1998 Suzuki TL1000R - Used And Reviewed

1998 Suzuki TL1000R

Average Used Price: $3900-$6250
Weight: 434 pounds (dry)
Horsepower:122
Torque: 72 pound-feet
Quarter mile: 10.76@126.9mph

When sportbike designers try to come up with a winning formula, you can tell if they got it right by the bike's longevity. Take Suzuki's TL1000R, for example. The manufacturer may have discontinued production in 2003, but the thundering, 996cc V-twin engine is still in production, powering machines as diverse as Suzuki's V-Strom adventure tourer and the sporty SV1000S. And while those motorcycles have strong followings, the TL1000R remains a popular used bike with a fervent fan base. Why? Chalk that up to its wicked two-cylinder engine, which can turn even the most boring road into a two-wheeled roller-coaster track.

Compared to smallish new sportbikes, the TL1000R appears big and beefy. The motorcycle's large tail section, bulbous 4.5-gallon fuel tank and broad fairings create a look of a large-boned sportbike. On board, its 434 pounds (dry) weight and wide dimensions are noticeable if you've just jumped from the saddle of, say, a Kawasaki ZX-6R. But for long rides or for riders on the high side of 6 feet, the TL's ample proportions make for comfortable traveling.

The TLR was actually the second motorcycle that Suzuki introduced under the TL designation. The TL1000S, produced in 1997, shared the same water-cooled engine and six-speed gearbox, though the TL1000S had a half-fairing and a lighter, steel trellis frame as opposed to the TLR's more rigid, twin-spar chassis. Some magazine testers claimed that the revolutionary rotary rear damper and separate coil spring on both TLs were more trouble than they were worth. While overseas journalists claimed the bikes were dangerously unstable due to the odd rotary dampers, both of these bikes handle moderately well in the twisties. The laterally mounted steering damper lying across the TL1000R's top triple clamp was placed there to take some of the snarl out of the bike's handling, as the walloping torque supplied by that lovely engine is basically a written invitation to wheelie.

Though the TL1000R doesn't offer the razor-sharp handling of its V-twin contemporaries like Ducati's 998 or Aprilia's Mille, the big Suzook does have its charms. There's more than enough power to stick with hyperbikes like Suzuki's own GSX-R1000 on the roads. Plenty of these machines were raced or used at track days, and the sound of a TL with a set of free-flowing pipes approaching is a sound plenty of riders will never forget. And while this bike won't win any awards for inch-perfect handling, the TL1000R's chassis-mated with the same fully adjustable 43mm forks from Suzuki's GSX-R line-help this machine corner with confidence.

Few other sportbikes are as pleasant for two-up riding because of the broad, well-padded passenger seat. That big gas tank means strapping on a magnetic tank bag and a map for a weekend of sport-touring is as simple as finding a deserted road, while well-designed headlights mean easy night riding.