1974 Suzuki GT750 Motorcycle

Description

Suzuki's history can be traced back to manufacturing silk looms back in 1909 but it wasn't until the 1930s that the company began experimenting with internal combustion engines.  The early post-war period saw Suzuki producing heaters and farm machinery but the small two-stroke engine resurfaced in 1952 and was initially sold in the form of the “Power Free” motorized bicycle.  In 1954 Suzuki began making their own motorcycles, beginning with a 90cc two-stroke Colleda, notable as one of the first to have oil injection to save the rider from having to mix the oil and petrol manually.  Over the next three decades Suzuki established itself as one of the major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, whilst diversifying into everything from small cars to outboard motors.  Suzuki built its reputation on two-strokes and took the world by storm in 1972 with the GT750, a water-cooled superbike that quickly set new benchmarks of comfort and performance.  Ideally suited to America’s long straight highways, the GT750 was a great looking bike with plenty of chrome and signature “three into four” pipes.  With 67 horsepower on tap the bike certainly wasn’t lacking grunt and a race version was timed at almost 180 mph at Daytona.  Suzuki added twin hydraulic disc front brakes in 1973 and significantly revised the bike’s styling the following year, along with a switch to BS40 constant velocity carburettors.  Export models were available in two colours in 1974, namely Flake Blue (paint code 761) and Flake Orange (paint code 762) although other colours were available for the domestic market.  Despite competition from Honda’s CB750 and Suzuki’s own four-stroke GS750 four, the GT750 proved commercially successful, with over 71,000 sold worldwide over six years of production and they enjoy a loyal following with a legion of fans today.