Suzuki GS850 'Sports Tourer'

The bike was designed to be a bullet proofed "sports tourer" - in the thinking of the last 1970s - and Suzuki pooled the best of all the features, taking the engine from the GS750, boring it to 850 providing more torque, the shaft drive from the 1100 and various other workings. The result was a solid, smooth and effortless tourer. It could run to 60 in 4.2 seconds, but most riders snick it into high gear and let the torque cruise you up the speedo.

High bars limit the useable top speed, creating an upright "king of the road" feel. It is just fine in the mid 80s, but excusions to three figures are of short duration due to the upright position. The 5 speed box, together with digital read out is one of the best Japanese gearboxes of the era. It still feels good even by modern standards and is the smoothest of all the bikes I have riden for many years.

It is quite heavy, as tourers with shaft drives are, but it feels deceptively light owing to relatively low centre of gravity and steering geometry which makes it a pleasure to move in and out of traffic and obstacles. Economical, this example returns around 48 overall.