Kawasaki GT550 - It exists, right?

[Blackshear]

Guy down the road is selling his GT550 for $1500, but I can't bloody find any info on it.
I've tried Kawasaki and Yamaha - but I was certain of Kawasaki, I have this incredible picture memory, you see.

Needs a new front tyre, missing airbox (he has, but it's old) and had a new gasket.
Thoughts?

P.s: I'm bored. Hello, world.

EDIT: It's not a 2stroke

[Kickaha]

Guy down the road is selling his GT550 for $1500, but I can't bloody find any info on it.
I've tried Kawasaki and Yamaha - but I was certain of Kawasaki, I have this incredible picture memory, you see.

Needs a new front tyre, missing airbox (he has, but it's old) and had a new gasket.
Thoughts?

P.s: I'm bored. Hello, world.

Kawasaki built a GT550 in the eighties which was a four stroke four cylinder

Suzuki built a GT550 in the early seventies which was a 2 stroke 3 cylinder

[Blackshear]

Kawasaki built a GT550 in the eighties which was a four stroke four cylinder

Suzuki built a GT550 in the early seventies which was a 2 stroke 3 cylinder

Definitely a 4t, 4 headers and no expansion chambers.
I would have a look down the road but he's left and wont be back till monday afternoon =(

I understand it was part of the cookie-cut model era.

[BMWST?]

http://www.motorbikespecs.net/images/Kawasaki/GT_550_G1-G3_83-87/GT_550_G1-G3_83-87_1.jpg

your google fu (http://www.google.co.nz/#hl=en&pq=kawasaki%20gt%20550%20specs&xhr=t&q=kawasaki+gt+550&cp=15&pf=p&sclient=psy&source=hp&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=kawasaki+gt+550&pbx=1&fp=db543a010f3de715&bs=1) must be weak grasshopper

[Latte]

Was looking at a gt750 a while back, shaft driven tourer, based on the kz/z model.

Would be a neat project.

[Blackshear]

piccy

Thanks for the hotlink, I don't know why it was so hard to find a goddamn page on it. Kept getting suzuki gt550's, which is the more awesome variant.

[Sable]

next time type -suzuki which will exclude all results containing suzuki.

[shafty]

there's a couple of GT750's bobbing about too Mate, including http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Classic-vintage/auction-363102245.htm

[jasonu]

Was looking at a gt750 a while back, shaft driven tourer, based on the kz/z model.

Would be a neat project.

That bike won Bike of the Year in (I think) an Aussie mag 2 Wheels maybe.

[Paul in NZ]

That bike won Bike of the Year in (I think) an Aussie mag 2 Wheels maybe.

GT750's are a very nice bike as it happens BUT winning Bike of the year in a magazine usually just means that the local distributer had the most $$ in his advertising budget that year.

[jasonu]

GT750's are a very nice bike as it happens BUT winning Bike of the year in a magazine usually just means that the local distributer had the most $$ in his advertising budget that year.

Probable true but I was just sayin'.
Actually I think they are pig ugly. (sorry to GT fans everywhere)

[Oakie]

That bike won Bike of the Year in (I think) an Aussie mag 2 Wheels maybe.

Yes it did. 'Two Wheels' mag. All I remember is that it came with some sort of rack on the back and it had a rear light (either tail or brake) that was grey until lit up. Very nice looking bike and the review was basically that it was an unheralded bike with no real wow factor that nevertheless was the complete package and impressed the reviwers as a good honest bike. Sort of like the Speights 'Southern Man' of bikes.

[Crasherfromwayback]

The GT's, Z550 (G), and Z750(P) were both just shaft driven variants of the GPZ550/750, with tamer cams etc. Both were fucking good bikes.

[george formby]

The GT's, Z550 (G), and Z750(P) were both just shaft driven variants of the GPZ550/750, with tamer cams etc. Both were fucking good bikes.

I can vouch for that. Had a GT750 as my first big bike, needed shaft drive to deal with 45'000 mls a year work & pleasure. At the time they were very sought after by couriers.

Nice bike, easy to live with & look after. Limited ground clearance for keeping up with the first CBR600's:facepalm: Good resistance to hedges.

It was written off by a guy wheelying a CBR1000F who lost it & used my parked bike as a hay bale. :angry:

[Crasherfromwayback]

Aye. Typical 2 valve Kawasaki. Bullet proof. 'Cept for looped out Hondas!

[george formby]

Aye. Typical 2 valve Kawasaki. Bullet proof. 'Cept for looped out Hondas!

That was the first bike that made me cry, well, have a little sob. The accident happened at Devils Bridge in Yorkshire & I lived in Northumberland:facepalm: I can still remember seeing my bike up in the air & admiring how clean the pipes underneath were. Then it dawned on me...:gob:

Prick on the Honda had nasty gravel rash where his jeans had split from ankle to arse. Small consolation.

Any hoo, back on topic:shutup:

[george formby]

Forgot too mention it rattled like a Red Cross charity box when it was cold. Even from new.

[Latte]

The GT's, Z550 (G), and Z750(P) were both just shaft driven variants of the GPZ550/750, with tamer cams etc. Both were fucking good bikes.

I wasn't far off the money then :D - I turned down the GT due to the shaft, then afterwards changed my mind but it had already gone :( My loss.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I wasn't far off the money then :D - I turned down the GT due to the shaft, then afterwards changed my mind but it had already gone :( My loss.

There will be more!

[Crasherfromwayback]

Forgot too mention it rattled like a Red Cross charity box when it was cold. Even from new.

Yeah Kawasaki had a bad run for a while there with dodgy cam chain tensioners.

[AllanB]

Bloody fine bikes. The 750 was a beaut, stunning in gold and black.

[BMWST?]

Bloody fine bikes. The 750 was a beaut, stunning in gold and black.

most of the 750s were a strange greeny grey colur

[Crasherfromwayback]

most of the 750s were a strange greeny grey colur

Most of the 750's sold in NZ were either Gold, Red or Silver.

[george formby]

Most of the 750's sold in NZ were either Gold, Red or Silver.

I had a red one, proper metal side panels, battery behind one, tool kit behind the other, metal mud guards too IIR & self canceling indicators. Flash as... :yes:

Wheels were a prick to clean, sharp edges were they had been ground off. Suspension & shaft drive coped with my 19 year old insensibility in a bouncy stoic kind of way.

Oh the memories...:woohoo:

[george formby]

most of the 750s were a strange greeny grey colur

That would be the metallic minty green, forerunner to the current swine flu mucus green.

[Blackshear]

Gonna go and give it a test ride, wish me luck :woohoo:

[Blackshear]

Gave it a spin after she warmed up, gotta say I felt a little let down by my bandit afterwards. Oddly the bigger engine, has far more torque, and the shaft driven goodness was so goddamn smooth. Like a sofa with some nuts.

What problems are these bikes prone to, if any?
Guy says the gasket has just been done and there's a bit of oil down the front of the engine (says the mechs didn't wash it up), front/rear tyres need replacing and the reg lapsed october last year. Brakes seem good, front is a little squishy and rear is well... drum.

[Crasherfromwayback]

What problems are these bikes prone to, if any?
Guy says the gasket has just been done and there's a bit of oil down the front of the engine (says the mechs didn't wash it up), front/rear tyres need replacing and the reg lapsed october last year. Brakes seem good, front is a little squishy and rear is well... drum.

None really. Just watch for oil usage if it's high in the km's. If the 'mechanic' didn't wash the oil from the engine when he/she did the job...he's/she's a useless cunt. I think you'll find the owner tried to do it, and it's still leaking. Take a pic of the oil leak...and show us. Can't for the life on me remember (and I can't be arsed looking sorry) if they have a cable driven tacho. If so...it's semi normal for them to leak there. Brakes were squishy. Single piston sliding calipers and non floating discs + rubber lines = well squishy. Just squeeze them harder. Drum brakes actually work really well.