Commuters, also-rans & alternatives: Suzuki GT380 & 550
This month Steve Cooper is going a little left field by dragging in two hugely underrated, overlooked– and often scorned – classic Suzukis.
Back when the Suzuki GT380 and 550 were new, they never seemed to be as marginalised as they are right now. In fact, they originally had quite a cachet about them because of the three cylinders and four-pipe arrangement that mimicked the bigger GT750. Almost 50 years after they first appeared, many perceive the two
GTs as something of an anachronism – apparently they’re overweight, underpowered and, for many, just not worth bothering with.
However, sometime earlier in the last quarter of the 20th century the pair were generally rather desirable. Both motors were strong and robust, the bikes had a real air of quality about them and, crucially, there was a viable dealer network around the UK to support them. At the time, the comparable Kawasakis had something of a ‘hand grenade with a rusty pin’ reputation about them and the dealer status was sketchy at best. If you simply wanted a middleweight stroker for fun and kicks you purchased a Kawasaki – assuming you could find a dealer, of course! But if you wanted a bike that would take you to work Monday to Friday, go to a race meeting the other side of the country at the weekend and then go touring for your summer hols, then you bought a Suzuki.
Today prices of almost any Japanese stinkwheels are high – stupidly high in all honesty – but there’s a very significant disparity between the two marques and models which seems to skew the picture. Social media, the classic bike press, uninformed opinion, pub gossip anda whole lot more would have you believe you’re wasting your money with a three pot middleweight that bears the iconic Gothic S. Machismo, ego, hubris and perceived image have an awful lot to answer for!
Comparing like for like Suzuki GT380s hover around the £6000-£8000 mark, but a comparable Kawasaki S3 400 will happily remove £8000-£11,500 from your bank account. Rewind to the earlier 350 S2 Kawasaki and be prepared to pay a king’s ransom for one that’s 100-point perfect. Now go to the half-litre category and it’s much the same with GT550s running around £5000-£8000 compared to almost any Kawasaki 500/3 running £8000-£12,500. Fancy a 1969 H1? You’ll be waving goodbye to possibly £15,000! It would seem that in our ‘classic bikes as investments’ world, perceived reputation is considerably more desirable than usability.
Without question or exception both the Kawasakis are faster than the Suzukis, so if acceleration and speed are your arbiters then stop reading now. However, if your idea of a classic Japanese machine is a little more than that, read on. The GT380 is the baby of the family and provides a quality ride without any real foibles. It doesn’t drink petrol like an S2/ S3 and, arguably, handles just as well. It has the style and looks of a ‘proper’ big bike and those four exhausts emit a very charismatic note like little else. Yes, the model it replaced (T350) was faster and lighter, yet it never had the stunning good looks of the 380. Although the drum-braked J model is supposedly the one to go for, in reality, they are all equally viable. Admittedly a GT380 will be left behind in a plume of Yamaha RD350 smoke, but that misses the point completely – ownership of the smallest road-going Suzuki triple gets you big bike looks in a manageable package without the twin penalties of mass and cost.
The GT550 has to be one of the classic scene’s most overlooked and ignored treasures. Physically it’s a bigger bike all round than its bigger brother and very possibly combines the best elements of Suzuki’s two-stroke triples. Although it’s no lightweight, the 550 is substantially less cumbersome than the water-cooled GT750 – if you’ve ever manoeuvred a Kettle around at walking pace you’ll appreciate the GT550’s poise. In essence, the middleweight triple is everything the Kawasaki 500 isn’t. It’s predictable, doesn’t have to be ridden hard to get the best out of it, provides all-day comfort, and will put a smile on all but the most misanthropic of faces. The bike runs a subtly under-square bore and stroke set-up which perfectly complements the way the motor makes power. Although a GT550 isn’t in the same league as, say, a 600 Panther, it delivers its torque in a most unlike two-stroke way. Truth be told there’s a whisper of T/GT500 about the creamy power delivery, yet, unlike the big twin, it can happily get a wiggle on at the twist of the wrist without the need to tap-dance on the gear pedal.
Should you wish to indulge yourself of a two-stroke triple then either of Suzuki’s middleweights is likely to impress. Fast enough for most classic enthusiasts and with reasonable handling, the duo are still very worthwhile considering. If your riding style isn’t that of an archetypal, headbanging, mad-ass, red zone or nothing, wring-the-throttle speed merchant, then you could be in for a real treat. Just like a very well-known timber treatment, this pair of 1970s lovelies will do exactly what it says on the tin – GT stands for Grand Touring and that is precisely at what the Suzuki 380 and 550 excel!