Help identifying Manufacture year

[ste gs1000]

I Have a Suzuki gs1000, Registered as a 1981 W plate bike, I am looking for help Identifying year of Manufacture, Vin Number 529414 Engine Number 146688 any help greatly appreciated

[allojohn]

Looks like 1980 S

[ste gs1000]

Oh that's interesting, I thought it was an E model !

[allojohn]

Oh that's interesting, I thought it was an E model !

From suzukicycles.org

A letter ”S” after a Suzuki model name normally means that the engineers have basically mounted a cockpit (bikini) fairing to the bike to make it (look) more sporty. That's even the case with the GS1000S. I believe it was the first standard Suzuki sold with a fairing.

GS1000S was based on the GS1000E but didn't have its pneumatic rear suspension. The fairing gained the bike's weight with 5 kg (11 lbs) and included a clock and oil temperature gauge on the instrument panel. The rear wheel diameter was increased from 17 to 18 inches on the S model.

Apparently the German version of the GS1000S did have the pneumatic rear suspension and had a 17-inch rear wheel. Slightly different bikes were sold in different parts of the world.

The GS1000S is also known as the Wes Cooley replica. The GS series worked well on the track, too, Wes Cooley and Yoshimura winning the young AMA Superbike Championship for Suzuki in the late seventies. The Suzuki GS1000S actually homologated the fairing for race use in the AMA Superbike class. It was very fast bike, being one of the absolute fastest motorcycles in the world. In today's standards, the model was a suicide machine with poor high speed stability but back in 1979 it handled as well as its competitors.

The beautiful GS1000S was manufactured under two years, 1980 being the last model year for the GS1000S. Then the GSX1100S Katana took its place being the fastest and sportiest Suzuki motorcycle. Apparently the nickname ”Wes Cooley replica” came some time after the model was released and the model was never officially known as the Wes Cooley replica by Suzuki. Apparently the GS1000S started being called that after Kawasaki released their Eddie Lawson replica years later (source: Daniel Kaplan, USA).

[Steve]

It is my understanding that the S was a special sub-model of the E.

In various parts of the world it was either red and white or blue and white, made to look a bit like the bike that Wes Cooley used to win the championship.

Although it was made to look a bit like the championship bike, it is my understanding that it was never marketed as a "Wes Cooley Special" or a "Cooley Replica".

I could be wrong. (Again.)

.

[ste gs1000]

That sounds interesting, plenty of information thanks very much

[allojohn]

There's a member here who keeps a record of "S" VIN's and maybe their whereabouts. I'll try to find him.....

[Sandy]

Serial number range says it's probably a 1980 either "E" or "S". If the gear lever is attached directly to the shifter shaft it's an "E" if there is linkage to a rearward frame mounted shift lever it's then an "S".

[ste gs1000]

Much appreciated allojohn

[ste gs1000]

Sandy my bike is far from standard so the gear lever idea wouldn't help, thanks for the tip anyway 118228197_10158599445382618_1848542718653870959_n (2020-08-19T17_43_12.000).jpg

[ste gs1000]

So if my bike is registered 1981 But Manufactured 1980 will it be classed as Historic next year ?

[Kiwi Canuck]

I Have a Suzuki gs1000, Registered as a 1981 W plate bike, I am looking for help Identifying year of Manufacture, Vin Number 529414 Engine Number 146688 any help greatly appreciated

Looks like your bike is in the grey zone between 1979 and 1980 and will require a bit more research to confirm the actual model.

Is the VIN label still on the steering head, if so it should show date of mfg on the top right of the label.

I suspect it's either very late 79 or very earlier 1980, but if it has the rearset pegs (and linkage gear lever) then it's a 1980 "S" model, if not it could be a 79 "S" or more likely a 1980 "E" model.

The 1979 GS1000SN has VIN's in the range of 521285 to 528510, the registry that I keep shows a couple of bikes that have higher VIN numbers that are confirmed as 1979 SN models, as it seems Suzuki dipped into the parts bin at the end of 1979 and did a bit of mix and match to make up enough bikes to fill orders, same thing happened at the end of 1980 when they sent a few batches of GS1000S's to Australia and Europe with the standard instruments and mirrors as they probably ran out of the instrument binacles and mirrors featured on the earlier "S" models but still had the demand for the bikes.

The 1980 GS1000 VIN's started at 528511 and go to around 535300, this includes both GS1000ST's and GS1000ET's (the highest number I've recorded for an "S" model is 535232)

With the GSX1100 released in late October of 79 for the NZ and Australian markets in time for the Castrol 6 hour Races, they probably didn't plan on continuing production of the older 2 valve GS1000 models until the demand had them rethink that decision and produced the last batches with 17" rear wheels, standard instruments and mirrors and a different paint job, not sure if they had the rearset footpegs but believe they did.

All of the higher number 1980 GS1000ST's, (in my registry) 532400 and above are located in Australia or Europe/UK with two exceptions, one in the US and one in South Africa.

Hope this helps.

David.

BTW what size is the rear wheel?

Edit, I just looked at your picture closer and realize that you have 79 carbs on that bike so if they are original then it's a 1979, it looks like you have slotted front rotors which are from a 1980 bike but if your rear wheel is 17" then I would confirm you have a 1979 GS1000SN.

[ste gs1000]

It has a 17inch rear wheel, The front brake discs were changed from solid to slotted by myself,
The wealth of information on here is great, I'm learning more each day ! Thanks for all the helpful information