1974 Suzuki Other

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1974 Suzuki GT750 Le Mans "Water Buffalo" I have for sale an icon of 1970's motorcycles. The Suzuki GT750 Le Mans ... aka The Water Buffalo. There are clubs worldwide dedicated just to this bike. In America, it's called The Water Buffalo, in Britain it's known as The Kettle, in Australia it's known as The Water Bottle and in Germany it’s known as The Wasserbuffel. Whatever you choose to call it, just be sure to call it historic and classic. A two stroke, water cooled, triple cylinder blast from the past! This is a survivor bike in overall good condition and a very good candidate for a complete, frame up restoration for all you classic bike collectors out there. It is an original, unmolested bike except for a few minor updates. It even has an original, hard to find "Suzuki GT" seat that is specific to the 1974 model year only. I usually work on the Suzuki GS model bikes. So when I got this bike, my main goal was to do all things required to get it running and pass it on to those who are more knowledgeable about it to get it back to its full potential. What's been done: All electricals work, including turn signals, headlight on/off switch and hi/low beam, the gear indicator on the instrument cluster showing neutral and all gear numbers, and the tail light. The gear indicator switch near the front sprocket has been replaced from the original plastic one of 1974 to a better, metal switch from the 1975 model year. The coolant system has been flushed out and fresh coolant put in. All new correct cooling system hoses with original hose clamps installed. The radiator has been flushed and the radiator guard is complete. The carburetors have been completely cleaned and rebuilt. Please see the pictures. The gas tank has been cleaned out and flushed and the petcock cleaned with a new strainer and gasket for the bottom of it. The front brake master cylinder has been cleaned and rebuilt. Currently, the front brake switch isn't working but may be by the time this bike is put up for sale. The front brake calipers have been cleaned and completely rebuilt with new seals and piston cups. Please see the pictures. The oil lines have been flushed and cleaned out. The SRIS valves were pulled and cleaned out. Also, the original SRIS lines and clips are all there. New spark plugs installed. New sealed battery installed Feb 23, 2014. New foam air filter installed. The instrument cluster was repainted. The seat has no rips or tears and has the period correct “Suzuki GT” stamping on the back. The wire rim wheels are in outstanding condition and very clean. It has its tool kit as shown in the picture and I believe all the tools are there. The gas tank has some small dents, stains and scratches from normal usage. Please look at the pictures. The side covers are complete, along with some scuffs and scratches that are to be expected with normal riding. The exhaust shows normal wear from riding. The right side exhaust has a small dent near the shock absorber area. The left side exhaust has some staining that looks to be from some acid overflow from the battery. The center exhaust shows some loss of chrome. Please look at the pictures. I am having some issues with the gas cap closing mechanism. Despite my best efforts, it’s still hard to get it to work properly every time. But these are still available to purchase today. Or if you’re better at fixing the mechanism than me, you may be able to fix it.I have a clear, signed TN title. It shows 15,180 miles on the odometer. As added information for the true collector/restorer: The “Liquid Cooled” labels are correct, original labels with the bar in the letter Q. Also, as noted above, the original gear indicator switch was replaced with a newer, 1975 year and up model switch. And there is a hole in the frame just after the top shock mount, on both sides, where a previous owner had rigged up a rear back rest. They are hard to see and unless you know they are there, are easily overlooked. If you want to make the frame original again, these can be filled. Because of the addition of the back rest on this bike when I got it, the hand rail that normally runs across the back of the seat is not there. And the under seat grab rail is also missing. I’m guessing these were in the way of installing the back rest and were removed for that reason. Other than these items, I believe this bike is period correct and in stock condition. I did however put clear fuel line on the carbs so I could be sure and see that the fuel was going through the petcock and into the carbs when I first started her up. I am not the best at setting the timing on a points and condenser bike so I just set them as close as possible to be able to turn the engine over and get it running. The timing will need to be set properly by the next owner to ensure it runs correctly. So after I had the engine running, I turned it off to make sure I didn’t do anything to hurt the engine due to the timing not being at its best. Here is a link to see the first time start up of the bike: http://s1169.photobucket.com/user/superGS/media/Buffalostartup_zps89cf7675.mp4.html?filters[user]=131450742&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0 What’s not been done: With this bike being a prime candidate for a full on restoration, I've decided to leave the following items untouched: I've not replaced the front brake lines, these are original. However, some people wish to upgrade to new, braided steel brake lines and others like to keep classic bikes original and stock and prefer to put on new rubber brake lines. I leave this up to the new owner to do as they desire. With this in mind, I am not going to put in any brake fluid either. These are 40 year old brake lines and there is a good chance if I put in fluid that the lines may leak. And everyone knows that brake fluid can strip paint and stain chrome. It’s best to avoid that. The tires also look to be original and need to be replaced. Some people wish to upgrade to newer, modern tires while others want the original look and prefer to put on new tires that are now being offered with the retro tire tread designs. I leave this to be decided by the new owner and what direction they wish to take. The front forks have not been worked on though they feel strong. Again, some people may want to upgrade to some stronger front springs so I left these alone too. Your choice if you want to upgrade to progressive springs or stay with stock springs. I need to add also that here is a small leak of gear oil coming from the gear indicator switch near the sprocket. The previous owner apparently had issues with this switch and had put an old neutral switch in its place. I replaced the switch but did not replace all the o-rings in it. And the petcock has a small leak. Both of these things came be fixed by replacing the o-rings or gaskets. As stated above, I was more interested in getting this bike in running condition and not doing a complete restoration. I’m not as versed in 2 stroke bikes as I am in the four stroke GS models. This bike is now 40 years old and should be bought with this in mind. It is being sold as-is. There are no guarantees or warranties, implied or written. What you see is what you get. This bike has not been fully restored. Please be sure if you bid on this bike that you fully understand the ownership of a bike like this. It takes care and regular upkeep. This is NOT a "Buy and Ride" bike. The tires will need replacing and the front brake lines replaced, as well as a few final fixes that I have mentioned to get her in top shape. For the collector/restorer or Water Buffalo enthusiast, and you know who you are, this is your opportunity to start with a solid foundation, to finish out an historic and iconic bike from the 1970's to your personal standards. You can put the final touches to it however you want it. I have done a lot of the work for you as can be read in this write up and seen in the pictures. Please feel free to ask any and all questions. Good luck bidding! I believe I have described this bike as completely and thoroughly as possible. Please feel free to ask any questions. I do not ship motorcycles. This will have to be a local pick up only. But I will work with any shipping companies you may use. I do not crate up bikes either. These things will have to be worked out between us. There is a small possibility I may deliver this to you if it’s not too far away and we can reach some kind of agreement in regards to the costs involved.