Bloody hell! Another Aussie!

Interesting stories of you and a Suzuki you have owned.

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ChrisK
On the main road
Posts: 121
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 1:16 pm
Country: Australia
Suzuki 2-Strokes: T250, GS550, TL1000S, T500 race, GSXR400 race
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Bloody hell! Another Aussie!

Post by ChrisK »

Home base is Perth (West Coast) but currently living in Vermont US while wifey does a stint at the local University. I have taken advantage of the market over here and have being buying up heaps of parts to build up a TR500 replica when I return to Perth next year. Currently assembling them all for crating up and shipping back home. I pretty well have everything I need, including a spare motor. Might start a thread on the rebuild in the appropriate section?

Anyway, a story from back in 1971 when I was a mere lad of 20 with very little money but an ambition to put my T250 Hustler on the race track. I obviously wanted to make it go faster (should have actually worked on my riding ability!!) so I wrote to the Suzuki factory in Japan asking for advice. Well, a few months went by (everything was sea mail back then I think), when a fairly thick package arrived in my mail box. Inside was the complete detailed specifications of their Daytona 250, from porting details to expansion chamber measurements, even down to jetting! Unfortunately I couldn't afford a lot of the mods but can you imagine it happening today! Wish I still had those papers.

I have had several Suzukis over the years, after the T250 came a T350, then later a GS550 and in more recent times a TLS1000 as well as several Kawasakis, Hondas and Yamahas but my first love will always be the 2 stroke Suzi, hence my current project. And yes, after all these years I am still racing, currently a Supersport spec R6 but that will be retired to just track days once the TR500 is a going concern. The young guys are a bit too desperate for me now - we don't bounce like we used to! However I try to put something back into the sport I have loved for so long as a coach with a local track day company. Already some of my ex pupils have gone on to do very well in State and National competitions, which is very gratifying.

Anyway, a great forum you have here, I have got lots of useful information already.

By the way, fellow Aussies, if you haven't been to the US, do yourself a favor (as Molly says) and get yourselves over here. This country is awesome and the people really nice. Don't be put off by the stereotypes we see on Aussie TV, in general we have found most Americans to be very polite, generous, respectful and welcoming. We have so far been through 24 States and driven over 18,000 miles and just loved every minute of it!
GT750Battleship
Road race school
Posts: 841
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:45 am
Country: Australia
Suzuki 2-Strokes: Suzuki GT750A 1976
Location: Sydney New South Wales

Re: Bloody hell! Another Aussie!

Post by GT750Battleship »

8) Cheers from an overcast Sydney! How's the beer?. Good that you're enjoying the States,never been there myself...UK & Europe,several times,I guess it's easy to think that the US is a dangerous place...thanks to what you see on Aussie TV !! :?
Summer only just started,& already lost two surfboard riders in a week, to Shark attacks !!
Like you I raced my Brother's Suzuki T20 way back when...without much success I must add :lol:
I've got a Suzuki GT750A in the shed,had her just on 12 years,& having lots of good times now I've got her sorted ? 8)
Cheers,
Roger.
GT750Battleship.
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ChrisK
On the main road
Posts: 121
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 1:16 pm
Country: Australia
Suzuki 2-Strokes: T250, GS550, TL1000S, T500 race, GSXR400 race
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: Bloody hell! Another Aussie!

Post by ChrisK »

GT750Battleship wrote:8) Cheers from an overcast Sydney! How's the beer?. Good that you're enjoying the States,never been there myself...UK & Europe,several times,I guess it's easy to think that the US is a dangerous place...thanks to what you see on Aussie TV !! :?
Summer only just started,& already lost two surfboard riders in a week, to Shark attacks !!
Like you I raced my Brother's Suzuki T20 way back when...without much success I must add :lol:
I've got a Suzuki GT750A in the shed,had her just on 12 years,& having lots of good times now I've got her sorted ? 8)
Cheers,
Roger.
Yeah, I heard about the shark attacks, another one in WA I hear.

Where I am here in Vermont seems to be the boutique beer capitol of the US so all's good! Can thoroughly recommend Switchback Ale!

Like any other country, some parts of the US obviously are dangerous, but where I live nobody ever bothers to lock there houses or cars! One thing that has really impressed me is how clean everything is, no roadside litter, very little graffiti, can't remember the last time I saw any hoons. Maybe we've been lucky (or just naive) but we haven't felt scared at all.
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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: Bloody hell! Another Aussie!

Post by ConnerVT »

Just saw your thread, Chris. Welcome to the board, and to the US. I spent half my life in Burlington, it is a wonderful place. Moved to New York, to follow the money, but I sure do miss Vermont.

Rode my T500 the 125 miles up there a couple of times this summer. There are some great rides (and some rough roads, in spots) you can do around that area. But it will be damn cold for awhile now.
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