80-81 Suzuki GSX1100T-ET-EX wire wheel racing history. Does anyone actually know?

[tubehead]

I have restored 2 of these and have owned 6 other mag wheel models over the past 5 years.I currently have 2 an 80 ET(to be restored as soon as it arrives from Qld) and 81 EX mag wheels .
When I first restored the 79 T model I new it was a genuine wire wheel model because I bought it off the original owner and the VIN:GS110X100214 showed it to be in the first 300 bikes to be produced according the haynes manual.The current 1980 ET has wire wheels but I have no way of proving it came with factory wire wheels.

Here are my actual questions:

1.Did the First Castrol 6 hour wire wheel models come that way special order from the factory or where they a general sale option ?

2.When did the wire wheel option finish?

I have a article from Two Wheels September 1981 showing Neville Hiscock and Allan Hale sitting on 81 EX Models both with wire wheels.When I rang Mick Hone here in Melbourne and asked about EX wire wheel models I was told there was never any such model as wire wheel EXs in Australia.

Any accurate information would be appreciated as there is all sorts of myths and BS floating around about "BATHURST SPECIALS " and anything with wire wheels is an ex factory racer>

[FJRider]

Katman will be along to explain. If he doesn't ... leave a message on his profile page.

[Jantar]

Katman now owns my old one. I believe it was one of the first 12 ever made. However Katman can check on that.

[Grumph]

Try posing the question on the GS resources site. There are a few aussies on there who were around at the time...

[jellywrestler]

Katman now owns my old one. I believe it was one of the first 12 ever made. However Katman can check on that.

are you talking GSX or Katana GSX?

[jellywrestler]

Neville Hiscock and Allan Hale sitting on 81 EX Models both with wire wheels.

one of alan hales six hour bikes is currently on ebay auusie for sale
our GSX's were called black pipers (not to be confused with the Katanas which were also GSX...) and they had black painted centre headers and mufflers.

[FJRider]

Actually ... in 1980, in the Australian Castrol 6-hour the pair that achieved ninth place, Dave Hiscock and Alan Hales on a Suzuki GSX1100; 313 laps completed.

In the 1981 Australian Castrol 6-hour, the pair that achieved fourth place was Dave Hiscock and Neil Chivas, on a Suzuki GSX1100; 310 laps completed.

[FJRider]

Here are my actual questions:

1.Did the First Castrol 6 hour wire wheel models come that way special order from the factory or where they a general sale option ?

2.When did the wire wheel option finish?

A few answers in this thread.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ics+%281982%29

[Katman]

Katman will be along to explain. If he doesn't ... leave a message on his profile page.

Different bike to mine and I'm assuming the OP is talking about the Aussie Castrol 6 Hour.

I know a fair bit about the NZ Black Pipers but nothing of the Australian ones.

[FJRider]

Different bike to mine and I'm assuming the OP is talking about the Aussie Castrol 6 Hour.

I know a fair bit about the NZ Black Pipers but nothing of the Australian ones.

I posted a link to a KB thread .... it seems they pretty much ordered bikes from Japan (ex factory) with the specs/parts they wanted them fitted with. Wire wheels it would seem were parts they wanted fitted.

[roogazza]

Different bike to mine and I'm assuming the OP is talking about the Aussie Castrol 6 Hour.

I know a fair bit about the NZ Black Pipers but nothing of the Australian ones.

As far as the NZ Black pipers, I thought they were a NZ thingy. Australians may have sourced wire wheels though.

Aussies were into their Hondas and it wasn't until Dave Hissy went across to Bathurst and kicked their arses that they thought "hey these things are great". ( I don't even think he was on a black piper either ?) His exact words to me after that race was, "It's just like the Tukas mate, easy !)

I hope to catch up with him at Xmas. I'll ask.

[bistard]

I have restored 2 of these and have owned 6 other mag wheel models over the past 5 years.I currently have 2 an 80 ET(to be restored as soon as it arrives from Qld) and 81 EX mag wheels .
When I first restored the 79 T model I new it was a genuine wire wheel model because I bought it off the original owner and the VIN:GS110X100214 showed it to be in the first 300 bikes to be produced according the haynes manual.The current 1980 ET has wire wheels but I have no way of proving it came with factory wire wheels.

Here are my actual questions:

1.Did the First Castrol 6 hour wire wheel models come that way special order from the factory or where they a general sale option ?

2.When did the wire wheel option finish?

I have a article from Two Wheels September 1981 showing Neville Hiscock and Allan Hale sitting on 81 EX Models both with wire wheels.When I rang Mick Hone here in Melbourne and asked about EX wire wheel models I was told there was never any such model as wire wheel EXs in Australia.

Any accurate information would be appreciated as there is all sorts of myths and BS floating around about "BATHURST SPECIALS " and anything with wire wheels is an ex factory racer>

I have a 1981 GSX1100 black pipe wire wheel (replica)in my garage,it has the correct wire wheels, black pipes,carbs cams, modified petrol tank etc from an original,if you want correct information on the NZ bikes, you need to get a hold of Carl Coleman, who lives in Taupo
He being a Coleman, was working for Suzuki back then
Spyda, the outer exhaust pipes were black, as there are a larger diameter outlet than the standard NZ chrome ones, but they retained the two chrome centre pipes, as they were no different in size

[roogazza]

I have a 1981 GSX1100 black pipe wire wheel (replica)in my garage,it has the correct wire wheels, black pipes,carbs cams, modified petrol tank etc from an original,if you want correct information on the NZ bikes, you need to get a hold of Carl Coleman, who lives in Taupo
He being a Coleman, was working for Suzuki back then
Spyda, the outer exhaust pipes were black, as there are a larger diameter outlet than the standard NZ chrome ones, but they retained the two chrome centre pipes, as they were no different in size

Ahh Bazza, should of thought ? You should know about them. They weren't in Aus were they ?

[bistard]

Ahh Bazza, should of thought ? You should know about them. They weren't in Aus were they ?

No I dont think so,even looking at that photo in the first post, they look like just standard bikes with wire wheels
I thought the NZ bikes were built in Wanganui, but that was never confirmned, even from the man who built them
Speaking with Dave Hiscock about the Wire wheelers, he never rreally liked racing them, the standrard bikes were easier to ride
But the man to speak to is Carl, i understand he still has alot of the info, chassis numbers etc

[sidecar bob]

I have Carls number if required.
I also have a bit of stuff for GSX1100's mainly road parts that were not needed in the building of a couple of race bikes.