Suzuki Intruder 1400

SUZUKI INTRUDER 1400

CRUISER COMPARISON

A dose of chopper nostalgia

HEY, THIS IS A SHOVELHEAD. IT feels crude and raw. It vibrates. Its suspension is real stiff." Believe it or not, that's an accolade. It came from our resident HarleyDavidson buff, a man who likes the big Intruder a lot. We like it too, partly because of its visceral nature, and partly because of its beauty. This is one stylish motorcycle, a bike with clean lines and a unity of theme that harkens back to the pre-Arlen Ness choppers.

It balances those virtues with running gear that is decidedly modem. Its air-and-oil-cooled engine is solidly mounted to the bike’s double-cradle frame at the rear, and uses basic rubber mounts up front. So some engine vibes make their way to the rider, particularly through the seat and footpegs. Those vibes are never excessively intrusive, however, and they remind the rider of the engine’s torque-monster presence.

The Intruder gets high marks for the quality of its finish, and for the feel and power of its brakes.

High marks, also, for the Intruder’s crisp, positive shifting and for its exceptional directional stability, courtesy of 36 degrees of rake and 6.5 inches of trail. Can you say,

“Chopper?”

Take away points, however, for suspension that has too much compression damping, and too high a spring rate.

Not much suspen_ sion deflection there, folks, not over any kind of bump we could find. Deduct points also for a truly miserable seat. It’s hard and poorly shaped. Ouch!

Of the four maxi-cruisers, the Suzuki rides the smallest. That doesn’t mean it’s the smallest bike of the four. It isn’t. It just means the taller you are, the less happy you’ll be with its bar-toseat-to-peg relationships.

Still, if you’re a Suzuki fan, or if you simply have to have that 1960s chopper look, the Suzuki is a fine ride.

$7399