Help with tank decals

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:27 pm

Michelle the emblems were always black, so its possible yours discoloured due to sunlight and age.
As for the pilot lamp case, the 74 to 76 models used the red high beam one with a green gear indicator lens and inside the LED unit was red. The 77 B model used the same style pilot case with a blue high beam lens and mauve gear position lens it also had a different designed and coloured LED display unit.
If your bikes drooling from that header you may want to look at your oil pump settings as well, with the modern two stroke oils of today you can turn the pump output position back from the stock setting which delivers a bit too much oil.
If possible remove that pipe and look into the exhaust port, it should be a darkish brown/grey colour and dry NOT wet.
From the bike sitting so long it may need some long distance running to loosen any sticking rings as well.
If you can, try a compression test for cylinder comparison values.

Barry S. · Post by **Barry S.** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:50 pm

There should be a little gap between the flange and the cylinder so the pipe can be snugged up, it has a crush washer in there that has to be mashed to keep it from blowing spooge out around the pipe. The flange screws onto the pipe so it can be adjusted to give the pipe a little bit of room to go into the cylinder a bit deeper.

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:00 pm

I like my flanges close to the cylinder so they look neat, therefore i try to get the gaps even to approx 1mm when torqued. What i could never understand was why they have a smooth section on a side of the flange, it doesnt match up properly to anything on the cylinder.

Post by **oldjapanesebikes** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:14 pm

Chel_in_IL wrote:
oldjapanesebikes wrote:I normally buy from Dillon Brothers - the Liquid Cooled stickers, part 68262-31200 are $8.92 ea.
Everyone forgets shipping.. sure, lowest price, but their shipping is $10.99. So, (8.92*2)+10.99=$28.83

Not at all - remember I'm in Canada, so even with the shipping added in and the added import tax it can usually still be much cheaper to order from the States. Suzuki Canada list prices are often double what you pay in the US for the same part.

Like anything else - you always have to check your total cost.

Post by **oldjapanesebikes** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:15 pm

Suzsmokeyallan wrote:Its a pity no one makes the first liquid cooled emblems, those are different with the Q having a piece inside the circular part of it.

Agreed - would be nice to see wouldn't it ?

Suzukidave · Post by **Suzukidave** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:17 pm

As the gunk is coming out of the header pipe it just may need a new gasket in the cylinder , also the collar on the pipe is adjustable by turning it if it is bottoming out on the cylinder before it seals . Oops now i read that Barry already said the same thing

Chel_in_IL · Post by **Chel_in_IL** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:38 pm

Suzsmokeyallan wrote:Michelle the emblems were always black, so its possible yours discoloured due to sunlight and age.
As for the pilot lamp case, the 74 to 76 models used the red high beam one with a green gear indicator lens and inside the LED unit was red. The 77 B model used the same style pilot case with a blue high beam lens and mauve gear position lens it also had a different designed and coloured LED display unit.

Well, AFAIK the bike is original. It will be interesting to see if the guages had been replaced, but my friend (2nd owner since 2006) knows the first owner pretty well and he never knew anything of them being replaced.

Could it also be something to do with possible differences between bikes sold in the between Canada and the US, and overseas...? I mean think about it, just what colors are available in '76? Some sources say blue and red and others say blue and orange...

I read on suzukicycles.org the history of your bike and how certain things were questioned by some Canadian enthusiasts. For instance, your fender mounting to the frame hoop and not under the base. Mine mounts under the base but there are holes in the front hoop. Then your guages are brown but the indicator is red...

Once we solve these mysteries than we will have no reason to live.

Suzukidave · Post by **Suzukidave** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:42 pm

Chel_in_IL wrote: Once we solve these mysteries than we will have no reason to live.

Well lets hope that never happens , i learn something new every day

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Well im only following the usual parts book routine so who really knows,,,LOLOL.
I recently discovered from Fred (buffalo-guy) my bike had a really chequered past life.
Seems it was in the region of Turner Valley/Black Diamond to the south of Calgary for a while in its early life and theres some grey areas there when it was a lot younger.
The engine was supposed to have never been opened either, yet when i got it the nut to the rear of the cylinder base was missing, thats a clue it probably has been opened.
Im going to try and restore my cylinder badges on the A bike as they have the Q with the little piece inside the O, definately a rare breed to find.
Oh we all love mysteries, it makes life more enjoyable

tz375 · Post by **tz375** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:25 pm

Don't sweat the Red v's Orange mystery.

I always knew the 74 L color as Firemist Red but it's listed as Flake Orange in the parts book. Different names for the same thing, and I can't find th reference to that name.

The US parts list shows a red and orange for 76 but looking in the details, there are no parts in orange listed. Confused enough?

The parts books for the US and the UK have slightly different colors listed.

K 707 Pearl Blue
288 Candy Gold #4
(In a Belgian advert they were listed simply as Blue and Gold)

L 761 Flake Blue
762 Flake Orange

M 00A Jewel Gray metallic
00J Candy Gypsy red
288 Candy Gold

A 00A Jewel Gray metallic
797 Maui Blue
00J Candy Gypsy red
288 Candy Gold (appears in the UK list for tanks)
01A Flake Orange #2 (appears in UK list for tanks)

A period advert for the A lists them as Colorado Blue and Ontario Orange if I read the small print correctly, so maybe it was red and maybe it was orange.

So was the 76 really orange or was it red? Will the mystery ever be solved? Why does this feel like we just entered the twilight zone?

tz375 · Post by **tz375** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:56 pm

Allan,
I was always under the impression that the WATER COOLED badges were black but now all I see are blue ones.

Do you happen to know if they faded to blue or what was the story? I'm sure the last pair I bought in Suzuki bags were blue but it's possible that I'm remembering that incorrectly.

Buffalo-guy · Post by **Buffalo-guy** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:45 pm

My Suzuki Identification Guide (1990) lists the following
1974 L model Firemist Orange, Firemist Blue
1975 M model Gypsy Red, Jewel Grey
1976 A model Coronado Blue, Ontario Orange
1977 B model Red, Black (no drama there)
To be perfectly honest, Firemist Orange, Gypsy Red, and Ontario Orange, aren't all that different, but the B model is definitely Red.
BTW for those interested, the guide book is Suzuki part no. 99923-12901.
Mine was printed Feb 1990 by American Suzuki Motor Corp.
Is everything clear as mud now? Cheers.
Fred

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 5:15 am

Richard ive noticed the labels are black when new, however if you look at them closely in certain light they do take on a deep blueish/black cast.
Its possible the material they use fades after a while just like the master cylinder bodies and the little aluminum plates on the pilot lamp cases.
Then there are out and out blue ones ive seen on ebay which HVC shows in their catalogue.

Chel_in_IL · Post by **Chel_in_IL** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:27 am

I'd say this is definitely red.

It's a '76 that was advertised on ebay, original except for the pipes.

Here's another red one, I don't know anything about it (found it while viewing pics online of previous years Slimey Crud Runs):

Here's an orange tank... or is it red? Guy advertised it as a '72 on ebay, but I told him it was either a '76 or '77. Don't know anything more about it, but funny thing is the decals on this one and the red one above have white Suzuki letters. If you look close at the tank you will see the screw hole locations are not correct - someone drilled them out. Who knows, maybe the tank was off the one in the show picture.

So, I'd say that there were three colors for that year, probably depending on region. I can't imagine red fading into orange, or vice-versa.

I'm still most fond of the orange.

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:56 am

I wanted to bid on that tank at the ending time so i hope no one on here will inflate the price against me.
I was hoping no one would tell them what year it was for and then id also get it cheaper,, hoping.
Thats a Titan tank badge on there thats been altered to fit.
The tank emblems are specific for the 76-77 GT500 and GT750, a shiny anodized aluminum emblem with matt black filled in the recesses.