Well, I’ve been motorcycle shopping again, and this time have come home with a Suzuki TL1000S. Mine is green with the fairing lowers and a pair of Blueflame titanium cans, sans baffles. This thing sounds like Armageddon coming down the road. 
It has been said, quite famously, that “novices should skip the TL1000S and proceed directly to the morgue”. Indeed, it is a bit of a handful. I’m a couple of months in to my TL experience, but after my first couple of rides I was searching for a good way to describe it to a friend. I came up with:
“Riding a TL1000S is a bit like trying to sit on the back of an angry tiger, after kicking it in the nuts and spraying it in the face with mace.”
The TL1000S has a reputation as a bit of a widow maker due largely to the inadequate rear shock which is an unusual rotary damper design. This leaves the bike a bit wanting when the cornering gets hard, with the possibility of high siding somewhat higher than other bikes. Additionally, after quite a few customers had complained about being dead, Suzuki did a recall and retro-fitted steering dampers to all bikes. You need to take the horror stories with a pinch of salt. Whilst Suzuki admit they didn’t do as much road testing as usual, the fact is the bike is not a death trap. Everything is relative. If you ride a bike like this at the limit on public roads, then frankly you will probably also end up with a nasty case of death. But, if you ride more sensibly, this is a very capable bike.
Once you have dialed in appropriate suspension settings, you can start to appreciate the light chassis and unbelievable motor. V-Twins are always powerful, but this engine really is the nuts! 996CC and a shade under 130BHP at the crank, with enough torque to adjust the Earth’s rotation if you’re a bit hasty off the line! Lighter riders with hamfisted throttle hands will find it lifting the front wheel with very little encouragement. Personally, I like to short-shift and ride the torque wave. Even with restraint, you find yourself hitting license losing speeds within a few seconds. Overtaking is a breeze in any gear!
Ride it smoothly and get your lines right and the TL1000S delivers a rewarding and involving ride.
The downsides are the cost of consumables and lack of anything approaching fuel economy. 100 miles is all you get before the fuel light comes on. Mine had a barely used Bridgestone BT014 rear tyre on when I bought it. Less than 1000 miles on and I’ve had to replace it! Massive torque plus soft compound tyres equals regular trips to the tyre shop! I’ve just fitted an Avon Storm ST to the rear, which should give adequate grip and a much longer life – I’ll report back on that, but I covered 300 miles on Saturday and it was just fine. One thing I have noticed is that the bike previously had a 180/55 tyre on, but it should be 190/50. When I replaced it, I got the correct size, but as this wider, the turn-in is slightly slower than it was with the narrower tyre. Still, with some positive counter steering input, the bike handles very well through the twisties.
The riding position is not quite as harsh as a supersport, but it’s far from comfortable on long journeys if you’re doing less than 60mph. It’s pretty good for bottom comfort, but it’s hard on the hands, particularly with the heavy clutch that will need to be slipped a lot below 30mph. The engine is really not comfortable below 3,000 rpm, so it can be a bit of a challenge to ride through town, but this is no commuter – it’s a bike for the open road.
I bought the bike from a friend, who raised an eyebrow at my purchasing such a machine just 10 months into my biking career. Personally, I think I am a good rider and I can manage the power perfectly well. I have plenty of self control, and whilst I do make quick progress on the road, I do not smash into corners hard on the brakes trailing my knee – if that’s your sort of riding style, you will want a different bike. I’m not sure I would recommend the bike to those with little experience, unless like me you know you can exercise self control and are not so cocksure that you’re not aware of your own riding faults and problem areas. The first time you get on the power out of a bend is a little bit sphincter loosening as the bike has a tendency to shimmy a little under the power.
I bought the TL as a second bike and it is the perfect antidote to my FZ6 Fazer. The two machines are completely different and I love that. I’m not sure I would want to live with the TL as my only machine, considering that much of my riding is the daily commute, but as a fun bike it certainly ticks the right boxes.
If you are looking for something a bit different, the TL1000S could be an option for you. Good examples with reasonable mileage can be had for £2000. The grin will be spread wide across your face!
Additionally, there are some excellent forums for TL owners, the best of which is www.tlzone.net. Enjoy!
Great review, David. Consumables are expensive as you say, but the rewarding ride makes up for it, don’t you think?