Suzuki

SUZUKI

CRUISERS '96

The Status Quo Specials

WITH MOST OF ITS CORPORATE ENERGY TIED UP reinventing the GSX-R750 repli-racer, Suzuki chose the path of least resistance when planning its 1996 cruiser lineup—it left well enough alone. Marketing Director Mel Harris says the company is happy with its 25 percent share of the Japanese cruiser market, and that Suzuki’s pair of Intruders and the Savage 650 are among the company’s top sellers.

Now in its l()th year, the Intruder line was developed with mostly American input. Conceptually and stylistically, they are raked-out, chopper-style machines-at odds with the current nostalgia-cruiser theme being run up the flagpole by Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda.

Beginning life as a tariff-beating 700 in 1986, the smaller of the Intruders made it to 750cc in ’89 and finally to its current 800cc configuration in ’92. The 800 is Suzuki’s bestselling cruiser. The Intruder 1400 emerged after Suzuki axed the ill-fated Madura V-Four from its lineup in '87. To refresh memories, the 800 and 1400 combine muscular VTwin motors with shaft drive and long, low, lean silhouettes. They have 21-inch front wheels, stepped seats and pullback handlebars. For 1996, both bikes receive new seats. The 1400 got chrome tank badges and two-tone paint.

Simple, elegant Intruder styling that gracefully hides extraneous details continues to be well regarded by the CW staff. Thanks to monster torque, these bikes are a gas to ride around town. The 1400, in particular, is a real asphalt-rippler and can run with almost anything on two wheels up to 60 mph. Both bikes are less at home at high speeds on the open road, due mainly to parachute-in-the-breeze riding positions, but at a reasonable touring pace each is veiy satisfying.

Reintroduced just last year at a bargain $3995, the Savage is a 652cc Single with belt drive. With a 26-inch seat height and claimed 342-pound dry weight, it’s a great entry-level bike that has surprised Suzuki with its strong sales numbers.

For now, the Intruders and Savage will uphold Suzuki’s honor in the cruiser wars. But how long can the aging machines survive in this growing field? We’ll let Harris have the last word: “We see the cruiser market expanding because they are ‘America’s Machine.’ If this trend continues to grow, we will look at entering the market with other models, throwing our corporate hat in the ring with a bigger lineup,” he says.