Suzuki GS 750TZ
Review 1982 To Suzuki, the GS750TZ is more than just another new model; it's a solution. In the final analysis it might not prove to be the solution, but for now it's at least a solution to a dilemma that the entire Japanese motorcycle industry, not just Suzuki, has been stuck on the horns of for the last few years: how to deign factory-custom motorcycles to have precisely The Look that is so vital to their sales success without having them all look alike. A Cal chsituation, indeed, and the GS750TZ is Suzuki's response to it. The TZ is a decidedly conservative approach to the problem, though, not just in the way the bike looks but in the fact that it will be the only model in the company's entire 1982 lineup styled in this fashion (all the other customs will be in the usual L-model configuration). Apparently, Suzuki wants to test the waters of acceptance for a new generation of factory-custom motorcycles by cautiously dipping in with just one toe rather than jumping in feet-first And instead of breaking any all-new styling ground, the TZ simply attempts to split the difference between customs and standard models. The styling still captures the essence of the Great American Street Much of that Britbike look is no doubt due to the particular profile of the TZ's 4.5-gallon teardrop tank, especially with its Triumph-like color-contrasting knee cut-outs. But the overall effect of being a latter-day classic might be the result of the bike having an unfamiliar (for this day and ago) combination of familiar pieces. The gas tank, for example, has the requisite custom-bike shape and the handlebar is conventional (read: not high-rise pullbacks) fare, but the two usually aren't found on the same motorcycle. Likewise for the stepped seat, fat 17-inch rear tire and simple rear fender (all custom-bike traditions); but the seat is not radically stepped, the fenders are not bobbed short and the front fork is not—and doesn't even look to be-extended (all standard-bike traditions). The difference, therefore, between this bike and the usual factory customs is that the TZ resembles a vintage Triumph before customizing, not after. |