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{{unreferenced, date=March 2013 The GV1400 Cavalcade was a
Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
luxury
touring motorcycle A touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle designed for touring. Although almost any motorcycle can be used for this purpose, manufacturers have developed specific models designed to address the particular needs of these riders. Touring motorc ...
available from 1985 to 1988 in North America. It was available in Europe until 1991. There were three model lines, the GT, LX, and LXE. Each successive model gaining more standard features. Suzuki was the last of the major motorcycle manufacturers to introduce a luxury tourer. The Cavalcade was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful luxury tourer in 1985.


Design

The Cavalcade features a 16 valve
DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
1360 cc V4 with hydraulic lash adjusters and
shaft drive A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
for low maintenance. Many of the standard features on the Cavalcade were considered options on other motorcycles in 1985. The LX and LXE models feature self-cancelling turn signals, automatic rear pneumatic leveling system,
rear suspension Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two. Suspension systems must support both road holding/ handling and ride ...
load pre-tensioner, air-adjustable
damping Damping is an influence within or upon an oscillatory system that has the effect of reducing or preventing its oscillation. In physical systems, damping is produced by processes that dissipate the energy stored in the oscillation. Examples in ...
on the front shocks that could be refilled with a standard tire pump connection, electronic
cruise control Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a ste ...
, radio and cassette deck with LCD station display, volume and station selection controls on the handlebars, adjustment knob for the
headlight A headlamp is a lamp (electrical component), lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage (language), usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the ...
, adjustable passenger
floorboard Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. ...
s, fore to aft top case adjustment for passenger comfort, adjustable handlebars and adjustable
windshield The windshield (North American English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from the elements. Mo ...
. The radio is in a decorative housing that resembles a standard motorcycle fuel tank. The radio has an automatic volume control that raises and lowers the radio volume based on the speed of the motorcycle. The Cavalcade fuel tank is located under the driver's seat but is filled from the top of the decorative tank. A standard automobile-type
oil filter An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. Their chief use is in internal-combustion engines for motor vehicles (both on- and off-road ), powered aircraft, r ...
is located midline of the underside of the
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
between the
exhaust pipes An exhaust system is used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes. Depending on the overall system ...
. The engine is
liquid cooled Liquid cooling refers to cooling by means of the convection or circulation of a liquid. Examples of liquid cooling technologies include: * Cooling by convection or circulation of coolant, including water cooling * Liquid cooling and ventilatio ...
with a
thermostat A thermostat is a regulating device component which senses the temperature of a physical system and performs actions so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint. Thermostats are used in any device or system tha ...
ically-controlled electric fan. The radio antenna could be unscrewed and lowered so as not to interfere with the positioning of the weather cover, which was standard with all models. There are two key-locked storage boxes for the driver on either side of the console. There are two storage boxes for the passenger on the top of each side case. The passenger backrest has arm rests. The weather cover has a steel cable running along the lower edge with eye
grommet Curtain grommets, used among others in shower curtains. A grommet is a ring or edge strip inserted into a hole through thin material, typically a sheet of textile fabric, sheet metal or composite of carbon fiber, wood or honeycomb. Grommets ar ...
s for a
padlock Padlocks are portable locks with a shackle that may be passed through an opening (such as a chain link, or hasp staple) to prevent use, theft, vandalism or harm. Naming and etymology The term ''padlock'' is from the late fifteenth century. T ...
or wire-cable lock. The top case has an interior light and vanity mirror. The top case is large enough to accept a full face helmet. Two helmet locks that use the
ignition key A car key or an automobile key is a key used to open and/or start an automobile. Modern key designs are usually symmetrical, and some use grooves on both sides, rather than a cut edge, to actuate the lock. It has multiple uses for the automobile w ...
are just below the top case and above the
license plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate ( Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificati ...
. Soft, form-fitted bags came standard for the side cases and the top case. The console features a LCD display that has the gear position indicator as well as warnings for low battery water and "
kickstand A kickstand is a device on a bicycle or motorcycle that allows the bike to be kept upright without leaning against another object or the aid of a person. A kickstand is usually a piece of metal that flips down from the frame and makes contact ...
down." The bike had a switch linked to the kickstand that would kill the engine if the bike were put in gear with the kickstand in the down position. There are vents near the ignition key that allow air to be directed towards the driver's face and doors on both sides of the fairing that can be opened to allow engine heat to be directed toward the driver's legs. The passenger had controls to adjust the radio volume and station selection. The passenger seat has a 3-way adjustable passenger seat on both models. LXE models were equipped with cornering lights, air adjustable driver's seat, coin-holder and map case in the driver's storage boxes, leg
wind deflector A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
s and driver/passenger intercom jacks. There was a
CB radio Citizens band radio (also known as CB radio), used in many countries, is a land mobile radio system, a system allowing short-distance person-to-many persons bidirectional voice communication among individuals, using two way radios operating on ...
option. A driver
backrest Backrest or back-rest may refer to: * Part of a chair, sofa, Bench or other such furniture used for resting one's back * Fishing rod backrest * Sissy bar A sissy bar, also called a "sister bar" or "passenger backrest" is an addition to the r ...
and passenger
headrest Head restraints (also called headrests) are an automotive safety feature, attached or integrated into the top of each seat to limit the rearward movement of the adult occupant's head, relative to the torso, in a collision — to prevent or ...
were options. They are also equipped with an electrical accessory plug and a 500 watt
alternator An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Go ...
.


See also

*
Honda Gold Wing The Honda Gold Wing is a series of touring motorcycles manufactured by Honda. Gold Wings feature shaft drive and a flat engine. Mooted by press in September 1974 as "The world's biggest motor cycle manufacturer's first attack on the over-750cc ...
GV1400 Cavalcade LXE Touring motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1985