Andy Reid

78 Suzuki GT 550 discussion forum:


Andy Reid

Andy Reid 
Andy said 2004-05-16 04:46 
 
I own one of these beasts as a beast it is to ride fast in any way. Handling is akin to a drunk cart horse on roller blades high on LSD with a cattle prod stuck up its ****. Actually handling is not exactly a good word to use.

Mine is the US/canadian market only 1977 GT550B which is styled like the GS 550 so it sports a GS type tail unit, GS550 saddle unit/pan and runs even bigger carbs and jets than the UK/European versions. Also the "B" version has twin disc with the US market legal disclaimer on both fork legs proclaiming "Warning!! Brakes do not work under wet weather conditions!!"

Fuel consumption is 18 MPG cruising and 9 MPG ridden hard though I did manage 1 MPG when I started tuning and using it for drag racing.

Top power on the US GT550B version was 60+ BHP as oposed to the Europe/UK version GT550M/A´s 54 BHP and 35 MPG.

I had to heavily modify the bike´s suspension to cope with non-Roman roads here in the UK which involved a Dresda box swinging arm to stop the infamous slow motion weave at 100 MPH+ velocities, specially mixed fork oil weighted to cope with the bike´s huge bulk under braking. Also different rear shocks with remixed oil to cope with the same bulk and stop squatting when the "Jeezus Christ" warp drive power band kicked in.

I once watched a then new ZX10 go backwards past my right shoulder as I hung on for dear life in 1991 after lighting the blue touch paper.

Top speed of the GT550B was speed trapped at 128 MPH in one US motorcycle magazine.

I still own mine though the engines are a mechanical disaster area with too much power arriving too quickly through 1970´s Japanese metal craft. One can really feel the frame flex under the power band!!

If anyone thinks modern bike accelerate fast they should try a monster two stroke´s power delivery!!

Andy. 
 
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