Gladius, the 1st 200 miles.

[mister c]

I bought my Gladius last Saturday & thought I would give my impressions of it after the 1st week of ownership.


I'm running the bike in properly. I know that a lot of people think that you don't have to these days, but I'm old & want to do things by the book. The dealer said not to go over 5250 rpm for the 1st 500 miles, this equates to just over 70mph, so not too bad.
The engine seems to be a lot smoother than my old Curvy & seems willing to pull harder, even 2 up.
Rear views are very good & the mirrors don't seem to vibrate at all. & riding position isn't too bad with the high bars.
Suspension is a little on the stiff side, but married up to the standard Dunlop Qualifiers, it is a hoon to ride. It's brought back the smile on my face that had been lost riding my Triumph barge. I am hunting bends & roundabouts out everywhere I go, it handles really well. I can't wait to hit 1000 miles just to go & have a "proper" play.
I am a little worried about the black exhaust & collector/CAT, I can't see the finish lasting through a British winter, so am going to invest in some FS365.
Fuel economy seems awesome after my Triumph. My 1st tankful returned around 72 mpg, so it's going to save me a fortune over the next few years.

Minus points? Not too many to be honest. Comfort is a big minus, the seat is rock hard & you can't ride for more than about 60 miles without getting a numb bum. It also pushes you slightly forward & you find yourself constantly trying to find a different position to sit. My other half doesn't like the pillion seat at all, again, it's too hard & she says that the pegs are too high (she's only 5' 2", so anybody taller might find it even worse). I also worry about the finish. I know that Suzukis have never been the best, so time will tell.

So, do I like it? Yes, it puts a smile on my face every time I ride it, even for short stints, so it's done it's job. I will be looking at the seat in the near future & I have just ordered a new exhaust so will give it it's bark back & also keep the standard can looking new.
Why Suzuki haven't sold more of these bikes I'll never know, they are such a laugh to ride. I suppose that the "Girl's bike" tag doesn't help, but, & I'm going to sound big headed here, I reckon I'll beat a lot of sportsbikes around the twisties on this once it's run in......... Bring on the girls bike I say

[Geodude]

Glad you're enjoying it im still unsure of the footpeg hanger things but i am liking the look of the gladys and im sure you will make yours a bit different from the rest like you did with the sv. As for girly bike the gixxer thou straight line lot soon shut up when you take them on the twisties

[mister c]

The styling is a proper marmite thing isn't it? It is starting to grow on me now. Suzuki were way ahead of the game when it came to funky looks, the other manufacturers are only just coming out with "Ugly Ducklings" lol.

[Swin]

Now that the colour schemes have toned down a bit, I think the Gladius actually has a rugged charm about it - I shall certainly consider it for a test drive when I get round to replacing the pointy

[NTECUK]

Be interested on the oil consumption by running in gentle.
I did the 20 miles thrash and not loading thing on my tiger.
1000 miles in now its loosening off nicely

My dad has a pink and cream one, I love to have the odd ride on it even if it is usually only down to fill it with fuel for him, if only they had a fared version it would be a lovely bike for DJ. Not for me however because even though I like it for short rides I find it too cramped for*longer trips. It is a pity that it seems to have been marketed as a bit of a girl's bike though as I feel that it is a proper bike that Suzuki should be proud of.

[Bibio]

something that might be of interest. if i'm not mistaken the gladi uses SCEM bores an if it does then there is no running in as there is no reaming done to the cylinders. all the engine requires is the gears to be polished and given today's modern tolerance machining i doubt that there is much call for that either. given the SCEM bore then i would suspect that suzuki use premium oil straight off instead of running in oil which could potentially damage the coating on the bores.

downside to scem bores is that if they get damaged then they are feked as you cant rebore them so use good quality oil and stick to the service schedule.

[mister c]

Cheers Bibio.
I used to own a V50 Moto Guzzi which had nickel plated barrels, so quality oil & service schedules will be adhered to. I might even let the dealer do it to keep a full Suzuki Service history which is unheard of for me lol.

[andrewsmith]

Okay where's the mister c that I know

[mister c]

New bike syndrome Andy. That'll go out of the window when they tell me how much a service is lol