Suzuki GT550

[Shawn27530]

Hey guys I think I might have stumbled across a rare find.
This bike is in great if not perfect condition. It been in storage since 1986, and whoever stored it knew what they were doing. All rubber parts are coated in axel grease as is the exhaust which is in perfect condition, the seat is good, heck the whole bike is super looking. Do any of you know what one is worth. Asking price on this bike is 500.00. I could probably make some good money parting it but that would be a shame. Just kicking the idea around. However I have never owned a multi cylinder 2 stroke street bike. I did ride a RD 400 Daytona special one time and all I can say about that is HOLD ON!!!!

[bandet01]

nice find and 500 is a good price on it and i would buy it and ride it but i like big cc bikes

[GNEPIG]

.. buy it!. it aint no XS11 but its actually pretty nice to ride
a freind of mine has one, its a cool little bike
. i rode it to daytona with him one year and every where we would go every one would gather around it and ask questions or tell stories about the one they had back when

[Jerry]

Rode one of these in the late '60s. Nice bike.

A note of caution, however. Any bike stored for nearly 20 years is going to have issues. Tires will deteriorate, along with rubber lines of all kinds. I've even seen brake shoes/pads absorb moisture over time and need replacement. Stuck rings are common, particularly if the pistons were stopped below the inlet ports, which allows air/moisture into the cylinders. And, as many of us have learned, brake problems may not show up until the bike has been back on the road and ridden a bit. Corrosion will build up in light bulb sockets. Chain may need replacement, and you might as well change sprockets at the same time. Fork seals dry out from non-use. Clutch plates can stick together and not release when you pull on the clutch lever. All fixable, some labor, some in parts.

In short, don't expect to remove the storage grease and get on and ride. You will need to do all the recommended maintenance checks and really check out all mechanical functions.

Hard to tell without seeing the bike, but $500.00 seems a bit high to me. The bike is non-running, is not a classic or in high demand, and will take a fair amount of time and money to make street-reliable. I've over-spent in the past, ended up with a lot more money into a bike than it is worth. This is not bad if you plan to keep the bike for a long time, as I have done with my XJ, so you have to make the decision. However, plan on putting around $500.00 into it at a minimum, bringing your total investment much closer to the $1K mark.

If the bike is worth it to you, go ahead and buy it. I really like to see these oldies kept in one piece and back on the road, but you need to be realistic about the potential costs involved.

[Shawn27530]

Its Mine

Picked it up today, got him down to 400.00. It really is a good looking bike. I realize I will have to go through everything. An old bikes worth, really means nothing to me, I like old japanese stuff and its my hobby. My hobby use to be a chevy drag car, and these motorcycles are much, much cheaper. Anyway I took it to my buddies shop to show it to him and he told me where another one was just like it. So I went and got that one too for 50 bucks and the engine on this one turns and has compression too. The carbs on this machine sure are some strange looking fuel mixers!

Although SWMBO is going to have a freakin cow when she gets home tonight. Because now I have bikes on her side of the garage also.

[GNEPIG]

.. cool,. a service manual should be your very next purchase
make sure you change the injector oil, 20 year old 2 stroke oil cant be very good and make sure that the oil pump sends it to where ever its supposed to go before attempting to start, a manual will tell you how to check this and how to bleed the lines.. if the injector oil tank has oil in it, then plan on there being alot of oil under the cylinders. oil seeps past the oil pump after it sits for too long. when you first get it running it will smoke big time and ooze out of the pipes some, no worries this will pass
.. if the guy who parked it was good and he drained all the gas from the fuel tank and carbs and lubed them, then you might not have to clean the carbs and tank
.. good luck and post some pics

[webbcraft2150]

I scoop it up!! Had a GT550 way back when. Was really quick (ok, XS11's were still just a dream). Typical poor brakes and crappy handling, loved those 2nd gear wheelies. Overall it was a troublefree bike. If you cruise some of the classic bike sites, you will find them going for a whole bunch more than $500. Now, where is my bottle of Torco 2-stroke?