Unrestored Survivor – 1972 Suzuki Water Buffalo GT750

Post Sale Update: After 17 bids on eBay, this Suzuki Water Buffalo sold for $3,995.

The Suzuki GT750, also known as the Water Buffalo, was the bike that put Suzuki on the map in the United States. Introduced as competition to the big bikes of the day, like the Honda CB750 and the Triumph Bonneville, this bike was basically a T500 with an extra cylinder and liquid cooling crafted on.

Because the T500 was a speed demon, consumers expect even more of the same from this bike. Unfortunately, Suzuki had reliability issues so they instead tuned the bike to be more of a sports tourer. Though magazine reviewers were disappointed, the bike was a commercial success.

1972 was the first year of production for the Suzuki Water Buffalo, which featured the “ECTS”, otherwise known as the Exhaust Coupler Tube System. This system connected both sides of the exhaust and was designed to boost low-end torque. This was also the first two-stroke bike to collect and burn residual gas and oil in crank chambers to reduce visible exhaust smoke, as well as the first Japanese production bike with a liquid-cooled engine. It was an instant classic, and solid examples command surprising values at auction. Note that major changes were made in 1973 – such as the first implementation of dual front brake discs for any manufacturer – so make sure you really want the genesis of this model line if you’re buying the ’72.

This specific Suzuki Water Buffalo is incredible shape for its age, partly due to the low mileage of just over 6,500. It’s in our favorite kind of condition – original and unrestored. Mechanically, everything seems to be in good shape, though you’ll need new rear brake shoes, and there’s only a few cosmetic flaws. Impressively, the seller claims that the rubber and vinyl is in great shape, which we can’t believe for a 40+ year old bike. For someone looking for an original Water Buffalo, it’ll be tougher to do better than this.