Smokey Two Stroke Goodness
Discussion
Just Trouble said:
Some cracking two strokes on this post. Just reintroduced myself to these epic machines after 40 years I learnt to ride on one so had to buy this Suzuki TS 250 Savage. The sun was shining, blue skies so had to give it a little blast down to the beach.
JT
That's a great picture! The bike looks awesome in the sunshine.JT
Edited by Just Trouble on Friday 21st October 20:57
How does it feel after forty years?
Biker's Nemesis said:
Looking good there Bob.
Cheers BN!
Biker's Nemesis said:
I was sitting watching a one owner from new Rd 500 last night, I very nearly and I mean very nearly hit the button.
It was 16k though and I am pleased I didn't do it.
Old stuff is now bonkers money. It's the same with old cars too now, everything that I loved and couldn't afford twenty years ago because I was a skint student I can no longer afford because prices have gone through the roof.It was 16k though and I am pleased I didn't do it.
I suppose it's 'progress'.
Alicatt1 said:
Loving that GT380, I had a GT380M, it was my first new vehicle way back in 1976, ran her for around 5 years and put over 120k miles on her. The bike was a "grey import" though at the time I didn't know what one of those was. The 380 was my second choice, my first being a Triumph Tiger 750 but it got sold just before I could afford it so settled for the 380.
Turned out to be a great little bike, not the fastest thing around but could hold her own against my mate's RD350. Fuel economy, I could get over 50mpg or as low as 16mpg if driven hard, was late picking up the girl friend after I finished work and used all the performance the bike had, I had exactly 1 gallon of petrol in her and I coasted the last half mile to the girlfriend's house, remember 50p petrol pumps?
The one big trouble I had with the bike was the coils getting wet and the plugs shorting out, I eventually encased them, the coils, in silicon and that seemed to cure the problem. The rain in the far north of Scotland could be quite severe, and I ran the bike all year come hail, rain, or snow.
That is a another cracking picture! I love the 'period' mods too. Good effort putting 120,000 miles on the bike too, that is some going on a 380.Turned out to be a great little bike, not the fastest thing around but could hold her own against my mate's RD350. Fuel economy, I could get over 50mpg or as low as 16mpg if driven hard, was late picking up the girl friend after I finished work and used all the performance the bike had, I had exactly 1 gallon of petrol in her and I coasted the last half mile to the girlfriend's house, remember 50p petrol pumps?
The one big trouble I had with the bike was the coils getting wet and the plugs shorting out, I eventually encased them, the coils, in silicon and that seemed to cure the problem. The rain in the far north of Scotland could be quite severe, and I ran the bike all year come hail, rain, or snow.
I daren't take mine out in winter now, I think the road salt would dissolve them. Though I did use my GS throughout winter when I had that, I even adorned it with tinsel at Christmas!
bob1179 said:
That is a another cracking picture! I love the 'period' mods too. Good effort putting 120,000 miles on the bike too, that is some going on a 380.
I daren't take mine out in winter now, I think the road salt would dissolve them. Though I did use my GS throughout winter when I had that, I even adorned it with tinsel at Christmas!
Thanks, the backrest was a great mod, let my girlfriend sleep on the back without falling off, the backrest with the cover on it reduced the top speed by about 15mph and just the bare metal without the cover knocked 5mph off the speed. The handlebars were adjustable ace bars and I could have them up as in the pic or put them down to make it easier to lay down over the tank, but the bike was much more comfortable the way she is in the pic. With the bars that way the weight balance was slightly rearward and made the bike just that bit easier to lift the front wheel - and how I got my nickname "the wheel" or just "wheel" I daren't take mine out in winter now, I think the road salt would dissolve them. Though I did use my GS throughout winter when I had that, I even adorned it with tinsel at Christmas!
Alicatt1 said:
hanks, the backrest was a great mod, let my girlfriend sleep on the back without falling off, the backrest with the cover on it reduced the top speed by about 15mph and just the bare metal without the cover knocked 5mph off the speed. The handlebars were adjustable ace bars and I could have them up as in the pic or put them down to make it easier to lay down over the tank, but the bike was much more comfortable the way she is in the pic. With the bars that way the weight balance was slightly rearward and made the bike just that bit easier to lift the front wheel - and how I got my nickname "the wheel" or just "wheel"
Ha ha, excellent. I've not tried wheelying my 380. Though to be honest if I managed it I would probably fall off because I'm rubbish.Do you fancy reliving your youth and getting another one?
bob1179 said:
Ha ha, excellent. I've not tried wheelying my 380. Though to be honest if I managed it I would probably fall off because I'm rubbish.
Do you fancy reliving your youth and getting another one?
Ohhh you temptress you Do you fancy reliving your youth and getting another one?
It has been 34years since I had my GT380, GSK747N was the regIt was very hard parting with her, seen the bile a few years later and she was still running, great bike and not as soft as the GT250s that were around then but also not a lot quicker either. Yeah I would have another, a bit easier to ride than the FJR1300 I have just now.
I had one mate that had a GT250M but his legs were so short that he could not put his feet on the ground when the bike was upright, he then bought a GT380 and he could just get the balls of his feet on the road when stopped with it, the seat was about 2" lower on the 380 than the 250.
The last 2 stroke I had was an IT465 Yamaha that I got as a barn find in 1989 and I restored that to new condition, another great bike
Alicatt1 said:
Ohhh you temptress you It has been 34years since I had my GT380, GSK747N was the reg
It was very hard parting with her, seen the bile a few years later and she was still running, great bike and not as soft as the GT250s that were around then but also not a lot quicker either. Yeah I would have another, a bit easier to ride than the FJR1300 I have just now.
I had one mate that had a GT250M but his legs were so short that he could not put his feet on the ground when the bike was upright, he then bought a GT380 and he could just get the balls of his feet on the road when stopped with it, the seat was about 2" lower on the 380 than the 250.
The last 2 stroke I had was an IT465 Yamaha that I got as a barn find in 1989 and I restored that to new condition, another great bike
You should definitely get yourself one, it's clearly been far too long since you've owned a proper smoker. It has been 34years since I had my GT380, GSK747N was the regIt was very hard parting with her, seen the bile a few years later and she was still running, great bike and not as soft as the GT250s that were around then but also not a lot quicker either. Yeah I would have another, a bit easier to ride than the FJR1300 I have just now.
I had one mate that had a GT250M but his legs were so short that he could not put his feet on the ground when the bike was upright, he then bought a GT380 and he could just get the balls of his feet on the road when stopped with it, the seat was about 2" lower on the 380 than the 250.
The last 2 stroke I had was an IT465 Yamaha that I got as a barn find in 1989 and I restored that to new condition, another great bike
Earlier this year I sold a 380A I had to a bloke in Perth to restore, I wasn't going to buy another one then a 'J' model one turned up on Ebay and I had the cash so I bought it before the wife could say anything. Plus it's easier to ask for forgiveness...
I checked your old registration number in the DVLA website and it doesn't come up on either the tax or MOT searches. Looks like it is long gone now. However you certainly got your monies worth out of the old girl!
Alicatt1 said:
Found another pic of my 380 tonight while looking for something else
Taken outside the Queens Hotel in Wick.
That is brilliant, must have been fun in the snow!Taken outside the Queens Hotel in Wick.
graham22 said:
I've posted this one on another thread before but feel it belongs here too. Hard to believe it was taken 30 years ago. Despite the sunshine, it probably wasn't much warmer than the pic above.
Another great picture. I would love to be able to do that!
Why did I open this thread - I'll be off to E-bay any minute now!
Starting in the late 70s I was a serial RD owner (250D, 400C, 350A then 250LC).
That phase passed, then in the late 90s a mate who had a salvage business got hold of an RG250. It went like stink, but I couldn't ride it long before I ached. I mentioned to a neighbour that I was thinking of selling - next thing I know I had swapped it with a mate of his for an RD400C!
But the only one I have a photo of is the KH500 I had (and it's probably the one I miss the most). Yes it wasn't very standard but I loved it, especially as the neighbours didn't when I went for a Sunday morning run! (Apart from the one whose mate I did the swap with, as he had an S2 350)!
Off to kick myself.....
Starting in the late 70s I was a serial RD owner (250D, 400C, 350A then 250LC).
That phase passed, then in the late 90s a mate who had a salvage business got hold of an RG250. It went like stink, but I couldn't ride it long before I ached. I mentioned to a neighbour that I was thinking of selling - next thing I know I had swapped it with a mate of his for an RD400C!
But the only one I have a photo of is the KH500 I had (and it's probably the one I miss the most). Yes it wasn't very standard but I loved it, especially as the neighbours didn't when I went for a Sunday morning run! (Apart from the one whose mate I did the swap with, as he had an S2 350)!
Off to kick myself.....
Mr Tidy said:
Why did I open this thread - I'll be off to E-bay any minute now!
Starting in the late 70s I was a serial RD owner (250D, 400C, 350A then 250LC).
That phase passed, then in the late 90s a mate who had a salvage business got hold of an RG250. It went like stink, but I couldn't ride it long before I ached. I mentioned to a neighbour that I was thinking of selling - next thing I know I had swapped it with a mate of his for an RD400C!
But the only one I have a photo of is the KH500 I had (and it's probably the one I miss the most). Yes it wasn't very standard but I loved it, especially as the neighbours didn't when I went for a Sunday morning run! (Apart from the one whose mate I did the swap with, as he had an S2 350)!
Off to kick myself.....
Nice looking Kwak! I know a bloke with a KH500 and it looks and sounds awesome.Starting in the late 70s I was a serial RD owner (250D, 400C, 350A then 250LC).
That phase passed, then in the late 90s a mate who had a salvage business got hold of an RG250. It went like stink, but I couldn't ride it long before I ached. I mentioned to a neighbour that I was thinking of selling - next thing I know I had swapped it with a mate of his for an RD400C!
But the only one I have a photo of is the KH500 I had (and it's probably the one I miss the most). Yes it wasn't very standard but I loved it, especially as the neighbours didn't when I went for a Sunday morning run! (Apart from the one whose mate I did the swap with, as he had an S2 350)!
Off to kick myself.....
Nothing wrong with a bit of late night Ebaying, especially after a beer. That has got me into much trouble in the past...
bob1179 said:
Nice looking Kwak! I know a bloke with a KH500 and it looks and sounds awesome.
Nothing wrong with a bit of late night Ebaying, especially after a beer. That has got me into much trouble in the past...
oh you bad person putting ideas in my head...Nothing wrong with a bit of late night Ebaying, especially after a beer. That has got me into much trouble in the past...
'74 GT550 looks imaculate
http://www.kapaza.be/nl/motos/suzuki-gt-550-113189...
or a 750 kettle that is in the next town from me, but almost €4k! and that was the cheapest one!
http://www.kapaza.be/nl/motos/suzuki-gt-750-klassi...
"Old timers" - that's the official name for a vehicle more than 25 years old, - motorbikes they get a free pass, no tax and no MOT, but there is a limit on the mileage so they command good prices here. My son is doing up a soon to be old timer, a BMW 325iX touring, come January it will have old timer status and have no tax but still require an MOT (Keuring) tax here for a car is very expensive, for a bike not so much, my FJR1300 is €49.80 per year, insurance is the killer for bikes the FJR is €154 per year TPO and that is with 8years no claims, fully comp would have been €6000.00, old timers again get special cheaper rates which makes having an older vehicle attractive. My MG if I wanted to import it here would cost me an arm and a leg but probably would not pass the keuring as it has a modified engine - difficult to hide a whacking great supercharger.
Ohhhh now this has me seriously tempted, an IT465, I had one back in the late 80s early 90s, bought it as a barn find, needed a tow from a car to get it started but it did run, cost £125 spent £200 on fully restoring it to as new condition then got it re registered for the road, not a Q plate, and ran her for a few years, fantastic bike. It's the one bike I don't have any pictures of and the one bike I put the most effort into.
http://www.kapaza.be/nl/motos/yamaha-cross-465-112...
rigga said:
graham22 said:
I've posted this one on another thread before but feel it belongs here too. Hard to believe it was taken 30 years ago. Despite the sunshine, it probably wasn't much warmer than the pic above.
The obligatory 80's safety gear.A new Dunlop Arrowmax was in the garage waiting to match the front (the rear Avon was finished on this day too), Goodridge hoses were also bought but never got fitted as the bike was shortly replaced by a 350YPVS (another pic to follow).
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