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Profile - Suzuki XN85 by Guy 'Guido' Allen June 2020 Suzuki's entry into the turbo race of the early eighties may not be the most famous, but it's now rare and desirable
It was the appearance of a very clean example for sale, on Craig's List in the USA (see pics and link below), that prompted this profile. To our way of thinking, turbo bikes from the big four Japan makers (see our overall Turbo Kings feature here) still look like good value in the classic motorcycle market. They were built in relatively low numbers, definitely qualify as something exotic and can be a thoroughly entertaining ride. Looked after, they can also be reliable. Suzuki's 673cc entry was loosely based on the GS650G and E platforms and reality was a major step forward from either. Running a plain bearing crank, it boasted two valves per cylinder - even though the GSX range was running four by now - and twin overhead cams. Compression was down from a typical 9.5:1 to 7.4:1. A lot of emmphasis was put on longevity and extra strength in the motor, with upgraded components such as conrods, along with oil spray to the underside of the pistons and a large oil cooler. The engine was injected and ran a fairly sophisticated ECU for the day. It was able to run fuel injection, monitor boost pressure (set for a maximum 9.6psi) and adjust timing to suit. The turbo, by the way, was made by IHI and chimed in around the 5000rpm mark, with max power at 8000 and redline set at 10,000rpm. Just 1153 of them are thought to have been sold. The market proved suspicious of the 'new' technology and, to be fair, this was years before turbos were the common automotive fitment they are today. As for the chassis, it had all the latest gear on board. That included a 16-inch front wheel - controversial at the time, but it was meant to mimic what the 500 Grand Prix racers of the day were using. It also ran anti-dive up front in the 37mm Kayaba fork. Out back you scored the first use of Suzuki's Full-Floater rear end (intially trialled on the dirt range) on a road bike. The shock-absorber was also by Kayaba. The package was heavy at 218kg dry and claimed 85 horses. It was however relatively compact, given the performance. Now here's the thing: the company's own GSX750ES of the same year claimed 210kg and 84 horses. And it was considerably cheaper at Au$4300 compared to $5000 for the turbo. As a ride, it was pretty good. Handling was very acceptable, braking about average for the era (not great) and the engine entertaining. The gentle but firm shove from the turbo was always exciting and there was a little lag between throttle and response. It was fast enough, but really about what you might have expected from something like a GS1100G of the period. A GSX1100E would have hosed it. Really what you were buying it for was exclusivity, the technical interest and as a talking point. Much the same reasons you might buy one today. The one we spotted on Craigs List (pictured above and below June 27, 2020) is located near Sacramento in California and is priced at US$7500 (Au$11,000), which probably makes it marginal as an import proposition. However if you wanted an ultra-clean low-miler, it's probably the one to have. Why have one? Really for their curiosity value and they would still be a fun thing to ride. Long term, they should do okay as a classic. RATINGS Good Exotic Not too expensive Reasonably robust Bad Not as fast as a good 1100 Some parts will be tricky to find SPECS 1983 Suzuki XN85D ENGINE:
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