74 suzuki gt750

[sprman4lissa]

I am thinking about buying a 74 suzuki gt750 "Water Buffalo"and i wanna know if they are a good bike or not.... They are selling it for $250.00 and it just needs the seat recovered and a new batt.. I don't know much about them at all just that it is a 2 stroke any info would help. Let me know what you think should i or not purchase... thank you

[Guy]

If I saw a GT 750 that only needed seat recovering and a battery for that money I'd snap it up.
They're a quirky, water cooled, 2 stroke triple that are very pleasant to ride and easy enough to work on for the most part. A little heavy on fuel, but fast enough and handle well (for the year). However, if it's been lying up for any length of time it will probably need crank seals replacing which is a major job and will cost a lot. Original points ignition is troublesome too and is best replaced with with an aftermarket kit.

[mistertoadie]

I had a '72 GT750. It was my first street bike actually back in '83. Mine was custom painted and was UGLY!! Had double leading shoe drum brakes on the front. I think the '74 had a disk. (lucky you). I really liked mine (except for the embarassing paint) they have automatic oil injection with a remote tank under the seat/sidecover. You'll want to make sure it is adjusted correctly, or disable it and pre-mix your gas to be absolutely sure. Very snappy for a big heavy old bike. Mine ran on 2 cylinders for a while before I realized it had a fouled plug. Thought I was getting around just fine, then noticed the cold pipe one day, swapped two of the plugs around and went for a ride, when that dead plug finally fired it felt like a rocket booster got lit. It would actually wheely pretty easy,(if you fanned the clutch). Just be prepared to be followed by a cloud of blue smoke.

[Guy]

The original drum brake model is far more valuable on this side of the Atlantic than the later disc models.
Running these things on premix is a real bad idea. Cruising at small throttle openings on premix will lead to oil starvation and can seize the motor. Especially as being water cooled, these bikes run very tight clearances. Besides, 2 stroke pumps rarely if ever give trouble.
Should have kept mine, like most of my bikes.

[sprman4lissa]

ok i bought the 74 Suzuki gt750 bike and need to know what front forks would interchange kinda like the crotch rocket style handlebars or whatever on a 74 Suzuki gt750 to make a cafe racer...well i'm sure you all know what i'm talking about....thank you

[almarconi]

Don't ruin that bike by modifying it. It is a interesting piece of suzuki history. Leave it stock and ride it.

[simon kuether]

I remember seeing one out of England that I think was done in Skol Bandit green colours.Very tasty.It was in a classic bike mag.Perhaps one of our Pommy mates (only mates if they give us a bit of a go at them thar ashes ) could enlighten us. Cheers , Simon.

[waltfen]

I remember the Skoal Bandit one. I'll dig the mag out and scan it, in the meantime feast your eyes on these:

Old



Newer

[Dave8338]

Don't ruin that bike by modifying it. It is a interesting piece of suzuki history. Leave it stock and ride it.

GREAT ADVICE!!!

[sprman4lissa]

Thank you all!! I'm gonna leave it all stock... I will post some pic's of it later on... I do have another question though.. How would you polish the motor to give it that shine back? Thank You

[willie]

I've had my '74 Buffalo for close to 30 yrs now. Its the longest I've owned any of my bikes. It started out the same metallic orange as the one in the pic. Take a look at my photo album for what it looks like now. I put larger carbs and expansion chambers on mine and the sound it makes when on the pipe is soooo friggin nice. I suggest that you join a forum for Suz Triples. Smokeriders is a good one. I haven't found one containing as much info as GSR but they're great for contacts. Speaking of contacts, pun intended, ditch the point ignition for a CDI unit. Plugs will last yrs instead of months. Feel free to PM me for additional info.
Willie

[hampshirehog]

Have a look at the kettle club site - some pretty neat standard and 'not-so-standard' bike on there:

http://www.thekettleclub.com/

[tkent02]

Good old bikes, I'd like to find another good one.

[mistercooldust]

74 suzuki gt750

Crankshaft seals are the big thing to check because of the labor and expertise required to do correctly. $$$$. The steering bearings and swingarm are the next things to check on your list. Use aluminum engine antifreeze[silicate free] in the radiator. I used synthetic 2 stroke oil in mine and it knocked the gray smoke down but not out. Like others have said check out the Suzuki 2 stroke sites. They have excellent resources from all over the world. The engine is very durable but has its quirks. The bike is a touring bike not a sport bike so don't expect wheelies- just a good long ride. Your biggest problem will be the age of the bike and finding parts but they are about the coolest bikes in the world .

[BlackandBlue]

I've had my '74 Buffalo for close to 30 yrs now. Its the longest I've owned any of my bikes. It started out the same metallic orange as the one in the pic. Take a look at my photo album for what it looks like now. I put larger carbs and expansion chambers on mine and the sound it makes when on the pipe is soooo friggin nice. I suggest that you join a forum for Suz Triples. Smokeriders is a good one. I haven't found one containing as much info as GSR but they're great for contacts. Speaking of contacts, pun intended, ditch the point ignition for a CDI unit. Plugs will last yrs instead of months. Feel free to PM me for additional info.
Willie

EXPANSION CHAMBERS!!!! Please make a recording to a file if you can and add it to a post. To this day I can still remember the sound of my brother's GT550 with stock exhaust when he would give the throttle a good twist. And when he would let me ride it with him on the back he would poke me saying "you don't have to rev it when going through the gears!"