I just got my 1977 GT500 Suzuki back together yesterday after replacing the crank seals and haven't stopped smiling since. The smoke from the R/H exhaust is back to normal 2 stroke levels. It must have been losing a lot of crankcase compression as the performance is noticeably improved. It isn't particularly fast, the brakes are dismal by any standards and the suspension is "bouncy" but it's great to ride a bike where riding on the limit is easily possible. Modern tyres are superb compared to what we had back in the day.
My first experience with 'big bikes' was when my mate first passed his test and went from an AP50 to a GT550. It had a Piper three into one sound system and, at the time, felt invincible on the road. I covered miles as a pillion on it until my test and my progression to a 550 of my own. Great memories of the crackle of that pipe and scary power bands.
I took the old Suzuki for the MOT test last week and it passed easily. On trying to leave it wouldn't start and long story short, 3-1/2 hours later me and the bike ended up getting taken home on a trailer. Traced the fault to a dodgy coil. Luckily there are aftermarket items available so 2 days later with the new coil fitted bike was running even better than before. I took it out for a decent run the following day and while stopping for fuel noticed one of the 2t oil feed lines had more air than pink stuff in it. 39 years of vibration and one of the old aluminium banjos and plastic lines had sprung a leak. Luckily I noticed it before any damage - have suffered my fair share of 2 stroke seizures in my youth and don't need one on a bike full of unobtainable parts. Limped the bike home with oil pump valve jammed fully open. The parts needed have been discontinued for years so it's time to get imaginative...............
Being the owner of 2 RD500's you do have to be very imaginative but a lot of the Yamaha marine stuff is exactly the same as the bike bits especially oil lines and oil control valves, may be the same with Suzuki.
