Rehydrating the Buffalo Project Bike

Well, here it is. Of course I always have to pick something different. I picked up this 1972 GT750 ($300, the front drum was worth that much alone) that has been sitting for a number of years. Its mostly there and complete and yes, frozen like most old 2 strokes that have been sitting.






But I also have picked up this 74 thats a little ruff, but the good thing is that the motor was rebuilt about 5k miles ago.



So the plan is to put the 2 together. Build something different, Im not sure Id call it a cafe, somewhat of a saltflat looking bike. The purpose is just to have something cool to tool around on.

Of course the first thing I want to do is lower it. I found a guy that had a set of forks off his drag GT750, they are about 4 inches lower. I also found a GT550 swingarm, should bolt right up and its about 1.5 inches longer than the GT750.

Add some rear sets, cut down the headlight ears to fit in some clip ons, something different with the oil tank and so on and so on.

Heres the bike stripped with the lowered front forks set in to look at.





Then I made a cardboard rear/seat mock up to just see how it might fit and look. I plan on relocating the electric to under the seat and using the original taillight tucked up underneath.



And hopefully in the end it will turn out like something along these lines.

This oughta be good. Post a video with good sound when you have it running. With the expansion chambers the sound should be great.

I'm in too.


Mike

Oh my, this is gonna be fun... the smell of two stroke oil makes me horny

right on! this is gonna be cool!

I always wanted, (and still do) a GT750. I had the opp to ride one once, and this back in the day. I was riding a RD400 and had buddies with H2's and H1's and other RDs. Another guy with a GT550 too. Well, the GT380 was the best down the road one of them all by quite a margin. As fast as a stock H2, and handled better, and more reliable. I loved it but alas, never had the opp to buy one. Still want a cherry stocker either rebuilt or low miles survivor. They come up from time to time for under 4K but I never have the money at the time. Good luck with the project!

Not much progress but wanted to post a couple things. Im 42 and finally enrolled in a body paint class so hopefully Ill start this week by trimming all unwanted tabs off the frame. media blast a few bits and see what happens.

I did trim off about 1.25 inches off one headlight ears to see where the headlight might sit, height is great, but it will be out about another 1.5 inches. And I wanted to see how the new Tarozzi clip ons will work.

Heres what else I do with most my time, my youngest, Eli.

Always though those would be a fun bike to tinker with... but you SHOULD be working on the '76 XL350 instead!!!

Hey Dorkpunch, you have a coil laying around for that XL? It is a cool bike, it spent many years inside a storage container. All stock and pretty clean, but hasnt run in ?? years.

And how can you tell from those photos its a 76 XL350? Which your absolutly correct.
I recovered the seat and cleaned it up since. This is just after when I picked it up.

Anyone interested in it, $375

Awaiting more...

I think I have a coil for the sideport, but they should be identical. Dont remember if it was a good one I bought as a backup or a bad one I took off something. If you can find a way to get it to Idaho, consider it sold!!!

I can tell its a '76 from the paint on the tank. The '77 was similar but slightly different, and the '78 had 3 different color orange stripes. I am somewhat of an XLspert... Was my first "real" bike and have had a thing for them ever since.

Back to the water buffalo!

I knew (know? think he's still around) a guy up in Southern Alberta that had 5 or 6 buffalo's in various states of disrepair... neat bikes!

Lucky dog.

I really want to get a GT750. None popping up around my area lately.

I like your ideas. For your exhaust as the J & K systems are impossible to find, have a look at Omars 3 into 1 system.
http://www.omarsdtr.com/cafe.html

I've been running a 3 in 1 for 22 years now with no problems. They give a meatier midrange, but a bit less up top. But if your just want to cruise then they're perfect. A lot cheaper & lighter than the stock system.

Do you know what year the drag forks are from? If they are `73 K model, then the tubes should swap into the `72 J sliders, as both models had the same bushes inside. From the '74 L model on there are no bushes in the GT forks at all.

Here is the most recent pic of mine with her new stable mate.


She has done 420,000 kms, is a J model, bought in '88 as a one owner with 30,00kms. The origional engine done 320,000kms before it hand grenaded. Current motor is a M model that has been "tuned" by an "expert" that had access to a die grinder, runs like a pig, no power at all till 5k. Forks are L model, front wheel is of a GS650G Katana, koni shocks & Bromlech 3ini exhaust (made in Aus).

I'm in for this build!!

Steve, Im not sure what the forks are from. Id love to swap the 72 sliders with ones that are in there now. The top of the tubes have circlips and not the threaded bolts the GT750s have. So Im not sure they will work.

Progress has been slow, Ill post a few new photos tomorrow.

Thanks guys.

That 3-1 exhaust looks weird, no expansionhcambers? :S

Higgspeed exhausts are cool!

I have started a similar project with my '72 that I've been riding for years.
Due to an accident this summer, I will be installing pipes, rear-sets, and bum-stopper seat from Omars. I am also getting the Rickman long fairing from Airtech.
Now the bike will look as fast as it really is!
How much did you pay for the Tarrozi bars?

Lots of options for the bars here.

http://www.fastfromthepast.com/servlet/StoreFront

Start a thread with your bike, we can build and share notes.

ODB

Not really an necessity considering the mild state of tune of the GT.

SAAB made 3 cylinder two strokes cars which were really mildly tuned. What SAAB did for their rally cars using their piston ported engines was to stuff the crankcase/crank, smooth the transfer ports, ( note, they did little in the way of opening up the ports..) and mill the head to raise the compression ratio. Doing all this pretty much took away most of the wonderful midrange the 750 and 850 cc triples had. This is going to be the case for any long stroke, mildly tuned, piston ported two cycle. The only way to really improve upon it would be to fabricate up reed boxes and new carburetor mounts just so you can keep some of the midrange.

A really good analogy of the same tuning would be to compare the Honda Elsinore enduro MT250 with the Elsinore CR250. The best you can expect is to lose your midrange and end up with a peaky screamer that blubbers and sags when given throttle below it's powerband.

It actually IS an exp[ansion chamber, but the big diameter silencer makes it look like a regular muffler. If you look under the frame, you can see cones right before the muffler starts. Thay make a cool one for the GT750 at Omars Flattrack.