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Suzuki GS 400

Suzuki was the last of the Japanese motorbike-factories to aim for 4-stroked engines and the GS400 was together with the GS750 the very first 4-stroked Suzuki's to be launched on the market.
Time had showed how reliable and durable the GS-engines is and thus making it able for Suzuki to remain in competition, even though the 750 had to compete with the contemporary launched and evenly powered Z650 from Kawasaki.
The only remarkable changes on the GS-models was done in the early years and covers electronic ignition; CV-carburetors (as: also for the four-cylindered models) and aluminium alloy rims incorporating rear disc
brake.

The Suzuki GS400 twin was presented in October 1976, being one of the first four-stroke Suzukis since the Colleda COX in the 1950's. The other Suzuki four-strokes that were introduced that year were the GS750 and GS550 fours. All three of them had similar appearance and specification other than the GS400 had a cross-mount inline twin, six-speed gearbox and drum rear brake. The 550cc and 750cc versions had five speeds and disc brakes front and rear. All GS models had two valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts, tubular double craddle frame, telescopic front and pivoted-fork rear suspension, fuel gauge, gear indicator and electric start.

Although Suzuki had earlier been known as the home of two-strokes and for years let other manufacturors go ahead with their complicated and not-always-that-reliable four-strokes. Honda presented its CB750 already in the late sixties being a emmidiate success. Suzuki's answer, in form of the great new two-strokes in the T and later in the GT family were great bikes in the early seventies but were soon hopefully out-of-date. When even the RE5 with rotary engine turned out to be unsuccesful, it was time for Suzuki to think again. New harder emission regulations were arriving in the USA killing the eventual plans of making even more powerful two-stroke machines. No, Suzuki had to swallow its pride and go with the flow. The name of the game was four-stroke.

With the new four-strokes Suzuki showed that the firm had no problems with that engine type. In fact, the new engine family was conventional and based on established practice but carefully refined to meet or beat the older rivals. The Suzuki GS engines received soon a reputation being strong and reliable with great gearboxes, GS400 engine being no exception.