My 1996 Suzuki Intruder VS800 GL

I purchased this bike new in February of 1996, after falling in love with it while killing time at the Suzuki dealer one very cold Saturday in Atlanta. It was my very first completely new bike, though I first rode a dirt bike way back in 1978 and switched to street bikes in 1986. I have also ridden a 76 Honda CB 750 Super Sport, '85 Kawasaki 454 LTD, '86 Yamaha Radian, '87 Honda VFR 1000 F 2, '89 Honda VT750 Shaddow, '69 Harley Sportster, and '99 Ultra Groundpounder. Several times I have put the Intruder away in favor of a new toy, and twice I even listed it in Bike Trader, but somehow I just never could quite part with it. After a rather nasty divorce the Intruder was all I had left, so it became my primary toy out of default. I popped a battery in the bike, re-registered it, cleaned it up, and rode it for the first time in a couple of years; who would have guessed it, but I fell in love with the Intruder all over again.

My first ride on the Intruder was almost my last: less than a block from the dealer I narrowly avoided getting creamed by a speeding pickup truck. As if that wasn't enough, the next day I had a flat front tire thanks to an incorrectly installed spoke. A couple days later I hit the brakes hard for the first time and the rear tire blew out with a load bang: the tube had evidently been pinched during tire installation. By now I was loosing that "in love" feeling, and was starting to believe the old wives tale about green motorcycles being bad luck!

My experience with the Intruder has been nothing but positive since that first hellish week, and other than the normal wear items the bike had needed nothing. The bike's luck with tires changed for the better also. Shortly after returning it to running condition I left it at the dealer for a new rear tire. The tech screwed up and did both tires, so I got a freebie.

The bike was bone stock for the first 8 years of on-again, off-again duty as a 'back up bike'. In the last couple of months I have added the following:

- Chrome and O-Ring grips to replace the dry-rotted stock ones
- Chrome KoolKover brand nut and bolt covers on all the exposed hardware
- Stainless steel allen bolts to replace the stock and rust-prone engine cover bolts
- Chrome master cylinder trim sets from Suzuki
- Chrome master cylinder covers
- Chrome 'wide' brake and clutch levers
- Chrome license plate frame
- Chrome tire valve caps
- Chrome regulator cover
- Dragon medallion to replace the peeling Suzuki emblem on the sissy bar
- Chrome fork nut and steering head covers
- Chrome battery box
- Removable sissy bar T-bag and saddlebags for long trips

I also recently drilled out the exhaust baffles, putting three 1/2-inch holes in the first and second baffles and drilling out the center 1/2-inch hole in all three baffles. There is a 'how to do' this mod article in the Bike Tech section. The sound is great, with more/ deeper noise and more power than the stock units, but none of the streetability problems found with drag pipes.

Further mods are planned for the bike, including forward controls and some custom paint on the tank. I want to buff out the aluminum fork lowers, caliper, master cylinders, and switch housings, but this may have to wait until Winter, as I am riding the bike almost every day now and don't want to take it apart until it is below freezing.