Beschreibung:

Having joined the exclusive superbike club in 1971 with the launch of the three-cylinder, water-cooled GT750 two-stroke, Suzuki added a pair of smaller, air-cooled triples - the GT380 and GT550 - to its range the following year. Using 61x62mm bore/stroke dimensions for a capacity of 544cc, the GT550 produced 50bhp at the crankshaft. The gearbox was a five-speeder, complemented by Suzuki’s useful digital gear indicator in the instrument binnacle, while there was also the luxury of an electric starter, something the smaller GT lacked. Performance was brisk - 110mph being achievable - but compromised by the fade-prone, double-sided, tls drum front brake (shared with the 750) which was soon replaced by a single hydraulic disc. Smooth and comfortable, the GT550 changed only in detail thereafter in a production run lasting into 1977. This original and unrestored example had enjoyed only two owners when it was acquired for the Museum collection in 1984. The machine is offered with Austrian Typenschein confirming matching frame/engine numbers. A total of 14,415 kilometres (approximately 8,900 miles) is displayed on the odometer.