Assessing my new GT380 *PICS*

[LasseNC]

Also posted on the Suzuki GT forum(Sundial), but I know there are some GT freaks lurking here, come forth please :)

Hellow!

I recently acquired a GT380, it looked pretty sound from a far, but tearing into it has turned up a few things that I will want to address.

Here are a couple of pictures, followed by some questions :)


Headlight, take note of the M6 bolt welded to a nut, which is to stabilize the headlight. Ditching the whole unit, the mounting system is too cumbersome too.



Thread for the sidecover has died and a clip and a wood-type screw has been used. Too bad this wasn't fixed before it got painted. So I am interested in a solution, which will keep the paint intact.


All coils mounted with cableties, pipe insulation and waterhose. Are these coils original? From the fiches I have seen they are not, though I might be wrong. Thinking of making a proper bracket or exchanging them. Which options do I have?




Throttleshaft seems glued together, probably because it can be tightened up enough I reckon?


Mounting tabs for the gastank are aweful, silicone has been used to mount some skinny ones. Are the tabs original?

That is it for now. The wiring consists of mostly red, and will need to be addressed as well.

Kind regards, Lasse

[Sniper X]

Oddly enough, that reminds me of any vehicle you buy from someone here that is originally from Mexico. Typical of someone who has no money and needs to keep something running, pretty ingenious I think. However, you can fix all that stuff. I feel the coils are for power as well as a replacement On all 2 stroke street bikes, at some point people realized a hot car coil worked better at keeping plugs from fouling, and made a little better power and also were very inexpensive compared to a stock replacement.

[Sniper X]

BTW one time right after getting back to Albuquerque I bought a nice shape all there GT380 for 12 dollars. It didn't run. I was in the carprot messing with it to see what I needed to do and a guy walked up from the sidewalk and offered me $500.00 for it. I had had it a week and sold it. I should have kept it since it actually ran after a carb clean.

[Foot dragger]

Parts on ebay for those bikes tend to be cheap to dirt cheap,parts bikes can be found from time to time for not much also. I had a set of carbs like that that took for ever to get 30.00 out of. So keeping it on the road shouldnt be too hard.
They ARE fun to ride,I rode a friends around off road and on,great sound with some pipes!

[Foot dragger]

Originally Posted by Sniper X

Oddly enough, that reminds me of any vehicle you buy from someone here that is originally from Mexico. Typical of someone who has no money and needs to keep something running, pretty ingenious I think. However, you can fix all that stuff. I feel the coils are for power as well as a replacement On all 2 stroke street bikes, at some point people realized a hot car coil worked better at keeping plugs from fouling, and made a little better power and also were very inexpensive compared to a stock replacement.

Yah,the more I look at it the more oddities I see,switch from a moped,electrical tape by the yard,hose clamps,zip ties for days,I like it! Most likely can be fixed at roadside with the bare minimum of fuss.Im pretty sure thats radiator hose between the carbs and cylinders,just has that look.

[ooweel]

You are gonna have some fun with this bike. And as stated in a previous post, parts prices are too bad.

I have a 1972 GT 750 J (4LS) that has been sitting for years. Maybe I should roll it out and take some pic's. Bought it to steal the 4LS off of it. I did a little research on it and since it was a single year production of the 4LS and a short run at that, I decided to leave it all together as a complete bike.

[Foot dragger]

Originally Posted by ooweel

You are gonna have some fun with this bike. And as stated in a previous post, parts prices are too bad.

I have a 1972 GT 750 J (4LS) that has been sitting for years. Maybe I should roll it out and take some pic's. Bought it to steal the 4LS off of it. I did a little research on it and since it was a single year production of the 4LS and a short run at that, I decided to leave it all together as a complete bike.

I sold a 4LS brake off one of those for 700.00(just the hub really) A bike builder in Vietnam just had to have it. It came attached to a 500 Titan of which I still have 3 hulks sitting here. VERY heavy 500 twins.

[sjc56]

My first bike was a red 76. If I remember right very smooth and very thirsty. Scared the crap out of me the first time I took it to red line. Be careful in the corners things tend to touch down early. Have fun!

[ooweel]

Got me salivating to pull mine out. So I took a couple pics.

[ooweel]

Different point of view

[markjenn]

None of this stuff is stock. This bike has been hacked and hacked hard.

I'd try and return it to stock (or near stock) with scrounged parts off Ebay. Picking up a parts bike for a few hundred would be a good strategy.

- Mark

[ooweel]

Using Ebay in your part of the world? Is it pretty easy getting things shipped in from other countries or are the duties and shipping a big issue for used motorcycle parts?

[LasseNC]

I am not after an original example, but I draw the line at coils mounted with cableties etc. :)

Edit:

Know that there is alot of Airhead freaks around here, I've been contemplating using an airhead keyswitch mounted in the side of the headlight. Where can I find a picture of one? I'd like to have a closer look.

[Sniper X]

Originally Posted by LasseNC

I am not after an original example, but I draw the line at coils mounted with cableties etc. :)

Edit:

Know that there is alot of Airhead freaks around here, I've been contemplating using an airhead keyswitch mounted in the side of the headlight. Where can I find a picture of one? I'd like to have a closer look.

If you mean the /5 one, forget it. They are weird and can be turned on with a nail.

[Sniper X]

BUT you can get pretty much any panel mount key switch and wire it in and drill a hole in the headlight housing and use it.