Running and owning

Slabbie prices are on the up. This very example looked tidy, but was a bit of a mess when Nathan pulled it apart and still cost £2500. Initially the aim was to build the best GSX-R750F in the country for around £15,000 all-in. Nathan and Tim Davies et al did just that, but the rumour is that it cost closer to £30,000. Crazy to most (probably), I know, as you could pick up a rough one for £2000 and spend a further £2k doing it up and have something very serviceable, but this is (even with a curious handling issue) surely the best 750F in the UK.

This bike, then, clearly is there to earn column inches for Suzuki every time a new GSX-R is released and showcase what an array of parts they have on offer at www.suzuki-gb. co.uk/motorcycles/my-Suzuki/ vintage-parts. Their eBay shop is very impressive too. You’ll be surprised what is available, but what isn’t are the likes of good, original F-model fairing panels (three bolts on the top cowl) headlights (hen’s teeth), screens, fuel tanks, carb bodies (but almost all of the internal parts are available), mirrors, the drilled (rather than later, slotted) end-can heat shield and right-hand brake discs: you’ll need to de-rivet left-hand ones and re-rivet them. Pretty much everything else is available – for a price, of course.

Finally I have to add here that – while it’s lovely that the main people at Suzuki GB have bought into the fact that we need old parts for our bikes, let’s not forget those that have always been helpful: so checkout Robinson’s Foundry and Crooks’ Suzuki!