That modern gauge is a joke. I am biased, my youngest bike is vn2000 from 2005, my vmax is 30yrs now, Kz1000Ltd is 40, and grabbing a 1983 440ltd Sunday for my wife... Thanks for the inspiration and keep on trucking!

That Suzuki is music to my ears. Can't wait to get my 1980 GS750L on the road this spring. After a 30 year layoff I decided to start riding again. Jon, you're channel has been great motivation to me. Thanks. ☮

I have an 82 850gl and love it.i rebuilt the carbs and runs much better than when I got it.but these bikes are such a pleasure to ride.enjoyed your video nice bike

Thank you for this video. I am 67. I was always a Yamaha person. I will chose the Suzuki any day. Trinidad & Tobago. West Indies.

Hey! Im 22 i just got my license about a month and a half ago and the same day i went to buy my bike which happened to be a 1984 suzuki gs 1100 cafe racer style . Sure i already had to do some maintenance work like changing the spark plugs draining the oil some wiring issues and a carb adjustment but i consider this to be part of the charm of owning a bike i wanted a bike that was barebones no electronics and easy to work on and i could not be happier about the bike its got guts good speed great brakes its just amazing

Nice job Jon! You mentioned appreciation, another advantage for the classic…

Just watched this again, and your other SCR video, as I have finally tracked a secondhand SCR down in northern Thailand. It is well-priced, immaculate, less than four years old, and it has only done 4,300 km. It has a bash plate and aftermarket seat. You mentioned the roads. They are generally good in Thailand. Nothing that will really make the suspension bottom out. I am negotaiting the price right now. The SCR reminds me of my old XT500E which I had for six years in the '80s. I really like this old Suzuki, too.

The Suzuki was the king back in my day my uncle had one . I'm hoping to find an early eighties gs to buy

The SCR is a new experience for me but i am really enjoying it. Coming from Royal enfileds there is a smoothness with this bike that is great

Love your gs! There is one I like more though! My 81 GSL1000L is just stunning. I set it up for me with the beach bars and bikini fairing. It came to me with aftermarket side pipes that are totally unique, I have not seen another set like it. I love my bike. I've spent endless hours just polishing screws!!!

Good morning Jon. I recently purchased a 1982 Suzuki GS 850 L for 400 dollars. I am curious as to what components are shared with it's larger counterpart? I mostly rode what is now known as "vintage" Kawasaki's growing up. Is the suspension on my model adjustable like the one on your 1100? How do I go about doing so? Should I also consider flushing & changing the weight of the front fork oil? I also own a 1975 Honda CB 200t that is a resto/mod. I would love to sent you photos and specs on that one to get your opinion on it. By the way, though I do enjoy the 4 into 1 sound, I purchased and installed the original factory exhaust on the Suzuki. The Honda has a custom exhaust that literally makes it sound like a Ducati Monster with a factory exhaust system! Make it a great day!

Hey Jon keep em coming! I've got the time and skills, but not the $$$$ to fix up a 80s bike. Wouldn't mind a Honda Nighthawk though. Heck, my 2015 FJ-09 took some $$$ to get right. A lot of the modern FI bikes are abrupt/snatchy in Throttle response. There's $300 to get the ECU flashed, never mind suspension, handlebars, tires, chains, all the maint., even on a 6 year old bike. Even the new ones aren't Maint. free.

Haha. That 85mph speedometer!

Hi Jon, I know this video has already one month which, for internet standards, is alot, but I can't help making a comment since it regards to vintage vs retro bikes. I'd love to see you ride and give us your opinions about the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. A lot of reviews says that these new twins from RE are magical because they keep the feeling of old bikes while they also have some very good modern conveniences, like ABS and fuel injection too. The thing about those reviews is that they are mostly made by people that just occasonally ride old bikes, but you is the real deal. I mean, you do live among older bikes and ride them on daily basis, so I'd be much more prone to belive in your opinions than those emited by the so called specialized journalist. Best regards from Brazil, you've got a new subscriber. ✌

Yamaha is a parallel twin , looks a lot like the TDM 850 desert bike.

Nice video. I loved the sound of the Suzuki! I would of liked to see a late model CB 1100 compared to the Suzuki instead of the SCR though, (same size and inline 4's). My biggest hesitation of getting vintage bikes is finding good parts.

another brill vid jon

In this comparison, the choice would be affected by the number of cylinders. I'm a fan of twins, but I think the Suzuki is stunning. If I could find a secondhand SCR at a good price here in Thailand, I may be tempted. But I wish it had cross-spoke wheels as I don't like running on tubed tyres. I like bikes with strong low and mid-range shove. I am not interested in top speeds. Lovely dash on the old bike. Dreadful one on the new one. Excellent video. I have forgotten what cold weather is.

Cannot recall any carbureted engine that gave me much trouble in the cold, even well below freezing. One of my old Volvos from the 60s suffered from carb icing a few times, think that is it. Perhaps we have better quality fuel. I can easily let a bike sit for 6 months and the bike will run just as well on it as when the fuel was fresh. Even on freezing days, I can turn off the choke/fuel enrichener after no more than a quarter mile, usually sooner, although some engines may stumble if I would try to open the throttle quickly for the first mile. Fuel consumption is still between good and great, most of my bikes sitting in the 45-60 mpg range, depending on bike and travelling speed. I never warm up any bike or car engine stationary, BTW, I want them to warm up as soon as possible to get them off the rich mixture that wash oil off the cylinder walls. Instead, I start moving right away, using light throttle and fairly low revs - but not too low. No lugging! And revs well below 50% of the redline. That is not to say my way is the best way, but it was what most manuals say to do, and it makes sense to me. Of course, if the bike would stumble and cough like your GS, I would be inclined to warm the engine a bit before taking off, just like you do.

Does the GS stand for Grand Sport?