Suzuki GT380

Years produced: 1972-1977
Total production: N/A
Claimed power: 38hp @ 7,500rpm (claimed)
Top speed: 95mph
Engine type: 371cc, air-cooled two-stroke inline triple
Transmission: Six-speed
Weight (w/half-full tank): 178kg (392lb)
MPG: 32-46
Price then: $925 (1972)
Price now: $900-$2,000

Remember back when you could still buy a brand new, out of the crate, street-legal two-stroke motorcycle? Those were the days … Nixon was president, Vietnam was a raging mess, and … wait. What was so great about those days again? Ah, yes. The motorcycles.

Although two-stroke engines are rare in new motorcycles today, back in 1972 the GT380 was one of a handful of two-strokes sitting on the sales floor at your local Suzuki dealership. The younger sibling of Suzuki’s landmark water-cooled GT750 “Water Buffalo” (introduced in 1971), the three-cylinder GT380 Sebring was introduced to the U.S. market in 1972 along with the bigger GT550. The GT380 landed right in the middle of the 350cc-400cc field, one of the most hotly contested displacement categories of the day.

Sporty, but not sporting

The original 1972 Sebring arrived as a fairly sporty motorcycle, but only to a point. Though the competing Kawasaki triples were known as rockets, the Suzuki GT engines were tuned more for smoothness and reliability than peak power. The odd three-into-four pipes and the rigid foot pegs limited cornering clearance, and while predictable, comfortable and smooth at touring speeds, when pushed hard it wobbled in corners due to its limited suspension and a tube frame that could have been stiffer. This was not a track bike.

The air-cooled GTs shared Suzuki's new Ram Air System, which forced cool air to pass through the cylinders and behind the block when the bike was in motion, preventing the engine from losing power due to high cylinder head temps. Unfortunately, the GT triples still developed a reputation for seizing their middle pistons.

The GTs also featured Suzuki’s refined automatic fuel and oil mixing system, called CCI, which helped lower exhaust smoke levels. The GTs also were the first in the Suzuki line to feature vacuum-operated petcocks, a feature that was later used on all of Suzuki’s bikes.

The GT380 was blessed with a large gas tank and a large seat, though engine vibrations transmitted through the passenger footpegs made the bike less than fun for passengers. The little GT also featured a locking gas cap (unusual at the time) and rubber lip seals on the spark plug wire caps to keep moisture from shorting out the system. Though the cylinder head was cast in one piece, the cylinders were three separate units.