Poor shaftmanship - SUZUKI GS850 Review

Quick Overview

The Suzuki GS850 with a shaft drive offers superior maintenance freedom and smoothness compared to chain-driven contemporaries like the Honda 550 Four, despite the shaft drive adding weight and reducing ultimate performance compared to a chain-driven 1000cc engine.

Key Points: Shaft drives offer freedom from chain grime and maintenance, contrasting with the default chain drive prevalent for decades. Chain-driven bikes like the Honda 550 Four were faster, lighter, and more efficient than contemporary shaft-driven options. Suzuki introduced the GS850 with a shaft drive, which was engineered to allow the engine's power to turn 90 degrees to the rear wheel, resulting in a smoother ride. The GS850 frame was not strong enough to handle the power of its 1000cc sibling, leading Suzuki to install the engine in a less powerful 850cc configuration. The GS850 was the first in its class to feature tubeless wheels, an advanced feature compared to chain-driven bikes. Despite its smoothness, the shaft drive on the GS850 resulted in a 25% loss of power compared to the chain-driven GS1000's output, making it slower in a drag race. The host ultimately prefers the GS850 for its aesthetics, low maintenance, and smooth ride, viewing it as a triumph of compromise over pure performance.

Context: The video reviews the Suzuki GS850, comparing it implicitly or explicitly to contemporary motorcycles, particularly those using chain drives which were the industry standard for decades, promising efficiency and freedom from maintenance. The host examines the engineering choices Suzuki made in developing the GS850, focusing heavily on its shaft drive system as a key differentiator from competitors like Honda and its own GS1000 sibling.

Detailed Analysis

The video contrasts the maintenance demands of chain-driven motorcycles, which were the default for decades, with the perceived freedom offered by shaft-driven motorcycles. While chain-driven bikes like the Honda 750 were faster, lighter, and more efficient, shaft drive promised freedom from constant maintenance. The Suzuki GS850 adopted this technology, featuring a unique engineering design where power turns 90 degrees via bevel gears to drive the rear wheel, resulting in a smoother ride and eliminating issues like chain slack or flinging lubricant. However, this design involved compromises: the GS850 used a frame originally intended for the GS1000, but it was not strong enough for the 1000cc engine, so Suzuki opted for a less powerful 850cc engine, losing about 25% of the potential power compared to the chain-driven GS1000. Despite these performance trade-offs, the GS850 offered modern features like tubeless wheels and was praised for its smooth, low-maintenance, and comfortable touring nature, making it a triumph of compromise over raw speed.