GN 400

[spannermonkey91]

WOOO! One more for the GNs, Not many about anymore =) I myself ride a GN250 and thouroughly enjoy it

[alice]

Ayup Spannermonkey, it'll be sometime before I'm riding mine. But I am much encouraged by the info' and support from this forum!
thanks again everyone

[johnr]

 I've owned an SP 400 since the 80s
The SP/DR370 has points. All the 400 motors run cdi. At the last count I had 5 assorted DR and SPs in bits, all 400 s and all interchangeable. Both of my MOTd DR's are running  SP400 engines; need I go on? For accurate info try

http://suzuki-thumpers.com/technical/

and then enter the discussion board There's loads of info on wiring, some of it even helpful.

my first sp400 had points, i dont think it was a retrofit either as the bike was stunninly tidy in every other way, but it had points for sure, cos i changed them!

[cloggy]

 You had a SP370
The bikes were identical in every way except for the engine. Hardly anything in the engine is the same except for the external crankcase dimensions, thus either engine will fit.   However 400 side panels and tank would fit on the 370 being identical dimensionally, indeed my 400 had 370 stamped all over the place. Check the manual.

[johnr]

no, i had an sp370 about a year before, i bought the 400 later on cos it was just so nice, it even still had the original bar grips on it. and it was definately a 400!






and then i stoved it into a dry stone wall and it  went away in a van to the big traily scrap yard in the sky!!!

[cloggy]

What, you poured fluid down the spark plug and checked the capacity?

[SteveC#222]

Hmmm....I had a SP370 ( bloody lovely bike apart from the crap lights) that was definitely points and a DR400 ( same engine as the SP400) which, I'm pretty sure was CDI .   I always thought that the 370 was the sweeter engine.
I seem to remember there was a way of converting the electrics to 12V using a zener diode.

[johnr]

What, you poured fluid down the spark plug and checked the capacity?

the capacity was cast into the back of the barrel, and it was visually identical to my mates sp400, log book said sp400, engine and chassis number were ok and it was utterly stock and tidy with one owner from new(this was probably in 1988 at the time) its all a long tie ago, but it was definitely a 400, and it was definitely on points!

[cloggy]

 I think the head had failed and someone had switched heads,   The 370 had a slide carb the SP400 and GN400 had a vacuum carb, again they can be swapped too.
 The other explanation is what Landrover did with  the first few hundred Series 2s. They came with the Series 1  half side valve engines
 A lot of people say the 370 is the sweeter engine but it's also the weaker. For the 400 Suzuki beefed up the big end and the clutch and gearbox. Least ways that's what I remember. I converted to 12v 25 years ago. It's easy peasy. These days you can buy stuff and stay DC, back then I binned the indicators and battery, and the exhaust. I shoved a 34mm Amal mk 2 on and a protec copy cam, and GN front end. The bike was a revelation after 12 years on a Matchless single. It was reliable and didn't wear out quickly. Least ways the engine didn't. The cycle parts were the opposite. I 'd never changed a wheel or swingarm bearing till I got the SP.