Huge shoutout to the guys at Limey Bikes in Austin for helping me make this video. Check them out here: chris-kelland.squarespace.com/. Don't forget to check out the patreon and support the channel: www.patreon.com/spitescorner
It isn't an explosion that happens in the cylinder, rather deflagration. A detonation would blow your motor apart. This channel has way too many subs to not get that right. Additionally, you should run synthetic two stroke oil in these and all two stroke motors in 2024. Better longevity, more power, virtually no smoke and virtually eliminates any risk of seizure.
It wasn’t the Honda CB750 that caused Harley Davidson to fill their diaper and go crying to the US government in 1983. It was the Honda VF750F, as well as the Magna and Sabre. The Honda CB750 was released 14 years before in 1969. If you’re going to make videos about motorcycles, it’s best to do some basic research first.
It wasn’t the Honda CB750 that caused Harley Davidson to fill their diaper and go crying to the US government in 1983. It was the Honda VF750F, as well as the Magna and Sabre. The Honda CB750 was released 14 years before in 1969. If you’re going to make videos about motorcycles, it’s best to do some basic research first.
The Suzuki Water Buffalo didn't make enough power to explode... although the Kawasaki H2 750 would blow both the Honda and Suzuki away... as would the Ducati 750 Super Sport Desmo...
It was a decent and somewhat conservatively engineered long distance touring bike. You can read the old Cycle World reviews online of the GT750, they really liked it. and it returned better fuel mileage than they were expecting.
I circumnavigated Australia on my 750J “Water Bottle” in 1973 -75. Very simple ,reliable, could carry a big load & considering the primitive roads at that time, a very comfortable machine - a handful on some of the dirt tracks especially bull dust holes up north. The four leading shoe brakes helped develop a firm handshake and believe it or not, were particularly sensitive after a little rain ie they’d lock up ! I sent the original pipes back east after buying a set of chambers in Perth which helped give her a lift in performance as in standard trim she was a low stressed motor - bags of torque. And of course I wish I still had her!
I really miss 2 strokes. My second ever bike was an '83 RG250 & Suzuki had come a long way in building 2 stroke bikes by then. The power band was intoxicating & I was practically uncatchable on tight twisty roads. It was awesome, until the oil pump let go & the motor seized. I feel sorry for new riders who can no longer experience the feeling of riding a 2 stroke crotch rocket.
My friend had a tuned Kawasaki KR1 S in the late 80's. That was pretty much a direct competitor to the later RGV 250. To this day, I still remember it as one of the fastest bikes that I've ever ridden. Yes, obviously I've ridden bikes with far more power and with higher claimed top speeds, but that "little" 250 weighed absolutely nothing, had brilliant brakes and suspension and when the tacho hit 7k it was like being shot out of a cannon. You couldn't change gears fast enough. I'm with you. I feel sorry for riders that will never get to experience that feeling.
I'm planning to build a custom 2 stroke cafe racer or scrambler with a Rotax 503 aero engine. No emissions testing in my state on bikes. I have a Rotax 583 in my experimental aircraft (basically a glorified kite) and it is a rocket ship. Can hit over 1400fpm climb rate in ideal conditions .
The Suzuki 2 strokes of this era were more about usable torque curves instead of screaming narrow power bands that are otherwise useless as a road touring bike engine.
In '68 built a suspension minibike with Jawa 350cc 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine, then '66 Suzuki 250cc X6 Hustler, then '70 Yamaha 360cc Enduro, then '74 Kawasaki H2 750cc triple...
Had one of these in the late 80's. Modified it a bit: Cast aluminum wheels, fibre glass fenders and seat, Dunstall fairing, tank and seat, 3 into3 exhaust, ditched the starter motor to lighten it. No mirrors, no indicators. Braided brake hoses. Drilled rotors, better pads. A European bike mag had a complete engine tuning manual for this engine. I did the whole thing. Once done I dyno'ed the beast. 115 horses at the wheel. I've owned a lot of bikes. This is the one I regret most having sold.
You have to be kidding, this is among the simplest multi cylindered bikes in the 750 range of it's time, It's a two stroke, lest I bother to explain to you what moving parts it lacks compared to the 750 Honda 4 stroke 4 cylinder or any of the other 4 cylindered big bikes.
I had a GT750 in the early 80's. I used it for touring as well as a daily rider. The biggest trip I did was over 6000km's from the bottom of Australia to the top via the east coast, that bike didn't miss a beat. Wish I still had it 😢😊
Been riding a blue GT just like that for about 8 years. Lots of miles and smiles. It is smokey and works fine. I think oil builds up in the pipes and once it gets hot it burns off and then isn't as smokey. Also if you ride it more frequently the bike is happiest :)
I used to prepare GT750 engines for a sidecar racing team. You could get about 105 reliable horses out of those engines, but you needed to modify the clutch basket to prevent it from disintegrating on the higher revs. Even modified a cylinder block to accept membranes. so I could add another scavenging port above the intake port. The membranes used were the same as the ones I used for my TZ750. Lots of peak power and still a wide powerband. The GT750 shown here would run so much better if the oil pump was adjusted to spec, especially with the modern clean burning mixing oils.
I just bought a fully restored stock '75 GT 750. The 2T oil in the tank is closer to clear in color with a slight dark tinting. It burns real clean and the seller wasn't sure what brand oil was in there. There aren't too many yellow/clear 2T oils on the market. It smells like it has a slight "alcohol like" smell. Could it be break-in 2T oil of some kind? Any ideas? My plan is to use it up, then switch to Motorex Power Syn 2T. But I'd really like to keep using the 2T oil that's in there already. Just don't know what brand it is.
@@bluoval3481 For the small price of the oil I wouldn't take any risks. Just take the oil out of the tank (NOT out of the oil lines to prevent air bubbles) and refill with a brand name 2 stroke oil. I always used Castrol brand outboard oil and it served me well. Because outboard oil is used in an aquatic environment it has to comply to high standards regarding smoke and soot residue. Also check that the oilpump is adjusted to standard, no need for drowning the engine in oil. Have fun with your new baby.
I had one for a couple of years, on the freeway about 50-70mph it was so smooth, like an electric motor. Not quick by any means but OK, nice manors, put lots of miles on it (120/day) going to work and back. Solid and brutally reliable. Loved this machine, it still holds a special place in my heart.
Gotta love a 70s stroker! A good illustration of the power of a two stroke is the first year of MotoGP in 2002. That was the year when we had the two strokes and new four strokes racing together. To ensure the four strokes were competitive, their capacity was 990cc against the two stroke's 500cc. Despite this, Alex Barros on a two stroke managed to finish fourth in the championship against the likes of Rossi and Biaggi on the new four strokes. In fact, he was only 11 points from Biaggi in second. Two strokes vs four strokes - what a spectacle!
In the late seventies I used my GT550 for daily commuting, 200 miles weekend visits and a 3000 - 4000 miles camping vacation with my girlfriend in the summers. It was a great bike.
1974 I bought a Suzuki GT550 and loved it...... except when filling up with 30 mpg UK or less when pushing it hard along with a small tank. Perth to Glasgow return needed a top up.
Back when I was a kid here in Europe in the 90s and 2000s it was still common seeing two stroke bikes,usually little 50s, 125s and 250s ridden by teens. I bought a two stroke bike from my childhood,a 1994 Aprilia Red Rose Classic,as my first bike back in 2015,thinking I'll replace it with something bigger in a few years,but 9 years later I still have it. It's a little cruiser for beginner riders,but it's actually quite fun and comfy to ride,and seeing surprised looks when people see a cruiser buzzing around town is quite funny.
I'm American but I spent my teen years in the UK. My introduction to riding was on a Yamaha TZ-125. Wish I could get one in the states for a reasonable price. I also got to ride vintage BSAs, Triumphs and Nortons on occasion. I had a neighbour with an extensive collection who was willing to sell me a mint '74 850 Interstate for 800UKP in '99. My stupid parents wouldn't let me buy it even though it would have been shipped back to the States for free by my dad's employer. A mint, original UK spec '74 Interstate is worth like $25k in the US today. I was more interested in preserving it than riding it and was willing to agree to some very specific conditions with my parents. But my mom was scared of me riding a bike. Didn't stop me from riding, just stopped me from having my dream bike. It was even my favorite colour - yellow.
I bought a 1975 GT750 when I was in college. The bike was completely reliable (45,000 miles with nothing but several sets of tires, a final drive chain and sprockets, and several sets of spark plugs (it did have a tendency to foul plugs until I switched to AMACO gasoline - the only unleaded gas back in the day). No need to change oil (just refill the injector tank periodically). I replaced my Suzuki with a 1978 Honda CX500 - the exact opposite in terms of reliability (3 different sets of cam chain & tensioner part numbers - first 2 sets under warranty, the last set on my own nickle... all in the first 24,000 miles). BTW, cam chain tensioners seem to be a mystery to Honda; I had a 1998 SuperHawk that also had cam chain tensioner problems. In any case, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I was a young guy during the golden era of the two stroke road bikes. I owned many. The ones I didn't own I still rode because the group I hung with had all the big ones and we traded off. There was one guy who had a water buffalo in the group. He rode it every day reliably. My own favorite was my modded 78 yamaha rd 400, (the silver one),. I also had a 74 earlier. Later, I owned an h1 for a very short time. Didn't care for it but wish I had it now as I could've made some money on it. Blow-up? None blew up. Rode thousands of miles doing cross country rides. Other problems, (electrical or flats), occured. Rode a cafe'ed honda 50 two stroke in 83, ( honda mb5), on an 800 mile round trip out in cali back when the speed limit was 55, (just to say I did it),. Mojave desert and the grapevine on a 50. True story. The honda could do 65 with a couple mods. Road it through desert heat at 11,000 rpm mile after mile. It didn't blow up. Sorry. Blows up is click bate.
True! I've had more than 20 two-strokes. From 125 to 750 over the course of 40 years. None blew up. I still own a 300 cc daily rider two stroke. I've put more than 50,000 miles on that one. Rock solid.
@@videotosse It's true. They're no different than my weed trimmers. Those never blew up either. None. Ever. Or chainsaw. Or weed blower. They just wear out. I have a 1970's mcculloch chainsaw - still running and cutting! They can seize under weird operating parameters,..long decent for light sport aircraft due to lubrication starvation and the prop being forced to turn because of the wind with no throttle,...but that's a weird parameter and simply negated by running some power with fuelmix,.... till landing. Two strokes ROCK! Cheers to your 50,000 miles. 👍👍
What they didn’t mention was you often got 20 mpg out of them at cruising speeds which is another reason the big two strokes died out . The Kawasaki H2’s reputation is possibly down to the then tyre technology Dunlop tt100’s and Avon speed masters were about as good as it got but weren’t made for 70hp bikes that made all their power in 1500 revs. I learned to ride on small two strokes they were much more fun than the equivalent four strokes and would rather have a RD or a GT over a CB or a XS .
H2's reputation was for piss poor handling due to a combination of a frame that flexed badly, a short wheelbase making it wheel stand quickly, and react quickly, flexible forks and a razor sharp powerband, tires were the same for everyone, other bikes handled well.... Yes i rode them all... Still do...
Actually the Water Buffalo could get about 40 mpg if you didn't wick it up all the time. It was a long stroke engine that owed a lot of it's internal porting and undersquare bore/stroke design to the SAAB 750 and 850 automotive 2 strokes and was a comfortable and relaxed touring bike at 60 mph
The Kawa H2 750 got about 10-15 MPG... with a 4 gallon tank... talk about pass anything but a gas station... IF you could even make it to the next station... I thought my '74 H2 handled perfectly... wheelies weren't scary...
@@buzzwaldron6195 the Kawasaki if anything was designed to run like a gas guzzling acceleration monster. The Suzuki water Buffalo, like most of their 2 stroke road bikes, was designed to be more tractable and have most of it's torque and power over a wider rpm range. I've owned a few SAAB 2 cycle cars, if they can get fuel mileage in the 30's then a big 2 stroke motorcycle should be able to get 40+ MPG as long as you're not wicking it up all the time.
@@MickH60 Actually the H-1 handled well, it did require a skilled rider, and the drum brakes were good for a few HARD applications before they got hot. The frame did not flex badly, I loved the wheelies, typical forks for 1971, normal two stroke powerband. You compare a 1972 bike to a 2024 and think you have a clue.
We owned a Suzuki shop back in the day, 1972 to 1980, and I remember the purple-colored GT750. The shop was in Joplin, MO, but we were from Kansas City, about three hours north. I remember getting on the back of that thing with my dad and riding up to Kansas City and back, and falling asleep both ways. It was really exciting for an 8-year old, but My dad said it was one of the worst days of his life. When I was about 12 or 13, I went down to the shop on a Sunday to walk our dogs. I started a GS750 up on the showroom floor and laid a 2" wide black strip down the middle of the floor about 20' long. For years my dad thought our mechanic did it, and our mechanic thought my dad did it. You should have seen me trying to scrape it up. I am lucky I didn't ride right through the plate glass windows. I was always like a kid in a candy shop. If I could start it, stand it up, and get it out the back door, I would ride it. I also got to ride the original RM (RM80, RM100, and RM125) on Sundays at the chat hills near Joplin. It was a great time to be a young teenager.
Actually consumers voted with their $ for "civilized" four strokes! H1 and h2 kaw triples were ungodly! I still have a suz t500 titan and RD200...I wish Istill had my my yam IT200! I still enjoy my yam ty250 trials bike... Sold my Rz...cause I looked strange on it...6'9 290 will do that!
@@Michael-qo8bs Actually, no they didn't. The consumer wanted evolution to continue on hotrod two strokes. Our fine Federal government outlawed two stroke street bikes when they caved in to the environmentalists. I was riding two strokes back then in the early seventies.
The idea behind the plastic gear is that if the water pump bearing seizes or breaks,the plastic gear is designed to break so you don’t have a massive engine failure
@@spitescorner Do you understand ANYTHING about these bikes? You got several things wrong in this vid. Am only at 1:33 and found this: It wasn’t the Honda CB750 that caused Harley Davidson to fill their diaper and go crying to the US government in 1983. It was the Honda VF750F, as well as the Magna and Sabre. The Honda CB750 was released 14 years before in 1969. If you’re going to make videos about motorcycles, it’s best to do some basic research first. Let me know when you’ve made ALL the necessary corrections.
Got a chance to ride one back when they were new and they handled like your living room sofa. Big difference from my RD 350 of the time. The RD was so easy to start I could start it by 'kicking it" with my right arm as I sat on the bike.
Your blue GT750 is so Smokey because you’ve got a lower crankcase half filled with two stroke oil that’s wept past the oil pump and oil line check valves. Drain it. It’ll hardly smoke. Mine only smokes if I go to high throttle openings after town work.
I had the GT750 it was a nice bike to ride, but it used to smoke badly. I also had the GT380 both bikes did roughly the same speed indicated on the speedo. The 380 was a nicer bike overal I think, it sounded awsome and drove nice.
Good video guys! The one smoking pipe says that the crank seal is leaking - sucking oil from the transmission and blowing it out the pipe... I just rebuilt the crank in my 1972 T350 and sadly the right side smokes like chimney... bummer. You can change the right and left end crank seals without splitting the cases... only the right is bathed in transmission oil, so I am going to swap that one and hope for the best! Thanks for posing!
The 90s 150 and 250 class 2 stroke sportbike is definitely peak for me, most powerful 150 2 stroke made 41.1hp while todays 150 4 stroke only makes 18.9(some got to 24hp with mods)
When I used to race side car, I ran across a 70s sidecar rig that had a water buffalo engine, it was FAST! The guy who owned it said it was originally a Kawasaki triple, he found the frame with no engine and a tree grew through the middle. It was a short wheelbase platform. I loved it, it was a treat to see it in action.
I have ridden Mostly Big 4 strokes Since The 1970s Nortons, Ducati and V4 Hondas however I adore 2 strokes they are so exciting to ride, I have a Yamaha RD350LC in the garage and still regret selling my Suzuki PE175 Enduro. You offer me an H2 Kawasaki with original Pipes at a reasonable price I will buy it. It only needs a change of rear shocks, shims on the front springs, oil tuning the forks and it is not a widow maker. Now back to your Suzuki 750. An interesting Fun Bike. For me in the past it was too Porky. Now the first models had twin sided drum breaks. I acttually have a Suzuki 750 front break lever on my Norton 750 café racer which has custom built twin sided front brakes. As I said the GT750 was Porky but we called it "The Fat girl that can pick up her skirts and fly". What would really tempt me? In France Moto Martin made a lightweight race chassis, you dropped in a GT750 motor, put on expansion chambers a bit of porting, skimming and you had "The Queen Bitch" I have not seen one in years. Probably all raced crashed and seized. However, love your bike, ENJOY
Don't forget the swing arm bushings. The original H2 and Z900 bearings were made from some kind of impregnated cardboard. If I remember well they even had the same partnumber.
Best humorous comment ever and Peter knows bikes! I had two 70s CB750Four, an RD 350, PE 175 (perfect handling and powerful in the dirt), and Kawasaki H2 500 triple (a real smoker, i.e. 2T exhaust smoke), and I wish I still have them all. A rider in our group had the water buffalo GT750 that was a nice bike but was a less popular bike at that time. I admired the Nortons and their sound but never owned one.
I rode the first Suzuki 750 in my town. It did not have disc brakes. The first ones had a 4 leading shoe front drum similar to a Grimeca. I did get told by a Highway Patrolman "Slow that son of a bitch down!" from his PA system. He didn't stop me at 110 because there really wasn't a speed limit in Montana at that time.
After all these years, 40 of them, I now find out the bearings are directly oiled. Learn something new every day. No I didn't own one, but I know someone who did, let's just say you knew when he was in town!
I rode my friend's Suzuki 750 with a three-into-one expansion chamber back in the day. I still feel and remember it. Loved it and the howl was awesome.
5:18 I'm a part-time photographer-videographer since 2016 and this is the first time I've heard of that konking off. You've really been pushing that GH6 :)
Well, the bike that inspired Honda for the CB750 is the Münch Mammut.... Now, for the "complex" yet very simple GT750, it had much(!) more torque than the CB750, making it a much better tourer than the 4 stroke CB750. Me I still own one, never had any issues with it. Over here in Europe, you get all parts you need. From what I hear from the engine sound, your GT750 needs some maintenance, maybe ignition timing. Oh and of course you can eliminate the "complex" oiling system and run it on mixture fuel 1:50 Want to work on a real complex bike of that era, get the sister bike of the GT750, the Suzuki RE5.
I always found those bikes interesting. And yes, they did smoke like a chimney. a guy in my tiny little town of Alvarado had one under his carport forever. I always wanted to stop and ask him if he wanted to sell it. It was really well kept. I drove by one day and it was gone!
I bought my GT 750 in 1986 and I still have it. It now makes around 90 hp and has 1980 GS 1000 rims and brakes. It is a fantastic old bike. Get one, you wont regret it.
The engine was used in many 1980s racing sidecar outfits. Very rarely came in first but always provided good racing with minimal time in the workshop. Few years back attended a Mallory Park Festival of Motorcycling. The Kettles were circulating faster than most of the Manx Nortons.
My dad had a gt750J from 1972, purple and white, such a stunning machine, he sold it in the 80s after racing it for more than 10 years! They are super rare here in Portugal due to the huge success of the cb750, to the point were I only saw one once in my life, but I still dream about being able to give my dad a chance to ride one again...
My first four motorcycles were 2-strokes. Kawasaki G5 100, F11 250, Yamaha DS7 250 and RD 350, from 1973 to '79. Started riding again in '89 on a KZ1000...currently ride a '20 Z400. Oh how I miss those smokers... However, most everyone I've talked to who has recently ridden or still ride 2 strokes say I'd be sorely disappointed in them after the novelty wore off. Today's motorcycles are so much more refined and reliable. I do wish someone would build a 'clean' fuel injected (affordable) 2-stroke dual sport.
I had a kettle in the old days, 1976, blue metallic paint, looked and rode just lovely. 45k miles including 3 tours around southern France. No complaints but prefer my Bonny
I once came across an old Suzuki GT250X7 for $100...and after purchasing it had a few short rides on it around my parents farm - then eventually sold it about 2 years later for $1,500. Several years later I ended up getting a 2001 Honda NSR150SP (Repsol Edition) and using it for daily transport for a few years...and still have this bike in storage. Both bikes were a bunch of fun...and I still love 2 strokes!😊
I owned a GT750 in the early 80s. Picked up cheap with a faulty clutch. They were not popular then and the bike looked like new. The engine was a beauty, really smooth, the only bike I've ever had where you actually needed the gear indicator, the vibration didn't change from 2000 to 6000 revs. Handling was odd, it would only hold a line through corners 2 up, something was fundamentally wrong with the weight distribution and suspension. I smiled at your video, the cylinders were not oiling equally. I spent hours trying to get the cylinders to oil equally, it was easy to become obsessive checking the mirror every acceleration. I would take the metering pump apart and lap the pistons with metal polish to get them to slide equally as they tended to stick.
I had one in my teens (I'm 65 now), the crank seals went but I managed to split the crank at work (it took 10 tons in the press to split it). Rebuilt it and rode it for another 3 years before trading it in for a Kawasaki 750 twin four stroke.
I rode and worked all these bikes in the 70s - 80s and I know how great the Honda 750 was, but I stuck to the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki's. I still prefer the 73-75 Kawasaki triples. I liked the Buffalo for long trips in the Arizona mountains but still preferred the Kawasaki 400 & 500 triples, they seemed perfect to me. Later I enjoyed the 72 & up Yamaha XS-650, I rode a 72 XS2 650 that I put together from two different wrecks across the country from Jacksonville FL to Arizona and for the next year until I sold it and bought a 1981 KZ-750E2. I would love to find a mint or close KZ-750 E1,2 or 3, that was a great bike!
Before owning my First CB750 that I got in 79, ( where I have two DOHC CB750's now) which is my main ride, I test drove four separate 750's - You are talking 1976 the latest from what I can remember. The bikes were the Suzuki, Honda, BMW, and Kawasaki ( might have been the 900?). The Suzuki I deferred on ever considering further as it vibrated the most where in the handlebars left your hands vibrating. Compared to the BMW, which was the smoothest ride. These were 2nd hand bikes or maybe not, as the dealer not sure if official, and too long ago to consider, but the Suzuki was simply NG due to its vibration -
Drum roll folks! You only have to wait a little bit longer and Yamaha will be introducing its all new RD 350 two-stroke bike that meets Euro 5 emissions with variable exhaust tuning, fuel injection, water cooling, cat converters 10:1 compression, possibly as much as 110 horsepower. All the two-stroke you could ever want with all the new technology you could ever need.
I remember those bikes well. The Kowalski 900 frame flexed, and the Suzuki 750 had the most vibrations. The BMW 750 with its horizonal cylinders was the smoothest. My ride is the Honda1979 DOHC CB750 Limited Edition that I got back then,- and the 1981 DOHC CB750 Custom I restored for my Dearest - .
I had the original Gt750J purple/white in 1972 toured round Australia got about 40mpg it was fast for its day never had mechanicl problems then back in Uk had 1976 Gt750b which was tuned for more power & l fitted with electronic ignition & had twin front disc brakes which were a slight improvement in the dry but terrible in the wet on initial application. None of the bikes handled brilliantly in those days or stopped on a sixpence but you rode within the limits of the bike & yourself. I have great memories of the Gt750 especially the original Gt750j & two strokes in general which were mechanically simple to work on & reliable.
4:10 That smoke is a sign of a poorly set up oiling system - or possibly even the use of premix in addition to the factory setup. Back in the day, I knew many blokes with water bottles, and none of them smoked. Come to think of it, my GT250 didn't smoke either - even though everyone today tells me there's no way to stop spraying for mosquitoes with one. I suspect the problem with people who aren't as familiar with the tech, along with limited experience solely with old, worn engines and a lack of good NOS parts and the knowledge to fix them to how they used to be.
Never ridden one, but old enough to remember these in the day. And yes, being Brit, it was the kettle. The GT380 and GT550 seemed more realistic but no longer lasting
I never fancied the lumpen Suzy GT750. I've had over 50 motorbikes, but only a handful were 2-strokes, and they were mostly dirt bikes: AJS Stormer 250, CZ 250 Enduro, Cagiva 125, Montesa 414 MX, & SWM 370 MX. My first road-going 2-stroke was a Lambretta Cento scooter, followed later by a Suzuki 350. The nicest 2-stroke I ever rode was a borrowed Suzuki T500 twin, the original drum brake model which looked miles better than its disc-braked successor. Anyway, I'm a 4-stroke man, and now in my mid-70s, I ride a Yamaha TRX850, which (once suitably modified) is all I want and need!
I grew up in a Suzuki shop in the 70 s and replaced lots of those cranks because the 1st had a bad seal design and failed. I remember that bike well! Long live the WATER BUFFALO!
My first big MC was a GT550 (air cooled 3 cyl two stroke) Was great fun until the pistons went boom in thousand parts when i accellerated , because failing oilpump. I bought a spare bike and used its engine, and then sold it. I think the new owner also soon got the engine oil pump failure, so mixing the two stroke oil in the petrol manually was the safe option.
I had one in the 70's. Great motorcycle. Had a lot of fun on it. Took it to the Smokie mountains/Blue Ridge Parkway several times. Mine had standard exhaust - not expansion chambers like the one in this video. Didn't the carbs have to be re-jetted when you switched to expansion chambers?
I owned a GT750L and my mate had a z900. We swapped bikes one day. He loved the smoothness of the 2 stroke, I loved the grunt of the Z. Had my time again I'd own the Z, Z1000 shafty.
my first motorcycle was a suzuki gt750 that i bought for $300. it had a windjammer fairing. i learned how to ride on that bike, but got rid of it after a local motorcycle shop owner told me 'good luck finding parts'...
Prior to 1969 AMA limited sidevalve bikes (Harley) to a max 750cc displacement and overhead valve bikes (Triumph, BSA etc) were limited to 500cc. For 1969 they set the rule as 750cc for all bikes for dirt track races with road races following suit the following year. In 1970 Suzuki and Kawasaki both made 500cc 2-strokes while Yamaha had the RD350. The 1970 Daytona 200 would be won by Dick Mann on a Honda 750 (averaging 102.69mph). He'd win in 71 on a BSA (averaging 104.73mph). For 72 both Suzuki and Kawasaki came to Daytona with the 750cc triples. None of them finished. They were heavier than the 500 twins and they were faster. G loading on the banking was up. Way up. They were too fast for their tires. On day one of practice the tires would only last 4 laps. Goodyear flew in some specials but still . . . A 2-stroke would win though. Kiwi Geoff Perry on a 500cc Suzuki twin had his chain break with a lap to go while leading (he lost a lap when the flag fell as his bike wouldn't fire - talk about having a sh*t day) and Don Emde on a privateer Yamaha 350 would win (averaging 103.35mph). Whereas the 750's were cutting laps of 2:06, Emde was running 2:12's. In that same era they started the transatlantic series events and the visits to Europe by the American riders on the Japanese triples raised eyebrows. It was said that Italian riders rode as though they did not care if they lived or died whereas British riders rode as if they wanted to live and American riders as if they wanted to die. The 750 triples wound their frames up with traction and unwound when traction was lost . . .
I had a Suzuki GT750 back in the 1970s and really enjoyed riding it but to buy one today in Australia they are reasonably expensive l toured on the GT750 rode it to Adelaide a couple of times from Sydney just had a ball with mates riding all over N.S.W rode to work on it and l did 60000 miles in three years l owned it
they needn't be dead you can more easily mount a catalyst and fuel injection on this while keeping it water cooled. it will burn the excess smoke and hydrocarbons in the catalyst.
@tauncfester3022 and the catalyst is going to restrict the exhaust, instead of speeding it up, either killing the fuel air intake, or requiring an exhaust valve of some sort. At which point you've completely negated the benefits of two stroke being light weight, and extremely simple, as well as probably a significant drop in horsepower.
@@firefighter1c57 No, you are misinformed. A well designed catalyst will not restrict the exhaust any more than a standard baffled muffler. You see I was actually employed in the scooter industry where 2 strokes come with cats in their exhausts, and they run fine with a catalyst, many yard implement 2 stroke engines come with catalysts and run with good power.
I bought a Suzuki T20 super six brand new, not long after it burned a hole through the top of a piston, got it repaired under warranty, it did the same again within months, repaired it again at my cost, then sold it for a pittance. Found out after that, the model had a common fault whereby when running low on fuel, the feed from the petrol tap was starving one side carburettor, making that cylinder run far too hot.
The first GT750 (model J) haad 67bhp and NO DISC BRAKES, it had a single leading shoe rear brake and a DOUBLE SIDED twin leading shoe(quad leading shoe) front break, which faded quickly. I know, I had one !!
I'm fond of old GT Suzuki's. They are anything but complicated. Two strokes are simple. My first bike was a GT185 my Dad got me for my 16th bd. Back in the 70's. I love old two stroke street bikes.
Okay, so a few corrections I would like to add here: - I don't agree with your statement in which you refer to the GT750 being basically a T500 with an 'Extra cylinder crudely taped on to the side'. - The plastic gear your mate refers to, actually runs the water pump from the crank. The oil pump runs off a vertical shaft at the back of the gearbox. Furthermore, these are available as an aftermarket part for not a lot of money. If it does even fail. - The oil delivery system isn't complicated and neither is the pump, it is pretty straightforward. - Regarding performance, the clue is in the name GT.... Grand Tourer.... it's meant to be a comfortable mile eater, you can still do that now on one of these. Try doing the same on the Kawasaki 750 triple.... If you're looking for a GT750 and have watched this video, don't worry. They are a great bike to own and parts are plentiful. Do your own research and don't depend on misinformation like this, to make your own decision
In the UK there was the Scott Squirrel introduced in the mid 1920s. It had a 600cc twin 2 stroke water cooled engine which relied on the fact that hot water entered the top of the radiator and sank to the bottom as it cooled. There was no water pump in the system. Last time I saw one of these bikes on the road was in 2010 and the old guy riding it looked old enough to have owned it from new.
@@Jim-nm1en - yes, and Laverda used the same system in their single cylinder two-stroke in the 70s/80s. I lusted after a Silk, but couldn’t afford one.
I bought a 1972 H-1 in Japan and the Navy brought it home with a thousand other bikes. Rode it from Lemoore Cali to Satellite beach Florida, and two weeks later rode it back out to Lemoore. You guys know nothing about two strokes in the seventies. The H-1 was never out run by those wonderful four strokes you guys fawn over.
I rode a 'kettle' many years ago. It was my mates, I had a gpz750. Though my bike was more powerful, the kettle felt faster because of its handling trying to kill you at anything over 85mph. Speed wobble from hell.
Cool bike. Never even knew anything about it. Plastic drive gear though.🤣 I really think it looks nice. I checked Limeys website and they have a lot of cool custom bikes posted that they have done. Great find Spite.🍻
I had a new 75 GT380 my friend had a 76 750 Triumph and he was way faster. But I was smoother , parts didn't fall off,bulbs didn't break.....I was faster then the CB350's though...
Huge shoutout to the guys at Limey Bikes in Austin for helping me make this video. Check them out here: chris-kelland.squarespace.com/. Don't forget to check out the patreon and support the channel: www.patreon.com/spitescorner
It isn't an explosion that happens in the cylinder, rather deflagration. A detonation would blow your motor apart. This channel has way too many subs to not get that right. Additionally, you should run synthetic two stroke oil in these and all two stroke motors in 2024. Better longevity, more power, virtually no smoke and virtually eliminates any risk of seizure.
It wasn’t the Honda CB750 that caused Harley Davidson to fill their diaper and go crying to the US government in 1983. It was the Honda VF750F, as well as the Magna and Sabre.
The Honda CB750 was released 14 years before in 1969.
If you’re going to make videos about motorcycles, it’s best to do some basic research first.
It wasn’t the Honda CB750 that caused Harley Davidson to fill their diaper and go crying to the US government in 1983. It was the Honda VF750F, as well as the Magna and Sabre.
The Honda CB750 was released 14 years before in 1969.
If you’re going to make videos about motorcycles, it’s best to do some basic research first.
The Suzuki Water Buffalo didn't make enough power to explode... although the Kawasaki H2 750 would blow both the Honda and Suzuki away... as would the Ducati 750 Super Sport Desmo...
There's nothing catastrophic or horrible about The Water Buffalo.
You're making a mountain out of Mole Hill. 🙄🤦♂️
It was a decent and somewhat conservatively engineered long distance touring bike. You can read the old Cycle World reviews online of the GT750, they really liked it. and it returned better fuel mileage than they were expecting.
I circumnavigated Australia on my 750J “Water Bottle” in 1973 -75. Very simple ,reliable, could carry a big load & considering the primitive roads at that time, a very comfortable machine - a handful on some of the dirt tracks especially bull dust holes up north. The four leading shoe brakes helped develop a firm handshake and believe it or not, were particularly sensitive after a little rain ie they’d lock up ! I sent the original pipes back east after buying a set of chambers in Perth which helped give her a lift in performance as in standard trim she was a low stressed motor - bags of torque. And of course I wish I still had her!
👏👏👏👏👏Completely right!
I totally agree!..
I really miss 2 strokes. My second ever bike was an '83 RG250 & Suzuki had come a long way in building 2 stroke bikes by then. The power band was intoxicating & I was practically uncatchable on tight twisty roads. It was awesome, until the oil pump let go & the motor seized. I feel sorry for new riders who can no longer experience the feeling of riding a 2 stroke crotch rocket.
My friend had a tuned Kawasaki KR1 S in the late 80's. That was pretty much a direct competitor to the later RGV 250. To this day, I still remember it as one of the fastest bikes that I've ever ridden. Yes, obviously I've ridden bikes with far more power and with higher claimed top speeds, but that "little" 250 weighed absolutely nothing, had brilliant brakes and suspension and when the tacho hit 7k it was like being shot out of a cannon. You couldn't change gears fast enough. I'm with you. I feel sorry for riders that will never get to experience that feeling.
I'm planning to build a custom 2 stroke cafe racer or scrambler with a Rotax 503 aero engine. No emissions testing in my state on bikes. I have a Rotax 583 in my experimental aircraft (basically a glorified kite) and it is a rocket ship. Can hit over 1400fpm climb rate in ideal conditions .
The Suzuki 2 strokes of this era were more about usable torque curves instead of screaming narrow power bands that are otherwise useless as a road touring bike engine.
In '68 built a suspension minibike with Jawa 350cc 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine, then '66 Suzuki 250cc X6 Hustler, then '70 Yamaha 360cc Enduro, then '74 Kawasaki H2 750cc triple...
I bought a 1972 GT750 When I was 16 years old. I loved that bike and it never let me down. As you said. I would love to own another one for nostalgia.
Had one of these in the late 80's.
Modified it a bit: Cast aluminum wheels, fibre glass fenders and seat, Dunstall fairing, tank and seat, 3 into3 exhaust, ditched the starter motor to lighten it. No mirrors, no indicators. Braided brake hoses. Drilled rotors, better pads. A European bike mag had a complete engine tuning manual for this engine. I did the whole thing.
Once done I dyno'ed the beast. 115 horses at the wheel.
I've owned a lot of bikes. This is the one I regret most having sold.
Nope. Not even close to 115 at the wheel.
3 into 1 exhaust doesn't work on 2 strokes -
you would have been lucky to get 45 hp.
@@Bobby-fj8mk That's true. It had a custom made 3 into 3. Tuned 500 rpm apart.
I still have my Yamaha RD350 in the garage, will be back on the roads next summer
You have to be kidding, this is among the simplest multi cylindered bikes in the 750 range of it's time, It's a two stroke, lest I bother to explain to you what moving parts it lacks compared to the 750 Honda 4 stroke 4 cylinder or any of the other 4 cylindered big bikes.
true, the re5 on the other hand. well i guess you know..
I had a GT750 in the early 80's. I used it for touring as well as a daily rider. The biggest trip I did was over 6000km's from the bottom of Australia to the top via the east coast, that bike didn't miss a beat. Wish I still had it 😢😊
Been riding a blue GT just like that for about 8 years. Lots of miles and smiles. It is smokey and works fine. I think oil builds up in the pipes and once it gets hot it burns off and then isn't as smokey. Also if you ride it more frequently the bike is happiest :)
I used to prepare GT750 engines for a sidecar racing team. You could get about 105 reliable horses out of those engines, but you needed to modify the clutch basket to prevent it from disintegrating on the higher revs. Even modified a cylinder block to accept membranes. so I could add another scavenging port above the intake port. The membranes used were the same as the ones I used for my TZ750. Lots of peak power and still a wide powerband. The GT750 shown here would run so much better if the oil pump was adjusted to spec, especially with the modern clean burning mixing oils.
I had a T 500. Reliable if you didn't push the clutch
I wish I'd known you back in the day. I modified my GT 750.
Yes, I can confirm the clutch explodes.
I just bought a fully restored stock '75 GT 750. The 2T oil in the tank is closer to clear in color with a slight dark tinting. It burns real clean and the seller wasn't sure what brand oil was in there. There aren't too many yellow/clear 2T oils on the market. It smells like it has a slight "alcohol like" smell. Could it be break-in 2T oil of some kind? Any ideas? My plan is to use it up, then switch to Motorex Power Syn 2T. But I'd really like to keep using the 2T oil that's in there already. Just don't know what brand it is.
@@bluoval3481 For the small price of the oil I wouldn't take any risks. Just take the oil out of the tank (NOT out of the oil lines to prevent air bubbles) and refill with a brand name 2 stroke oil. I always used Castrol brand outboard oil and it served me well. Because outboard oil is used in an aquatic environment it has to comply to high standards regarding smoke and soot residue. Also check that the oilpump is adjusted to standard, no need for drowning the engine in oil. Have fun with your new baby.
@@dutchsailor6620 Thank you! Cheers!
I had one for a couple of years, on the freeway about 50-70mph it was so smooth, like an electric motor. Not quick by any means but OK, nice manors, put lots of miles on it (120/day) going to work and back. Solid and brutally reliable. Loved this machine, it still holds a special place in my heart.
Gotta love a 70s stroker! A good illustration of the power of a two stroke is the first year of MotoGP in 2002. That was the year when we had the two strokes and new four strokes racing together. To ensure the four strokes were competitive, their capacity was 990cc against the two stroke's 500cc. Despite this, Alex Barros on a two stroke managed to finish fourth in the championship against the likes of Rossi and Biaggi on the new four strokes. In fact, he was only 11 points from Biaggi in second. Two strokes vs four strokes - what a spectacle!
In the late seventies I used my GT550 for daily commuting, 200 miles weekend visits and a 3000 - 4000 miles camping vacation with my girlfriend in the summers. It was a great bike.
1974 I bought a Suzuki GT550 and loved it...... except when filling up with 30 mpg UK or less when pushing it hard along with a small tank.
Perth to Glasgow return needed a top up.
The 550 also had an electric start...right?
Back when I was a kid here in Europe in the 90s and 2000s it was still common seeing two stroke bikes,usually little 50s, 125s and 250s ridden by teens. I bought a two stroke bike from my childhood,a 1994 Aprilia Red Rose Classic,as my first bike back in 2015,thinking I'll replace it with something bigger in a few years,but 9 years later I still have it. It's a little cruiser for beginner riders,but it's actually quite fun and comfy to ride,and seeing surprised looks when people see a cruiser buzzing around town is quite funny.
I'm American but I spent my teen years in the UK. My introduction to riding was on a Yamaha TZ-125. Wish I could get one in the states for a reasonable price. I also got to ride vintage BSAs, Triumphs and Nortons on occasion. I had a neighbour with an extensive collection who was willing to sell me a mint '74 850 Interstate for 800UKP in '99. My stupid parents wouldn't let me buy it even though it would have been shipped back to the States for free by my dad's employer. A mint, original UK spec '74 Interstate is worth like $25k in the US today. I was more interested in preserving it than riding it and was willing to agree to some very specific conditions with my parents. But my mom was scared of me riding a bike. Didn't stop me from riding, just stopped me from having my dream bike. It was even my favorite colour - yellow.
I bought a 1975 GT750 when I was in college. The bike was completely reliable (45,000 miles with nothing but several sets of tires, a final drive chain and sprockets, and several sets of spark plugs (it did have a tendency to foul plugs until I switched to AMACO gasoline - the only unleaded gas back in the day). No need to change oil (just refill the injector tank periodically).
I replaced my Suzuki with a 1978 Honda CX500 - the exact opposite in terms of reliability (3 different sets of cam chain & tensioner part numbers - first 2 sets under warranty, the last set on my own nickle... all in the first 24,000 miles). BTW, cam chain tensioners seem to be a mystery to Honda; I had a 1998 SuperHawk that also had cam chain tensioner problems.
In any case, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I was a young guy during the golden era of the two stroke road bikes. I owned many. The ones I didn't own I still rode because the group I hung with had all the big ones and we traded off. There was one guy who had a water buffalo in the group. He rode it every day reliably. My own favorite was my modded 78 yamaha rd 400, (the silver one),. I also had a 74 earlier. Later, I owned an h1 for a very short time. Didn't care for it but wish I had it now as I could've made some money on it.
Blow-up? None blew up. Rode thousands of miles doing cross country rides. Other problems, (electrical or flats), occured. Rode a cafe'ed honda 50 two stroke in 83, ( honda mb5), on an 800 mile round trip out in cali back when the speed limit was 55, (just to say I did it),. Mojave desert and the grapevine on a 50. True story. The honda could do 65 with a couple mods. Road it through desert heat at 11,000 rpm mile after mile. It didn't blow up. Sorry. Blows up is click bate.
True!
I've had more than 20 two-strokes. From 125 to 750 over the course of 40 years. None blew up. I still own a 300 cc daily rider two stroke. I've put more than 50,000 miles on that one. Rock solid.
@@videotosse It's true. They're no different than my weed trimmers. Those never blew up either. None. Ever. Or chainsaw. Or weed blower. They just wear out. I have a 1970's mcculloch chainsaw - still running and cutting! They can seize under weird operating parameters,..long decent for light sport aircraft due to lubrication starvation and the prop being forced to turn because of the wind with no throttle,...but that's a weird parameter and simply negated by running some power with fuelmix,.... till landing. Two strokes ROCK! Cheers to your 50,000 miles. 👍👍
Makes me think about my dad’s 2-stroke KDX 200. That sound (and the smell) is just nostalgic. I love a 2-stroke.
What they didn’t mention was you often got 20 mpg out of them at cruising speeds which is another reason the big two strokes died out . The Kawasaki H2’s reputation is possibly down to the then tyre technology Dunlop tt100’s and Avon speed masters were about as good as it got but weren’t made for 70hp bikes that made all their power in 1500 revs. I learned to ride on small two strokes they were much more fun than the equivalent four strokes and would rather have a RD or a GT over a CB or a XS .
H2's reputation was for piss poor handling due to a combination of a frame that flexed badly, a short wheelbase making it wheel stand quickly, and react quickly, flexible forks and a razor sharp powerband, tires were the same for everyone, other bikes handled well.... Yes i rode them all... Still do...
Actually the Water Buffalo could get about 40 mpg if you didn't wick it up all the time. It was a long stroke engine that owed a lot of it's internal porting and undersquare bore/stroke design to the SAAB 750 and 850 automotive 2 strokes and was a comfortable and relaxed touring bike at 60 mph
The Kawa H2 750 got about 10-15 MPG... with a 4 gallon tank... talk about pass anything but a gas station... IF you could even make it to the next station... I thought my '74 H2 handled perfectly... wheelies weren't scary...
@@buzzwaldron6195 the Kawasaki if anything was designed to run like a gas guzzling acceleration monster. The Suzuki water Buffalo, like most of their 2 stroke road bikes, was designed to be more tractable and have most of it's torque and power over a wider rpm range. I've owned a few SAAB 2 cycle cars, if they can get fuel mileage in the 30's then a big 2 stroke motorcycle should be able to get 40+ MPG as long as you're not wicking it up all the time.
@@MickH60 Actually the H-1 handled well, it did require a skilled rider, and the drum brakes were good for a few HARD applications before they got hot. The frame did not flex badly, I loved the wheelies, typical forks for 1971, normal two stroke powerband. You compare a 1972 bike to a 2024 and think you have a clue.
25 years ago i owned a modified Yamaha RD400 "1977" 62HP and a Yamaha RZ 350 "1988"(last year in Canada) Great two-stroke Motorcycles!😀👌👍✌
Outstanding! In southeast region of WERA racing...the rz would win their class...win the 600 class ...and run top five in the 750 class!!!
We owned a Suzuki shop back in the day, 1972 to 1980, and I remember the purple-colored GT750. The shop was in Joplin, MO, but we were from Kansas City, about three hours north. I remember getting on the back of that thing with my dad and riding up to Kansas City and back, and falling asleep both ways. It was really exciting for an 8-year old, but My dad said it was one of the worst days of his life. When I was about 12 or 13, I went down to the shop on a Sunday to walk our dogs. I started a GS750 up on the showroom floor and laid a 2" wide black strip down the middle of the floor about 20' long. For years my dad thought our mechanic did it, and our mechanic thought my dad did it. You should have seen me trying to scrape it up. I am lucky I didn't ride right through the plate glass windows. I was always like a kid in a candy shop. If I could start it, stand it up, and get it out the back door, I would ride it. I also got to ride the original RM (RM80, RM100, and RM125) on Sundays at the chat hills near Joplin. It was a great time to be a young teenager.
I grew up in the ‘70s.
Why no more 2 strokes?
EPA.
Actually consumers voted with their $ for "civilized" four strokes!
H1 and h2 kaw triples were ungodly!
I still have a suz t500 titan and RD200...I wish Istill had my my yam IT200!
I still enjoy my yam ty250 trials bike...
Sold my Rz...cause I looked strange on it...6'9 290 will do that!
You can still buy new two-stroke here in Europe, KTM, Husqvarna and Gas-Gas make them....fuel injected
And their horrible efficiency compared to a 4 stroke
@@Michael-qo8bs Actually, no they didn't. The consumer wanted evolution to continue on hotrod two strokes. Our fine Federal government outlawed two stroke street bikes when they caved in to the environmentalists. I was riding two strokes back then in the early seventies.
@@Airpang100 You can buy hot rod 500cc and 750 cc two stroke street bikes? Or just dirt bikes?
We called it the waterbucket, or waterbus, here in New Zealand. The motors did quite well in sidecar speedway here.
Here in the US we called it the water buffalo. Cool to hear what you called them in NZ!
The idea behind the plastic gear is that if the water pump bearing seizes or breaks,the plastic gear is designed to break so you don’t have a massive engine failure
Except when it breaks it stops mixing oil and so the engine breaks.
@@spitescorner the plastic gear only drove the water pump, it had nothing to do with the CCI oil injection system.
@@spitescorner Do you understand ANYTHING about these bikes? You got several things wrong in this vid. Am only at 1:33 and found this:
It wasn’t the Honda CB750 that caused Harley Davidson to fill their diaper and go crying to the US government in 1983. It was the Honda VF750F, as well as the Magna and Sabre.
The Honda CB750 was released 14 years before in 1969.
If you’re going to make videos about motorcycles, it’s best to do some basic research first. Let me know when you’ve made ALL the necessary corrections.
I wish we still had them.
Got a chance to ride one back when they were new and they handled like your living room sofa.
Big difference from my RD 350 of the time.
The RD was so easy to start I could start it by 'kicking it" with my right arm as I sat on the bike.
Your blue GT750 is so Smokey because you’ve got a lower crankcase half filled with two stroke oil that’s wept past the oil pump and oil line check valves.
Drain it. It’ll hardly smoke. Mine only smokes if I go to high throttle openings after town work.
I had the GT750 it was a nice bike to ride, but it used to smoke badly.
I also had the GT380 both bikes did roughly the same speed indicated on the speedo.
The 380 was a nicer bike overal I think, it sounded awsome and drove nice.
Got a 1978 GS750, love watching my bike's ancestors. :D
Good video guys! The one smoking pipe says that the crank seal is leaking - sucking oil from the transmission and blowing it out the pipe... I just rebuilt the crank in my 1972 T350 and sadly the right side smokes like chimney... bummer. You can change the right and left end crank seals without splitting the cases... only the right is bathed in transmission oil, so I am going to swap that one and hope for the best! Thanks for posing!
The 1st one had a magnificent double sided 4 leadimg shoe front brake, not discs.
The 90s 150 and 250 class 2 stroke sportbike is definitely peak for me, most powerful 150 2 stroke made 41.1hp while todays 150 4 stroke only makes 18.9(some got to 24hp with mods)
Love these vintage bike pieces, keep them coming!!
I had one. A '73. Put 44,000 miles on it. Still miss it.
When I used to race side car, I ran across a 70s sidecar rig that had a water buffalo engine, it was FAST! The guy who owned it said it was originally a Kawasaki triple, he found the frame with no engine and a tree grew through the middle. It was a short wheelbase platform. I loved it, it was a treat to see it in action.
A 74' GT750 was the first bike I bolted a plate to, blew the motor trying to do 130 mph (It let go at 126 if you're wondering). Miss that bike.
Had a 76 GT750A and a 76 CB 750 K6, awesome bikes but so different.
I have ridden Mostly Big 4 strokes Since The 1970s Nortons, Ducati and V4 Hondas however I adore 2 strokes they are so exciting to ride, I have a Yamaha RD350LC in the garage and still regret selling my Suzuki PE175 Enduro. You offer me an H2 Kawasaki with original Pipes at a reasonable price I will buy it. It only needs a change of rear shocks, shims on the front springs, oil tuning the forks and it is not a widow maker. Now back to your Suzuki 750. An interesting Fun Bike. For me in the past it was too Porky. Now the first models had twin sided drum breaks. I acttually have a Suzuki 750 front break lever on my Norton 750 café racer which has custom built twin sided front brakes. As I said the GT750 was Porky but we called it "The Fat girl that can pick up her skirts and fly". What would really tempt me? In France Moto Martin made a lightweight race chassis, you dropped in a GT750 motor, put on expansion chambers a bit of porting, skimming and you had "The Queen Bitch" I have not seen one in years. Probably all raced crashed and seized. However, love your bike, ENJOY
Don't forget the swing arm bushings. The original H2 and Z900 bearings were made from some kind of impregnated cardboard. If I remember well they even had the same partnumber.
Best humorous comment ever and Peter knows bikes! I had two 70s CB750Four, an RD 350, PE 175 (perfect handling and powerful in the dirt), and Kawasaki H2 500 triple (a real smoker, i.e. 2T exhaust smoke), and I wish I still have them all. A rider in our group had the water buffalo GT750 that was a nice bike but was a less popular bike at that time. I admired the Nortons and their sound but never owned one.
I rode the first Suzuki 750 in my town. It did not have disc brakes. The first ones had a 4 leading shoe front drum similar to a Grimeca. I did get told by a Highway Patrolman "Slow that son of a bitch down!" from his PA system. He didn't stop me at 110 because there really wasn't a speed limit in Montana at that time.
I had one of these, and never had any problems whatsoever, it was one of the smoothest bikes I've ever had, and I've had quite a few, 20+ 👊😎
After all these years, 40 of them, I now find out the bearings are directly oiled. Learn something new every day. No I didn't own one, but I know someone who did, let's just say you knew when he was in town!
I rode my friend's Suzuki 750 with a three-into-one expansion chamber back in the day. I still feel and remember it. Loved it and the howl was awesome.
5:18 I'm a part-time photographer-videographer since 2016 and this is the first time I've heard of that konking off. You've really been pushing that GH6 :)
You should try some more sophisticated two-strokes from '80s like Suzuki RG 500 or Yamaha RD 350 or 500 it will blow your mind i promise.
Well, the bike that inspired Honda for the CB750 is the Münch Mammut....
Now, for the "complex" yet very simple GT750, it had much(!) more torque than the CB750, making it a much better tourer than the 4 stroke CB750. Me I still own one, never had any issues with it. Over here in Europe, you get all parts you need.
From what I hear from the engine sound, your GT750 needs some maintenance, maybe ignition timing.
Oh and of course you can eliminate the "complex" oiling system and run it on mixture fuel 1:50
Want to work on a real complex bike of that era, get the sister bike of the GT750, the Suzuki RE5.
I always found those bikes interesting. And yes, they did smoke like a chimney. a guy in my tiny little town of Alvarado had one under his carport forever. I always wanted to stop and ask him if he wanted to sell it. It was really well kept. I drove by one day and it was gone!
I bought my GT 750 in 1986 and I still have it. It now makes around 90 hp and has 1980 GS 1000 rims and brakes. It is a fantastic old bike. Get one, you wont regret it.
I had a ride on one in the 80s , very smooth , no rattles , water cooling makes it nice and quiet , I liked it , I did own a KX500 in 1990 oh yeah 😀
The engine was used in many 1980s racing sidecar outfits. Very rarely came in first but always provided good racing with minimal time in the workshop.
Few years back attended a Mallory Park Festival of Motorcycling. The Kettles were circulating faster than most of the Manx Nortons.
My first ever bike was a GT750, bought it in parts. Built it over a winter, started it then sold it due to the two stroke moped exhaust sound ;)
My dad had a gt750J from 1972, purple and white, such a stunning machine, he sold it in the 80s after racing it for more than 10 years! They are super rare here in Portugal due to the huge success of the cb750, to the point were I only saw one once in my life, but I still dream about being able to give my dad a chance to ride one again...
My first four motorcycles were 2-strokes. Kawasaki G5 100, F11 250, Yamaha DS7 250 and RD 350, from 1973 to '79. Started riding again in '89 on a KZ1000...currently ride a '20 Z400. Oh how I miss those smokers... However, most everyone I've talked to who has recently ridden or still ride 2 strokes say I'd be sorely disappointed in them after the novelty wore off. Today's motorcycles are so much more refined and reliable. I do wish someone would build a 'clean' fuel injected (affordable) 2-stroke dual sport.
I had a kettle in the old days, 1976, blue metallic paint, looked and rode just lovely. 45k miles including 3 tours around southern France. No complaints but prefer my Bonny
My dad had one of these back in the day. I rode on the back several times:)
I once came across an old Suzuki GT250X7 for $100...and after purchasing it had a few short rides on it around my parents farm - then eventually sold it about 2 years later for $1,500.
Several years later I ended up getting a 2001 Honda NSR150SP (Repsol Edition) and using it for daily transport for a few years...and still have this bike in storage.
Both bikes were a bunch of fun...and I still love 2 strokes!😊
I owned a GT750 in the early 80s. Picked up cheap with a faulty clutch. They were not popular then and the bike looked like new. The engine was a beauty, really smooth, the only bike I've ever had where you actually needed the gear indicator, the vibration didn't change from 2000 to 6000 revs. Handling was odd, it would only hold a line through corners 2 up, something was fundamentally wrong with the weight distribution and suspension. I smiled at your video, the cylinders were not oiling equally. I spent hours trying to get the cylinders to oil equally, it was easy to become obsessive checking the mirror every acceleration. I would take the metering pump apart and lap the pistons with metal polish to get them to slide equally as they tended to stick.
I had one in my teens (I'm 65 now), the crank seals went but I managed to split the crank at work (it took 10 tons in the press to split it). Rebuilt it and rode it for another 3 years before trading it in for a Kawasaki 750 twin four stroke.
I rode and worked all these bikes in the 70s - 80s and I know how great the Honda 750 was, but I stuck to the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki's. I still prefer the 73-75 Kawasaki triples. I liked the Buffalo for long trips in the Arizona mountains but still preferred the Kawasaki 400 & 500 triples, they seemed perfect to me. Later I enjoyed the 72 & up Yamaha XS-650, I rode a 72 XS2 650 that I put together from two different wrecks across the country from Jacksonville FL to Arizona and for the next year until I sold it and bought a 1981 KZ-750E2. I would love to find a mint or close KZ-750 E1,2 or 3, that was a great bike!
Before owning my First CB750 that I got in 79, ( where I have two DOHC CB750's now) which is my main ride, I test drove four separate 750's - You are talking 1976 the latest from what I can remember. The bikes were the Suzuki, Honda, BMW, and Kawasaki ( might have been the 900?). The Suzuki I deferred on ever considering further as it vibrated the most where in the handlebars left your hands vibrating. Compared to the BMW, which was the smoothest ride.
These were 2nd hand bikes or maybe not, as the dealer not sure if official, and too long ago to consider, but the Suzuki was simply NG due to its vibration -
My first bike was a Suzuki 100 GP, loved that bike two stroke.
Drum roll folks! You only have to wait a little bit longer and Yamaha will be introducing its all new RD 350 two-stroke bike that meets Euro 5 emissions with variable exhaust tuning, fuel injection, water cooling, cat converters 10:1 compression, possibly as much as 110 horsepower. All the two-stroke you could ever want with all the new technology you could ever need.
Had a gt550 back in 81. Fond memories, but it couldn’t break 95 mph.
I remember those bikes well. The Kowalski 900 frame flexed, and the Suzuki 750 had the most vibrations. The BMW 750 with its horizonal cylinders was the smoothest. My ride is the Honda1979 DOHC CB750 Limited Edition that I got back then,- and the 1981 DOHC CB750 Custom I restored for my Dearest - .
I had the original Gt750J purple/white in 1972 toured round Australia got about 40mpg it was fast for its day never had mechanicl problems then back in Uk had 1976 Gt750b which was tuned for more power & l fitted with electronic ignition & had twin front disc brakes which were a slight improvement in the dry but terrible in the wet on initial application. None of the bikes handled brilliantly in those days or stopped on a sixpence but you rode within the limits of the bike & yourself. I have great memories of the Gt750 especially the original Gt750j & two strokes in general which were mechanically simple to work on & reliable.
I road one of those! My pastor has one. One word I have to describe what it felt like "thick". It's cool bike cool history.
4:10 That smoke is a sign of a poorly set up oiling system - or possibly even the use of premix in addition to the factory setup. Back in the day, I knew many blokes with water bottles, and none of them smoked. Come to think of it, my GT250 didn't smoke either - even though everyone today tells me there's no way to stop spraying for mosquitoes with one. I suspect the problem with people who aren't as familiar with the tech, along with limited experience solely with old, worn engines and a lack of good NOS parts and the knowledge to fix them to how they used to be.
I suspect a failed check valve on the Oil Inlet
2 strokes are king. There are cheaper....they have less moving parts...they are so simple a child could rebuild a top end
Never ridden one, but old enough to remember these in the day. And yes, being Brit, it was the kettle. The GT380 and GT550 seemed more realistic but no longer lasting
I never fancied the lumpen Suzy GT750. I've had over 50 motorbikes, but only a handful were 2-strokes, and they were mostly dirt bikes: AJS Stormer 250, CZ 250 Enduro, Cagiva 125, Montesa 414 MX, & SWM 370 MX. My first road-going 2-stroke was a Lambretta Cento scooter, followed later by a Suzuki 350. The nicest 2-stroke I ever rode was a borrowed Suzuki T500 twin, the original drum brake model which looked miles better than its disc-braked successor. Anyway, I'm a 4-stroke man, and now in my mid-70s, I ride a Yamaha TRX850, which (once suitably modified) is all I want and need!
I grew up in a Suzuki shop in the 70 s and replaced lots of those cranks because the 1st had a bad seal design and failed. I remember that bike well! Long live the WATER BUFFALO!
I’d just started work when the GT 750 came out, I remember the first time seeing one on the street, awe struck.
Nice production Sir. Enjoyed learning things I did not know about this water buffalo. Ill stick with Yamaha RD's a motorcycle with my initials.
My first big MC was a GT550 (air cooled 3 cyl two stroke) Was great fun until the pistons went boom in thousand parts when i accellerated , because failing oilpump. I bought a spare bike and used its engine, and then sold it. I think the new owner also soon got the engine oil pump failure, so mixing the two stroke oil in the petrol manually was the safe option.
Back in 1991 my first bike was a brand new Yamaha RXS100. Can still remember the day I collected it from the dealer.
I had one in the 70's. Great motorcycle. Had a lot of fun on it. Took it to the Smokie mountains/Blue Ridge Parkway several times. Mine had standard exhaust - not expansion chambers like the one in this video. Didn't the carbs have to be re-jetted when you switched to expansion chambers?
I owned a GT750L and my mate had a z900. We swapped bikes one day. He loved the smoothness of the 2 stroke, I loved the grunt of the Z. Had my time again I'd own the Z, Z1000 shafty.
my first motorcycle was a suzuki gt750 that i bought for $300. it had a windjammer fairing. i learned how to ride on that bike, but got rid of it after a local motorcycle shop owner told me 'good luck finding parts'...
The original 1972 GT 750 came equipped with double leading shoe front brakes. The twin disc version debuted the next year.
Prior to 1969 AMA limited sidevalve bikes (Harley) to a max 750cc displacement and overhead valve bikes (Triumph, BSA etc) were limited to 500cc. For 1969 they set the rule as 750cc for all bikes for dirt track races with road races following suit the following year. In 1970 Suzuki and Kawasaki both made 500cc 2-strokes while Yamaha had the RD350. The 1970 Daytona 200 would be won by Dick Mann on a Honda 750 (averaging 102.69mph). He'd win in 71 on a BSA (averaging 104.73mph). For 72 both Suzuki and Kawasaki came to Daytona with the 750cc triples. None of them finished. They were heavier than the 500 twins and they were faster. G loading on the banking was up. Way up. They were too fast for their tires. On day one of practice the tires would only last 4 laps. Goodyear flew in some specials but still . . . A 2-stroke would win though. Kiwi Geoff Perry on a 500cc Suzuki twin had his chain break with a lap to go while leading (he lost a lap when the flag fell as his bike wouldn't fire - talk about having a sh*t day) and Don Emde on a privateer Yamaha 350 would win (averaging 103.35mph). Whereas the 750's were cutting laps of 2:06, Emde was running 2:12's.
In that same era they started the transatlantic series events and the visits to Europe by the American riders on the Japanese triples raised eyebrows. It was said that Italian riders rode as though they did not care if they lived or died whereas British riders rode as if they wanted to live and American riders as if they wanted to die. The 750 triples wound their frames up with traction and unwound when traction was lost . . .
My first bike in 2009 was a 1969 Suzuki T500 I kinda miss that bike.
I had a Suzuki GT750 back in the 1970s and really enjoyed riding it but to buy one today in Australia they are reasonably expensive l toured on the GT750 rode it to Adelaide a couple of times from Sydney just had a ball with mates riding all over N.S.W rode to work on it and l did 60000 miles in three years l owned it
Why are 2 stroke motorcycles dead? Because they smoke more than a Kentucky high school drop out named Earl.
they needn't be dead you can more easily mount a catalyst and fuel injection on this while keeping it water cooled. it will burn the excess smoke and hydrocarbons in the catalyst.
@tauncfester3022 and the catalyst is going to restrict the exhaust, instead of speeding it up, either killing the fuel air intake, or requiring an exhaust valve of some sort. At which point you've completely negated the benefits of two stroke being light weight, and extremely simple, as well as probably a significant drop in horsepower.
@@firefighter1c57 No, you are misinformed. A well designed catalyst will not restrict the exhaust any more than a standard baffled muffler.
You see I was actually employed in the scooter industry where 2 strokes come with cats in their exhausts, and they run fine with a catalyst, many yard implement 2 stroke engines come with catalysts and run with good power.
@@tauncfester3022 then why aren't you out building and selling 2 stroke motorcycles?
Perhaps being employed in an industry does not mean you have the necessary skills and money to set up a business to manufacture a motorcycles.
I bought a Suzuki T20 super six brand new, not long after it burned a hole through the top of a piston, got it repaired under warranty, it did the same again within months, repaired it again at my cost, then sold it for a pittance. Found out after that, the model had a common fault whereby when running low on fuel, the feed from the petrol tap was starving one side carburettor, making that cylinder run far too hot.
nice vid. the Limey Bikes guy is great!
Harley asked for the tariffs in '83 because of the virago
The first GT750 (model J) haad 67bhp and NO DISC BRAKES, it had a single leading shoe rear brake and a DOUBLE SIDED twin leading shoe(quad leading shoe) front break, which faded quickly. I know, I had one !!
I'm fond of old GT Suzuki's. They are anything but complicated. Two strokes are simple. My first bike was a GT185 my Dad got me for my 16th bd. Back in the 70's. I love old two stroke street bikes.
Fun bikes! I still have a 1974 TY250 that makes me grin every time I fire it up.
Okay, so a few corrections I would like to add here:
- I don't agree with your statement in which you refer to the GT750 being basically a T500 with an 'Extra cylinder crudely taped on to the side'.
- The plastic gear your mate refers to, actually runs the water pump from the crank. The oil pump runs off a vertical shaft at the back of the gearbox. Furthermore, these are available as an aftermarket part for not a lot of money. If it does even fail.
- The oil delivery system isn't complicated and neither is the pump, it is pretty straightforward.
- Regarding performance, the clue is in the name GT.... Grand Tourer.... it's meant to be a comfortable mile eater, you can still do that now on one of these. Try doing the same on the Kawasaki 750 triple....
If you're looking for a GT750 and have watched this video, don't worry. They are a great bike to own and parts are plentiful.
Do your own research and don't depend on misinformation like this, to make your own decision
Apparently the RG Suzukis didn’t make it to the US? Also; there were water-cooled two-strokes well before Suzuki and Yamaha started making them.
In the UK there was the Scott Squirrel introduced in the mid 1920s. It had a 600cc twin 2 stroke water cooled engine which relied on the fact that hot water entered the top of the radiator and sank to the bottom as it cooled. There was no water pump in the system. Last time I saw one of these bikes on the road was in 2010 and the old guy riding it looked old enough to have owned it from new.
@@Jim-nm1en - yes, and Laverda used the same system in their single cylinder two-stroke in the 70s/80s. I lusted after a Silk, but couldn’t afford one.
The Brits were making water-cooled 2-strokes before 1920. (Scotts.)
The Kawasaki AH2 wasn't exactly smokeless either,on occasion, it was like being chased by some kind of Sci fi iceberg.
I bought a 1972 H-1 in Japan and the Navy brought it home with a thousand other bikes. Rode it from Lemoore Cali to Satellite beach Florida, and two weeks later rode it back out to Lemoore. You guys know nothing about two strokes in the seventies. The H-1 was never out run by those wonderful four strokes you guys fawn over.
I rode a 'kettle' many years ago. It was my mates, I had a gpz750. Though my bike was more powerful, the kettle felt faster because of its handling trying to kill you at anything over 85mph. Speed wobble from hell.
Cool bike. Never even knew anything about it. Plastic drive gear though.🤣 I really think it looks nice. I checked Limeys website and they have a lot of cool custom bikes posted that they have done. Great find Spite.🍻
Strange bikes from Suzuki? What's next the RE5 Rotary?? 🙂
I had two Suzuki Gt380s. Great bikes with great power. They were as fast as a 650-700 four stroke. The smell was awesome.
I rode one back in the day. It was a nice bike, but it was tame compared to the Kawasaki 350 triple.
mwah, I beg to differ. A GT750 would run about the same speed and acceleration as a Kawa Z650 and a GT380 didn't even come close to a GT750.
@@dutchsailor6620 It's fast enough to get you to the afterlife quickly.
I had a new 75 GT380 my friend had a 76 750 Triumph and he was way faster. But I was smoother , parts didn't fall off,bulbs didn't break.....I was faster then the CB350's though...
@@brianpdaniels So is a skateboard, so what's your point?
we had 2 of these in our chapter garage, great bikes at the time
But Spite... What about the levers! I'm waiting very impatiently on some sweet lever advice!
12:58 you must ride the RD350 or the RD400! Worth the experience.
I rode a Suzuki by 750 for a couple years in the early 70s Remember it was wide but fun to ride back then
The only foreign bikes that were subject to the tariffs were 750cc and above . A lot of bikes in the mid 80s went from 750 cc to 700 cc
I had a 76 Water Buffalo. Was a great bike, wish I still had it.
Uh, torque is pronounced pound feet, not foot pounds . LB-FT not FT-LB