A great little cruiser with lots of attitude
The diaphragms in the carburetors failed this year.
The electric fan did not want to come on early enough (had to rewire it to run constantly).
Great on tires even under hard use.
Gets good mileage.
For a mid-sized cruiser it has great acceleration.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 10th September, 2008
Great little workhorse..
The only problem I ever had while riding the bike was the battery posts touching the frame of the bike, which caused the bike to stall at speed. I was able to pinpoint the problem within 15 minutes, so I wasn't stranded, but as it continued intermittently (that and the difficulty in removing the battery) it was a source of frustration. I solved this by machining a new bracket to bring the screws to the side. This made it easier to remove, and I was able to insulate the posts from where they had previously touched the frame.
Another issue was the fork seals needing frequent replacement, 2 times in 4 years.
The motorcycle was the first motorcycle I wholly owned, and the one on which I logged the most miles. It made several long voyages, one from Utah to Banff/Jasper Park in Canada, to the coast down to Oregon and back to Utah, a couple more to the coast, to Yellowstone, to the Grand Canyon, and countless through Utah.
My only complaint for all this was the "numb butt" syndrome. I was actually relieved at the fuel stops every 116 miles or so due to its small tank, as my butt needed the break. Anyway, I typically logged 300-500 mile days, when riding and peaked with an 800 mile day and still started each new day looking forward to riding. It was not the optimum touring machine, but it did the job.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th May, 2008
Suzuki did a great job with the Intruder 700
I've been stranded on this bike only twice in 11 years, both times due to electrical faults.
The first was back in 1994 due to a corroded battery connection, which I replaced with thicker-gauge wire; it's been fine since then.
The second was in 1999 & again in 2005 when my ignition fuse kept blowing, but only when I had a certain seat installed.
This year I finally traced it to a wiring harness that was being pinched between the bottom of that seat and a bolt on the rear fender, which had worn through the insulation on two wires, allowing them to short-circuit against the bolt when someone sat on the seat. I wrapped each of the exposed wires in electrical tape and re-routed the harness away from the bolt, and have not had a problem since then.
The fork seals tend to need replacement every 4-5 years or so.
The hydraulic lines for the clutch & front brake need to be bled about once a year; I believe Suzuki recommends replacing the fluid completely every 2 years.
This bike is the epitome of cheap transportation. It gets nearly 60mpg (under 4 liters/100km) on the highway, is cheap to register & insure, and requires minimal maintenance.
It's light and handles well for a cruiser.
I love its looks, and have added many custom parts over the years. It often gets compliments (both before & after my modifications were done).
The brakes are fine for solo riding, but when carrying a passenger, one needs to anticipate stops.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 16th August, 2005
One thing I wish Suzuki had added was a tachometer.
Nowadays, it is very hard to find a cruiser with one standard. Tachometers and center stands unfortunately are now few and far between.
Back in the '70's even my little Suzuki TS 125 had both as standard equipment! All for under $800 new!
17th Sep 2010, 23:36
Can you explain the problem with the fan? I think I've only seen my fan come on once or twice, and have had a little problem with the temp light coming on when stuck in traffic for a while. Getting back up to speed cools it down, but would really like to fix the fan!
brikearins@gmail.com