Suzuki’s entrant to the turbo sweepstakes was sportier than the green or red models, still more of a GT all in all. This Oregon example has been ridden some, displayed some, and made ready for the next rider.
1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo for sale on eBay
Suzuki designed a special engine for the turbo, only 673cc and 7.4-to-1 compression, but nicely oversquare with a 10,000 rpm redline. Full injection ensures smooth running across the range and the advanced oil cooling system used squirters to cool the pistons. The forward leaning chassis used twin downtubes, anti-dive forks with a 16-inch front wheel and Full Floater monoshock rear. A little Katana-style goodness made for a distinctive fairing with sportier clip-on handlebars and footpeg location.
Any curator would be happy if their XN85 was in this kind of shape, undamaged and shiny pretty much everywhere. The owner states he’s only the second, and it’s been in “his” museum for the last twelve years. That might be worth looking into if you’re local to Portland. Links to a few comprehensive videos are in – the eBay auction – interspersed with the owner’s comments:
The XN85 Has Been On Display For 11-12 Years In My Museum.
It’s Been Pulled Off The Display Floor And, Over Last 3+ Months As Time Permitted I Have Had The Following Service Items Performed By My Mechanic –
-New AGM Battery Installed
-New Oil & Filter Change
-Both Front And Rear Calipers Serviced – Cleaned & Brake Fluids Flushed From The Long Time sitting Idle While On Display
Recently un-mothballed in a loving fashion by my master mechanic. The fuel system flushed with non-ethanol premium fuel. Installed a new battery along with a new battery tender hook-up. It started up in less then 2 seconds and runs great! There are no fuel leaks. It idles perfectly. It’s fuel injected. It Revs & Restarts fine. It is ready to go and needs nothing to go riding. And/or it’s ready to go straight into another Museum.
Though a great engineering exercise, the fuel crisis passed, insurance companies got wind of the power vs. displacement issue, and none of the models survived to see 1986. The XN85 was relieved for the ’84 model year in the U.S., but was sold abroad for a couple of more years. Time has confirmed that Suzuki’s ideas about handling and de-tuning the turbo were correct, as the model has consistently reviewed well in the fun-to-ride and reliability departments. Evidently the victim of a failed BAT auction, this particular XN85 would’ve been a bargain at that strike price, but likely this and XN85 owners everywhere are hoping for better.
-donn
These Suzukis are wonderful motorcycles – they don’t have the warp speed that the screaming graphics seem to suggest, but are legit in the comfort and handling department. For all the “GP-inspired” hype of the 16′ front wheel, it really seems to work here. Tire choice, however, is sadly limited.
-Mike