A Space Oddity!

This month Scoop is hooning around on one of the 1970s’ seriously overlooked strokers, the GT185. But why this cubic capacity Suzuki?

- Steve Cooper

How come you rarely see a Suzuki GT185 these days? I ask out of genuine curiosity, as the sub 250 twin from Hamamatsu was once a common sight hurtling along Her Majesty’s finest Tarmac.

For a machine that had a solid six-year production run, there are precious few around now, or so it seems. Perhaps it’s an ego thing. When the classic scene really got going, it was the big bikes that everyone wanted, and few paid much heed to sub 250cc machinery, viewing them as nothing but mere stepping stones to the bigger, grander and more ostentatious tackle they aspired to as teenagers. Many a smaller bike was robbed of its key, precious parts and/or sent packing to the knacker’s yard. Thankfully, owner Mal Williams has a history with smaller Suzuki and was more than happy to rescue this one from a small mountain of cardboard boxes, so we can now report back on one of the 1970s’ hidden gems.