SUZUKI M800 INTRUDER (1997 - 2012) Review

Suzuki’s Intruder family of V-twin cruisers dates back to the mid-1980s and are generally well regarded as solid, nicely finished, dependable and affordable Japanese interpretations of the breed, alongside Yamaha’s Viragos and Honda’s Shadows.

• Related: Luke Wilkins on bikes pt4 - Suzuki Intruder M800

The shaft-drive V-twin engines were produced in mid-range 750/800 capacities and big bore 1400/1500/1600cc variants and from the late 1990s these powered three different styles of cruiser – the chopper style VS Intruder, the fat-wheeled, ‘50s retro style VL Intruder C (which in the US was also called the Volusia) and the more hot rod style VZ Marauder, which, to add further confusion, was in the UK called the M800 or M1600 Intruder.

In the UK, these latter version survived longest until being finally killed off by emissions laws in 2012 and are considered among the best ‘non-American’ examples of the hot rod breed thanks to their clean styling, proven, grunty performance, decent (for a cruiser) handling, reliability and durability and, best of all, impressive value.

Although the smaller of Suzuki’s two versions the M800 is still a substantial bike with more than sufficient performance; its handling and braking are among the best of any bikes of this type and age; there’s virtually no mechanical or cosmetic issues and it can be a great value used buy.

Although now aging compared to other classes such as sports or adventure bikes, the M800’s hot rod style hasn’t dated at all and its performance is still competitive. If the cosmetics are good (and the M800’s chrome and paint are as good as any), you like the style and experience and don’t mind the badge you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Once you've read this review and our owners' reviews, you may want to join an online community to meet likeminded people. The Suzuki Intruder Owners' Club is a great place to start.

Being a hot rod means the Suzuki Intruder M800 has more kicked out forks than a conventional cruiser, a fatter rear tyre and a long and low wheelbase – all to enhance stability and give the long and low stance that makes these drag bike style machines great performers in a straight line away from traffic lights and suchlike.

Many hot rods, as a result, aren’t the most nimble machines and can also suffer from a lack of ground clearance. The M800, however, is a better handling example than most. Though ‘kicked out’ the front forks are beefy, inverted items for added rigidity and with a smaller 16-inch front wheel it steers reasonably well.

The twin shocks at the rear have limited travel, again to give that low stance, but the ride is adequate, although it can jar and ‘bottom out’ over pot holds. And the semi-upright riding position, with feet forwad ‘highway’ pegs is less extreme than many and is decently comfortable, although less so over distance than Suzuki’s more touring VL variants.

If pushed hard, yes, eventually the pegs ground out, but that’s to be expected and if it’s a problem you’re looking at the wrong kind of bike. Being the 800 version also means its lighter and less of a handful than its bigger 1500/1600 brothers and this is also an advantage when it comes to braking.

With big, twin front discs, the M800 has more stopping power than most cruisers, something again befitting its hot rod style and it’s also stable and controlled. Pillions should be wary, though. Only a small pillion pad is offered, you’re exposed to the wind and if ridden in the drag bike style intended you’ll be hanging on – a ‘sissy’ bar is recommended!

The Suzuki M800 Intruder V-twin engine dates back to the mid-1980s (although was constantly updated over the years), is well-proven with a deserved reputation for reliability and has the added benefit of maintenance-free shaft-drive – although this does have the downside of adding slightly to the bike’s overall weight.

Although its peak power figure of 50bhp is nothing to get too excited about, bikes like these are more about torque and low-down grunt and, with 48lb.ft the M800 is responsive enough compared to most of its mid-size competition and it cruises happily at 80mph – although if you want real hot rod excitement you’re much better of with its M1600 big brother, which produces 72bhp and an even more impressive 92ftlb of torque at just 2800rpm.

Even so, with electronic fuel injection, power delivery is smooth and the pipes let off a good, throaty burble, something many owners enhance by fitting aftermarket silencers. The transmission is also typically smooth in being slick and glitch free, much more so than most of its competitors, its throttle response is good and its clutch action impressively light. Overall, the M800’s performance is decent and its refinement up with the very best of this type of bike.

Although Suzukis often traditionally occupy the more budget end of the market compared to their Japanese rivals, their Intruder series have always been well regarded for clean, impressive quality and general durability with paint and chrome that sits above most competitors and a solid simplicity to its ancilliaries that doesn’t date and stands the test of time.

That simplicity and quality, added to the Intruder family’s clean, understated style (you won’t see many Suzuki badges anywhere) and proven performance are a big reason behind the bike’s popularity and longevity.

All that said, the M800’s not perfect, either. The long established, contiunually updated V-twin engine is generally solid and reliable although there was an early recall on some models when faulty ignition wiring threatened to cause engine failure. Make sure it’s been seen to.

And although build quality and finishes are generally good, this is a bike that’s both at the budget end of its class, has been aimed more at California than a British winter and is now also at least a decade old.

With all that in mind make sure its been looked after and serviced properly (if bought on a budget it’s unlikely to have been); if it’s been regularly ridden through a British winter its paint and chrome will almost certainly have suffered, no matter how good it is (most Harley owners are unlikely to have done the same) and give it a thorough check over for age-related wear and tear.

On the plus side, most owners report that they are more than satisfied with their bikes’ reliability and durability; there are no commonly reported trouble spots and, if looked after and maintained reasonably well, you should have little to fear – especially as most owners of this sort of bike do far fewer mileages than, say, adventure bike or sports tourer owners.

Suzuki Intruder owner reviews

Our Suzuki Intruder M800 owners' reviews show mainly positive comments from owners on the reliability front, with the bike marked down for poor brakes, and also a bit of corrosion - something you might expect from an older bike.

It’s easy to assume that most chrome-laden, big-engined, performance-packed hot rod-style cruisers are expensive not just to buy but to run as well. And, when considering high end premium examples such as Harley-Davidson’s FXDR or Yamaha’s 1900cc VMAX, that’s certainly the case.

Bikes like the M800, however, are significangly different both by being smaller capacity and more budget-orientated machines. By having less fearsome performance than 1000cc+ bikes such as the Harley and Yamaha, the M800 is not only cheaper to buy and insure in the first place, it also has lower running costs as its more frugal on fuel and has less of an appetitie for consumables such as tyres and brake pads.

This is all part of the M800’s appeal, after all. The Suzuki also has the added benefit of shaft drive meaning that there’s no costly chain to maintain or replace periodically, either.

At the same time the M800 was also not only a good value buy when new it remains so as a used buy today – even if this appeal actually inflates its used value more so than with some other types of bike.

Either way the M800 represents good value against more glamourous rivals such as the stalwart Harley-Davidson clan (although HD’s mid-range Sportsters can’t get close to the M800’s versatility and performance) or even offerings from Indian, Victory and Britain’s own Triumph, such as the Bonneville-based Speedmaster.

The M800 also rides well and looks the part. Instead, more direct Japanese rivals include Yamaha’s Drag Star 650 Classic, which is roughly the same price as the M800 but is down on power and hasn’t the Suzuki’s clean image, and Kawasaki’s VN900 Classic, which, while compentent and well regarded, can’t match the Suzuki’s drag bike style and in reality is a closer rival to Suzuki’s more retro VL version.

The Suzuki M800 is the smaller, cheaper variant of a slightly budget orientated version of a bare-bones style bike – a hot rod – so you shouldn’t expect much by way of lavish equipment or creature comforts, it’s simply not in the nature of the bike.

That said, the M800 is also better equipped than most might expect and delivers a comfortable, pleasant ride. There’s a soft seat and sensibly-placed bars and footpegs so you can cruise in reasonable comfort.

There’s also an LED tail light (novel when it first came out) and performance-orientated USD forks, decent brakes, a clean, simple, but ample and reasonably modern instrument display and lashings of quality chrome. As a result, the whole M800 plot adds up to an agreeable cruiser experience.

What’s more, when buying used, with this class of bike more than most, it’s also worth taking into consideration any accessories the bike you’re looking at may come with. Often alterations and custom parts can detract from a used bike’s value, but with customs – where ‘customising’ is in their very DNA – this is rarely the case.

As a result, there is a wide variety of equipment on used examples which can affect their appeal and value. So as long as any accessories are decent quality, correctly fitted and, ideally, come with any original part included (eg aftermarket silencers), they can actually add to a used bike’s appeal and value.

Extra chrome bolt-on goodies, a sissy bar, detachable screen, pillion pad, throwover panners and more should all be welcome as long as they are to your particular taste.