Just yesterday, we featured the Honda CBX. But today, just like back in the 80s, Suzuki knocks off the CBX as the superbike du jour. The Suzuki GS1100E came into the market and instantly became the bike of choice for the power hungry. American press mags constantly raved about not just the power, but also the surprising handling abilities for such a large bike. The shame for Suzuki was that this gem was introduced as the motorcycling market was plummeting, so sales were disappointing, at best.
In years past, the GS series was designed to be an all-around standard. In 1982, Suzuki broke up the biggest GS – with different models like the E and the G. The G became a lazy man’s tourer, which freed the E from its constraints. It evolved into king of the dragstrip. The engine got some extra work, and cosmetics were slightly tweaked, leading to a bike more similar to the early Katana’s, and an engine that produced over 100 horsepower and nearly 70 foot-pounds of torque.
Today we feature two examples of the breed – one that’s fairly original, and another that’s had some serious engine work done. The original is an absolute peach with the original Lipstick Red paint. It’s covered about 33,000 miles over its life. The modded example is ironically named “Sleepy”, and features a white/red/blue paint scheme. The owner claims to have thousands of dollars into the engine, including a big bore kit, MSD ignition, and straight cut gears. We’d ask to see some receipts, but we’ve got a choice for those of you that prefer it stock, and those of you that prefer to go a little crazy.
Find the original red Suzuki GS1100E for sale here on Craigslist for $3,500 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Find the modded white/blue Suzuki GS1100E for sale here on Craigslist, also for $3,500 in Trussville, Alabama – a suburb of Birmingham.
These bike-uriosities brought to you by Steve B!