A very rare Stinger photo

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:57 pm

I knew they existed but could never track an actual photo down, finally Jarmo has got a viewer to his wonderful website to post this old b/w photo.
Its a T125 II Stinger with the ultra rare down pipes, these bikes were only available for very restricted markets it seems...
Say what you want, but this looks better to me than the up pipes.

rngdng · Post by **rngdng** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:50 pm

When the "Stimgers" came out, I thought they were the ugliest bikes on the planet, but now, they are "quirky" which makes them "cool".

Lane

elbert · Post by **elbert** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:02 am

A T90 lowpipe owned by suzukui simon over in the UK

frappy · Post by **frappy** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:11 am

Quirky is exemplified by the up-pipes - that's why I prefer 'em!

husson73 · Post by **husson73** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:42 am

Suzsmokeyallan wrote:I knew they existed but could never track an actual photo down, finally Jarmo has got a viewer to his wonderful website to post this old b/w photo.
Its a T125 II Stinger with the ultra rare down pipes, these bikes were only available for very restricted markets it seems...
Say what you want, but this looks better to me than the up pipes.

No the loow pipes weren't for restricted market but came after the low pipes to look more modern. In France the bike was selling on 70 71 with high pipes and with low pipes on 72.
I prefer the high ones and on 72 I bought a Yamaha AS3 125 new cause I didn't want the T 125 low pipes, if the T 125 was still selling with high pipes, would have bought one.

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:40 am

Interesting you should say that cause the markets were always quite varied, for examle the US didnt get the low pipes at all neither did Canada, that makes the feature of the pipes restricted to markets outside of North America alone by that simple observation.
Having been involved the motorcycle and car industry business for quite a long time (approx 35 years), this sort of 'market application' still happens today with model variations between markets.
I'll have to check that Stinger parts book again cause i didnt look at the specific page, but my brother mentioned something to me about the low pipes notation, stating *Singapore and Barbados* markets abbreviated by the parts number in that issue.
Remember these are the older black cased ring binder parts books we're speaking of which dealers would add amendments to the book when Suzuki sent them.
Would anyone care to see a few historic photos of these books, if so id get the Stinger book in question out and snap a few photos cause we still have them.

GT Tim · Post by **GT Tim** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:05 am

The low pipe might look better depending on your point of view, it is more traditionally styled that way. But given the choice I would rather have the high pipe model.

I would like to have one, but would be a futile endeavor as I couldn't ride it I could only look at it. It would get stuck in my ass crack when I tried to dismount the poor thing...

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:28 am

Tim according to Jay Lenos famous saying for himself, id also look like a circus bear riding it too, at six one and 220lbs i think i might mistake it for butt floss.
Its a pity cause its one bike i always liked, i remember the first shipment we got too, i was about 9 years old at the time and thought "wow what a bike"
My summer job was to help assemble the partially knocked down bikes from the shipping crates and to the showroom for display, so i got to know each model quite well.
However by the time 17 came around for a licence, Stingers were small, slow and old to me, plus i had my sights set on a new GT185..
This was also a bike i remember well and another one ive never seen anywhere either in a picture.
A 77model GT185 B with black side covers and a white tank..it seems they were quite rare being at the end of production.
You never knew what you were going to get with Suzuki cause on that particular case of two bikes they were supposed to be red, BUT when we opened it i remember distinctly the two white bikes...

husson73 · Post by **husson73** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:34 am

BTW, on low pipes frame, there were still the brackets to fit high pipes.

diamondj · Post by **diamondj** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:52 am

I'm a high pipe Stinger fan myself. I have one complete T125 I bought the wife to try to get her back into motorcycles. So far she's been spectacularly disinterested. That's okay... there's always the kids! I also have gathered almost enough parts to assemble a second Stinger. In fact I keep toying with the idea of setting the second bike up as a 125 class racer. The problem with that idea is I too suffer from being value sized relative to a 125cc racer and the Stinger makes about half the horsepower as some of the other 125 class vintage racers. AHRMA allows the Bridgestone 200, the Bultaco 200, the Can-Am 125 and 175, the Honda MT125, the Yamaha TA125 and the RD200, the Osaa 200, etc... so I think the T125 would be a back marker the whole time. None of the other bikes could beat it on ground clearnace though!

And Tim & Allan as for being too big to ride one around in public, that doesn't seem to stop any of the larger folks at Mid-Ohio. There's plenty of them buzzing around on 50's, 75's, 80's, etc.... At least the Stinger is damn near a full size motorcycle.....

Jim

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:54 am

Yes you are correct the frames all had the short threaded tubes welded onto them for the up pipe mounts, which on the low pipe versions had plugs pressed into the threaded hole to blank it off.
Its interesting to see how the low pipe mount hangers used the swingarm pivot bolt to hold that mount to the pipe gusset.
Jim i beg to differ i have long legs and a shorter torso, even a Titan feels small and cramped as my upper thigh is nearly horizontal when sitting on it.
I have to turn my leg out to make a "U' turn in the road, if not it gets trapped under the handlebar on the inside. Thats a receipe for disaster if you cant get it out if the bikes falls inward a bit too much on a very slow almost full lock turn.
The Re5 has a similiar problem with near horizontal thigh positions when seated because the seat is too low and pancake looking but i have a plan to fix it as well as the Titan.

m in sc · Post by **m in sc** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:23 pm

LOOKS like something cpt Kirk woudl have cruised around the halls of the enterprise on. i kinda dig it.

Wayne Meuir · Post by **Wayne Meuir** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:28 pm

I had a Yamaha 250 Big Bear Scrambler that had high pipes. They looked cool amnd sounded kinda nice. Calling that bike a "Scrambler" was a little bit of a stretch.

Wayne

H2RICK · Post by **H2RICK** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:01 pm

Ahhhh.....the Flying Leopard.....I know where there is one for sale and it's pretty much complete but unfortunately the owner is in the biz and he thinks it's made of gold.....so no T-125 for Uncle H2.....unless the guy comes to his senses. We'll see....

.....although I DO have the parts book for some strange reason....

I seem to remember this is how I ended up owning a KZ650 recently.....

Arne · Post by **Arne** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:52 pm

Suzsmokeyallan wrote: Would anyone care to see a few historic photos of these books, if so id get the Stinger book in question out and snap a few photos cause we still have them.

I'd like to take a peek if you had chance. Thanks! Arne

A very rare Stinger photo

A very rare Stinger photo

Re: A very rare Stinger photo