Triple Trouble? See How to Restore Suzuki 2-Stroke Triples
Some we’ve told you about here include:
- How to Restore Honda CX500 & CX650
- How to Restore Honda Fours
- Beginner’s Guide to Classic Motorcycle Restoration
Now, he has locked himself in his shed and plumbed the depths of vintage Suzuki three cylinder two-stroke models to produce “How to Restore Suzuki 2-stroke Triples,” which includes the air-cooled GT350, GT550 and liquid-cooled GT750 models, 1971 to 1978. In this book, the restoration project illustrated in particular is a GT750.
As was the case with the other restoration manuals Burns has offered, he explains that this book is not intended to take the place of a shop manual for the model you plan to work on. A lot of the key tune-up information for ignition timing, torque specifications tables for fasteners, wiring diagrams for all three models (one is provided for the GT750, but bring your magnifying glass to read it), internal engine component clearance specifications and so on are not included.
What Burns focuses on are the things you won’t find in a shop service manual. For example, how to sort the potential restoration project that is worth doing from the junk pile candidates or spare parts donor bike. That includes some of the finer points of assessing a given bike in terms of key areas likely to cost dearly to fix or replace such as the engine, clutch and transmission, fuel tank, seat, and chassis components.
In old bike restoration projects, availability of used parts, NOS (new old stock parts) and aftermarket replica parts is a key factor in both cost and completeness of the restoration. In the case of the Suzuki GT750, this is something of a bright spot because Burns reports that Suzuki has started to manufacture some key parts to original specification and parts for other classic models are to follow. The book includes information on how to track down some of those hard-to-find spares.
Restoration techniques differ substantially from normal maintenance techniques. Burns covers the essentials from how to get started on the project, through stripping the bike to the frame, to engine and transmission work, exhaust system, wheels, brakes and suspension, wiring, instrument and switch work, upholstery, paint, polishing and other surface treatments, decals, badges and so on. He covers reassembly, final adjustments and safety checks as well.
The 176-page softcover book illustrates many of the procedures with about 570 clear color images and captions.
If you’re a fan of the old school two-strokes and any of the Suzuki triples from the seventies is in your garage or in your future, Burns’ latest restoration manual may be worth a look—even if your bike doesn’t need a full-on rebuild.
Book Data:
- Title: How to restore Suzuki 2-Stroke Triples
- Author: Ricky Burns
- Published: 2015 Paperback. 176 pages.
- Publisher: Veloce Publishing, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, DT1 3AR, England
- ISBN: 978-1-845848-20-0  MSRP: U.S. $59.95 U.K. £35 Canada: $71.95
I’ve been putting off the assembly of my ‘water buffalo’, for some time now, due to two problems. The water pump gear is plastic, and is the common short component of the 750GT. A small bolt, between two transmission bearing supports, broke off, leaving too little space to extract the bolt by mechanical means. What a pickle, or should I say pickling spice problem. https://youtu.be/fqZYgReuywM
Should anyone be interested, I have a set of Lectron flat slides, welded performance crank, squished head, among other performance parts I picked up from someone setting up to drag race a 750GT. Central NC.
Easily the most entertaining tech tip I’ve seen in a long time!