A biking history of...me!

Interesting stories of you and a Suzuki you have owned.

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mrBmzy
Still in the Driveway
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2022 1:48 pm
Country: UK
Suzuki 2-Strokes: RG125 1985, RG250 1986 + GT750 1973

A biking history of...me!

Post by mrBmzy »

Hi all,

There are lots of 2 stroke forums around, but it seems every interesting topic I found originated here, so Ive decided to join!

Perhaps a bit of history...

I started by biking addiction in the UK at the age of 16, when my stepdad bought me a 1975 Honda SS50 moped from a local museum (seriously! lol).

That bike, whilst looking older than the latest models of the time (this was ~1990), could blow all the restricted DT50s, MBX50s, TS50s, etc away, as it was released before the restrictions kicked in and could get around 56MPH (on the clock anyway) flat out.

It was a great little bike really and later on, when I was eyeing up a neighbours C70 engine, I decided to buy it off him as it seemed the barrel/head could be transplanted onto the SS50 bottom end! :twisted: Fun times to be had on an SS70! lol

Anyway, the poor thing didnt last long after that, but I was getting close to 17 yrs old, so was looking at a more modern 125...or other options :wink:

I ended up reluctantly purchasing a rather underwhelming NS125F that was a year old, but this was only because I had already had my parents flatly refuse to let me buy a KR1-S with a silly little sidewheel and slap learner plates on it.

For non UK readers, back in the early 90s, when you turned 17 - and provided you could get insured - you could buy an 1100cc sports bike and put a little sidecar on it (they made ones that were just for the purpose of circumventing the law, rather than for carrying anyone) and some learner plates and off you go and... good luck staying alive! :lol:

Anyway, I suppose the dissapointment from that spurred me on to pass my test and by 19 I was ready to look for my first 'proper' bike.

Ok, the first one was a Honda VF400F, which was stolen after having it for around 2 months.

The next purchase is what defined my style forever more...I went to look at a Yamaha RD350 LC YPVS. It was white with red speedblock graphics and was the one with the nosecone, rather than the full fairing. The sellers friend kept telling me that it would keep up with 750s, which I thought was a bit OTT. I bought it anyway and...boy was he right! This thing was amazing!

I remember testing it out on a long flat road, head on the tank and the bike had an indicated 125MPH on the clock. I sat upright, proud of my testing and the front wheel came up with the wind resistance against my body! I can remember that moment to this day (30 years ago now) and could have shown the stained underpants to prove it.

Moving on, I had to sell the 350, as I was moving house and needed the deposit/rent. But this was a temporary blip. After about a year, I was looking for a similar thrill to the 350. I had ended up buying a cheap GSXR400 import, with a bent front end. This was fixed and I managed to find a bike garage in Eastwood (Nottingham way) which PXed the GSXR and delivered (all for £1500) a Lucky Strike painted RG500! :up:

Ok, I could go on and on with subsequent bikes...(GPZ1100A1, FZR400RRSP,CD175) but the RD/RG was the high point. Even the fastest production bike of 1983 was not as exciting as the RG500.

So to present day...all the 'go to' bikes I want are silly astronomical prices, so I have recently picked up a couple of strokers that will fit the bill nicely, once I get them up and running properly:

An RG250 Mk3 and a GT750K. I will perhaps post some photos if I can figure out why the attachment selector wont let me upload a small jpg.

Anyway, thats me. :D

The RG is close to being ready and the GT is in boxes. (I will need help for this one, as the Kettle Club seems to be ignoring my requests to join).

OK, I hope that I dont get an instant ban for an overlong post and thanks for making it this far down the page...you deserve a medal! :clap:
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jabcb
Moto GP
Posts: 4240
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:32 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 69 T350 thru 75 GT750
Location: southwestern Pennsylvania

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by jabcb »

Welcome to the forum.
Long posts with lots of paragraphs are great.

We can’t post pics here. Upload them to a photo sharing site & include links to those pics here. I use Flickr — it’s free & easy to use.
BAS (Bike Acquisition Syndrome) - too many bikes but have room for more

Suzuki:
GT750 2x75
GT550 72 & 75
GT380 72
T500 69 project & 73 project
T350 69 & 71
Honda 85 CB650SC & 86 CB700SC
09 Triumph Bonneville SE
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Evans Ward
To the on ramp
Posts: 326
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2016 12:35 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 76 GT750, 72 H2 750, 84 RZ350
Location: Macon, GA. USA

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by Evans Ward »

Thanks for taking the time to write a most informative introductory post! :up: I can identify with the Yamaha 350 as I really love my 1984 RZ350 which I’ve had for about 14 years. Does everything well plus great handling and very reliable. :shock: 8) You have picked two good smokers to own and each will compliment each other and give you a different style of riding and enjoyment. I’m currently rehabbing my GT750 and hope to get it back on the road after a 2 year delay. Look forward to reading of your GT750 project! :clap:
1976 Suzuki GT750 (Maui Blue), 1972 Kawasaki H2 750 Mach IV (Candytone Blue), 1984 Yamaha RZ350 (KRR- Yellow/ Black).
mrBmzy
Still in the Driveway
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2022 1:48 pm
Country: UK
Suzuki 2-Strokes: RG125 1985, RG250 1986 + GT750 1973

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by mrBmzy »

jabcb wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:16 am Welcome to the forum.
Long posts with lots of paragraphs are great.

We can’t post pics here. Upload them to a photo sharing site & include links to those pics here. I use Flickr — it’s free & easy to use.
Aah! I see. I will look into the free photo hosting sites, although currently theres not much to show. Any photos would be of a mess of chairs/tables/pushbikes and a 37" CRT Monitor...The motorbikes are behind all that! lol
Evans Ward wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 10:06 am Thanks for taking the time to write a most informative introductory post! :up: I can identify with the Yamaha 350 as I really love my 1984 RZ350 which I’ve had for about 14 years. Does everything well plus great handling and very reliable. :shock: 8) You have picked two good smokers to own and each will compliment each other and give you a different style of riding and enjoyment. I’m currently rehabbing my GT750 and hope to get it back on the road after a 2 year delay. Look forward to reading of your GT750 project! :clap:
No problem! Im glad that you didnt fall asleep. :D

Like I mentioned earlier, I have both the above bikes crammed into a little brick shed until I can 'decompress' the contents into a new workshop and actually get to some of it.

As for the bikes; back in the day, I dont know why, but the GT didnt really make it onto my radar. I would scour the used bike guide (UBG), which was an A5 sized monthly mag here in the UK which had short but helpful buying writeups of pretty much every bike, back 20 years or more. e.g. it covered the H1 and this mag was published was in the early/mid 90s. As most good things, it is now no longer produced. I still managed to pick up a copy a few years ago...its in the house...somewhere! :lol:

Anyway, the point being, where two strokes were concerned, the bigger the better and I would always keep an eye out for a bargain speedy two stroke. Quite how I missed the GT750 then...?

Im very intrigued with the potential of the kettle. And whilst Im no expert mechanic (software programming is more my thing, for retro computers) I can still understand the technical aspects and hope to improve my practical, as well as theory skills (although the Gordon Blair books are quite heavy reading! lol)

As for the RG; it was a recent bargain. I believe its an '86 Gj21B WW, with what looks like a recent engine rebuild and (for some reason) the older non PV head/barrels fitted. Ive been snapping up stuff from Japan to make it whole (as its a tad expensive to do over here) and from a rough estimate, its fairly complete now, bar the front full fairing (!) and a tank lock.

Im wondering if the powervalve upgrade is a worthwhile investment for this machine? Has anyone ridden with/without and can provide any comparison?
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Alan H
Moto GP
Posts: 3160
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:50 am
Country: England
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 4 x GT550s - J, M, A, B.
Location: The Republic of South Yorkshire

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by Alan H »

Welcome in, and an excellent intro!
In the UK, the best Suzuki forum is Kettle Clinic - https://www.kettleclinic.co.uk/kcforum/ - nowt to do with the other one! As Sundial, there are members all over the world and lots of assistance and advice.
Which bit of the UK are you in- or did I miss that bit?!?
Think of how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of them are more stupid than that.
mrBmzy
Still in the Driveway
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2022 1:48 pm
Country: UK
Suzuki 2-Strokes: RG125 1985, RG250 1986 + GT750 1973

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by mrBmzy »

Thanks Alan :D

Im guessing the 'other one' either have a very exclusive membership, or my emails are going in their trash emails.

Anyway, to answer your question; no, you didnt miss it. Im as far south as you can go. New Forest, Hampshire.
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Alan H
Moto GP
Posts: 3160
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:50 am
Country: England
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 4 x GT550s - J, M, A, B.
Location: The Republic of South Yorkshire

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by Alan H »

Nearly. The other lot end to be a bit (lot!) on the anal side and tend to look down on us. Come to one of our Kettle Clinic rallies and you'll get the stories!
We're a lot more easy going and free too! Baz Wilkes builds & restores Suzuki 2 strokes for a living (based near Birmingham) and a real nice guy.
I'm on there as Alan H too!

Alan.
Think of how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of them are more stupid than that.
mrBmzy
Still in the Driveway
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2022 1:48 pm
Country: UK
Suzuki 2-Strokes: RG125 1985, RG250 1986 + GT750 1973

Re: A biking history of...me!

Post by mrBmzy »

Oh dear. Really? :?

Anyhow, thanks for the warm welcome. I will try my best to get to the KC rallies at some point in the future to hear these stories.

Bear in mind that the kettle is a long way off being restored (seeing as its in boxes mainly, at the back of my shed and if the meet is too far away, the missus may not want to 'tour' up there on an RG250 :lol: (which is fairly close to being complete; just waiting on that folding green stuff to start piling up a bit more to finish it). But...

Add to the mix the fact that Im having to install a new workshop first and things are starting to look all 'not this summer' on me.

However, on a positive note, this gives me time to get set up and gather information for the work needed ahead.

Like I said before, Im not really a mechanic (I did mechanical engineering at college and also worked in a servicing department for Bombardier Quads, but this was 20+ years ago) so may ask some basic questions, as Ive very likely forgotten more than I remember when I finally get round to working on the bikes.

Would really appreciate the help though, when the time comes. :D
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