Pictures of
visitors' Suzuki motorcycles
Page
48

Here's more Suzuki T500 info.
 |
1974 Suzuki T 500 L

Owner: Joe W Richardson,
Hull, United Kingdom

(Continues from the previous page)

Comments:
Bought
early 90s with good running engine but very tatty bodywork.
Subsequently I bought an American donor bike with very good chrome
and eventually completed the rebuilt in 2002 utilising tank and
panels in British Racing Green.

Unfortunately,
the long stand made the crank seals hard resulting in very poor
low speed running. Additionally, though the compression was very
good and the engine was powerful when the throttle was opened.
On the overrun, the top end rattled as if it was full of ball
bearings.

Full
engine rebuild in 2003 with a recon crank and a rebore put the
engine to rights. Bike to MOT and put on the road later in 2004.
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Here's more Suzuki GT750 info.

|
1976 Suzuki GT 750 A

Owner: Joe W Richardson,
Hull, United Kingdom

Comments:
What
can be said? No Suzuki collector can have a collection without
one, though I really must do something about the seat and the
cylinder stickers.
See even Joe's bike
pictures and comments on pages 11 and 12!
 |

 |
1975 Suzuki GT 750 M

Owner: Joe W Richardson,
Hull, United Kingdom

Comments:
If
a Suzuki collector must have a Kettle then a serious
collector must have two...
See
even Joe's bike pictures and comments on pages 11 and 12! And the pages 45, 46 and 47...

Here's more Suzuki GT750 info.
 |


Here's Veijo's brother
testing his big brother's brand new Suzuki A95.



The white triangles
front and rear were required in Finland during the rider's
learning period.



A T125 Stinger, a
friend and the A95.
Here's more Suzuki A95 info.
 |
1970 Suzuki A 95

Owner: Veijo Saano, Kuopio (Kiuruvesi back in the seventies),
Finland

Purchased new in June 1970

Shown in standard trim, with extremely long and ugly mudflaps
as required by Finnish legislation until mid-70's.

Comments: Until mid-seventies, the learner-class motorcycles
had to weigh less than 75 kilograms in Finland - for the safety.
To get the vehicle below the weight limit the bikes, such as Suzuki
A95, had an engine far smaller than 125 cc, which was the maximum
allowed. Also other components, such as lights and brakes, had
to be small and light - for safety's sake, of course?

But the little Suzuki had the Posi-Force lubrication - for other
bikes of this class, you still had to mix oil and petrol.

In the black-and-white photos you can also see the white triangles
that had to be carried for a period of one month. That was for
riding practice, during which one had to stay within one's home
town area, obey a speed limit of 50 kph (31 mph), and not carry
a passenger. After this one could go and try to pass the test
for driving licence.

If one passed the tests it was total freedom: no speed limits,
no compulsory helmet etc. But with a bike like the little A95,
the maximum speed was at 80 kph (50 mph), although the model
name promised 95 kph. And after a couple of years, also Finland
got the general speed limit and the helmet law.

Although the A95 was very small, it faithfully transported me
and my girlfriend for two years. I even rode it through the winter
1970-71. In Finland that is not an easy task, with temperatures
often dropping below -20 degrees Celcius.
The little Suzuki had no problems in the cold.

The third photo shows my school mate who - inspired by me buying
an A95 - bought a T125 Stinger in the summer 1970.

I sold the A95 in the autumn of 1971. My next bike was an old
Ariel 500 Red Hunter. When riding it, I crashed with a Volvo in
October 1971.

I was actually looking for a used Suzuki T20 for my first bike
but bought the brand new A95 instead. It was actually a more suitable
speed for a hotheaded youngster. The T20 was almost twice as fast
a motorcycle"
 |


Here's Veijo's GR650
before the modifications.




After
the modifications. The larger fuel tank is taken from a
GS1100G. Ready for touring.
 |
1984 Suzuki GR 650 Tempter

Owner: Veijo Saano, Kuopio Finland

Comments: I bought my GR650 with 16,000 km on the meter
in 1986. The first thing I noticed that the high bars and the
custom-styled sitting position made it unpleasant to ride faster.
I replaced the handlebar and mounted a screen to get rid of
the annoying air streams. Even the fuel tank (13 liters) was
too small for my purposes - I was going to use it as a touring
bike.

In the first photo, the GR650 is in standard trim, except for
the missing rear indicators. I had just removed the pannier
rack, and the blinkers were not yet attached when the snapshot
was taken.

In 1986-87, I used the GR650 quite a lot for touring. I rode
from central Finland to Lapland, southern Sweden, and Norway,
up to Lofoten islands. I modified the bike rather extensively
(second photo):

rubber
gaiters on the front fork
plastic
windshield
lower
handlebar
22-liter
fuel tank from a bigger Suzuki shaftie, probably GS1100G. The
fuel meter sensor from the GR fit directly to the bigger tank
and was working correctly.
new
exhaust pipes (custom-made according to my wishes)
Sito
mufflers
Denfeld
hard bags

As you can see, the seat, the tank and the side covers don't
fit perfectly together, it should have needed an extra touch.

The original exhaust pipes began to rotten quite fast. The inner
pipes went to pieces, as there was a rattling noise and bits
of metal started coming out of the exhausts. I believe the exhausts
had double walls in order to avoid the pipes turning blue.

Although the modifications improved the bike's
touring abilities, I sold it soon. The GR was easy to use, but
the bike tended to wobble already in moderate-speed curves,
and the engine was too mildly tuned. Even without the screen,
the top speed was only 165 kph (100 mph) according to the speedometer.
I was looking for a performance kit to make it a bit faster
but I was told that the bike is not built for performance.

I part-exhanged the GR to a used BMW R100 (1983) in the autumn
of 1987.
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Updated:
February 8, 2004
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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