Topic: Suzuki GT550 Triple

[BenelliSEI]

Flipped this bike a few years ago. Saw another one today, sounded great and reminded me what a nice machine it was......

[ekpent]

 I got one collecting dust that I bought back on Jan 5th of 2011. Came with stock exhaust also as well as the chambers. Played with it back then and heard it run but haven't done anything since.Fairly low miles. I'm probably moving towards doing some serious downsizing this spring/summer and might let it go if I can get a better grasp on what it may be worth. They are getting kind of scarce finding any survivors out there still hiding away. Couple old pics from when I bought it.

[BenelliSEI]

Nice pipes. Looks the same as the one I had! I think I got Cdn$5500 for it a few years ago. Had it running really well and it was clean. Quick too, felt like a CB750 on acceleration, lovely noise.

[HondaMan]

They ARE quick, and can challenge a CB750 (if the latter's rider isn't on his toes). At speed in top gear the 550 is a smooth hiway ride, too. We sold a lot of them in my shop, and not one complaint ever. One guy bought his in the Spring of 1972 ($965 out the door) and rode it from Illinois to Alaska and back on the (then dirt) Al-Can Hiway with his friend who had a Norton Commando. When he got back to our shop that Fall the bike was held together with duct tape, forks and swingarm were bent, still [sort of] rideable, ran OK with 40k miles on it. He said the hiway did it in during the trip, he was on his 5th set of chains & sprockets. He junked it and bought a 750 the following Spring.

The Commando didn't make it home, BTW...

[ekpent]

 Was that selling price you quoted from a private sale or an auction result like E-bay or similar ?  I'm sure you had that machine up to top notch condition.

[BenelliSEI]

Was that selling price you quoted from a private sale or an auction result like E-bay or similar ?  I'm sure you had that machine up to top notch condition.

Went to a fellow I know. It was one of the 6 bikes I bought at once. The previous owner had a complete spare motor and a few boxes of NOS parts. I included all of it, he got a pretty a pretty good deal! That was two years ago, and he’s still enjoying it.

[HondaMan]

About the only 2 things I remember the GT550/380 having issues with were:
1. The little suction checkvalves in the bottom of the crankcases (they just push in) that have vacuum hoses on them to help suck out the oil that collects there (and makes smoke) would get plugged up. Then they would smoke a lot on hard accel after riding around in town.
2. The 550 ATE rear tires, much like the CB750, because they were slightly too small for the accel power of the bike. This one could run right with my own (Vetter-d) 750K2 up to 95 MPH, after that I could just walk away from it. They topped out at about 102 MPH (my K2 then topped at 121, 126 indicated).

[BenelliSEI]

I’ll pass that info on! Thanks.

[ekpent]

 One thing I noticed after working on mine and a GT380 was the type of rubber that they had used for some rubber top  boots on the carbs.On both bikes that stuff had turned to some kind of a very sticky and gooey type of a jelly like substance that had coated and ran down into places etc.. Took some work with lacquer thinner first to clean that mess up.