Here’s a fun little extra I stumbled upon at work – Suzuki USA’s 1983 model sales guide – a reference guide for sales people at Suzuki dealerships to help move units with helpful tips like, “when your prospect asks how much, the sale is ready to be closed!“
I thought you might enjoy a little tour of this guide that almost looks like a checkbook:
40+ years later and Suzuki’s in the same building:
Why would anyone put their SSN in this?
An index with all of the models plus an introduction:
Some personal favorites:
GN125 – this is what Vy did her MSF school on so I’ve got a soft spot for it. My favorite GN125 is the modified one we sold on Iconic for the Petersen Museum.
GR650X Tempter – only sold in the US in ’83 and ’84, these were known for a ‘dual-stage’ flywheel with an centrifugal clutch that would basically lighten the flywheel once the engine was spinning above 3,000 RPM. The idea was that you’d get easier starts at low RPM with a heavier flywheel, and then more responsiveness once you got moving with a lighter flywheel.
DR500 – ’83 was the last year of the model.
And of course, the Katana:
There was also a XN85 Turbo but apparently I forgot to get a photo of that page…sorry! I did get a picture of the “Technical Features Glossary” which summarizes the highlights of the turbo. You have to love the first line for #2: “Electronic fuel injection, made possible by space-age electronics…” Plus, #3 is a reference to the dual-stage flywheel that debuted on the Tempter above.
11-19 Update: I was able to get the XN85 page:
Some post sale advice:
1983…was it a good year?
