My other ride!

Awesome!!!

WOW that looks brand new - I remember them - they were legend one of the first bikes to go water cooled - I couldn't afford one of those in that era and had its smaller brother the GT250 Ram Air, then later the Kawasaki Z1000.

On 5/7/2023 at 6:54 PM, 1004ron said:

WOW that looks brand new - I remember them - they were legend one of the first bikes to go water cooled - I couldn't afford one of those in that era and had its smaller brother the GT250 Ram Air, then later the Kawasaki Z1000.

We must all be on the elderly side of the scale to remember these excellent machines. My friend had a '72 GT 750, I had a '72 CB 500. We eluded the local constabulary on a few occasions that summer for reason I won't elaborate on.

On 5/8/2023 at 12:54 AM, 1004ron said:

WOW that looks brand new - I remember them - they were legend one of the first bikes to go water cooled - I couldn't afford one of those in that era and had its smaller brother the GT250 Ram Air, then later the Kawasaki Z1000.

Thanks Ron. It's not new, or restored - just looked after during the 42 years I've owned it.

14 hours ago, handfiler said:

We must all be on the elderly side of the scale to remember these excellent machines. My friend had a '72 GT 750, I had a '72 CB 500. We eluded the local constabulary on a few occasions that summer for reason I won't elaborate on.

Well if I said I've owned it since 1981 it'll give you an idea of how old I am too!

I am extremely impressed; it looks like show quality.  The color is fantastic.  IIRC Suzuki put the same color or just barely different on the 1976 GS750, the first truly great handling Japanese multicylinder sport bike. 

I had a Suzuki GT750, a '73 IIRC, but mine was the much darker blue metallic, not nearly as nice as this beauty.  A reliable pro mechanic that loved the GT750 engine, said that its complicated lubrication system makes it more complex than Honda's CB750 engine w/chain driven SOHC.

Amazingly, considering the 2-stroke architecture, the GT750 made more low-end torque than Honda's 4-stroke 1977 CB750 SOHC I owned later.  The GT's air-box is pretty loud, IIRC rivaling the exhaust level under heavy load/high acceleration.   

The GT's worst offense was its limited cornering clearance; IIRC the 3-4 exhaust system ground first. 

The GT's' dual front discs just totally outclassed Honda's CB750 single front disc.  I recall the first time I saw the GT on the Marin Sunday Ride, just staring at the dual discs like it was science fiction.  We were taking our break at the dam just a few miles S of Fairfax, CA, just after the coasting race down the fire-road, a race that starts just above Bolinas Lagoon.    

On 5/7/2023 at 5:54 PM, 1004ron said:

WOW that looks brand new - I remember them - they were legend one of the first bikes to go water cooled - I couldn't afford one of those in that era and had its smaller brother the GT250 Ram Air, then later the Kawasaki Z1000.

Let me tell you something that might warm your heart.  The all-time best motorcycle rag still to this day was Cook Nielsen's Cycle Magazine (RIP.)  In the early-80s Cycle did a yuge mid-size street bike comparison including of course Honda's renown CB500-4 and Suzuki's GT550 and GT380 (the latter both 2-stroke triples.)  GT550 (a bike I owned) won and possibly by their all-time biggest margin, CB550 being #2 and IIRC GT380 #3.  I owned both the GT550 and CB500-4 (I owned about 80 bikes.)  The GT550's only weak point was a lack of cornering clearance; it had tons more torque and was simply a better bike in every way.  And the triple sound was fantastic, though the 4s sound great too.  

On 5/26/2023 at 9:51 AM, ASL1125 said:

I am extremely impressed; it looks like show quality.  The color is fantastic.  IIRC Suzuki put the same color or just barely different on the 1976 GS750, the first truly great handling Japanese multicylinder sport bike. 

 

I had a Suzuki GT750, a '73 IIRC, but mine was the much darker blue metallic, not nearly as nice as this beauty.  A reliable pro mechanic that loved the GT750 engine, said that its complicated lubrication system makes it more complex than Honda's CB750 engine w/chain driven SOHC.

 

Amazingly, considering the 2-stroke architecture, the GT750 made more low-end torque than Honda's 4-stroke 1977 CB750 SOHC I owned later.  The GT's air-box is pretty loud, IIRC rivaling the exhaust level under heavy load/high acceleration.   

 

The GT's worst offense was its limited cornering clearance; IIRC the 3-4 exhaust system ground first. 

 

The GT's' dual front discs just totally outclassed Honda's CB750 single front disc.  I recall the first time I saw the GT on the Marin Sunday Ride, just staring at the dual discs like it was science fiction.  We were taking our break at the dam just a few miles S of Fairfax, CA, just after the coasting race down the fire-road, a race that starts just above Bolinas Lagoon.    

Thanks.

It's tidy and all original but far from show quality - just looked after. The wheels are showing their age with a fair bit of pitting and with spokes needing the constant attention of the oily rag.

The twin discs at the front worked really well - in the dry. But in the wet they were lethal. The old twin leading shoe drums of the first 750J were much better, to be honesy. But it's not a problem now - modern brake pads and tyres make it stop and handle better than it ever did. And I never take it out in the wet now anyway!

Nice!  Here's mine.