I am going to look for a Disc brake Model Suzuki Gt750. I am Selling My 08 Bonnie t100 with 2k on it and going to funnel all of that cash and some other savings to find a Low Mile or Restified GT750. I rode one of these about 10 years ago and really fell in love with it. The one i Rode was mostly stripped and made into something of a cafe racer that was temperamental . I do not want to go that route but want to keep it stock as a rock maybe with some chambers and other light farkles. I ride my Scooters mainly and the Bonnie has sat Not that I Don't love it but I prefer riding the scoots and Now I want to fulfill the dream of getting one of these Big 2 strokers. Other than the hard time trying to find replacement parts when they let loose how are these to ride and run as a weekend cruiser? Are they unreliable for this or is there major issues that should steer me away from owning and riding one of them? If you had one fill me in on what to expect when owning one of them. Thanks ahead of time.
I'm an RD guy, myself, but I've always heard that the GT750s are very solid and reliable. There are several that keep on coming up on my local CL for short money. It's tempting, but I just can't get that enthused about a 550 lb bike. My RD350 is just under 300. The GT has a reputation as a good long distance bike, which my RD certainly isn't. Go for it!
I was a Suzuki dealer in the 70's and owned and sold several. Really nice bikes. I would recommed that you get a 75 or later (M,A, or B model). there were a number of improvements to the engine that improved rideability and reliability, although the older ones were not bad at all. The one i should have kept was a blue 1976 GT750A with genuine Suzuki European spec bars and cables, Lester wheels and a custom seat. I got it for a song after the owner snapped a chain and cracked the transmission case. I rode it quite a while but got suckered into trading for a 1950 F-100 pickup.......It was my favorite bike ever.
Back in the 70s a coworker would commute 80 miles per day on a stock GS. It was a good reliable smooth running bike. It belched a good smoke screen at start up as I recall but maybe with modern 2 stroke oil it would be lessened.
Like said, if your going to use it as a regular rider, go with the '75 and later. I was a Suzuki tech when they were new on the showroom floor, and have ridden dozens of them over the years. Very sturdy bike, and about as dependable as it gets for a 2 stroke large roadbike. They are solid and neutral in handling, unlike a twitchy RD or a wobbly and wheelie prone Kaw tripple. Not a exciting ride by any means, but a great platform for a all purpose UJM kinda tourer. Brakes are very good for what they need to do. The seat is kinda wooden and would be best to have a custom seat made up to improve the ride comfort. A big plus is the water cooled engine is very quiet, and stock puts out a very smooth power delivery, its not like a typical 2 stroke powerband, its not very peaky, and pulls somewhat like a 4 stroke when opened up in the midrange. Very usefull power curve . They dont have alot of handlebar buzz, and your footpegs and mirrors dont vibrate either. If you really HAVE to go with pipes, dont do the 3 into 1 Ocelot pipe, they dont work well. Find a set of J & R's if you can. Its a heavy, solid, neutral handling bike, not like the Kaw's or little RD's of its day. Think of it as a older Honda CB 750 with a nice smooth 2 stroke tripple tucked in it.
If you want to read about a fast GT750 I I think you should have a look at this: http://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/news/local/news/general/worlds-fastest-maraylyan/1778867.aspx Cheers.
I have had 3 over the years. One was highly modded and raced at Daytona and then returned to barely street legal. The race bike always needed something but man it was a hoot to ride on the street. Major hooligan machine. That said, the 76 model i had was very dependable and was my daily commuter for several years with no issues. I have found myself looking for another one every once in a while but with several other bikes in the garage i just doesn't make sense to get one now. Great bikes though.
Well I have to disagree with the folks who think the later bikes were better. I had a drum brake 72 and a 75 and I found the 72 to be much the nicer bike to ride. It had power right from idle and would leave the 'faster' 75 for dead in a top gear roll-on. The 72 made for a really nice cruiser. It would run sweetly at 2500 rpm in forth in town whereas the tall geared peaky 75 would barely get into second. Where the 75 was better was at high speed on the Interstate. Timkin tapered bearings in the steering head got rid of much of the wobble. The swing arm bushings need to be kept fresh and well greased. A Metz lasertec on the front greatly improved the steering. I would avoid period looking ribbed front tires like the plague. Enginewise the only thing that was really a pain was having three sets of expensive points. My engineer father clued me into the wonders of GM points grease. That extended the life of the points and kept the bike in tune about three times longer. You can count on the exhaust being plugged. I stripped out the fiberglass off the baffles and tightly wrapped them in steel wool which didn't plug up, was cheap to replace and made for a much better running and sounding bike. If you want reliable; stick with stock pipes. Don't forget these are now old bikes. A little gentle respect and they will run nearly forever.
Neat bikes but any vehicle coming up on 40 years old could have some issues of one kind or another,best to aquaint yourself with the forums devoted to these bikes so you know what your getting into. Maybe even wrangle a ride on one again. If you dont do your own wrenching it might be good to learn how to,I once thought an airhead would be the neatest thing in the world to have,one or two rides and I was quickly dissuaded of that notion.
Well I have to disagree with the folks who think the later bikes were better. I had a drum brake 72 and a 75 and I found the 72 to be much the nicer bike to ride. It had power right from idle and would leave the 'faster' 75 for dead in a top gear roll-on. The 72 made for a really nice cruiser. It would run sweetly at 2500 rpm in forth in town whereas the tall geared peaky 75 would barely get into second. Where the 75 was better was at high speed on the Interstate. Timkin tapered bearings in the steering head got rid of much of the wobble. The swing arm bushings need to be kept fresh and well greased. A Metz lasertec on the front greatly improved the steering. I would avoid period looking ribbed front tires like the plague. Enginewise the only thing that was really a pain was having three sets of expensive points. My engineer father clued me into the wonders of GM points grease. That extended the life of the points and kept the bike in tune about three times longer. You can count on the exhaust being plugged. I stripped out the fiberglass off the baffles and tightly wrapped them in steel wool which didn't plug up, was cheap to replace and made for a much better running and sounding bike. If you want reliable; stick with stock pipes. Don't forget these are now old bikes. A little gentle respect and they will run nearly forever.
