GT750s have two types of history. From a purchasing point of view it's much better, like I did, to find a mature owner who's just used the bike for commuting and touring, rather than the alternate application of hard-core despatch iron. The very toughness of the engine and practicality of the chassis encourages all kinds of neglect and abuse in the lower orders of motorcycling.
That's probably the biggest hurdle in the quest for GT750 ownership, actually finding a nice one that has received its fair share of tender loving care. Even if it’s only regular oil and filter changes as the carbs, valves and even camchain tensioner can go for years without needing much attention. I knew all this because two mates had thrashed GT750s up to 70000 miles without major incident before trading in for something newer but not necessarily better.
l rode home gently on my machine, not wanting to risk my life until I was sure that it was, indeed, a good ’un. The only negative impression that I received in this first 40 miles was that there was quite a lot of secondary vibes in the 2000 to 4000rpm range. True to its nature, the GT doesn’t have any balance shafts but the vibration was amplified by the rubber on the pegs and bars going a little brittle. A thicker pair of handlebar grips and new footrest rubbers damped out most of the vibes.
A more positive impression was of an easy comfort, a combination of thickly padded non-standard seat and sensibly positioned bars and pegs that were as good at 20mph as they were at 80mph. I later found that I could do 500 miles in day without becoming tired out. If I pushed on after that the secondary vibes did eventually get to my hands, whilst my wrists and butt became sore; but nothing that a good night’s sleep couldn't sort out. Overall, it’s the most comfortable bike I've ever owned (and that includes a BMW R100 that gave me no end of hassle even with a similarly low mileage to the GT)!
The shaft drive added to the feeling of relaxed cruising - after experiencing its maintenance free nature I don’t think I could go back to a chain driven machine. Under normal riding, except for a bit of gear whine, it didn’t intrude at all. Only when shifting through bends at improbable angles, needing to suddenly down-change and lose speed whilst altering line, could the back end become a bit lost. The rear shocks locked up and the back wheel tried to hop across the road. This only happened a few times but made me fully aware of the potential retribution of the 500lbs of metal.
Normally, it was just a case of keeping to a nice smooth line, using a bit of muscle on the bars and relaxing in the atmosphere of security provided by the sticky Metzeler tyres. This rubber was well matched to the chassis, a pair of Pirellis I tried turning the Kawasaki both vague and nervous. The air adjustable suspension could be turned up just to the point of tautness where it held everything properly in line but still managed to absorb most of the road bumps. Only when the tyres were down to 2mm did the bike become sensitive to cats-eyes and white lines.
Wet roads turned very disconcerting with significant lurches and the odd bit of handlebar twitching. Accelerative forces were never so great as to upset the stability, but on wet roads with worn out tyres the back end could slide out a foot, or so, when coming out of corners hard in second or third gear. Slamming the throttle shut corrected this potentially disastrous trait, at the price of some pitching and yawing from the thoroughly conventional chassis.
The rear tyres lasted only 7000 miles, so I tended to use it until there was no tread left after another 2000 miles, when the front tyre was down to 2mm. I’ve experienced front wheel slides in the past and had no inclination to test out the GT750’s ability to survive a crash. A pair of tyres cost £90 every 9000 miles, compared with about £500 in petrol (at 35-40mpg). The bigger GT not being the most fuel efficient device in the world, thanks to its excessive mass and the twists and turns of the shaft drive. Other costs were minimal, with the pads lasting over 15000 miles (I prefer Ferodos) as I'm a very careful and restrained braker.
Furthermore, in the past 30000 miles of largely pleasant motorcycling all I've done to the engine were 2000 mile oil and filter changes plus one valve job and three carb balances. Admittedly, the number of times I came close to the red zone could be counted on one hand, preferring to ride in the 4000 to 8500rpm band, where there was plenty of power, enough torque for top gear roll-ons and a lack of vibration that was most impressive.
More so than the GT550, the bigger shaftie was a most relaxed bike to ride as a long distance tourer, with no need to slam up and down the gearbox. The latter wasn't perfect when I bought the bike and became excessively loose and notchy by the time 45000 miles were on the clock. I often preferred to slip the clutch than change down through the box, whilst neutral could be a real pain to locate at a standstill.
In the context of the otherwise sterling service the machine's given, it's something that I was willing to tolerate and it’s not so bad that I've given serious consideration to finding some fresh gear selectors. The shaft drive has also developed a bit of rumbling on the overrun, which resonates through the whole chassis at low revs. Someone told me the shaft’s oil is supposed to be changed every six months but it seemed in good shape the first time I changed it after two years of running.
The hardest use the GT saw was two weeks Continental touring in which I did 8000 miles! The bike ran like a dream, feeling better the harder it was cruised. 100mph for an hour on the autobahn was as memorable as frying the front discs coming down the Swiss Alps.
I was pulled over by some Frog porkers for doing 50mph through a tiny village and given the third degree as well as a 1000 franc fine (cash, no receipt, which was in line with the region’s peasant status and third world aura). The Spanish police were more sanguine, waving me through road blocks and giving me the thumbs up in town. At least that’s what I thought the mad gesticulations meant. One drunken cop in Madrid went berserk with his gun, firing into the air and making everyone dive for cover. The joys of foreign travel!
Recently, the bike’s beginning to look an expensive proposition. The baffles have gone in both silencers, which are now more rust than metal. The calipers have started sticking and making funny noises. The handlebar switches are very vague and the battery needs a top up charge every week. Even the oil consumption has increased - where before it never needed topping up between changes it’s now going down to the minimum level within 500 to 600 miles. The finish is still reasonable with only the odd patch of frame rust and alloy corrosion, apart from the wheels which are far gone.
I expected closer to a 100000 than 50000 miles from the GT, though talking further with the guys who'd done 70000 miles, they reckoned the bikes were just about reamed out by then. The GT550 does regularly go around the clock and is more popular with despatch riders (its smaller size also helps with the insurance). With a bit of bodging and care my bike’s probably got another 5000 miles before any big expenses turn up. That means I’ve started to look around for a replacement, most likely a GTR1000 as I’m beginning to feel the cold in the winter.
I don’t think I can recommend a high mileage GT750 - I’ve seen too many that have done over 50000 miles that are total rats but something with under 20000 miles will have plenty of life left and provide a nice blend of practicality and fun motorcycling.
H. W.