When a driver longed to have a cruiser in the eighties, he didn’t have much choice.  Mainly, he could go with a Harley-Davidson or go without.  Which was great if you liked Harleys, but what if you wanted something different?

That’s where the Japanese cruiser imports came into use.

When the Japanese manufacturers figured out they could make money on the cruiser buying Americans, it didn’t take the four major companies any time at all to come out with their own brand of cruiser-style motorcycle.  This was great news for those who were not adverse to purchasing something not made in America.  For roughly 50% less money in most cases a rider could have a brand new cruiser that was just as practical and satisfying as its American counterpart.

However there was one problem.  Even though all 4 major Japanese makers (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha) came out with their own models, it was Suzuki who seemed to get it right the first time with its Suzuki Intruder motorcycle.  The other three manufacturer’s cruisers seemed to cross a cruiser style with a street bike functionality, a mishmash that most riders found a little on the ugly side.  The 1986 VS 700 Intruder, however, was clean, pure cruiser from front to back.

Let’s begin  by delving a little into the engine.  The Intruder’s motor is a forty-five degree v-twin with overhead cams.  This configuration holds true for the entire Intruder line of bikes (VS700, VS750, VS800, VS1400, etc.).  The way these bikes cool themselves–other than the 1400, which is both air and oil-cooled–is by liquid.  The tranny shares the same case as does the crankshaft.  The resulting power is transmitted to the back wheel by way of a shaft drive in lieu of a chain.

Though you can have a cruiser that doesn’t have a v-twin, this style of engine is considered the zenith among cruiser devotees.

With the correct engine in place, Suzuki concentrated on not only rider comfort, but cruiser style as well.

Looking at the rider’s seating position, Suzuki made sure the Intruder had a comfortably low-slung saddle with forward positioned (though not extremely forward) foot pegs and forward controls.  The handlebars additionally served to both look the cruiser part and place the operator’s hands and wrists into ergonomic positions.

With the rider comfortable and set to go, Suzuki did what the others did not:  they cleaned up and uncluttered the whole motorcycle.

Each cable was either tucked away or ordered so they would not draw attention to themselves.  The same thing with the wiring system.  The so-called dash was uncluttered and free of instrument gauges and lamps that were not needed on these cruiser styles.  Only one instrument, the speedometer, and one “idiot light” box were used.  These things told you everything you needed to know from whether the motorcycle had its high beam on to you mph.

The front end had a nice angle to them.  Almost chopper-like.  This was good because the whole Intruder also embraces this look.  From one end to the other, the Intruder is lean and displays essentially no extra bulk.

What about the chrome?  Have I mentioned the chrome?  These bikes had plenty of it but not in the excess and not to the point of gaudiness, either.  Just a bit to give the motorcycle a little shine.

So with the proper design and performance down pat, it’s no surprise that this little cruiser stole the hearts of so many bikers over the years.  Oh, and the low price/high value didn’t hurt either!

If you are on the lookout for a new or used cruiser, I think you should take a gander at the Suzuki Intruder motorcycle if you don’t already have your eye on one.