One question did you try the key on the old lock? Because back then alot of bikes only had 1 key for all models. My old bikes key basically had a screw driver for the key and nearly all old mopeds and so on had the same so you could either take it from a diffrent model or just use a flathead screwdriver
That is cool, my first bike was a GT380, it was a champ, it had a broken nylon gear so it would run 30 seconds then die, run 30 seconds then die, the guys at Seattle Cycle Center finally figured it out and I was off and running. The brake reservoir was ruined so I got one off a dual front disk bike, got a bolt that was the right sized, cross drilled it, drilled it down the shaft, tapped out the soft aluminum res to fit the threads of the bolt and I had stoppage. Man the things you do when you're young. I never had any problems with it. Not a greenstreak but still a cool fast bike. I kept up with a turbo bike and he said he rarely ran into bikes as quick as his. Bike was stolen years later. I hope the guy who stole it died on it. Thanks for the memories!
Synchronizing early Suzuki 2 stroke carbs is a little more complicated than just making sure the idle screws are the same. Make sure that both slides are opening at the same time when you twist he throttle, too. You can make the adjustments in the throttle cables by varying the amount of slack in each cable. Probably you already knew this. Nice that the CDI still works!
Will it run? Well duh. I’m just going to put this out there, after watching many of your videos Kevin, I think you could make a piece of wood run again. Lol. Your skills, and knowledge, are top notch. That’s why I enjoy watching your channel so much. I, like most of us, have never met you but you just seem like a personable and genuine person. There needs to be more of that out there.
Love the small engine stuff, it's more relatable to the average home mechanic. Small cheap and easy projects you can do with basic tools. And pliers of course.
It's unfathomable that those carburetors survived to live another day! That bike deserves full restoration or at least a mechanical restoration and clear coated vintage patina. This by far is one of my favorite videos yet👊
@@jasonhudson5861 they are still very old, and have been sitting for decades maybe with fuel in it for some of the time, not to mention the fact that unlike a car where there is a hood and fenders shrouding the carbeurters, the motorcycle card is fairly exposed to the elements. a chinese carb wouldnt has lasted as long i 100% agree, but it is a very rare occurance for ANY carb that old and in that situation to still work even at all.
@@LooseFrait idk bud pulled many old bikes out. Mostly you’ll have problems with the gaskets being non existent or the jets being totally clogged but with a lil compressed air an pipe cleaners it’s not hard at all to get these old carbs back in shape but with all the repairs I’ve done a carb rebuild has never been more then 30 bucks on a carb.I have yet to see an old carb be in such shape that’s it’s not usable unless some pin head went in an tried to screw in some jets Crooked or broke the main jet casting an this goes for the in-line 4 carbs as well there all splendid an easy money if you know what your looking at. Rather spend hours on an old crusty carb then buy a Amazon/eBay knockoff literally have pulled them off the bike to clean brand new just to find out the air ways are completely clogged with cast
Hey Kevin put the airbox back on it and it will turn into a completely different bike. Those little 2smokes are very air picky. I have the same bike in yellow and they are a blast
Hey Kevin, how about a "fleet" update on some of your iconic builds? What you still got, what's been sold, what runs and what needs a bit of love etc. Would be keen to see it. Love the content. Definitely my favourite channel on YT.
If you put the air filter(s) back on, you'll probably get some of your low-end performance back. They tend to richen the mixture back up a bit, especially on small-bore bikes. I used to have an early Suzi 125 twin, and it was a little screamer also!👍😉
I was sent a link from my son in England (I now live in Australia) as I used to have an "old" 1970's 2 stroke! Mine was a Suzuki GT250X7 ... But HIGHLY MODIFIED!! You were so lucky to get this one running, especially with no air box as it doesn't take much to burn out a piston (or 2) ... Trust me! I've done it often enough!! HOWEVER this is a great video on getting the bike up and running. I loved the sound of the bike and I can still smell that 2stroke oil smoke!!! Am I jealous ... HELL YEAH!!
Kevin this is by far one of my favorite revivals you have done so far. I thought there would be a lot of work and really surprised when there was really minor things you had to do to get it to run. I would definitely have fun on riding that bike for sure. It definitely has a lot of power
This is so wild, I just picked up a 1971-72 Honda SL175 a few weeks ago seized since 1980s (Wifes dad bought it seized and never got around to working on it) and I have been tearing it down. Currently soaking the pistons. Love the videos, I'm glad this one somewhat applies to me!
Street legal 2 strokes were not that rare back in the day, before (1998?) emissions laws? I had a 2 stroke Honda MT125 for years and Honda is famous for disliking 2 strokes. I never got my act together to get my motorcycle license though, and it got stolen around 2005. I am experimenting with small amounts of graphite in 2 stroke oil, using cheap old weed whackers. So far so good, but it must get past any fuel filters and too much can foul spark plugs. Graphite blows oil away on wear tests though, especially EP tests.
Great to see those almost forgotten little two strokes buzzing about. Brings out a small tear of nostalgia, I have Yamaha rd200, makes me laugh listening to the ring a ding ding of the exhaust note and annoying the neighbours on a sunday morning. thanks for this Kevin, made me smile no end.
Not sure if this has been said but carbs are synced by opening both slides until they are even with the top of the carb body. This adjustment is made at the cable connection on top of the slides. I believe with them at full open you can set the oil pump as well. Also the GT 380s look better. All that ram air head style but with a third head! (And Cylinder...) Lastly don't run premix in Suzuki's, you need the injector to feed the bearings. Nice bike though! I'm a little jealous.
My friend had a 250! GT 250 X7 Limited Edition, Had gold fork triple trees and a good looking black metal suspension forks and the back shocks were also trick,it had a special seat for the rider and then a shaped and molded seat for passenger , engine was polished and had black and gold accents, the barrels and head was painted and machine turned, tank was from a bigger gt or Suzuki 🤷🏻♂️ Handle bars were clip on gold and black,had a bit of a fairing around the front light that went down to a fairing that was behind the front wheel and formed a nose cone , front mudguard was nice looking thing 🤔🤷🏻♂️ And the wheels.....?!😳 Some type of 5 spoke 🤔 Either I don't remember correctly or they were a one of one 🤷🏻♂️ But they were a five spoke and were polished aluminium/magnesium with black and gold 👌🏼 Looked amazing 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 And the most amazing thing about it was the TWO MASSIVE ALLSPEED expansion chamber exhaust that were nickel chromed and polished to mirror finish 😇 It sounded amazing 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 It got to 6000 rpm and then 6500-it's just about to go and then bang 💥 7000-8000-9000 it's accelerating so hard the wheel is hovering as it does and ten 10,000-11,000-12,000 and then change gear and experience that again 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😇 Never seen one like it again and can't find anything else on it, it was stolen in the middle of winter and never seen anything about it after that 🤷🏻♂️ 🤔
bro, love that you are also doing motorcycles now, please more! For people that don't have a lot of working space, a motorcycle is just so much easier and in theory works just the same as a car!
Good to see a 70s 2-stroke on the channel! My dad and I revived a '74 Yamaha RD250 that was my grandpa's for me to ride and I loved that bike. I had to move out of state but it's waiting in the shed to be re-revived and enjoyed again one day.
I had a Yamaha YDS 250 in 1964 while station at McClellan AFB in Sacramento, Ca. Great cheap transport for an Airman 2C. Made getting to the bars easier except during the winter rainy season.
@@quickturn66 I'm jealous!! I had a couple of RD200's and they were brilliant, but that was back in the old days, when I weighed ten and a half stone (150ish pounds)!
@@someonebald2022 I weigh 142 lbs. I brought a riding mower to fix from a guy last summer and he had some bikes, I said “ sell me this little Yamaha “ he said he’d sell it so some time went by and I sold some misalliance stuff to build up a little pile of money and turned up there a couple of months ago. Then suddenly he wasn’t sure he wanted to sell it. After going back and forth I ended up giving 1200$ for it. Said he had the title but after I paid for it he says he has to find the title. Lucky he called two weeks later and said he found it and would mail it, I said no,I’ll come and get it. It’s the original title from 1976 and the bike came from the dealer I used to go to in Auburn ny when I was a kid in the 70s. 3240 miles on it, original tires still good. Been sitting for 45 years, every thing works except the transmission was stuck but I made a special tool and freed it up. Now I have to change the crank seals , shift ,kick, sprocket seals and also fork seals. It’s super nice with only a few traces of corrosion,looking forward to buzzing around on it.
Those Suzuki "Ram Air" bikes were quite a common sight here in the UK where two stroke motorbikes were common because of the good power/weight ratio and small engine size. They do make an awesome sound too.
I had the GT550 triple version of this bike. And I can confirm that it was loud, smoky, and scary when you hit the power band. I ultimately sold it for a 1984 Suzuki Tempter GR650 twin. It was also unique. It was a light weight cruiser the had a sportbike type rear suspension. It had a swing arm with a center mounted shock that you could adjust by turning a knob. Was ahead of its time for sure.
Absolutely LOVE THIS! Glad you are going to have it titled and licensed! Make a small 'grocery-getter-trailer' and you can haul a BUNCH of beer over to friend's places!
PERFECT VIDEO!! I inherited my dad's 1971, Suzuki 750. It's a 3-cylinder, 2 cycle engine! I have all the parts and the Harley guys I know call it a "Water Buffalo". It hasn't been fully assembled in many, many years. So i have a huge amount of work ahead. I'm watching your videos and this one hit the proverbial nail on the head!! Learning something!! Thank you Kevin!!😀
Nice bike, I’m working on a 73 Suzuki T500 that was sitting in a barn many years. I just got a bonded title for it, nice runner now! Starts 1st kick almost every time.
Pretty cool !! It's always hilarious when Kevin is working on something and it just happens to idle but he isn't expecting it to and he is "AMAZED". The look on his face is priceless... ha ha !!
Kevin if your cheap like me, and like a good shine on old chrome. You can use aluminum brighter on chrome, and it cleans it very nicely! Just don’t let it dry
loved it my first ride was on a 250 gt same color! i think suzuki only had bleu paint backthen thnx kevin brought back fine memories greatings to everyone
I’ve owned a bunch of these bikes, my favorite was 1972 GT 750, it is a 3 cylinder and has the most wicked sound. Someone across the pond bought it. They were referred to as a “water buffalo” I hope someone is loving it as much as I did.
You hit my favorite era for bikes. I love old 70s era Japanese bikes. That tach and speedo are the same as the 71 and 72 TS185's we have around here! One of the things I love about your channel is the variety. You've messed with cars, trucks, 3 wheelers, 4 wheelers, limos, snow machines, tractors and farming equipment, and all kinds of stuff. Honestly if you find some random old relic with an engine and bring it to life, I've happy no matter what it is. Even that old weird engine you revived a year or so ago. Also, if you can find a GT750 "water buffalo" I'd love to see you bring one of those around. 2-stroke and water cooled for more adventure! I'd love to find one to play with.
Would love to see you do a lot more of these motorcycle revivals I know you specifically specialize in cars but this was an amazing video I didn’t skip a single part for once I find myself skipping through alot of the car and truck revivals anymore bc they get boring after while this video spiced it up a bit I love it.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but be careful with the rubber tank plug as a cap, Tanks need a hole for air intake or else it it will cause a vacuum in the tank and cause the bike to starve for fuel.
@@sargera1 Think of it like putting your finger over the hole on the straw of your drink, you pull it out, and suck the the bottom of the straw, what happens? You'll get the little bit of your drink, but the straw will suck together and you cant suck anymore. But if you let go of your finger over the hole, you can suck through the straw again. Essentially when you're sucking fuel out of the tank, you need air going into the tank, which is normally through a tiny one way valve in your tank fuel cap. If you plug the fuel filler hole with a plug, airs no longer coming in, so the same thing that happens to your straw happens to the tank. If the tank were super flimsy, it would start collapsing in, but since its metal or really thick plastic, it continues to pull a vacuum on the tank until it can no longer pull fuel, so the bike will run a little crappy and eventually die of getting no fuel.
I know this was just a quick fix, but I’ve been doing this for over a decade now and one thing I always keep on the shelf is the POR-15 Tank Sealer for tanks just like this. Soak them in Evaporust then line them with the POR-15. It’ll seal any pinhole and line the tank.
Having owned 2 of these bikes since 1974, I would like to suggest that there are clearly no baffles in the exhaust pipes. I strongly suggest you locate some and bolt them in. EVERYTHING about that bike will improve markedly!! sound will tighten up, as will the off the line punch!!
Definitely going to want/need to do crank seals, even if they're "good" now after heat cycling they'll crack or wear and go bad. Clear sign of even a small crank seal leak for the gearbox side is excessive smoking or being lean on the stator side. Been restoring/reviving vintage 2 strokes for a while now, the Suzuki GTs and Kawasaki S1-3s are a little harder to find than the Yamaha RDs/YDS's but they're all cool and fun bikes!
Back in the late 80's my best friend had a GT185 and I had a GT200 X5. Both of us bought the bikes as scrap, non-running with many missing parts and restored them on a very small budget (we were broke students). Lot's of great memories of us riding around on them!
I sold quite a few of these new back in the 78/85 period. Not many problems with them, usually misuse the main one. Like all bikes of this type need original air box and air cleaner element to run correctly plus basically the original exhaust system. Correctly set up reliable little machine, did change the odd crankshaft due to chronic misuse. Maybe 85mph maximum speed.
That was a fantastic video. Didn't grow up around bikes or power sports so I know next to nothing about them but they look like a cheaper way to have a great time. Would love to see more bike content in general and a follow up on that gem of a Suzuki specifically some time.
Two stroke twins are a wonderful deal. Smooth and powerful when running well. They were normally lite weight for their size. This combination equils fantastic acceleration. Yamaha RD350s and 400s were lots of fun
Loved it. Best job in my life was summer job 1977 working as a motor cycle messenger in London riding around in a little red 1974 Suzuki GT185. Worn out battery, worn out rear tire and no top box, none of which I could afford at 18, so always used the kick-start and crossed my fingers in the wet. Greatest fun delivering art-work for record companies, x-rays for hospital and cans of movie film in the days before digital. All strapped on with a bungee and regularly failing off. I clearly remember the burbling exhaust. Well done :-)
If they are anything like the RD 350s , at the top of the carbs there are rubber boots, under the boots there are adjustments to sync the carb throttle cables. You did adjust the idle sync, but the throttle adjustments are where the fine tuning is. When you get them just right, the pipes will literally harmonize. Best of luck.
This video was so nostalgic for me. Brought back some great memories of my youthful days. I could feel it when you were riding through the streets. And now my heart aches for a bike. But alas, at 75, I don't think it is wise.
Great episode, these bikes are fantastic when dialed up right, and this one sounds really close to that. Do keep the videos coming, its a nice change of pace and this little piece of anger clearly wants to live and ride for many years to come, it deserves to be cleaned up nicely.
In 1975 I had a friend in high school who rode a 74 750 Kawasaki 2 stroke, that bike was quick. Cool to see you venturing into these classic 2 strokes.
Had a GT500 back in 1982, loved your revival, they have a wicked power band. I took mine out with a bikini fairing, rode down the beach a almost took my head off. It did 185 km an hour. Seriously dangerous, but definately fun. Enjoy
Seal All is awesome! It's one piece seals gas, auto trans fluid, probably everything else. I mean the name is seal all... Works on plastic and aluminum. Only 2 times i used it... Just a fyi to maybe save you from the ptsd.
Correct. I’ve had great luck with that stuff myself. One can apply it to an actively leaking tank and it will seal it up. Only drawback to it may be a lack of the durability an epoxy patch has, although any rust bucket I patched up with it didn’t leak again. Seal All. Good goop.
Wow Kevin, surprised how easily it started after sitting so long. Your right about 2 smokes, they sound great!! I miss the old supercrosses with 2 strokes, would come home smelling like 2 stroke exhaust, nothin beats that smell!!! I used to ride an old yz 250R and my brother had a cr 80 then a cr 125, fun bikes!!! Great work Kev, nice 2 see a bike 💯!!
I love your content Kevin and I know this isn't about the video but because of you and all your important information you have i learned how to do drum brakes on my 93 chevy Silverado its different than your usual drum set up but thanks again for all the good content and good information you give on all your knowledge on vehicles I've learned even more just watching your videos.
Man... music to my ears!! Big 2 stroke fan and can appreciate the bike. Always a big fan of your videos/content and especially this one. Thanks for the video.
This video actually made me kinda sad... I had to sell my RD400 recently (I can't ride anymore due to a car crash). Reminded me how much I love motorcycles and specifically 2-strokes. Good job with the quick restore on that one. I'm sure a lot of people will tell you to cap off that oil injector and just pre-mix. I always ran 32/1 but then my setup was kinda spicy, so take that for what you will. Anyways, great video.👍
I own the '75 GT185 with the front disc brake. Blew a right side crank seal and then had the crank bearings, seals and stock pistons all replaced. I bought the aftermarket bearing/seal kit and pistons off of ebay. Runs like a champ now. As others have said, finding a stock airbox and getting the point gaps and air screws dialed in will make a huge difference. These bikes tend to run best with a fully stock setup. Hard to outsmart the Suzuki engineers. I also have a '74 GT550 triple in Hawaiian green. One of the smoothest bikes I've ridden.
Just curious how you determine that this is excellent 3 minutes after release of a 45 min video FanBoi??? I like his videos too but do not suck his dick...
What an amazing little bike, perfect for booting around town. Loved this episode Kevin, it's always nice to see something a little different. JYD never disappoints.
Very cool! Having started out on 2 stroke street bikes way back in the '70s that exhaust note brings back good memories. Suz T 500, Suz GT 550, Kaw KH 400. Haha, shoulda kept them all in a barn til today..$$$. Every one of those bikes was solid and reliable all day long. Air cooled large displacement 2 strokes were thought to be a fools errand until Suzuki proved it could be done and done so well that they run strong today! Kudos to you getting that GT running.
I remember a guy who I worked with in the late 70's who had Suzuki 500 two stroke which at the time was just a couple of years old. I owned a 1968 Triumph Bonneville 650 and he bashed on my old bike and that his bike would run away and hide from my old bike. Being 20 years old I had to demonstrate to him that particular bike was the fastest production motorcycle in the world until Kawasaki released the 903 in 1975. True his two stroke did rev so much higher than the ohv vertical twin in the Bonneville but went by him like he was dragging an anchor. That said there was a reason why Suzuki discontinued the two stroke motorcycles for the street. Good content as always.
I had 3 RamAir GT250s back in the 80s, fantastic bikes. The GT125 was sought after in the UK when the learner rules were changed in '82. Cool thing was that the 185 barrels bolt straight on, and many an '8' on the barrel casting was modified to look somewhat like a '2' instead!
Omg!! That's the epoxy!! I used that to do an expedient field repair of a bathtub in Al Udeid that had a hole the size of a fist. I used fiberglass drywall tape and that epoxy to rebuild the tub in place. Was really proud of that moment!
Thanks for watching!! Check out our merch on www.junkyarddigs.com/
What speed can you hold it at and what top speed
You should consider doing a vintage bike challenge like you did with the snowmobiles.
save 15%
If u really want that chrome to come back Id reccomend Never Dull its a much finer wool and it already has the compound inside of it
One question did you try the key on the old lock? Because back then alot of bikes only had 1 key for all models. My old bikes key basically had a screw driver for the key and nearly all old mopeds and so on had the same so you could either take it from a diffrent model or just use a flathead screwdriver
We need more of Tom. He is such a character.
Tom is da man!
Has he got a yt channel?
I'm 72 and you just made me 16 again! Oh the glory days of leaving school in a fog of blue smoke! Great video as always, keep it up!
Stop telling lies lad
@@billybarr7443 stop being toxic :D
@@billybarr7443damn bro
Kevin and his friends getting drunk always result in the best segments of videos 😂
What can I say, we're naturals at it 😂😂
I keep yelling at my phone you need a choke on the right carb! Your gonna be getting unmetered air!
The body shop dude is so funny!
I couldn't stop laughin at this.
@@JunkyardDigs GOOD ONE KEVIN !! 😂
That is cool, my first bike was a GT380, it was a champ, it had a broken nylon gear so it would run 30 seconds then die, run 30 seconds then die, the guys at Seattle Cycle Center finally figured it out and I was off and running. The brake reservoir was ruined so I got one off a dual front disk bike, got a bolt that was the right sized, cross drilled it, drilled it down the shaft, tapped out the soft aluminum res to fit the threads of the bolt and I had stoppage. Man the things you do when you're young. I never had any problems with it. Not a greenstreak but still a cool fast bike. I kept up with a turbo bike and he said he rarely ran into bikes as quick as his. Bike was stolen years later. I hope the guy who stole it died on it. Thanks for the memories!
Synchronizing early Suzuki 2 stroke carbs is a little more complicated than just making sure the idle screws are the same. Make sure that both slides are opening at the same time when you twist he throttle, too. You can make the adjustments in the throttle cables by varying the amount of slack in each cable. Probably you already knew this. Nice that the CDI still works!
Also, the proper air box will help imensely.
Also, I would de-coke the Exhaust Silencer, there will be years of coke inside. Engine will breathe with better gas flow.
check for proper backpressure in the exhaust and always tune for max vacuum, usually between 20-25.
@@peterduxbury927 kerosene, or the crispy flame torch ?
The rest of the world, “Its Earth day!”
Kevin, “Heres a video on getting an old two-stroke motorcycle running.”
😂
I didn't even notice🤣🤣
@@JunkyardDigs it’s okay lol comes from the Earth
Its good for you, Lets you know that you are alive.
Less CO2 emitted per mile than what you normally show here.
I think getting an old machine running, is better for environment than mining, engineering and building new one. But, I also love 2-smokers. Ha!
This channel deserves to have 1 million subscribers.
I'ts getting up there
There only 21k short so they will get it just fine.
Share this vid and it will!
@@JunkyardDigs we did it boys
Well, it has now.
Will it run? Well duh. I’m just going to put this out there, after watching many of your videos Kevin, I think you could make a piece of wood run again. Lol. Your skills, and knowledge, are top notch. That’s why I enjoy watching your channel so much. I, like most of us, have never met you but you just seem like a personable and genuine person. There needs to be more of that out there.
Hahaha, piece of wood. Sounds about right
Long time viewer
But spraying those side covers ridiculous colours
What a waste of time after cleaning and sanding them
@@RubyDash_ Now I want to see a piece of wood revival. Not sure what it would entail, but I'd be there for it.
A piece of wood? 🤔😳😳🙈🤣
Love the small engine stuff, it's more relatable to the average home mechanic. Small cheap and easy projects you can do with basic tools. And pliers of course.
Amen! I love these kind of videos.
Can't forget the pliers
Can’t find engine parts…..
Blue side covers would have been just fine. That bike deserves as much love as you can give it. It's a classic.
It's unfathomable that those carburetors survived to live another day! That bike deserves full restoration or at least a mechanical restoration and clear coated vintage patina. This by far is one of my favorite videos yet👊
Not really those oem carbs had better castings then normal Chinese carbs nowa days. They actually wanted to take pride in what they put out back then.
@@jasonhudson5861 they are still very old, and have been sitting for decades maybe with fuel in it for some of the time, not to mention the fact that unlike a car where there is a hood and fenders shrouding the carbeurters, the motorcycle card is fairly exposed to the elements. a chinese carb wouldnt has lasted as long i 100% agree, but it is a very rare occurance for ANY carb that old and in that situation to still work even at all.
I had a ts185 as my first bike back in the late 90's....They absolutely refuse to die.
@@LooseFrait idk bud pulled many old bikes out. Mostly you’ll have problems with the gaskets being non existent or the jets being totally clogged but with a lil compressed air an pipe cleaners it’s not hard at all to get these old carbs back in shape but with all the repairs I’ve done a carb rebuild has never been more then 30 bucks on a carb.I have yet to see an old carb be in such shape that’s it’s not usable unless some pin head went in an tried to screw in some jets Crooked or broke the main jet casting an this goes for the in-line 4 carbs as well there all splendid an easy money if you know what your looking at. Rather spend hours on an old crusty carb then buy a Amazon/eBay knockoff literally have pulled them off the bike to clean brand new just to find out the air ways are completely clogged with cast
Hey Kevin put the airbox back on it and it will turn into a completely different bike. Those little 2smokes are very air picky. I have the same bike in yellow and they are a blast
Hey Kevin, how about a "fleet" update on some of your iconic builds? What you still got, what's been sold, what runs and what needs a bit of love etc. Would be keen to see it. Love the content. Definitely my favourite channel on YT.
If you put the air filter(s) back on, you'll probably get some of your low-end performance back. They tend to richen the mixture back up a bit, especially on small-bore bikes. I used to have an early Suzi 125 twin, and it was a little screamer also!👍😉
I was sent a link from my son in England (I now live in Australia) as I used to have an "old" 1970's 2 stroke! Mine was a Suzuki GT250X7 ... But HIGHLY MODIFIED!!
You were so lucky to get this one running, especially with no air box as it doesn't take much to burn out a piston (or 2) ... Trust me! I've done it often enough!!
HOWEVER this is a great video on getting the bike up and running. I loved the sound of the bike and I can still smell that 2stroke oil smoke!!! Am I jealous ... HELL YEAH!!
Kevin this is by far one of my favorite revivals you have done so far. I thought there would be a lot of work and really surprised when there was really minor things you had to do to get it to run.
I would definitely have fun on riding that bike for sure. It definitely has a lot of power
This is so wild, I just picked up a 1971-72 Honda SL175 a few weeks ago seized since 1980s (Wifes dad bought it seized and never got around to working on it) and I have been tearing it down. Currently soaking the pistons. Love the videos, I'm glad this one somewhat applies to me!
You just cannot beat the sound of a 2 stroke motor, they sound awesome. I totally rebuilt a GT250 years ago 😊
I had a 250. Wish I'd kept it. Was about 30 years ago.😊
@@Iaintwoke was 2008 I done mine
Street legal 2 strokes were not that rare back in the day, before (1998?) emissions laws? I had a 2 stroke Honda MT125 for years and Honda is famous for disliking 2 strokes. I never got my act together to get my motorcycle license though, and it got stolen around 2005. I am experimenting with small amounts of graphite in 2 stroke oil, using cheap old weed whackers. So far so good, but it must get past any fuel filters and too much can foul spark plugs. Graphite blows oil away on wear tests though, especially EP tests.
Stop telling lies lad
@@colinsimpson8738stop telling lies lad
Great to see those almost forgotten little two strokes buzzing about. Brings out a small tear of nostalgia, I have Yamaha rd200, makes me laugh listening to the ring a ding ding of the exhaust note and annoying the neighbours on a sunday morning. thanks for this Kevin, made me smile no end.
Not sure if this has been said but carbs are synced by opening both slides until they are even with the top of the carb body. This adjustment is made at the cable connection on top of the slides. I believe with them at full open you can set the oil pump as well. Also the GT 380s look better. All that ram air head style but with a third head! (And Cylinder...) Lastly don't run premix in Suzuki's, you need the injector to feed the bearings. Nice bike though! I'm a little jealous.
nothing better than a two stroke. The sound is pure joy and nostalgia (while also reminding me of the burnt cylinders of course).
I had a 250. Beautiful little bike. I wish I still had it 😊
My friend had a 250!
GT 250 X7 Limited Edition,
Had gold fork triple trees and a good looking black metal suspension forks and the back shocks were also trick,it had a special seat for the rider and then a shaped and molded seat for passenger , engine was polished and had black and gold accents, the barrels and head was painted and machine turned, tank was from a bigger gt or Suzuki 🤷🏻♂️
Handle bars were clip on gold and black,had a bit of a fairing around the front light that went down to a fairing that was behind the front wheel and formed a nose cone , front mudguard was nice looking thing 🤔🤷🏻♂️
And the wheels.....?!😳
Some type of 5 spoke 🤔
Either I don't remember correctly or they were a one of one 🤷🏻♂️ But they were a five spoke and were polished aluminium/magnesium
with black and gold 👌🏼 Looked amazing 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
And the most amazing thing about it was the
TWO MASSIVE ALLSPEED
expansion chamber exhaust that were nickel chromed and polished to mirror finish 😇
It sounded amazing 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
It got to 6000 rpm and then 6500-it's just about to go and then bang 💥 7000-8000-9000 it's accelerating so hard the wheel is hovering as it does and ten 10,000-11,000-12,000 and then change gear and experience that again 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😇
Never seen one like it again and can't find anything else on it, it was stolen in the middle of winter and never seen anything about it after that 🤷🏻♂️ 🤔
Ya man keep doing these. 2 strokes friggin rule.
Back in the mid 60's Suzuki had a 250 cc street bike called the X6 Hustler . Insanely fast . Glad to see you working on it's newer little brother .
bro, love that you are also doing motorcycles now, please more!
For people that don't have a lot of working space, a motorcycle is just so much easier and in theory works just the same as a car!
Good to see a 70s 2-stroke on the channel! My dad and I revived a '74 Yamaha RD250 that was my grandpa's for me to ride and I loved that bike. I had to move out of state but it's waiting in the shed to be re-revived and enjoyed again one day.
Lord I love that 2 stroke sound! That brought back memories of my Yamaha RD200 while I was in Kansas in the USAF. GREAT show Kevin!!
I had a Yamaha YDS 250 in 1964 while station at McClellan AFB in Sacramento, Ca. Great cheap transport for an Airman 2C. Made getting to the bars easier except during the winter rainy season.
I just bought a near mint rd 200
@@quickturn66 I'm jealous!! I had a couple of RD200's and they were brilliant, but that was back in the old days, when I weighed ten and a half stone (150ish pounds)!
@@someonebald2022 I weigh 142 lbs. I brought a riding mower to fix from a guy last summer and he had some bikes, I said “ sell me this little Yamaha “ he said he’d sell it so some time went by and I sold some misalliance stuff to build up a little pile of money and turned up there a couple of months ago. Then suddenly he wasn’t sure he wanted to sell it. After going back and forth I ended up giving 1200$ for it. Said he had the title but after I paid for it he says he has to find the title. Lucky he called two weeks later and said he found it and would mail it, I said no,I’ll come and get it. It’s the original title from 1976 and the bike came from the dealer I used to go to in Auburn ny when I was a kid in the 70s. 3240 miles on it, original tires still good. Been sitting for 45 years, every thing works except the transmission was stuck but I made a special tool and freed it up. Now I have to change the crank seals , shift ,kick, sprocket seals and also fork seals. It’s super nice with only a few traces of corrosion,looking forward to buzzing around on it.
@@quickturn66 Take care of it. It’s a very sought after bike!
Those Suzuki "Ram Air" bikes were quite a common sight here in the UK where two stroke motorbikes were common because of the good power/weight ratio and small engine size. They do make an awesome sound too.
I had the GT550 triple version of this bike. And I can confirm that it was loud, smoky, and scary when you hit the power band. I ultimately sold it for a 1984 Suzuki Tempter GR650 twin. It was also unique. It was a light weight cruiser the had a sportbike type rear suspension. It had a swing arm with a center mounted shock that you could adjust by turning a knob. Was ahead of its time for sure.
Absolutely LOVE THIS! Glad you are going to have it titled and licensed! Make a small 'grocery-getter-trailer' and you can haul a BUNCH of beer over to friend's places!
Kevin your a magic man and save the worst to turn into recyclable Master piece.
PERFECT VIDEO!! I inherited my dad's 1971, Suzuki 750. It's a 3-cylinder, 2 cycle engine! I have all the parts and the Harley guys I know call it a "Water Buffalo". It hasn't been fully assembled in many, many years. So i have a huge amount of work ahead. I'm watching your videos and this one hit the proverbial nail on the head!! Learning something!! Thank you Kevin!!😀
Nice bike, I’m working on a 73 Suzuki T500 that was sitting in a barn many years. I just got a bonded title for it, nice runner now! Starts 1st kick almost every time.
Very under rated bikes. They were the best value around when new.
Pretty cool !! It's always hilarious when Kevin is working on something and it just happens to idle but he isn't expecting it to and he is "AMAZED". The look on his face is priceless... ha ha !!
Dude, I hope you do more motorcycles! This is awesome.
If it gets the views to justify another, you bet!
Kevin if your cheap like me, and like a good shine on old chrome. You can use aluminum brighter on chrome, and it cleans it very nicely! Just don’t let it dry
It’s got points. My first ever bike. It won’t run well without the air filter, it needs careful timing set up and the baffles will need cleaning.
And the useful rpm range is about 5 - 6000... but it goes like hell right there !
Im so glad you are doing a motorcycle revival. I hope you do more!
I absolutely love motorcycle content. Specifically pre 80's bikes.
Please do more of these if you can!
My grandfather who died recently at 95 had a GT250 when I was about 12. This video made my day. Many happy memories
loved it my first ride was on a 250 gt same color! i think suzuki only had bleu paint backthen thnx kevin brought back fine memories greatings to everyone
Awesome episode, love those old 2 strokes. That guy that helped with side covers needs his own channel
Nicely done! That is worthy of a real restoration. Not as fast as the Bighorn 350 I had in 77 but probably a whole lot more practical.
I’ve owned a bunch of these bikes, my favorite was 1972 GT 750, it is a 3 cylinder and has the most wicked sound. Someone across the pond bought it. They were referred to as a “water buffalo” I hope someone is loving it as much as I did.
You hit my favorite era for bikes. I love old 70s era Japanese bikes. That tach and speedo are the same as the 71 and 72 TS185's we have around here! One of the things I love about your channel is the variety. You've messed with cars, trucks, 3 wheelers, 4 wheelers, limos, snow machines, tractors and farming equipment, and all kinds of stuff. Honestly if you find some random old relic with an engine and bring it to life, I've happy no matter what it is. Even that old weird engine you revived a year or so ago. Also, if you can find a GT750 "water buffalo" I'd love to see you bring one of those around. 2-stroke and water cooled for more adventure! I'd love to find one to play with.
Would love to see you do a lot more of these motorcycle revivals I know you specifically specialize in cars but this was an amazing video I didn’t skip a single part for once I find myself skipping through alot of the car and truck revivals anymore bc they get boring after while this video spiced it up a bit I love it.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but be careful with the rubber tank plug as a cap, Tanks need a hole for air intake or else it it will cause a vacuum in the tank and cause the bike to starve for fuel.
u mean like vacuum carb?
@@sargera1 Think of it like putting your finger over the hole on the straw of your drink, you pull it out, and suck the the bottom of the straw, what happens? You'll get the little bit of your drink, but the straw will suck together and you cant suck anymore. But if you let go of your finger over the hole, you can suck through the straw again. Essentially when you're sucking fuel out of the tank, you need air going into the tank, which is normally through a tiny one way valve in your tank fuel cap. If you plug the fuel filler hole with a plug, airs no longer coming in, so the same thing that happens to your straw happens to the tank. If the tank were super flimsy, it would start collapsing in, but since its metal or really thick plastic, it continues to pull a vacuum on the tank until it can no longer pull fuel, so the bike will run a little crappy and eventually die of getting no fuel.
I know this was just a quick fix, but I’ve been doing this for over a decade now and one thing I always keep on the shelf is the POR-15 Tank Sealer for tanks just like this. Soak them in Evaporust then line them with the POR-15. It’ll seal any pinhole and line the tank.
Any experience with old Honda rebels?
@@thesovietvorona1007 How old? I primarily work with 70’s stuff but a motorcycle is a motorcycle
@@chadhanebrink8009 ah fair enough bud. Mines an 86’ with an 85’ motor.
Having owned 2 of these bikes since 1974, I would like to suggest that there are clearly no baffles in the exhaust pipes. I strongly suggest you locate some and bolt them in. EVERYTHING about that bike will improve markedly!! sound will tighten up, as will the off the line punch!!
The emissions cleared up a treat. Sounds really healthy. Excellent work.
I love those old two stroke bikes. Had a Kawasaki 3.cylinder back in the 70’s and it would scream.
Definitely going to want/need to do crank seals, even if they're "good" now after heat cycling they'll crack or wear and go bad. Clear sign of even a small crank seal leak for the gearbox side is excessive smoking or being lean on the stator side. Been restoring/reviving vintage 2 strokes for a while now, the Suzuki GTs and Kawasaki S1-3s are a little harder to find than the Yamaha RDs/YDS's but they're all cool and fun bikes!
175cc Yamaha, so much fun to run trails and do whooptedos on, yeah baby!!!
Back in the late 80's my best friend had a GT185 and I had a GT200 X5. Both of us bought the bikes as scrap, non-running with many missing parts and restored them on a very small budget (we were broke students). Lot's of great memories of us riding around on them!
I sold quite a few of these new back in the 78/85 period. Not many problems with them, usually misuse the main one. Like all bikes of this type need original air box and air cleaner element to run correctly plus basically the original exhaust system. Correctly set up reliable little machine, did change the odd crankshaft due to chronic misuse. Maybe 85mph maximum speed.
Takes me back to the 70s, thanks for the restore video.🙂
That was a fantastic video. Didn't grow up around bikes or power sports so I know next to nothing about them but they look like a cheaper way to have a great time. Would love to see more bike content in general and a follow up on that gem of a Suzuki specifically some time.
Two stroke twins are a wonderful deal. Smooth and powerful when running well. They were normally lite weight for their size. This combination equils fantastic acceleration. Yamaha RD350s and 400s were lots of fun
Loved it. Best job in my life was summer job 1977 working as a motor cycle messenger in London riding around in a little red 1974 Suzuki GT185. Worn out battery, worn out rear tire and no top box, none of which I could afford at 18, so always used the kick-start and crossed my fingers in the wet. Greatest fun delivering art-work for record companies, x-rays for hospital and cans of movie film in the days before digital. All strapped on with a bungee and regularly failing off. I clearly remember the burbling exhaust. Well done :-)
If they are anything like the RD 350s , at the top of the carbs there are rubber boots, under the boots there are adjustments to sync the carb throttle cables. You did adjust the idle sync, but the throttle adjustments are where the fine tuning is. When you get them just right, the pipes will literally harmonize. Best of luck.
I'm surprised you haven't made a attachment for the pressure washer that would go in the tank and spin getting a ³⁶⁰ spray
Always a good day when Kevin uploads
That's what Mook says!
The best part of this episode was the effort that went into the custom one off side cowls 😀
This video was so nostalgic for me. Brought back some great memories of my youthful days. I could feel it when you were riding through the streets. And now my heart aches for a bike. But alas, at 75, I don't think it is wise.
Here in the UK we had loads of GT185s even I had one, great bike and now with the vintage bike boom you would get about $2000 + for that little beauty
Great episode, these bikes are fantastic when dialed up right, and this one sounds really close to that. Do keep the videos coming, its a nice change of pace and this little piece of anger clearly wants to live and ride for many years to come, it deserves to be cleaned up nicely.
I loved seeing this, I have had motorcycle fever for a long time and this hasn't helped me any. I would love to see more motorcycle revivals!
What a great revival, love old 2 strokes, more please 😊
In 1975 I had a friend in high school who rode a 74 750 Kawasaki 2 stroke, that bike was quick. Cool to see you venturing into these classic 2 strokes.
Had a GT500 back in 1982, loved your revival, they have a wicked power band. I took mine out with a bikini fairing, rode down the beach a almost took my head off. It did 185 km an hour. Seriously dangerous, but definately fun.
Enjoy
I may have counted 3 EPA violations and 1 OSHA violation 😂
Heck yeah new personal best!!
Love it!!! More 2 stroke content is always welcome. How does it run that good on dirty carbs?!?
More of this please! Love vintage Japanese bikes!
I had a 70 R5. Those 2 cylinder 2 strokes are awesome. Thing would lift the front through 3rd. Wish I still.had it.
Seal All is awesome! It's one piece seals gas, auto trans fluid, probably everything else. I mean the name is seal all... Works on plastic and aluminum. Only 2 times i used it... Just a fyi to maybe save you from the ptsd.
Correct. I’ve had great luck with that stuff myself. One can apply it to an actively leaking tank and it will seal it up. Only drawback to it may be a lack of the durability an epoxy patch has, although any rust bucket I patched up with it didn’t leak again. Seal All. Good goop.
We love watching drunk Kevin and Tom shenanigans we need more of this 😂
drunk sucks. alcohol ruins families and lives
@@raymondo162use it in moderation
@@raymondo162alcoholism sucks being drunk every once in a while is a party
Wow Kevin, surprised how easily it started after sitting so long. Your right about 2 smokes, they sound great!! I miss the old supercrosses with 2 strokes, would come home smelling like 2 stroke exhaust, nothin beats that smell!!! I used to ride an old yz 250R and my brother had a cr 80 then a cr 125, fun bikes!!! Great work Kev, nice 2 see a bike 💯!!
I love your content Kevin and I know this isn't about the video but because of you and all your important information you have i learned how to do drum brakes on my 93 chevy Silverado its different than your usual drum set up but thanks again for all the good content and good information you give on all your knowledge on vehicles I've learned even more just watching your videos.
Wow I haven't seen Hardman double bubble epoxy in ages lol blast from the past Kevin @Junkyard Digs
Man... music to my ears!! Big 2 stroke fan and can appreciate the bike. Always a big fan of your videos/content and especially this one. Thanks for the video.
I am way intrigued by the mini sprint car
I always wanted to have a little bike like that just to run to town and back. Someday I’ll get one.
This video actually made me kinda sad... I had to sell my RD400 recently (I can't ride anymore due to a car crash). Reminded me how much I love motorcycles and specifically 2-strokes. Good job with the quick restore on that one. I'm sure a lot of people will tell you to cap off that oil injector and just pre-mix. I always ran 32/1 but then my setup was kinda spicy, so take that for what you will. Anyways, great video.👍
You don't want to disable the pump on old Suzi's. The pump oils the crank bearings too.
@@seanbarney8934 Ah, I never knew that. Thanks friend. 😀
Love how it sounds while idling and the tones during acceleration
I own the '75 GT185 with the front disc brake. Blew a right side crank seal and then had the crank bearings, seals and stock pistons all replaced. I bought the aftermarket bearing/seal kit and pistons off of ebay. Runs like a champ now. As others have said, finding a stock airbox and getting the point gaps and air screws dialed in will make a huge difference. These bikes tend to run best with a fully stock setup. Hard to outsmart the Suzuki engineers. I also have a '74 GT550 triple in Hawaiian green. One of the smoothest bikes I've ridden.
Ahh yes "it will clear perfectly dry" I love it when the epoxy does that lol😂
May have been a bit hungover that day😂
Excellent video once again, keep up the good work
Just curious how you determine that this is excellent 3 minutes after release of a 45 min video FanBoi??? I like his videos too but do not suck his dick...
He could be humping a donkey 10 minutes in and you would still comment "this is the best eva"
What an amazing little bike, perfect for booting around town. Loved this episode Kevin, it's always nice to see something a little different. JYD never disappoints.
Kevin You showing this old classic Suzuki motorcycle so love and getting it running again it's awesome ,keep up the great work friend 😃😃🇺🇸🇺🇸💪💪👍👍👍👍
Very cool!
Having started out on 2 stroke street bikes way back in the '70s that exhaust note brings back good memories.
Suz T 500, Suz GT 550, Kaw KH 400. Haha, shoulda kept them all in a barn til today..$$$. Every one of those bikes was solid and reliable all day long.
Air cooled large displacement 2 strokes were thought to be a fools errand until Suzuki proved it could be done and done so well that they run strong today!
Kudos to you getting that GT running.
Love it! 2 strokes was what we had when I was a kid, 50 now and having to make do with 4 strokes. Great video Kevin!
Hi Kevin, I’m a vintage motocross racer I really enjoy your Channel, please do more vintage motorcycle’s. Especially dirt bikes
I remember a guy who I worked with in the late 70's who had Suzuki 500 two stroke which at the time was just a couple of years old. I owned a 1968 Triumph Bonneville 650 and he bashed on my old bike and that his bike would run away and hide from my old bike. Being 20 years old I had to demonstrate to him that particular bike was the fastest production motorcycle in the world until Kawasaki released the 903 in 1975. True his two stroke did rev so much higher than the ohv vertical twin in the Bonneville but went by him like he was dragging an anchor. That said there was a reason why Suzuki discontinued the two stroke motorcycles for the street. Good content as always.
Thanks for this video. Im glad you didn't crash on that thing. I love old bike restorations. Thanks.
I had 3 RamAir GT250s back in the 80s, fantastic bikes. The GT125 was sought after in the UK when the learner rules were changed in '82. Cool thing was that the 185 barrels bolt straight on, and many an '8' on the barrel casting was modified to look somewhat like a '2' instead!
Thanks for sharing this rebuild /revival !! It was fun !
Had 2 of these both were slightly newer models with disk brake on the front 20 hp on my English bikes top speed 80mph lots of fun 😊
LOVED the first person GoPro camera shots! Hope those first person shots come with driving the cars too.
This is absolutely one of the most wholesome episodes yet 🫶🤌
Omg!! That's the epoxy!!
I used that to do an expedient field repair of a bathtub in Al Udeid that had a hole the size of a fist. I used fiberglass drywall tape and that epoxy to rebuild the tub in place. Was really proud of that moment!
This would be such a sick cafe racer build. A two smoke cafe racer ❤