INTRO: My GT550 Project

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Figured I'd post up a intro thread to myself and my newest suzuki 2 smoker. I'm down in southwest VA, been building 2 wheelers for handful of years now. Started out on 4 stroke suzuki's, then moved to smaller displacement 2 stroke pedal style mopeds to enjoy parts hunting/building while keeping budgets minimal. After doing shredpeds for a few years I've started moving back up in displacement, but still hooked on 2 strokes. Picked up this GT550 for a couple hundred bucks. Titled, mostly complete, decent compression, and clicked through the gears perfect. Price was too right to pass up.

Bike has been stored indoors for the past 25+ years. Last ran ~1987 from what the previous owner mentioned. His son start to practice paint on it years ago. Tank was painted with paint/clear that wasn't fuel proof. Started peeling/flaking, so the pops blasted the tank and gave it a fresh coat of primer. I haven't had much time in the shop to mess with it. The previous owner had some different bars on that are too tall for the controls/cables to reach. Going to get a cheapo set of stockers for a replacement. Most of my other builds end up with nearly racing posture/ergonomics. Going to keep this one stockish for a bit while I finish out a couple other projects.





Big goal will be a modern sport bike suspension built around the classic beast of an engine. Of course with the internet you can dream up something, search, and find it already built and road worthy. This is nearly an identical setup that I've been picturing. Inverted front end and mono shock rear swingarm. Would like to keep the body proportional to the bike though. I've never been a big fan of short tails/longer swings.

I'll be digging through all y'alls build threads for some ideas!

[Alan H]

Just remember that you have about 50bhp at the crank so whatever you do, you won't get sports bike performance.
Not sure what that front caliper is off, but it's not a 550.

[tz375]

Looks almost like a CB200 or GT185 with a pivoting, rather than sliding, caliper

[Coyote]

You didn't mention the year, but if the blinkers are stock -- it's a 77. The last glorious year! In the middle of a 76 myself right now.

[Alan H]

Rear light would make it a late model too.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

Thanks guys. She's a 1976, good to know on the front caliper! I'll put some reading into it

I'm definitely not looking for or anticipating sport bike power. I've ridden a handful of powerful sport bikes, but coming from my last moto('06 gs500).. I enjoy the low and slow moto culture/atmosphere over sport/super sports.

Hopefully I'll learn a thing or two from y'all

[Coyote]

The bike is all 77. You're not looking at the build date perhaps? Most of these bikes were manufactured one year prior to their release.

[Suzukidave]

Check out this section on modded 550's .. scroll down a bit to get passed my deleted posts viewtopic.php?f=21&t=5694" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;