Suzuki TL 1000

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Suzuki
Suzuki TL1000S.JPG
TL 1000 S
Manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation
Production period 1997 to 2000
class motorcycle
design type Sports Tourer
Motor data
Four-stroke engine , liquid-cooled 90 ° V2 engine, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, wet sump lubrication, electronic manifold injection
Displacement  (cm³) 995.67
Power  (kW / PS ) 92/125 at 9,200 min -1
Torque  ( N m ) 104 at 8000 min -1
transmission 6-speed
drive Chain drive , O-ring chain
Brakes vo. 320 mm double disc brake, 4-piston fixed caliper / rear 220 mm, 2-piston fixed caliper
Wheelbase  (mm) 1,415
Dimensions (L × W × H, mm): 2,065 × 715 × 1,175
Seat height (cm) 84
Empty weight  (kg) 191 (dry)
successor Suzuki SV 1000 S.

The TL 1000 is a motorcycle in the Sports (S) or Superbike (R) category from the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki .

TL 1000 S

technology

The TL 1000 S came onto the market in 1997. Before that there were hardly any Japanese two-cylinder V-engines. With an engine output of 92 kW (125 PS), the TL reached a top speed of over 250 km / h. The motorcycle accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 2.9 seconds.

The TL 1000 S is based on a novel design. The intake manifold injection of the two cylinders of the V-engine was carried out electronically for the first time. The vehicle frame consisted of a tubular aluminum structure . The rounded, organically drawn half-shell concealed little of the drive and chassis technology. The rear wheel was suspended by a newly developed vane damper with separate suspension.

Product recalls

Shortly after its debut, an unusually large number of technical defects were criticized on the TL 1000 S. Marketed as a sports twin and tested by journalists on the racetrack, the rear suspension suffered from the great heat radiating from the nearby manifold of the rear cylinder . Due to the heat, the damper lost its effectiveness, which had an impact on driving behavior.

The weight distribution of the TL 1000 S was also unfavorable towards the rear wheel. Due to the high acceleration force of the V2 engine, the front wheel quickly became light and, when the road surface was wavy, the handlebars sometimes hit wildly from one end to the other (handlebar slap, "headshake" or "tank slapper"). The selected Metzeler ME Z1 first tires with special identification should have done the rest, which was very wide and unwieldy on the rear wheel in size 190 and was noticeable at the front with poor self-damping.

An improperly coordinated injection resulted in, at times, strong, constant travel jerks, especially at low speeds, and on top of that, the oil was diluted with unburned petrol due to the mixture being too rich. This, in turn, had a negative effect on the clutch, which was lubricated in the same oil bath as the engine and could therefore tend to slip. This was reinforced by a coupling structure that was initially too weak.

Furthermore, there were occasional cracks in some tanks, which in rare cases led to gasoline leaks. Due to the strong criticism of the motorcycle, Suzuki tried several times to remedy the weak points of the TL 1000 S by means of product recalls. Vehicles that have already been delivered have been retrofitted with a steering damper; this was series from 1998. The tank was exchanged for a new one free of charge and provided with two additional supports in the area of ​​the frame. Newer models received optimized engine control units, which avoided the problems with oil dilution and the following clutch slippage and actually made the choke, which was still present, superfluous. The clutch was still available in a reinforced version for TL 1000 new vehicles from 1998. The vane damper remained unchanged, as it could hardly be pushed to its limits on the country road.

In 1997 the TL 1000 S was the motorcycle with the most, namely six, recalls of all time. The public reputation was finally ruined and production of the TL 1000 S was discontinued after only four years (1997 to 2000).

TL 1000 R

In 1998, Suzuki supplemented the road version TL 1000 S with the superbike TL 1000 R , which was optimized for use on racetracks . The only thing the superbike had in common with the S version was the engine and damping concept. With a modified frame and a rear swing arm with support, 6-piston brake calipers at the front, a revised engine with now 99 kW (135 hp), two injection nozzles per cylinder, forged pistons, titanium connecting rods, a reinforced clutch, full fairing and an adjustable steering head angle they are clearly designed for racetrack use. The TL-R suffered from the same damping problem as the sister TL-S.

After the debacle with the TL 1000 S in the press, the TL 1000 R was also sold as a low-loader and in Germany only for two years.

The TL 1000 has now achieved cult status in Germany. The prices for used TL (especially for the R) are increasing.

Further information

The successor model of the TL 1000 S, the Suzuki SV 1000 S, now again with conventional chassis and reduced engine performance and characteristics due to stricter emission regulations, is no longer in the Suzuki range in Germany either. The engine, however, modified according to the concept, can still be found in the Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom and the Bimota SB8K. The performance and above all the sound brought the TL 1000 a large fan base worldwide.

According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority , 3,287 of the TL 1000 S and 667 of the TL 1000 R were registered in Germany on January 1, 2005. In 2005, the TL 1000 ranked 3rd among the most stolen motorcycles in the USA. On April 1, 2008, 2,482 TL-S and 463 TL-R were still registered.

literature

Web links