Review of the Suzuki Intruder 800 (VS, VL, VZ, C800, M800, C50, M50, S50) motorcycle
Suzuki VS800 Intruder. At first, the Intruder seemed so big and very heavy, due to the low ground clearance, the bottom scraped curbs several times, which is why I really regretted not buying a city enduro - but the days passed and the kilometers clicked by, all the dry weekends in the saddle, every day work -home-work... In general, I got used to the small ground clearance very quickly, and it’s not that small - it doesn’t bother me at all, and the lowest point - the horizontal frame pipes - won’t get scratched too much. It didn’t take me long to get used to the weight of the motorcycle, because I’m not small myself. And the dimensions of the motorcycle now seem compact.
The power and controllability pleased me initially, and over time I am just learning to realize them to a greater and greater extent, and there is still a lot of room for growth. 50 horsepower in the engine and 7 kg max. traction gives sufficient dynamics in the city and a reserve of power on the highway, including when driving with a passenger.
Comfortable speed on the highway is 100 km/h for one person and 90 for two people. Many will say: “Not enough!!!” But I don’t drive very far, I’m almost never in a hurry, and in general, “You don’t need to drive faster than your guardian angel flies” - and at 110-120 mph there is still a very good reserve of traction, but the headwind stubbornly begins to pull out the steering wheel is out of your hands, and this is not always pleasant. Many times, when accelerating slowly on the highway, I tried to switch to sixth gear at 80-90 km/h - but no, there are only five of them. True, there are enough of them; in fact, at cruising speed in direct gear, the engine operates in the middle of the speed range (unfortunately, there is no tachometer) and overtaking takes place quickly and clearly without clicking the gearbox.
About the pleasant things: V-shaped engine! The previous owner (a funny guy, by the way, the owner of a tattoo parlor) installed direct-flow fish mufflers, the sound is good, especially if you give it coke. Lots of chrome - it turns out I got an EL series Intruder, with chrome plated frame covers, chrome hubs and something else. When washed, it shines no worse than a Christmas tree. By the way, the configuration of the engine allows you not only to accelerate happily, but also to almost not use the brakes on mountain serpentines, only to slow down with the engine. Water cooling - I'm looking forward to summer and not afraid of it. Cardan drive - I changed the oil and went for a ride. The halogen headlight (55/60W) shines perfectly where needed. The bike starts up easily at plus temperatures (there have been no minuses yet), worthy of a real Japanese, warms up quickly, and is always ready to go! The mirrors, even with my non-Japanese dimensions, look wider than the shoulders, although the dead zone is also quite large.
About the unpleasant thing: the rear shock absorbers are very soft (too soft). Until the preload was turned to maximum, it was almost impossible to ride with a passenger; riding alone also became more enjoyable. By the way, the front fork (pah-pah) does not cause any complaints. The rear drum brake is sufficient and not bad. The front single-disc non-ventilated one is soft! As a young and inexperienced rider, this is a bit of a plus for me. In the rain, it sharply loses efficiency, you have to regularly dry it, slow down and always brake with both hands and feet, gee-gee. Engine vibrations do occur, and they are not weak in almost the entire speed range above idle - but not to such an extent that you can complain about them.
About the passenger (i.e. passenger): My other half is very pleased with the presence of a small backrest, the convenient location of the footrests, and even the fact that her helmet rarely hits mine. In general, everything is OK with the passenger. Although no, it’s not ideal: you need to put a mudguard behind the rear wheel, otherwise each specific puddle will partially settle on its (the passenger’s) back...
Upgrades/repairs/breakdowns: as I already said, the motorcycle is far from new, but 17 years and 40 megameters of road have not broken it. In addition to replacing all the fluids, filters and spark plugs (by the way, everything is relatively cheap), I just patched the headlight that was broken before me with epoxy, fixed the loose mount of the muffler to the pipes and soldered a couple of wires. The cardan oil seal leaks a little, and then only when the oil warms up during active driving - but the level does not decrease until I am going to fix it. Well, that’s probably all. The only upgrade so far is to attach a small electronic clock with large numbers. I have already ordered a tank bag and am waiting.
Ah, well, of course that’s not all! I also regularly filled it with benzine, started it up and drove around! The tank volume, according to some sources, is 12 liters. In reality, from the neck to the reserve there are only a little more than 9 liters - that is, when going on a Sunday trip, be sure to plan to refuel... Fuel consumption is from 5 liters per 100 km on the highway, and up to 7.5 in the city. I always filled it with unleaded 95. The motorcycle signals that it has run out of gas by missing traction and running on one cylinder - the reserve tap is located on the left under the tank, and it’s easy to find and switch while driving.
I don't remember a time when my bike let me down. In general, an excellent motorcycle, worthy of the highest rating, it gives me everything I need from it, completely.
Suzuki VS800 Intruder . Great bike! I've ridden it for about 30 thousand and never had any troubles. It easily and effortlessly climbs through traffic jams; on the road, the comfortable landing allows you to relax. The engine is enough. The light is at the level, but fogs will not be superfluous. Of the minuses, there is no convenience for the second room, the seating is not enough. It is especially inconvenient if the backrest is removed.
There are two air filters there, and they are completely different, they cost - the first is 26.5 $ and the second is 34.5 $, oil filters are not at all a problem to find in Moscow. NGK candles are 80 rubles apiece, buy a special spark plug for the Intruder right away, you won’t give a damn to others. Pour good oil and you will have simple biker HAPPINESS!
I bought myself a 1994 VS800, I’ve been dreaming about an Intruder for a long time, partly because of the appearance (I like the big heart of the engine, the smart look and nothing extra), but mostly because of the amazing sound.
Before that I drove a Honda VTR1000F , so my first impressions are that it doesn’t run biggrin.gif However, it’s fine for urban conditions, and on the highway it accelerates quickly enough to overtake cars. The only thing is that the 6th gear is really missing so that at a speed of 120-130 you don’t rape your eardrums, and even the engine.
It accelerates briskly to 140, reluctantly to 150, and slowly to 160. But this, however, is a lyric, because the speeds are for sports tourists. For chopper movement - 110-120 - just right!
You can say a lot about sound, or you can say nothing. But it’s a fact: you will have the most visible and loudest motorcycle in the area cool.gif
I drove around the region at speeds of 100-140, the average consumption was about 7 liters per hundred. The tank is a little small (10 liters of reserve), so you will have to refuel often. By the way, no fuel level lights: the motorcycle starts to stall - switch the tap to reserve tongue.gif
In general, a hefty piece of real chop-chop-chop at a very reasonable price (my Violator cost 130 grand).
Suzuki VL800 Volusia . Advantages.
1. Excellent torque of the engine, especially at low speeds.
2. The large weight allows the motorcycle to have excellent directional stability and not react to gusts of wind on the highway.
3. Suspension travel (front: 140 mm, rear: 104 mm) in combination with the weight of the device allows you to pass uneven sections of roads without any inconvenience for the driver. The passenger, of course, reacts to this all completely differently.
4. Excellent sound from stock mufflers.
5. Appearance (of course, this is all purely personal preference). Graceful fenders, long mufflers, beautifully shaped tank. My motorcycle has a two-tone paint job - metallic gray, which is applied at the factory in three layers, plus one layer of varnish.
6. Comfortable wide steering wheel and soft seat.
7. Large tank of 17 liters.
8. Convenient location of the footrests - not too far forward.
9. The wind deflector installed by the American provides excellent wind protection and allows you to ride without any problems with your helmet visor slightly open. The edge of the windshield goes just below my eye level.
Flaws. About them subjectively, from the girl’s point of view. And about some objective ones.
1. Weight. Not the heaviest, but I find it difficult to reverse on inclines.
2. Far away clutch handle. It can probably be adjusted, but with this setting I can barely reach it with all my fingers.
3. Long wheelbase, large turning radius.
4. Hot right side.
5. Small mirrors. And they are also highly adjustable. I tightened it once with the key and that's it. If during the process you realize that you need to change the angle a little, then that’s it – tighten it again with the wrench.
Suzuki VL800 Volusia . I had a motorcycle like this.
A good mid-size cruiser. Wide saddle, glove compartment for small tools on the key. For 2 years there was not a single breakdown. It rides well, confidently, you can lean on the footpegs in turns
