More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Interesting stories of you and a Suzuki you have owned.

Moderators: oldjapanesebikes, H2RICK, diamondj, Suzsmokeyallan

Post Reply
CBWELLS
Around the block
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:43 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: Honda-350, SUZUKI GT550 x2, GS850, 92 VMAX,

More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by CBWELLS »

First off, I'm another new-guy to this forum, but closing in at age 60, I'm hardly a "new-guy". This is about the best forum for 2-strokers I've found. A ton of good info, knowledgable folks, and fun stuff. Keep up the good work & Thanks. We all need a little help from our friends!

I caught the bikin' bug from my dad, way back pre-1960. He had a BSA (650?) with the chrome tank sides as I recall, then later on, a Triumph Tiger I think. I can rememeber cruisin' around town & out in the country more than a few times with the "old man" (younger then than I am now!). Some of my best memories!

In '73 I bought a Honda CB350 from my brother. Great little bike. I put 12K miles on it in about 8 months, the sold it in '74 & got my 1st Suzuki GT550.... a Greenish-gold color '72 "left over". Probably one of the best bikes I ever owned! Had it about 2 years & sold it with 27Kmi on it. Always regretted selling it. About 4 yrs ago I had an opportunity to pick up a '76 GT550 from a friend at work. He needed room in his shed for a new R6 so he wanted it gone. Didn't run a 1st, but it didn't take much to get her going. Front brakes were frozen, but freed up nicely (& work great now!). Not real pretty, & certainly no virgin. She had been twiddled with... alot, but needed some lovin'!

I paid $400 for her, & put an equal amount into new tires, battery, seat cover, & some other little eBay goodies. About that time I let my son take a spin around the yard with her. Did pretty well until an unpracticed clutch jerked him into the door-frame of our equipment shed. Mangled front fender, "adjusted" the headlight & ears, and a few other small tweeks (OH WELL!).

I'll cut this tail short since it's getting kinda wordy. Since then, she's been close to the grave 3 times. Once from an intersection incident, once when the left crank bearing failed & pretty much destroyed that section of the engine, & again when the Right piston blew a hole about the size of a nickel.

Last winter I tore into the engine & replace the crank ('73 salvage eBay), jugs ('74 field salvage), new pistons & rings, wrist pins & bearings. Also cleaned the carbs, fixed leaky carb floats, new chain & a 2-under front sprocket, & a bunch of other minor repairs, along with a decent rattle can paint job.

She's no prize winner, but she starts great, idles well, pulls strong & tops out just over 100mph. We get alot of comments & compliments at all the gatherings, & she's rarely got any 2-stroke "competition" for attention among the multitude of cookie-cutter crotch-rockets, Harleys, -wanna-bees, & Wings. My other bike is a '92 Vmax, & I honestly enjoy the Suz'i just as much..... for different reasons, but just as much.

Since my PC HD croaked last week, I haven't been able to retreive any pix, but I'll try to get some posted soon. Thanks for reading my post. Replies & questions welcomed. I have a bunch of left over parts. Just ask. I'd love for them to help keep another old stroker alive!
pearljam724
AMA Superbike
Posts: 1681
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:45 pm
Country: U.S.
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 75- GT 550 / 76- GT 750
Location: SW PA

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by pearljam724 »

You described sport bikes as " cookie cutter crotch rockets. " Every single era of motorcycles can be described as such from within the same era. All sports from the 90's, all cruisers from the 80's and yes all 2-strokes from the 70's. Ever compare a 75 Suzuki Gt 550 to a 75 Honda Cb 750 ? They look "cookie cutter" and are two totally different bikes. 0r compare a Yamaha rd to a kawasaki H. Take a minute to compare pictures. Welcome to the forum.
Image Image
CBWELLS
Around the block
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:43 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: Honda-350, SUZUKI GT550 x2, GS850, 92 VMAX,

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by CBWELLS »

No intent to offend anyone. Just an observed generalization of a remarkable similartiy within the genre, & as such I certainly can't argue with yours. Being the Geezer I am, I seem to have a natural affinity for the bikes of my youth. I suspect that's true for most of us, regardless of what era that might be. Surely I recognize mine are not the bikes of today and I do admire both old & new(er) for all that they are. Some remarkable machines, one & all. BTW, No need to look at pictures of 'em, I've been there & done that! Thanks for the reply. I'll keep watchin' for others & keep an open mind!
pearljam724
AMA Superbike
Posts: 1681
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:45 pm
Country: U.S.
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 75- GT 550 / 76- GT 750
Location: SW PA

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by pearljam724 »

No offense taken. I realized where you were coming from. Just made a point, that's all. Cheers my friend.
Image Image
User avatar
tz375
Moto GP
Posts: 6204
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:47 am
Location: Illinois

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by tz375 »

Nah. Bikes from our era had character and we could tell the bike just from the sound of the exhaust. Now they all look and sound the same....

Well that may be technically inaccurate, but it's how I feel too and I have ridden bikes from the 40s, 50s and 60s through to fairly recent times and of course the bikes from our era were the best. :up: It's just that they are so much better with a little judicious updating :wink: :lol:
pearljam724
AMA Superbike
Posts: 1681
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:45 pm
Country: U.S.
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 75- GT 550 / 76- GT 750
Location: SW PA

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by pearljam724 »

Every era of motorcycles have strengths and weakness. I could give a hundred reasons why modern bikes are better. I could give a hundred reasons why classics are better. But, it would be a stupid argument.
Image Image
User avatar
tz375
Moto GP
Posts: 6204
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:47 am
Location: Illinois

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by tz375 »

That is exactly the point. :up:

It's all about perspective and while we can rationalize almost anything, it can rarely be a purely objective discussion. And how do we define "better" and on what basis do we judge one thing to be better than another. It's all just in good fun. :wink:
User avatar
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: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by Alan H »

tz375 wrote:And how do we define "better" and on what basis do we judge one thing to be better than another. :wink:
Cos we're old farts and we just KNOW!!!! :roll: :lol:
Think of how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of them are more stupid than that.
User avatar
ConnerVT
Novice racer
Posts: 963
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:01 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: T500R (now), T500M (40 yrs ago)
Location: North of Albany, NY

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by ConnerVT »

First, welcome CBWELLS to this little corner of the Internet! We're glad you found your way here.

Many of us have found a 40 year old motorcycle in our garage for the same reason you have -- we remembered the one we had way back when. Mine was 30 years ago, the first street motorcycle I owned. Last year (much to the surprise of my wife!) I bought a '71 T500 to resurrect, and it has been a lot of fun. Most people don't understand why we would choose an outdated ride. For me, it is because it is different. I'm not looking to ride very fast, or very far. The T500 is pretty and dependable, in her own way.

As for all bikes looking the same, hasn't everything been made by Harley Davidson over the past 25 years? (At least in the USA, it seems that way). :lol:

For a period of time, at the end of the run of 2-stroke motorcycles, things really did go the way of the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). After the CB750 hit the US shores, it seemed that all of the manufacturers had hired the same design team.

A few years later, they all decided that they needed some models that looked like a HD Sportster (which I've always thought was an ugly look for Japanese bikes, and a big mistake). The Japanese manufacturers lost their way (and a great deal of market share), and HD used it to win back the market they had easily lost in the 1960's and 70's.
CBWELLS
Around the block
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:43 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: Honda-350, SUZUKI GT550 x2, GS850, 92 VMAX,

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by CBWELLS »

Well, we've just received about 8 inches of snow here in upstate NY, so I guess I won't bother to get Suz'i out of the shed for a new picture just yet. Just retreat to this forum for a bit cycle-relief. After reading some of the replies, I'd just like to comment on the concept of "better". First off, I'll say there's (almost) no bike out there that I can't admire for some particular aspect of its being. From the street legal 5hp Rupp mini-bike that a friend had & drove to high school most days to the V8 Boss-Hog. However, that doesn't mean I'd buy one. "Better" for me is translated as "value" & "character". Having a limited budget to spend on my bikes, I go for the biggest bang for the buck. I don't ever imagine spending over $5K for a bike. Just seems insane to me! OK for you maybe & many others, but not me. My dad would probably have dropped a zero off MY price limit to express his limit, but that's another story. True story; Lake Geo., NY, Aspencade the first year I owned the '76-GT550. My son on the Suz'i & me on the Vmax. As we approached town, I told him he was about to see "a million Harleys, 1/2 a million Wings & a nice mix of European & Jap bikes, but he'd be driving the ONLY GT550". I was right on. The only other stroker in town was a really nice Kaw'i 500 in all of it's original glory. Sweet to see! While the Suz'i was parked amidst a gaggle of HDs & Wings, (all of which probably had more $$$ invested in their tires than the Suzuki's total cost to me), a guy walks up to her, gives a couple Oooos & Ahhhhs, pulls out his camera & takes several shots. He never looked twice at the $22K Wings or $18K HDs! The same scenerio played out at a local gathering just last summer. It's just fun to see that! Bang for the buck! Maybe it's FREAK-SHOW value, I don't know but there's just a certain satisfaction in it.

BTW, If I ever get rid of the 550, I'd love that blue & white T500! Never had one, but always liked the lines. Also got my eye on a '74 Triumph Tiger that's been sitting in a guys garage since '76. He says it was drinking to much one nite & scared the hell out of him shortly after he bought it & he hasn't been on it since. But that too is another story. I'll keep watching.... & Happy New Year to you all!
User avatar
ConnerVT
Novice racer
Posts: 963
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:01 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: T500R (now), T500M (40 yrs ago)
Location: North of Albany, NY

Re: More of a Resurrection than Restoration!

Post by ConnerVT »

Sounds as you're not to far from me -- I'm about 35 miles from Lake George. Next year, we can get together at Americade, park the GT550 and the T500 side by side, and charge $10/picture. :lol:

I work with an European ex-pat who has a mild cafe Honda, and he had heard the same about Americade -- nothing but HD and Gold Wings. He received a similar response as you, with many folks appreciating his ride. I think that the folks who have loved motorcycles for many years enjoy seeing these old bikes as daily riders, rather than looking at trailer queens or $20K showroom sparklers.
Post Reply