Evolution - The GT750R
When first rumoured in 1968, the Suzuki 750 was expected to be an out and out screaming two stroke road burner. After all, a simple calculation meant it would, in theory, be 1.5+ times the performance of the well established Suzuki 500 twin and this is the route that the competition Kawasaki were taking in developind high capacity, high performance two strokes. For a time there seemed to most observers that the actual launch was delayed for some reason not accounted for. It appeared that Suzuki at some time towards the end of the R&D had reservations they just could not get a heavier watercooled machine to convincingly beat its air cooled rivals. Any increase in performance by the addition of watercooling through better running tolerances, were likely to be lost through the extra weight that would entail. Increasing the performance by more than conservative cylinder/crankcase/porting designs would, it was considered, spoil the potential reliability. A change of direction seemed to have been the course that was taken, with an aim to target the large US touring market with a two stroke tuned for a very wide power band,right through the 2000 to 7000rpm range, but who knows their motives? The racing version developed from the GT750 had a world beating performance but reliability, as was their concern, always held it back from realising its full performance potential.
However disappointed the press were at the time of the launch with the lack of more sporting performance, the GT750 was an immediate success with buyers. The styling, the sound being much more quiet than your average two stroke of the time, the comfort, the touring capability, plus the fact that it was no slouch despite what was expected, and all that for a very good price made it a winner from the start. .
Make no mistake, success through sales in the US was the only overriding factor that drove major manufacturers to maximise their profits and the Americans bought them by the boatload throughout the bikes production run. However, emission regulations killed off any future development of the Kettle or any replacement along with other large capacity two strokes, otherwise we may well have seen a 1000cc inline 4 cylinder watercooled two stroke from Suzuki ......WoW!!!. Now that's a Club I would like to have had a chance to join - The Cental Heating Boiler Club for the Suzuki GT1000, not a Kettle, but a Boiler ....... not too sure of that one though!! Sadly, there was seen to be no future in other than 4 stroke engines, as our old two stroke smokers would have their day and be no more making their way to the scrap yard within say, a generation. But how wrong they were with a thriving devotion to our now "Classic" bikes which look to be with us for many, many a year yet!
1971 - GT750R
