't, of course, keep up with a dedicated sport bike on very tight roads. But, the strong midrange power make this an easy bike to ride fast. Just put it in top gear and ride the fat torque curve. Between 40 and 80 MPH ample power is available. The radial tires made a spectacular improvement in handling. When cornering hard, the tires feel glued to the pavement, and aren't disturbed by surface irregularities. The chassis is quite stiff. This bike has a lot of rake and trail, and so, won't "flik" in the manner of a radical sport bike. It's better suited to the knee-tucked-in, smooth arc style of riding. On straight roads, the slight forward lean is comfortable up to about 70 MPH for an hour or two. For more extended travel time or higher sustained speed, a windshiend would be appropriate, as is the case with most Standard style bikes. I' ve been getting 42-44 miles per gallon in mixed sport/commuting riding, giving a range of about 200 miles. Unlike my old bike the VX displays no drive shaft induced handling aberrations. Cautions: The stock seat is a bit soft for extended trips (2 hours or more). The stock fork springs are way too soft, but easily fixed. Name: Steve Davis (SDSD@west.net)
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| 1991 Suzuki VX800: 2 Description: (Standard) 805cc Standard, 5 speed transmission, shaft drive Color: Red Pricing: Amount paid: $3350 History: I just purchased this bike three weeks ago. I haven't even ridden it yet! (The weather's been lousy). When I started looking for this bike, I decided to get ahold of the VX800 rider's network. I asked if anyone knew of any VX800's for sale in my area (Massachusetts). Jesse Murphy (who runs the network) gave me the name of a dealer in Maine who still had a new 1991 in stock! I went up to look at it and bought it on the spot. I picked it up two weeks later. My point here is that these things are still out there, brand new. Mine has 175 miles on the clock and still has a twelve month, unlimited mileage Suzuki warranty. Not bad for $3350. Comments about the bike: I did notice that the front end is pretty soft and that even walking the bike, most of the suspension is used up in braking. I think I'll probably change those fork springs over the summer. The day I picked it up, it was damned close to zero and made a three hour trip in the back of an open pickup. When I took it out of the truck, I started it to run some STA-BIL through it. It took some doing to get the thing to start, even with the choke wide open. Modification: Nothing yet. Opinion: At this point, I can't really offer much of an opinion, except for the fact that these bikes offer great value. Consider what a 1991 Nighthawk 750 with 175 miles would have cost and realize that you'd have to step up to an 1100 to get the VX's top gear roll on acceleration. Cautions: Can't say at this point From: Craig Fitzgerald |
1990 Suzuki VX800 sport-touring:Suzuki started making this bike in 1989.Description: It is a rather standard street bike with some modern touches. It has a moulded rear light assembly that is somewhat modern. The front is very standard with the exception of some LARGE fork tubes. The 90 model was a beautiful Burgundy. The 92's were Purple (ugh) and the 93's are red. The specs are: 805 cc 45 degree V-twin Water cooled Shaft drive 4 Valves/head Front fork, rear swing arm Good Stock Tires (Metzeler's) Upright riding posture. Pricing: I paid $4000 for mine new (in 1993) with the optional sculpted seat and luggage rack/back rest. 1993 models with no options are starting at $4700. History: I've had the bike for 4 months. I have no complaints. None. Well, one. I would like for the helmet lock to not be under the seat, and for the seat to be hinged, not lift off. OK, that's two things. She starts and runs reliably every day. She's a little cold blooded, but a good warm up period sorts it all out. The oil is a breeze to change. Like I said, no problems. Modifications: I bought the bike with Suzuki's optional sculpted seat. This is a big improvement over the stock. Not only does it dress up the bike, but is MUCH more comfortable. I also got the optional luggage rack/ back rest combo. This adds a little more style and more utility for the bike. I would like to add a fairing and saddlebags to complete the look. Opinion: I can't rave enough about this bike. Despite it's long wheel base, the VX800 handles far better than you would expect. She's a dream in the twisties. The engine delivers a ton of torque. More torque than I need. Whack open the throttle and you're gone. This bike has tons of low end umph. I also think that it is very stylish. The bike does not suffer from excessive vibration at any speed. You can feel the engine, but instead of a numbing buzz, it is a low throb of power. The exhaust note on the stock pipes is music to my ears. It is quiet enough to please the fussiest of neighbours, but low and rumbly enough to sound good. This is a bike for people who want a sport bike but need a commuter. You get sport bike handling and cruiser comfort. It doesn't get better than this. Cautions: So far, no glaring problems to be concerned about. I will update as needed. Name: Mike Weaver
Name: Ron Lotton, Olympia, Washington, USA
(Ronl@dis.wa.gov)
1993 Suzuki VX-800 (Standard) Technical description: The VX-800 was made and sold from
1990 through 1993. It is a basic street bike, powered by Suzuki's outstanding
water-cooled, 45-degree 800cc V-twin engine from the VS-800 Intruder (cruiser bike)
series. Relatively little maintenance is required due to the use of a shaft drive and
electronic ignition. The engine has chain driven, double overhead cams, four valves per
cylinder ( 2 intake - 2 exhaust) with lock nut adjusters, and balance shafts. carburettion
is via two
After an hour or so on the road, I have noticed that there must be a high-frequency vibration that gets to my right hand. Nothing that some gloves and/or a rest stop can't fix. The water-cooled engine is a big advantage here in Texas, where temperatures hover between 90 - 95 degrees most of the summer. Fuel mileage is surprisingly good. I get 38 - 40 MPG around town and have consistently seen 52 - 55 MPG on the freeway at sane speeds. Unfortunately, Texas raised the speed limits a while back and freeway speeds are no longer sane (the sign says 70 MPH, so it must mean 80 MPH). Oil consumption is zilch. Because of the temperatures here, I am running Valvoline 20W50 racing oil.
John Hutchins |