The Original 750cc Two-Stroke – The Suzuki GT750 "Le Mans"
Reading time: about 3 minutes.
The Suzuki GT750 was released in 1971 as a competitor for the Honda CB750. Much to Suzuki's credit they didn't jump on the bandwagon of the air-cooled, inline-4 CB750, and went off in their own direction, creating a liquid-cooled, inline-3 cylinder 2-stroke.
The Suzuki GT750 "Le Mans"
Suzuki broke a lot of new ground with the GT750 over its 1971 to 1977 production run, it was the first Japanese production bike with twin-front disc brakes (the 1973 model onwards), and it was the first Japanese motorcycle with a liquid-cooled engine.
The 1970s were a time of significant experimentation with motorcycle engines, manufacturers were building 4-strokes, 2-strokes, and Wankel rotaries. It wasn't clear at the time which engine technology would win out and become the de facto – as each had its merits and drawbacks.
Suzuki developed the GT750, known as the Le Mans in the USA and Canada, by adding a cylinder to the parallel twin two-stroke Suzuki T500, and water-cooling the resulting inline-3 cylinder engine.
The distinctive lack of heat fins on the engine gave rise to a number of unusual nicknames for the GT750 in different parts of the world. In Australia they called it the "Water Bottle", in Britain they called it the "Kettle", and in the USA they called it the "Water Buffalo" – because it was full of water and weighed more than most production motorcycles of the time.
Period motorcycle reviews of the Suzuki GT750 Le Mans were a mixed bag, some loved it and preferred it to the CB750, and some weren't particularly fond of it, or its habit of blowing blue smoke.
At full chat the engine is capable of 70 hp (at 6500 rpm) and anywhere from 30 to 40 miles per gallon. The kerb weight was a rather hefty-for-the-time 482 lbs, though much of the additional weight was due to the water jacket, the liquid itself, and the radiator.
What most agreed on is that it's an excellent touring motorcycle, capable of a top speed of 110 mph, and ergonomically designed so that riders can spend many hours in the saddle with little fatigue. Suzuki sold over 70,000 of them over their production run, and the surviving examples are now in much demand with collectors who love the bike for its uniqueness and excellent road manners.
The 1972 Suzuki GT750 Shown Here
The example you see here is a 1972 model with the front drum brake – a highly collectible feature now as the vast majority of GT750s came with twin front discs. The motorcycle is in excellent condition throughout, finished in hot pink which would have been hugely desirable when it was released – right at the beginning of the decade of disco.
With an estimated value of between £8,000 to £12,000, the GT750 represents an unusual and affordable buy for most vintage motorcycle enthusiasts – and it's a bike with an undeniable cool-factor unmatched by most of its contemporaries.
If you'd like to read more about this bike or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Bonhams, it's due to be sold at the Spring Stafford Sale on the 22nd of April.
Images courtesy of Bonhams
Honda ATC70 Three-Wheeler – The Deadliest Little Motorcycle In America
Although the Honda ATC70 and its siblings in the ATC model family looked almost comically harmless, they were deemed responsible for nearly 7,000 injuries per month, and hundreds of deaths in the United States at…
Simon's 1973 Triumph Bonneville – The Bike With The Chrome Tank
Editor's Note: This article is the first in a new series we're doing on Silodrome, in this series we'll be asking owners to tell the story of their vehicle in their own words. Stories…
The Only One In The World: A 1917 Henderson Board Track Racer
Custom Motorcycles
The Henderson Motorcycle Co. was the first American manufacturer of four cylinder motorcycles and one of the first in the world. The advanced and powerful (for the era) motorcycles became a favourite with police departments…
A Beautiful Kawasaki KX250 Rebuilt by Hold Fast Chicago
My name is Jeff Galia from Hold Fast Chicago. I have been working on custom bikes for a while now and enjoy anything on two wheels. I'm an engineer for the railroad in Chicago so when I'm not…
The Austel Lotec MkII – A Motorcycle With A 998cc Mini Engine
The Austel Lotec was the brainchild of British engineer and designer Chris Castell. He developed an entirely unique motorcycle powered by a Mini car engine resulting in a claimed engine life of 300,000 miles, with fuel…
1969 Honda S800 Convertible – The Godfather Of The Honda S2000
When it was released in 1966 the Honda S800 was the fastest production car build by the Japanese company, with a top speed just over 100 mph. The S800 would also be the last…
Jane Motorcycles Bowery Skull T-Shirt
The Triumph TR7 Tigers of The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team