Suzuki GT1100 classic racer

[Taipan]

Its actually on a competition site (see General), but I really like this, side panels and lack of mudguards notwithstanding! Sort of reminds me of Goose's bike in Mad Max, although it probably looks nothing like it as i haven't seen that film in about 20 years! But there;s deffo some sort of old school vibe I like about this resto...

"Suzuki 1100cc classic racer tribute.

Magazine featured and winning best in show at its first bike meet this truly gorgeous machine started life as a spare GT550 frame, its owner had the idea to transform it into a classic race bike by fitting a custom CR750 tank and fairings with a GSX-R 1100 (1992) engine that sounds incredible and just look at those four mega RC166 style race pipes out the back end. It doesn’t just sound good, that 1100 GSXR packs quite a punch.. and oozes 70’s race nostalgia when you twist the throttle and wow it gets some attention.

Like many custom café racer bikes this had been donated a lovely set of GSXR 1000 k6 forks and callipers upfront which wrap around those truly beautiful Akront 18” spoked rims giving it that period racer look, along with its short race style seat unit. It even has its own rear view camera and screen behind the fairing which is a very neat little gadget… I need one of these myself!!

The paint and bodywork on this bike is just superb, finished in VW silver and black by Alec Harris at South Coast Vehicle restoration. Theres just to much to mention in terms of the work and engineering in our write up for this bike and most of that is down to Richie Sutton Engineering, just look at those Gilles rear sets and one off alloy bellmouths"!

[Tricky]

It is pretty but I question the sanity of a 150bhp engine in a 70s frame designed for 50bhp!

Yup me too, although I guess it's never intended to be really ridden at any speed.

The front end really does spoil the look for me though- they should have kept with the 70s look and put in (similarly poor performing ) forks and brakes etc from either something like a K0-K6 CB750 (with the extra LH disc), or Z900 etc, or if they wanted it to be able to stop, some period Cerianis with twin piston lockheeds- the sort of thing you used to see on 70s Harris/Rickman framed road bikes and Maxton framed TZs

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It is pretty but I question the sanity of a 150bhp engine in a 70s frame designed for 50bhp!

That was what I thought, that's a lot of engine for a weedy frame.

[Potter]

I think it's another bike that's been made for shows, rather than to ride, it'll be like a bendy pogo stick.

[Taipan]

I think a lot of you have hit the nail on the head. I suspect a lot of these bikes are people building their dream projects rather than creating competitive bikes. I could probably put a project like this together easily enough and I certainly don't ride in a way that would challenge the running gear! Its what I like about resto mods, cos even I need brakes!

Its the simplicity of bikes like this that appeal to me. Whereas when I see modern superbikes stripped back to cafe racers I can't help thinking you've just made that useless compared to what it was!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I can see Taipan's point about simplicity, but sticking a GSXR11 engine in it somewhat goes away from this, it would be a better bike if it was built from a GS550, that has one of the simplest 4 stroke engines ever made and is never going to over power the chassis.