Classic GT380

[Dadpole]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=60458400&key=400575
So special that it has had a crankshaft grind. (2 stroke fans will know)
Apart from that - BUY IT. (you listening Ixion?) A classic bling 2-smoker. I would be interested, but I seem to have spent my money on yet another old clunker from the past

[Ixion]

Yith. Saw that. he's got another, even cheaper. Not interested. never liked the small triples. And the crank seals will be shot for certain.

[Dadpole]

Too heavy, and too slow - but I have a soft spot for the 380 and 550. Have owned a couple of the 550's in the distant past, and loved the '70's "over the top" chrome and "4 pipes on a triple" look.

[merv]

Yeah what's with the crank grind? Surely the 380 was a typical stroker for the era with needle roller built up crank and all you do is replace the crank pins and bearings and if necessary the rods. Crank grinds are usually the preserve of plain bearing cranks aren't they?

[Ixion]

Don't mind the looks, just never took to the small triples. The GT750 was OK, but the small ones never quite seemed to get it together compared with the T500 and X7/T350 twins. On paper they should have been really good bikes, but in reality something never quite worked for them. I much prefer the twins.

[Ixion]

Yeah what's with the crank grind? Surely the 380 was a typical stroker for the era with needle roller built up crank and all you do is replace the crank pins and bearings and if necessary the rods. Crank grinds are usually the preserve of plain bearing cranks aren't they?
Yes, that's why Mr Dadpole was being ironic.

[Motu]

Too right - the 380 and 550 triples were crap,not a patch on the twins and GT750,and the styling was ghastly even in the day.I dunno about the crank grind bit either - to do bearings on a triple would be three times the cost of the bike.

[Jantar]

I have a soft spot for the GT380. They were never designed as a sports bike, but in a way became the adventure/touring bike of the day. I could go places on a 380 that I would never tackle on a 750, yet they would cruise all day at an indicated 120 kmh. On a trip from Dunedin to Auckland via Taranaki (going north) and Waikaremoana (going south) I averaged 54 mpg, and the seating was comfortable to just keep going all day.

The only issues were lack of ground clearance, and soft suspension. Both of these could be corrected with a few $$$$$$$.

[Ixion]

Too right - the 380 and 550 triples were crap,not a patch on the twins and GT750,and the styling was ghastly even in the day.I dunno about the crank grind bit either - to do bearings on a triple would be three times the cost of the bike.

Centre main bearings were non standard, haven't been available for years. They seldom go bad , because one thing that was super good on those engines was the centre main bearing lubrication, from the gearbox oil. Certainly shouldn't need a bottom end done at only 40000 km, unless it's been run without oil .

[gav]

OMG!!! I had one of those, same colour and all, nasty piece of work......

[Dadpole]

OMG!!! I had one of those, same colour and all, nasty piece of work......

Admit it. If you had it now, you would call it a classic. :D

When the GT380 was released, I had a T350, and was surprised how much quicker the 350 was. The 380 was much more comfortable though, and I once did a non stop (except for petrol and a ciggy) Welly to Akld ride on my GT550 which hurt less than 300 km on the T350.

[T.W.R]

Ha fun old beast, for the noise if nothing else. A old flatmate/work mate used to have one when i left school, we used to do the late shift finishing about 2am in the morning & used to give it the berries on the way home showering sparks from C/stand & other bits. Flexed like buggery when pushed & the brakes gave a few :gob: moments. Gutless but the microns sounded trick :yes:.

That ones tidy enough for its age but the corned up centre pipe is a bit suspect though:blip:

[Kickaha]

C because one thing that was super good on those engines was the centre main bearing lubrication, from the gearbox oil

I don't think it was lubricated from the gearbox, it was pumped frpm the two stroke pump into the back of the engine casing

I had a GT550J for a year or so, we had three GT550 haning about the place, with 3-1 chambers :lol: they may not have worked the best but the sound was glorious

[Ixion]

Oil pump feeds the cylinders and the outer crank mains, inner crank mains are supplied from the transmission .Same as the GT750 and GT500. Twas a Suzuki thing. And cos the outer mains are shielded from the crankcase chambers you can't run those bikes on premix.

[roogazza]

I can remember in 1976 going to Manfeild with a mate, me on a T350 and him on a GT380 ! We both blitzed the brand new then, RD 400s !!!! Needless to say the powers that be, said , " bring those bikes back here in 410 production and we'll ban you for a year ". !!!!!!!! I think my mate had TM125 pistons amongest other stuff ? My T350 was fast too !!!! Gaz. :yawn:

[inlinefour]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=60458400&key=400575
So special that it has had a crankshaft grind. (2 stroke fans will know)
Apart from that - BUY IT. (you listening Ixion?) A classic bling 2-smoker. I would be interested, but I seem to have spent my money on yet another old clunker from the past

Ive got the bigger kettle in the garage, pretty nuts of a bike. If anyone needs a workshop manual for the GT380, I have one spare also.

[SPman]

I averaged 54 mpg,

Shit! Best I ever got on the Kwaka 350 was 29 mpg!!! - normally about 25mpg and 500 mpp (miles per plugs)

[Kickaha]

Shit! Best I ever got on the Kwaka 350 was 29 mpg!!! - normally about 25mpg and 500 mpp (miles per plugs)

Well the worst we got out of our Kwacka S3 400 was down to 15mpg :lol:

[paturoa]

My brother had a 380 and it was a crap bike. It ate plugs for breakfast and spat him off in the afternoon.

Not happy with that he then got an kwaka H2 750 which I spent many hours on in the shed. It didn't eat plugs but spat him off even quicker than the 380.

[Morepower]

I had a GT380 back in the day , it was falling apart then , but it was a great bike , a mate had an immaculate one but his couldnt get out of its own way where as my abused one was reasonably fast for its time, certainly way faster than Hondas dreadfull CB360. but it was a bit slower than the RD350 . I sold it an got a GT750 , good bike but not much quicker point to point than the old 380 in real terms , less ground clearance , heavier.
Always had a soft spot for 380's , the 6 speed box was something back then as well. Probably be horrified by one these days though.

Dave

[Jantar]

.... Probably be horrified by one these days though.


Last time I rode one it felt just weird for the first few minutes. The seating position was just too far forward, and the pegs were neither far enough back to be sporty, nor far enough forward to cruise.

After a while though it all came back, and I just let the bike flow. It still scraped the stand on every corner, and wallowed like a beached whale, but did everything I asked of it. For a 30 year old bike it was still OK for what it was designed for.

[Dadpole]

I had a GT380 back in the dayl. Probably be horrified by one these days though.

Dave

That is the trouble with nostalgia.
I had a spin on a T250 a couple of months back, and could not believe how strange and uncomfortable it was.
Perhaps my old T350 was made by a different factory! I mean - my body has not changed, has it?

[Morepower]

That is the trouble with nostalgia.
I had a spin on a T250 a couple of months back, and could not believe how strange and uncomfortable it was.
Perhaps my old T350 was made by a different factory! I mean - my body has not changed, has it?

Mmmm sometimes memories are best left alone :)