Can I have your opinions on the Suzuki tl1000 sv?

[jimbothe]

I really fancy a 80's chop or custom but can't find one as yet that I like. Trouble is I need a bike pronto and the above bike has come up at what I think is a very reasonable price.

Now I've had a tilly R before and I liked it. Mad, loud, lary and unpredictable.

How does the s compare?
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[P.addy]

I think it was the TL1000S that was considered deadly

Never ridden, so cannot comment, but its a bike i'd definitely love to ride, the R or S

[jimbothe]

Yeah I'm pretty sure it was the s that was called the widowmaker

I'll just ride it carefully
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[MarJay]

It has a rotary rear damper which kinda stops working when it gets hot, and it sits right next to the exhaust...

Also, if the chain is too tight then the frame can crack when hitting bumps, especially with the rotary damper.

If you do buy it, check the frame very carefully for cracks, and make sure the chain has a little bit of slack when the rider sits on the bike, not when the wheel is off of the floor. Apparently it can be down to a combination of the swingarm pulling the chain tighter when the rear spindle nut is tightened and that the chain gets tighter when the rear suspension is compressed. I've got a feeling that it needs a little bit more slack than most bikes. If the owner knows this then it might be OK.
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Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[duhawkz]

I don't think there quite as bad as people make out i havent rode one but i know someone who rides one and he's still alive.

I looked at getting one a while back as they can be had for not much money but ended up getting a VFR 800 instead

Perhaps a better place to ask would be https://www.tlplanet.com also have a look at This linky it explains about the shock and the frame cracking
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[Alex A]

I took one out for 70 or so miles a couple of years back, through some pretty epic mountain passes in New Zealand. My thoughts were:

Absolutely stonking engine.

Marred by very poor feedback and feel from the suspension and chassis. There were only two ways to take a corner: Nurse it around almost upright, or commit completely, lean it right over and give it enough throttle for the bike to squat right down and power through the corner. Any approach between those two extremes would see the bike quickly losing composure and stability, giving it a tendency to run wide.

I'm pretty much up for giving anything a try, but I'd be in no hurry whatsoever to take up the opportunity of another ride. I'm sure it's shortfalls can be ridden around for the most part (with experience and determination), but even so, it simply didn't find it a pleasant bike to ride.

I believe the TLR is a better design, albeit rather massive and heavy.

[dogbot]

[Jenks]

i had one for a while.

Bloody loved it. Really shouldent have sold it.
Had no problems with the rotary damper... If its got an aftermarket shock fitted, then its sorted. If not, u could just spend a couple of hundred and get a new shock.
Used to love to lift the front end, handled brilliantly too. Sounded AMAZING

infact, weirdly enough, i swapped my thunderace for it! - such a better bike.
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[jimbothe]

Well, what happened right was I was minding my own business when this chap offered me a bike at an absolute steal with loads of spare toys as well.

I have two standard cans up for grabs as well as a spyball? alarm and a spare steering damper, oh and the rear seat hump as I prefer it with two seats.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b342/jgillard/tlbig.jpg
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