This was my first motorbike, back in 1977, I had a red Suzuki GT185B, it took me everywhere, was a right little screamer, it was reliable, tried always to get a bit more punch out of it, fitted expansion Chambers, jetted the carbs up, fitted bellmouths, had the inlet and exhaust ports opened up and polished, got 90 out of it, but for a bike of its size it had cracking acceleration, happy day's they were for a 17 year old, great memories when there was about 15 of us riding around everywhere.
One of my mates had GT185 in 1980.All the rest of us had GT250’s.Anyway after this 185 was ported & fitted with expansion pipes it wasn’t far off a standard 250
This was my first ever motorcycle! It took me on a 50 mile round trip to work every day for a year, until I got a car license. It was super reliable, if a little noisy, and I had to cut the engine after doing a night shift and role into my parents driveway quietly!!! Shhhh! It always started in the foulest of British winters and I came off it many times, rebuilding it when required. I used to race my mate on his RD 200 at weekends but always felt safer on my Suzuki! It took me all over the North West and its only failure was a dead battery! Brilliant bike. Many thanks for this!
This was my first vehicle in '78 - I couldn't afford a car, but I found one of these used at a "bike" shop with the birthday savings bonds my grandparents gave me since I was an infant. It was a bone-freezing day and the salesman taught me to ride enough so I could get it home. No windshield so I had to stop for coffee & warmth about every convenience store. She was such a pretty bike, and I rode her for a few years rain, shine, and even light snow a couple times, and loved it! I did all my own work on her, and it's lovely to hear one like her again! 😊💜
I was just born in '78, but I did own a GT185 a dozen years ago that I traded for a scooter. I liked it a lot, but unfortunately it was stolen and I miss the sound of it.
Wow what a lovely story and you sister are bad azz cool , to be so young and ride a bike geez you are a mans dream come true :) God bless you sister :)
I thrashed the hell out of one of these as a dispatch rider in London in summer 1977. Life before digital. Delivering artwork to record companies with glamorous same-age teenage receptionists who wouldn't give you eye-contact , x-rays getting destroyed strapping them down with bungee cords to the back rack, round film cans falling off the bike in busy roads, delivering sodden wet accounts bundles in heavy traffic to offices on the other side of London as last drop on Friday evening (which would turn out to be closed). Best bit was when there was no work in and everyone one was back at base, and the mad suicidal runs to a kebab place for lunch, GT250's, RD250's, RD125's, everything, sparks coming out of foot pegs on a crazy race through London backstreets in Battersea with adrenaline pulsing. I also remember getting pulled up by Police motorcyclists on old Triumphs. A severe telling-off, then a kindly word on how I should tuck my scarf in, and buy some proper gear. Never ever used the electric start, couldn't afford a new battery to make it work.
I was riding mine around San Antonio the summer of 77 before going into boot camp on September 15th. Partied a little too hard the night before leaving and was driving against traffic on a split, multi lane highway in a suburb called Leon Valley with very strict cops. The first car coming down the hill was a cop. 😂 He pulled me over and asked me if I'd been drinking. I'd admitted I had. He asked me why and I said I was leaving for Navy Boot Camp in the morning. He asked where I lived, and I said 2 miles away. He let me go with a warning.
Had a gt185 back in 75 after my visit then moved on to a gt380E and then a GS750E until I sold it for a deposit on a flat. Greatest time of our lives in the 70s
It certainly was. And an incredible restoration. Back in the day, at the time it was a mate that had a GT185, i always thought it was better than my Honda CB125S. After a couple of years I got a bigger bike, it had to be a Suzuki... in 1980 i bought a brand new Suzuki GS550 - if only JT could do a restoration on one of them as well.
I loved those bikes from the early to mid 70's. I had a Yamaha RD200A model in that same Candy Orange colour. Bikes from that era were in a variety of metallic colours. Especially so, the Suzuki range right up to the GT750 which was favourite bike at the time, along with the Kawasaki 900 Z1. Your bike looks like new. I'm from the UK as you will have guessed by my spelling. Great Bike.
My mate Kev, had one for, I think for 4 -5 years, replaced it with a z1300, he died a couple of years ago, with a Lifetime of motorbikes and he was still going on about his gt 185, not long before he passed. Most of my mates were Kawasaki triple guys, kev always lagged behind and then obliterated us with his z1300. RIP Kev you were a really great bloke.
nice restoration..looks perfect..in London back in the early 80's i had 2 GT185's and a GT125 and a GT500A...then i got Kawasaki 250 triple and began selling off the Suzukis..the 3 smaller ones gone by the mid 80's..i kept the 500 till the 90's..the demand for these 70's bikes nowadays..you couldn't give them away here back in the day..i'm supposed to be restoring my 250 triple..i sold it once..but it came back to me 5 or 6 years later..and i kept it..most steel parts are rusty but not the repainted frame and swing arm..i'll somehow find the funds to get more of it assembled..whether it's ever finished in my lifetime i can't say
My first-ever motorcycle, bought on my 17th birthday in 1976 (cost £430 new, plus hire-purchase interest!). I covered thousands of miles on it, hit the ton on it (legs back on passenger pegs, chest on the tank!), almost got killed several times on it. I cleaned that bike every day I had it. My first love. Only 'problem' I had with it was loose exhaust baffles. They fell to bits after a few months (I can hear them rattling on this one). People could hear me coming from 3 miles away. 5 miles away on a still night. It wasn't really a problem! Nowadays, it would rightly be illegal.
Had that exact bike, i did have an electrical problem with one cylinder cutting out occasionally, never could isolate the problem and fix it. But it was a great bike wish i still had it.
I remember when suzuki launched the GT ram air range. Kens motorcycles in Newcastle had the full range lined up from the 125 to the 750 all metallic blue. Other colours were available but the front window had all the blue one in. Wish I owned a camera back then it would have made a great photo. 😂
I just submitted the GT185 to Bring A Trailer? I will see in a week or so if they accept it for auction. If it is accepted it will take a month or more for the auction to start and it lasts a week. I would watch it and see what the final bid is.
Thanks for sharing this restoratio in full detail. I an looking at one that has seen better days but has lots of original components still on her. Can you tell where to source parts? I understand the are not easy to find.
Hi I am a big Chiefs fan and anyone with the name Pecchio is tops with me. It might be better to ask me specific questions on this build then I may be able to direct you to where I went to find that part. Glad to help. Do you know if you can send pics here in the comments?
@@JTSCUSTOMS thanks for your answer ! Congrats on chiefs victory ! On the bike, it's a 1975 gt185 seller said it's missing the crank and a piston. he is asking 200$. From reading I now parts are hard to come by. Have seen some at ebay. I would have to travel 4hrs to see this bike in person to assess exactly what's missing.
Were you aware that the model year of this bike had a fatal engine flaw? After several hundred miles, the transmission oil dipstick would eventually break off and drop into the gearbox.....with predictable results:- From Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_GT_series "The 1974 model had a fatal engine flaw that caused steel powder and eventually half of the transmission oil dipstick to drop into the transmission. The rubber stopper for the transmission oil fill hole allowed the dip stick to vibrate enough to contact the primary drive gear. If not caught within ~300 miles from new, the bearings in the transmission would be ruined." That aside, you certainly have done a lovely job on the restoration!
Hi Mike. Thank you for the heads up! I have sold this one long ago and hope the new owner sees your comment. I am a resto guy that focuses on cosmetics. I ride the bikes before doing any work to see how well they run and if they run great I go forward with the resto. I am diving into the cases and transmissions of the small Honda atcs' and motorcycles and will start to branch out to bigger bikes as I get up to speed.
@@JTSCUSTOMS Ah, I've got something of a soft spot for these old Suzuki two-strokes.....the 'baby' triple in particular, the GT380. Had one myself; lovely cruising bike, and very reliable once electronic ignition was fitted. I hadn't even thought about it for years. When I caught this vid of yours, I got reading up about them on Wikipedia.....and came across that tidbit about the 185's transmission. Thought it'd be the decent thing to let ya know.....at least you probably have some idea where the owner lives, if nothing else!
Hi. I get my paint from VMR paints online. The color on this one was a real bear to match and I had to go to two local paint shops before finding the "match" as Suzuki has no codes for this color that anyone can make any sense out of. I ended up with House Of Color BC07 "Gamma Gold" Base Coat and UK12 "Pegan Gold" Mid Coat. No one could get this from their House Of Color Suppliers but when I called Dirk @ VMR he said he could get it! I think it was around $250 for the two. I have primer, silver base coat, and clear on hand most of the time so it would be more if you wanted the complete kit.
I've been offer this bike for $4200 in Oregon JT which is why I'm trying to verify all this with you. Something seems off about this deal. Please try to get in touch with me.
This was my first motorbike, back in 1977, I had a red Suzuki GT185B, it took me everywhere, was a right little screamer, it was reliable, tried always to get a bit more punch out of it, fitted expansion Chambers, jetted the carbs up, fitted bellmouths, had the inlet and exhaust ports opened up and polished, got 90 out of it, but for a bike of its size it had cracking acceleration, happy day's they were for a 17 year old, great memories when there was about 15 of us riding around everywhere.
One of my mates had GT185 in 1980.All the rest of us had GT250’s.Anyway after this 185 was ported & fitted with expansion pipes it wasn’t far off a standard 250
This was my first ever motorcycle! It took me on a 50 mile round trip to work every day for a year, until I got a car license. It was super reliable, if a little noisy, and I had to cut the engine after doing a night shift and role into my parents driveway quietly!!! Shhhh! It always started in the foulest of British winters and I came off it many times, rebuilding it when required. I used to race my mate on his RD 200 at weekends but always felt safer on my Suzuki! It took me all over the North West and its only failure was a dead battery! Brilliant bike. Many thanks for this!
This was my first vehicle in '78 - I couldn't afford a car, but I found one of these used at a "bike" shop with the birthday savings bonds my grandparents gave me since I was an infant. It was a bone-freezing day and the salesman taught me to ride enough so I could get it home. No windshield so I had to stop for coffee & warmth about every convenience store. She was such a pretty bike, and I rode her for a few years rain, shine, and even light snow a couple times, and loved it! I did all my own work on her, and it's lovely to hear one like her again! 😊💜
I was just born in '78, but I did own a GT185 a dozen years ago that I traded for a scooter. I liked it a lot, but unfortunately it was stolen and I miss the sound of it.
Wow what a lovely story and you sister are bad azz cool , to be so young and ride a bike geez you are a mans dream come true :) God bless you sister :)
Lovely story my friend ! Yes they were a good old girl ! So rare now ! 👍
I thrashed the hell out of one of these as a dispatch rider in London in summer 1977. Life before digital. Delivering artwork to record companies with glamorous same-age teenage receptionists who wouldn't give you eye-contact , x-rays getting destroyed strapping them down with bungee cords to the back rack, round film cans falling off the bike in busy roads, delivering sodden wet accounts bundles in heavy traffic to offices on the other side of London as last drop on Friday evening (which would turn out to be closed). Best bit was when there was no work in and everyone one was back at base, and the mad suicidal runs to a kebab place for lunch, GT250's, RD250's, RD125's, everything, sparks coming out of foot pegs on a crazy race through London backstreets in Battersea with adrenaline pulsing. I also remember getting pulled up by Police motorcyclists on old Triumphs. A severe telling-off, then a kindly word on how I should tuck my scarf in, and buy some proper gear. Never ever used the electric start, couldn't afford a new battery to make it work.
I was riding mine around San Antonio the summer of 77 before going into boot camp on September 15th.
Partied a little too hard the night before leaving and was driving against traffic on a split, multi lane highway in a suburb called Leon Valley with very strict cops.
The first car coming down the hill was a cop. 😂
He pulled me over and asked me if I'd been drinking.
I'd admitted I had.
He asked me why and I said I was leaving for Navy Boot Camp in the morning.
He asked where I lived, and I said 2 miles away.
He let me go with a warning.
Had a gt185 back in 75 after my visit then moved on to a gt380E and then a GS750E until I sold it for a deposit on a flat. Greatest time of our lives in the 70s
Thanks for sending us pondhoppers Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
It looks absolutely fantastic. I loved that bike back in the day. Much better than the crap we see nowadays.👍🇬🇧🔧
That sound. It takes me back. What an absolute gem you have created. JT you've done it again!
That's a beautiful little machine - I remember them back in the day . . I had a 250 . .
2:12-2:22
"... brand new from Indonesia."
I'm proud you got the part from my country. Your bike is very beautiful and its sound is very crispy.
It was quite the bike in its day with its grown-up looks, electric start, twin cylinders and hydraulic disc brake. That one certainly still is.
It certainly was. And an incredible restoration. Back in the day, at the time it was a mate that had a GT185, i always thought it was better than my Honda CB125S. After a couple of years I got a bigger bike, it had to be a Suzuki... in 1980 i bought a brand new Suzuki GS550 - if only JT could do a restoration on one of them as well.
Stunning, what a beautiful restoration!
I loved those bikes from the early to mid 70's. I had a Yamaha RD200A model in that
same Candy Orange colour. Bikes from that era were in a variety of metallic colours.
Especially so, the Suzuki range right up to the GT750 which was favourite bike at the
time, along with the Kawasaki 900 Z1. Your bike looks like new. I'm from the UK as
you will have guessed by my spelling. Great Bike.
Amazing!
A credit to you sir, a real blast from the past. Looking forward to the next restoration.
My mate Kev, had one for, I think for 4 -5 years, replaced it with a z1300, he died a couple of years ago, with a Lifetime of motorbikes and he was still going on about his gt 185, not long before he passed. Most of my mates were Kawasaki triple guys, kev always lagged behind and then obliterated us with his z1300. RIP Kev you were a really great bloke.
I loved the kwaq triples too, having owned an S1 & S3.
Always had a soft spot for the Suzukis though. Happy happy days..😊
From this to a 1300? Yaaaa thats a logical step lol
Beautiful
nice restoration..looks perfect..in London back in the early 80's i had 2 GT185's and a GT125 and a GT500A...then i got Kawasaki 250 triple and began selling off the Suzukis..the 3 smaller ones gone by the mid 80's..i kept the 500 till the 90's..the demand for these 70's bikes nowadays..you couldn't give them away here back in the day..i'm supposed to be restoring my 250 triple..i sold it once..but it came back to me 5 or 6 years later..and i kept it..most steel parts are rusty but not the repainted frame and swing arm..i'll somehow find the funds to get more of it assembled..whether it's ever finished in my lifetime i can't say
What a beauty, gorgeous
Great little smoker ! well done.👍
Looks fantastic and sounds fabulous
Awesome sound
She fired up no probles, lovely looking and sounding bike .
Wow ! I don’t know what else to say. Just badass.
Wow! You killed it! I’ve now restored two older bikes. A 1975 RD200 and Kawasaki KZ650CSR.
Great fun isn't it!
My first-ever motorcycle, bought on my 17th birthday in 1976 (cost £430 new, plus hire-purchase interest!). I covered thousands of miles on it, hit the ton on it (legs back on passenger pegs, chest on the tank!), almost got killed several times on it. I cleaned that bike every day I had it. My first love. Only 'problem' I had with it was loose exhaust baffles. They fell to bits after a few months (I can hear them rattling on this one). People could hear me coming from 3 miles away. 5 miles away on a still night. It wasn't really a problem! Nowadays, it would rightly be illegal.
Amasing work and amasing 2 stroke bike 👍
Aaah, the sound of my youth, wonderful!
Just picked up one of these in near mint original condition. Excellent.
Had that exact bike, i did have an electrical problem with one cylinder cutting out occasionally, never could isolate the problem and fix it. But it was a great bike wish i still had it.
Absolutly beauriful motorbike wow geez what a Gem :)
I had a 1975 bought new red and white great electric starting and kick was really nice.
I remember when suzuki launched the GT ram air range. Kens motorcycles in Newcastle had the full range lined up from the 125 to the 750 all metallic blue. Other colours were available but the front window had all the blue one in. Wish I owned a camera back then it would have made a great photo. 😂
Back in '77 it was a choice between this and the Yamaha RD200 DX, I went Yamaha. That's a lovely resto.
Thank You
Awesome 👍👍👍
Very cool!! I have the same bike in the same color in my shop waiting for the ever elusive time/money to show up!
The secret is to just get started and keep the project going most everyday even if it is just cleaning one bolt or small part!
Looks sweet
Excellente vidéo
This bike had/has a bigger following in England than the US. 😊
motor Suzuki Gt. yg bagus hanya ada dua...185 cc dg 380 cc. ok banget. suara nya bagus tdk kasar.....
Absolutely beautiful ,
Thank You
Suzuki make the best looking bikes ngl
I am 68. I never knew that the GT185 was electric start !
This is amazing. I'm eyeballing one myself that seems to be in relatively decent condition,, just got to get him to a reasonable price 😂😂
Mooi !!!!
J'ai eu la même identique en couleur 1975 superbe moto mais j'ai serré 2 fois😮💨
"chrome valve cover"... its a two stroke...
Hehehe!! Yep, BETTER keep an eye on the Oil Window every fill-up or you'll be looking for a new engine ! 😘
she is delicious, Thank you for saving her. great skills. You should be proud.
Thank You
my uncle clyde's 1st bike 1974 15yrs old maybe
Great work , I am working on a 1975 GT250 and it is coming out very nice . What do you think it will sell for . The market is strong right now.
I just submitted the GT185 to Bring A Trailer? I will see in a week or so if they accept it for auction. If it is accepted it will take a month or more for the auction to start and it lasts a week. I would watch it and see what the final bid is.
Did these not have the sheet metal around the head like I have seen on so many two stroke Suzuki's? It says ram air system.
Thanks for sharing this restoratio in full detail. I an looking at one that has seen better days but has lots of original components still on her. Can you tell where to source parts? I understand the are not easy to find.
Hi I am a big Chiefs fan and anyone with the name Pecchio is tops with me. It might be better to ask me specific questions on this build then I may be able to direct you to where I went to find that part. Glad to help. Do you know if you can send pics here in the comments?
@@JTSCUSTOMS thanks for your answer ! Congrats on chiefs victory ! On the bike, it's a 1975 gt185 seller said it's missing the crank and a piston. he is asking 200$. From reading I now parts are hard to come by. Have seen some at ebay. I would have to travel 4hrs to see this bike in person to assess exactly what's missing.
Were you aware that the model year of this bike had a fatal engine flaw? After several hundred miles, the transmission oil dipstick would eventually break off and drop into the gearbox.....with predictable results:-
From Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_GT_series
"The 1974 model had a fatal engine flaw that caused steel powder and eventually half of the transmission oil dipstick to drop into the transmission. The rubber stopper for the transmission oil fill hole allowed the dip stick to vibrate enough to contact the primary drive gear. If not caught within ~300 miles from new, the bearings in the transmission would be ruined."
That aside, you certainly have done a lovely job on the restoration!
Hi Mike. Thank you for the heads up! I have sold this one long ago and hope the new owner sees your comment. I am a resto guy that focuses on cosmetics. I ride the bikes before doing any work to see how well they run and if they run great I go forward with the resto. I am diving into the cases and transmissions of the small Honda atcs' and motorcycles and will start to branch out to bigger bikes as I get up to speed.
@@JTSCUSTOMS Ah, I've got something of a soft spot for these old Suzuki two-strokes.....the 'baby' triple in particular, the GT380. Had one myself; lovely cruising bike, and very reliable once electronic ignition was fitted.
I hadn't even thought about it for years. When I caught this vid of yours, I got reading up about them on Wikipedia.....and came across that tidbit about the 185's transmission. Thought it'd be the decent thing to let ya know.....at least you probably have some idea where the owner lives, if nothing else!
@@mikewalsh1768 I have a GT550 in the bone yard and I will get to it some day. It is needing more than the 185!
How does that thing have electric start when my 76 GT-250 didn’t? Beautiful bike.
😂
Mine didn't either . Strange that.
If you don't mind me asking what is the colour code for your bike. I am restoring my bike at the moment and I don't have the colour code. cheers
Hi. I get my paint from VMR paints online. The color on this one was a real bear to match and I had to go to two local paint shops before finding the "match" as Suzuki has no codes for this color that anyone can make any sense out of. I ended up with House Of Color BC07 "Gamma Gold" Base Coat and UK12 "Pegan Gold" Mid Coat. No one could get this from their House Of Color Suppliers but when I called Dirk @ VMR he said he could get it! I think it was around $250 for the two. I have primer, silver base coat, and clear on hand most of the time so it would be more if you wanted the complete kit.
Must be a hoot to drive in winding 35mph country roads
Khan sy ho yar
just let me putt it around the block a few times lol
You need to red line this bike for their to be any power. Oh what fun.. go fast or dont go..
Минск по японски
So what is the asking price ? Thanks
I do not have it listed anywhere but would sell it for $5,000
@@JTSCUSTOMS I had a 1977 back in 1979 rode the wheels off of it. You got 1 nice bike, I have a c50 2007 for past 10 yrs or so. Are you in the US?
Yes in the US. Reno Nevada
Still have the bike?
I've been offer this bike for $4200 in Oregon JT which is why I'm trying to verify all this with you. Something seems off about this deal. Please try to get in touch with me.
What do you need to know?
Very nice bike, but you lost me when you said valve cover...
Wrong clocks fitted there off a newer model ,and the horn is wrong also ,the 185 badges were not decals either on that model
It's a mongral so many parts off different years fitted it's so wrong I can't look
That's worth five grand in the UK . Boomers are the only age group that isn't skint in 2022.
THE BEST SOUND
Riiinnnggggg dig dig dig
Must be a 3 stroke its got a valve cover