Pictures of visitors' Suzuki motorcycles
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Here's more Suzuki GT750 info.
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1976 Suzuki GT 750

Owner: Allan Tucker, Barbados

Comments: “Here's my '76 Buffalo in Calgary Canada. It's a 'rolling work in restoration' as it's being worked on when I visit in the summer months while I still ride it. Lots have been done to it so far and the list gets longer as I keep adding things to be repainted or inspected while I'm there.

This bike is supposed to be a '76 model by the VIN, but it's got some strange things about its history from what I've been told by the local Buffalo gurus in town.
I understand it had on a '75 style tank/bodywork originally when new. That was soon changed to the one you see on it now by a friend years ago who's into Buffalos. When he checked the numbers to confirm where it stood for the transition from '75 to '76.

According to the parts book, a '76 rear fender mounts under the base and not on the frame hoop, but this one isn't like that, it follows the '72 to '75 style of mounting on the hoop, its all so confusing.

It also has on brown faced gauges in mph, these I also understand are original to the bike but they shouldn't be so. They look like a complete set to me so were they swapped from a B model? I can't answer 100% to the gauges and no-one can tell me they were swapped for as long as the bikes been in Calgary where it was bought new.

It's possible it originally was actually a '75.5' model or 'transition to 76' model since the VIN shows it to be just in the first 200 bikes appearing for the '76 year model.

But the brown gauges still shouldn't be on the bike yet there they are. Also notice how it's got on the red high-beam light cluster and not the blue one as found on the '77 B model gauges.

The Buffalo owners in Calgary are a close knit lot and nothing escapes their eyes, yet this bike is still a mystery to them on a few areas.
Last summer I took my GT750A on a week long tour of the southern regions of British Columbia, Canada. It doesn't get used a lot but the weather there isn't the best year round anyways.

For the trip/tour of August '08 it encompassed about 1,500 miles and we had really good weather so another is being planned for '09.

Heres a few pics of the bikes in the tour and the 750. It ran well and had no issues except being underpowered. The fuel economy was not the best at a tank refill to every 100 miles on main. Going repeatidly at 120 km/h and higher speeds didnt help it much either in the mountains trying to keep up with the much larger cc modern bikes.

Here's a few pics of the bikes along various parts of the tour. The original group of riders started out as quite large but at the end only my friend Rick with his 1200 Bandit and myself were left, since we didnt have to get back to work.

It was a roughing it 'camp and ride' tour hence all the gear on the bikes...”
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Comments: ”My name is Chris Hare. I live in Cape Town, South Africa. I was born in 1950 in Cape Town and married my wife, Patricia, in 1972. We have 3 daughters aged 27, 24 and 17.

Way back in 1967 I bought my first motorbike. It was a relatively new Suzuki 50cc. At that stage, in SA, a Suzuki was fairly special. They had only recently started selling here and when compared to the more common Yamaha and Honda models they were better looking and performed better too. I had spent a whole year working in a shoe shop over weekends and had saved my money furiously in order to buy myself a bike. It was my ultimate dream. And the day I took delivery of the bike was the happiest day of my life.

All the money I had saved went into the purchase of my Suzuki, so my father paid for the license and the insurance (which my mother insisted I buy). The result was that I had to continue working at the shoe shop to pay my father back.

Well, within 2 months of proud ownership of my shiny Suzuki it was stolen (from outside the shoe shop, one busy Saturday morning).

Fortunately, with the insurance money, I was able to buy another bike. This time it was a Suzuki 80cc, bigger and faster, but not really nicer than the one I had previously. Anyway, as luck would have it, this bike was also stolen about a year later. This time, with the insurance payout I bought a car. I now had a steady girlfriend and we socialised with a group of friends who generally had no transport so a car was the sensible option.

I never owned another bike until last year. My 17 year old daughter insisted on getting one for her 16th birthday. She also insisted that we do the license test together, and during the time that I have been teaching her how to ride and look after a bike, the urge to ride again has been rekindled.”  |
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1989 Suzuki GSX 400 F

Owner: Chris Hare,
Cape Town, South Africa

(continues): ”I spent quite a lot of time looking at various second-hand bikes until I found one that I really liked.
It is, as you can see, a Suzuki GSX400F. The bike is in exceptional condition and was quite irresistible to me.

The bike was sold as a 2001 model with 3,342 km on the clock by a reputable dealer in Cape Town.
The dealer does not specialise in specific bikes, but sells whatever is available. They are direct importers of bikes from Japan and the range of makes and models is extensive.
All they knew about the bike was that it was in a batch of bikes they had recently imported direct from Japan.

I have been riding the bike happily for the past five months and thoroughly enjoy the smooth comfortable ride that it gives. I have been curious to see some specs on this
machine and have consequently been looking around the Internet for information that would satisfy my curiosity. It will please you to know that your website is the only
Suzuki website worth visiting.

Sadly though, the info that I have gleaned off your site has provided me, not only with information, but with questions also.

It appears from your vast well of information, that my bike was not made in 2001, but indeed more likely to have been made in 1988 or 1989. It looks very much like the 1989 version except for the colour.
My bike also has a sticker on the top of the fairing which says.... "Slingshot". I believe this is standard as I have seen mention of it elsewhere.

Now if this is true and it is a 1989 model, then what is the true mileage of the bike? The bike is in very good condition and doesn't look or feel like it is almost
20 years old. It certainly rides and looks like a bike that has done less than 5,000 km. If it is at all possible I would like to try and trace the HISTORY of this bike.

All I know is that it arrived in Cape Town in July 2007 and that I am the first registered owner of it in South Africa.”
Here's more Suzuki GSX400F info.
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1978 Suzuki RM 50

Owner: Peter Williams
Perth, Western Australia
Comments: ÓI bought my 1978 RM50 in bits in boxes in January 2007 and rebuilt it from scratch by July 2007. It is now completely original except for the tank decals.
This was a project for my 10 year old son. It runs really well and is the right size for him at the moment.Ó
Here's more Suzuki RM50 info.
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The two first pictures show
the unrestored bike right out of the barn. The last two photos show the restored bike.
Here's more Suzuki SP info.
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1981 Suzuki SP 400

Owner: Peter Goodier
Derbyshire, England
Comments: ÓHi Jarmo, great website!
I couldn't find any pictures of SP 400 Trail bikes so I have sent you some.
My bike is a 1981 model Ñ 28 years old Ñ but it spent the last 21 years in a barn in Derbyshire. The fuel had been left in the tank, causing serious carb problems. It was full of horrible residue and this has caused running problems Ñ and quite a bit of expense Ñ new float valve and floats etc.
I have restored it and got it back on the road about a year ago.
Spares have not really been too much of a problem. Jeff Hall Motorcycles in Sheffield have been brilliant! That place is an absolute Gold Mine Ñ give them a try (and tell them I sent you!).
Decals are as it was (the SP370 side panel is not original Ñ just a spare Ñ I will ry and correct it in due course - but well spotted!
Most expensive items to restore have been the wheels, rebuilt on original rims (which were badly pitted) but with stainless spokes
and the fork inners Ñ which were 'new' from an Autojumble.
Only bits I have struggled to source have been one engine mounting bolt, and an Air Filter.
It goes pretty well Ñ and is glad to be back!Ó
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Here's more Suzuki TS125 info.
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1972 Suzuki TS 125

Owner: Neil Batterham,
Queensland, Australia
Comments: ÓHere is my Suzuki TS125J.
I bought it on ebay 12 months ago.
It had not been started since 1975!
The fuel had turned to thick brown powder and the crank and fork seals were shot. Apart from that I have just given her a good clean up and a new battery and air filter element.
Interestinly it has Avon knobby tyres which are still quite soft but easily damaged now.
These old machines really love modern products like synthetic 2-stroke oil. They last longer and hardly blow any smoke at all. A bit different to the 70's!
I notice you don't have a brochure for this model so feel free to use this pic.
If I come across one I will sent it to you. Keep up the great work.Ó
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Updated: July 6, 2009
More:
Pictures of visitors' other motorcycles (not Suzuki)
More: Pictures of visitors' Suzuki GSX1400
More: Pictures of my own Suzuki GSX1400
More: All Suzuki models
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