1973 Suzuki Other

GT750-33480

Clear

1973 Suzuki GT750K 'Le Mans' In Storage Since 1980 - From the Estate of the Original Owner Rehabilitated this Spring - Lots of Work, Many New Parts Just Over 12,000 Miles From New - Please Wait for All Pictures to Load! DRASTIC REDUCTION IN OPENING BID! Offered for sale in fully running and operational condition for the first time in decades, this 1973 Suzuki GT-750K Le Mans (a.k.a. Water Buffalo, Kettle) is a fantastic barn (OK, basement) find survivor example with very presentable and completely original paint, chrome and other finishes. It was put away around 1980 with just under 12,000 miles on the odometer and during our testing and evaluation we rolled past the 12,000 mark. Apart from being one of the few big displacement 2-stroke motorcycles, the GT-750 was the first production motorcycle with a twin disc front brake, yes, before the BMW R90S! Its original owner, Mr. Elmer Carroll, was an engineer for Virginia Power. He bought the bike in 1973 and it seems that he got some enjoyment out of it in the 1970s. However, the bike still wears its last inspection sticker, applied in March of 1980 and expiring six months later. Mr. Carroll appears to have continued to register and pay property tax on the bike until 1984 but it would seem that that was when he stopped riding it. A close-up of this inspection sticker. Virginia had biannual inspections until 1982, so this was issued in March of 1980 and was good until September. Judging by the placement of earlier inspection stickers on the left shock absorber dust cover, it is possible that the bags and fairing may be slightly newer than the rest of the bike as a 1978 inspection sticker remains behind this saddlebag in the picture. However, the modifications to the headlamp and front harness wiring and integration into the fairing would seem to have been done at a very early stage of this bike's life. The manufacturer of the bags is unknown but the fairing is a Pacifico Shadow Royale, one of the finest aftermarket fairings available in the period. I initially intended to remove all of this stuff and restore the bike to its stock configuration but it all works so well and is correct to the period that it stayed on! The last license plate issued to this bike remains on the back of the rack. A small smattering of paperwork pertaining to this bike's later life was discovered in the saddlebag and will convey to the new owner. You will note that I rode thie bike to the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Show last month and might have won something if I wasn't the chief judge! When we got the bike from a friend of the family who acquired it from the estate, it was a real mess. Among many concerns, the bike had not been running in many years, the front brake cylinder was in pieces, the calipers were lightly seized and the gas tank was a disaster inside. We set to work, relining the gas tank, replacing the petcock, rebuilding both master cylinder and calipers with factory Suzuki master kits, rebuilding the carburetors, synching them and the oil injection pump and then changing all fluids - forks, transmission, cooling system, front brake and even the oil in the injection tank with fresh Amsoil Sabre. The bike was then tuned up with a quick cleaning of the points and some new NGK Iridium spark plugs. A sharp-eyed observer early in the last listing informed me that the right outside muffler was mounted incorrectly. I fixed that and append this photo to show you that it's now correct! The original seat cover had some slight dry rot cracking and because an authentic reproduction was availble, we picked one up and redid the seat. Clearly the tires were past their sell-by date as well so we replaced tires and tubes too. There were also some small wiring concerns such as the horn and some lights, so we fixed the fault with the horn and replaced both brake light switches front and rear. As a result, all the lighting works throughout with the exception (as of this writing) of the water temperature gauge backlight. I believe it was working before and can't seem to find the fault. A very imposing and unusual stance for a vintage Suzuki! As a small bonus, I fitted a pair of Speed Bleeders to the freshly rebuilt calipers. The original wheels cleaned up nicely. There's still some fine detailing to do but the original chrome on this bike is spectacular given the condition most are in! The unusual instrument relocation shows the quality of the fairing kit. You'll note that the original grips and levers remain. The trip odometer knob is missing, so I have not reset the trip nor has it likely been reset since the 1970s! You will note a bunch of keys here - one is for the bike and then there are two pairs of keys for the fairing pockets and the tail bag. I do not have keys for the saddlebags but they should not be difficult to have made. The chassis number on the sticker matches the frame number below The variance of 140 between the frame and engine numbers is absolutely correct, Suzuki engine and frame numbers never matched, the engine number is usually in the range of 100-150 higher than the frame number. We naturally had to put a battery in the GT, so we put a new AGM in there for many years of trouble free service. Yes, I had some NGK BR8EIX Iridium plugs kicking around, they are in the bike and some classic NGK copper plugs and one Autolite are in the old box. The oil tank fill is next to this (I pulled this tank and cleaned it thoroughly off the bike prior to refilling it with fresh oil). Rare to find, the original tool kit remains with its original pouch. The original exhausts are more or less in good serviceable condition with some minor scrapes and a few small repairs. The rare early tips are all here and in great condition. Here's a quick video of me starting the Buffalo - I slightly overchoked it so it didn't want to behave, but if I had set off immediately it would have been fine! payment/shipping/contact Payment is due within seven days of auction close unless cleared with me in advance of your bid. There are no exceptions to this. Accepted forms of payment include cash on pickup, cashier's cheque deposited and cleared in my account or a wire transfer/Bank of America instant transfer. I do not accept Paypal or credit cards for bikes due to the fees charged to me. On receipt of payment, clear title will be sent to the happy new owner if bike is to be shipped by a commercial carrier. I have some travelling to do next week (i.e. right at auction close until the following Thursday night but I welcome your inspection or that of your agent at our mutual convenience. I reserve the right to refuse a test ride to an unqualified rider. Those desirous of a test ride must also prove that they have the ability to pay full market value of this bike on the spot should a mishap occur. Shipping should occur within fourteen days of auction close again unless cleared with me in advance of your bid. There are no exceptions to this. While I will not make or take responsibility for your shipping, I am more than happy to help you or your shipper pick up this bike. If you are on the East Coast, I recommend Jim Vangelakos (click for his e-mail). If you are farther afield within the USA, I recommend Keyboard Carriage (click for link). If you are an international buyer, I may be available to carry the bike to a crating facility for you if you make all of your own shipping arrangements, just ask me prior to placing your bid. QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS? E-MAIL ME OR CALL 804-357-4926