“Intoxicating in the best kind of way…”
In the late 1960s, Japanese motorcycles were quickly evolving from utilitarian transportation into sporting machines that put a premium on performance and acceleration. Honda introduced the CB750 — aka the “Original Superbike” — while Kawasaki popularized the transverse-mounted two-stroke three-cylinder engine in their explosive series of “Widowmaker” Triples.
Suzuki took a slightly different tack, introducing the first Japanese performance bike with liquid-cooling, the GT750. While it was marketed as the Le Mans in North America, the 750 earned a swath of nicknames: Kettle (UK), Water Bottle (Australia), and Water Buffalo (US). The big water-cooled two-stroke triple managed to be more comfortable and refined than the Kawa widowmakers while still offering “authoritative performance”:
“Once again Suzuki has introduced a paradox: the GT750. Big, heavy, comfortable, economical and extremely smooth, the GT7SO is capable of high 13-sec. standing start quarter miles, effortless high speed cruising, hairline steering and tremendous braking. It’s a Superbike in every sense of the word.” –Cycle World, 1971
Recently we heard from Corey Potter, an Aussie electrical engineer who’s been wrenching and riding for more than a quarter century. Though he describes himself as “just a guy who enjoys playing around with motorcycles in his spare time,” Corey’s creativity, attention to detail, and fabrication skills really shine through this build.
As often happens, the project was both a catalyst for and a consequence of upgrading both his skills and shop:
“The last two years has seen me take things to the next level with the purchase of an AC TIG, lathe, mill, band saw, and 3D printer. This investment has allowed me to fabricate all of the custom parts that I was having to send out to be made on previous projects, and the Tracker certainly benefitted from that.”
Corey had been wanting to build a 70s two-stroker, and when he happened across a ’75 GT750 non-runner in desperate need of rescue — rusty, corroded, and missing most of the engine — he had the perfect candidate.
Corey gives us a full, highly detailed rundown of the build in our interview below, but highlights include traditional Yamaha R6 forks (shaved with Cognito Moto yokes and YSS internals), 19-inch spoke wheels with modern disc brakes at either end, custom honeycomb carbon fiber front and side number plates, a full custom wiring loom with lots of Motogadget goodies looped in, and much more.
As for the engine, the cases were split and everything stripped and rebuilt from the bottom up with new bearings, rods, seals — the works. The head was bored, ported, honed, and decked, and after some heavy storms led to an unfortunate flooding incident at the shop, it was one very clean engine that Corey buttoned back together.
This Water Bottle now inhales through a trick trio of 38mm SmartCarb SC2’s, and Corey built the exhaust from a Swarbrick TR750 kit and entrusted his buddy James from Spreadcheese Fabrication to back-purge TIG the chambers for him:
“I am so happy I did that because he did an amazing job and they really make the bike in my opinion.”
But there are so many incredible details that might go unnoticed at first glance: the beautiful inline speedflow ball valve whose custom-machined handle is wired to the dashboard oil pressure light, the 3D-printed offset carb manifolds, even the rear shock mounting spacers and 3D-printed number plate standoffs.
Believe it or not, Corey had never touched a mill or lathe before this build! Fortunately, he has a great group of buddies — “the Wrenches” — to give him encouragement and support when the going got tough.
The result is just staggering, a resto-modded GT750 street tracker that merges old-school fabrication and nostalgia with modern technology, performance, and style. But this is no mere show pony. As you might imagine, the riding experience on this lightweight, muscled-up “Bottle Rocket” is nothing short of glorious:
“It’s all fun and games until the pipes hit around 5000rpm and the world shrinks into non-existence as I focus on holding onto those huge ProTaper bars — all while laughing maniacally. After a few short rides to break in the fresh bores and rings, the first time I gave it a fist full I was laughing like an idiot in my helmet for 10 minutes… The sound, smell and feel of this bike is like nothing I have experienced before. It is intoxicating in the best kind of way.”
Bravo to Corey for one of the most amazing builds of the 2024. Below is our full uncut interview with the man himself, and more photos courtesy of his buddy AB.
Suzuki GT750 Restomod Tracker: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I’ve been riding bikes of all kinds since I was around 18 and I think I’ve covered all genres and types of riding over the last 25+ years. Obviously, I have a soft spot for two-strokes and I love all bikes from the 70’s and 80’s. I’m the very fortunate custodian of a few classic custom bikes that I’ve built over the last few years including a CBX1000 café racer, CX500 Bobber, K1100 café racer and a Bultaco Sherpa that is next on list for some restomod love.
I’m just a guy who enjoys playing around with motorcycles in his spare time. Over the years I have kicked out all the cars from my garage and filled it will bikes and tooling. The last two years has seen me take things to the next level with the purchase of an AC TIG, lathe, mill, band saw, and 3D printer. This investment has allowed me to fabricate all of the custom parts that I was having to send out to be made on previous projects, and the Tracker certainly benefitted from that.
I’m very fortunate to have a small but very loyal group of mates who are also into wrenching on old motorcycles, and we make sure we all get together as often as well can to support each other’s projects. Shout out to the Wrenches crew!
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
1975 Suzuki GT750.
• Why was this bike built?
I wanted a 70’s two-stroke, and the water bottle certainly ticks that box! A bike popped up for sale while I was searching that was in desperate need of saving and so the deal was done.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The old-school flat tracker style of bike really appeals to me. I love the raw look, the 19” wheels, huge rubber, big square number plates and wide bars. The 2-stroke sound and smell are a huge must as well.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
A lot.
- R6 forks shaved and cerakoted with YSS cartidges
- GT750 hub machined out to accept larger 22mm bearings for the R6 axle
- Custom brake adapter for the Brembo disc, and blanking ring for the right hand side
- Cognito Moto triples
- Morimoto headlight with mounting bracket machined into the top triple
- Custom honeycomb carbon fiber front and side number plates
- ProTaper EVO Flat Track Bars
- Magura HC1 front master, Venhill hose and ASV lever
- Motogadget mirror on custom machined mount
- ASV clutch perch and lever
- Motogadget mo.switch basic’s
- Motogadget Motoscope mini and idiot lights (speedo)
- Autometer ProCycle Tachometer
- Motogadget Blaze Pin indicators
- Motogadget mo.lock, headlight and radiator fan buttons and Autometer coolant temp gauge
- mounted in custom plate in front of the tank
- Full custom wiring loom
- Motogadget mo.unit blue
- Accent digital ignition
- Dyna coils
- Antigravity lithium battery
- Motogadget Blaze Tens3 rear indicators
- Highsider Conero Brake / Tail light
The two-stroke oil header tank is a repurposed Aeroflow expansion tank with some custom mods. A level gauge was added with a filter breather, and I added a beautiful speedflow ball valve inline to ensure any failed check valves in the oil distribution system didn’t flood the crankcase with the slippery stuff, as is known to happen as these bikes push 50 years of age.
I was concerned I would accidentally forget to turn the valve on before I took the Tracker out for a rip so I machined the valve handle to accept a small magnet and made a bracket to mount a reed switch. This switch lights up the oil pressure light on the dash when the valve is in the ‘off’ position ensuring the big triple is never without that all important lube. And yes, that light has saved me once already….
Engine
The engine was fully stripped and the cases split. I cleaned up most of the covers, but I was missing quite a few bits and pieces that I spent time searching for online. Lots of parts found their way from all over the world to my little workshop to live again in the Tracker. It was unfortunate that we had some bad storms early this year and my workshop was flooded while I had the engine on the ground. The cases and countershaft were filled with mud, sand and water. So lets just say the engine was very clean by the time it went back together.
The crank was stripped and rebuilt with new mains, seals, big end bearings and rods. I found some cylinders a few hours away and so they got the treatment with some porting, boring, honing, and decking. New little end bearings, pins, and pistons were fitted of course. The head was skimmed, but remains stock. A full stainless bolt kit was used on the engine reassembly to keep the corrosion at bay, and to bring that bling factor.
I modified an all alloy radiator and welded a standard cap to the right hand side, as well as blanked off the original centre port. A proflow overflow bottle was fitted to a custom bracket behind the radiator, and an electric fan was tucked in behind the radiator to ensure the bike can sit in traffic during the hot Aussie summer without issue.
Chambers
The chambers I made from a Swarbrick TR750 kit, complete with silencers. That is the first time I have made an exhaust, so it was certainly a steep but enjoyable learning curve. Working with conical sections to create complex shapes was a lesson in patience, that’s for sure.
I somehow managed to route all 3 chambers onto the frame but I didn’t trust my newfound TIG skills to do it justice, so I had James from Spreadcheese Fabrication back purge TIG them for me. I am so happy I did that because he did an amazing job and they really make the bike in my opinion.
Carbs
Three 38mm SmartCarb SC2’s ensure the Tracker is always fed the optimum mixture. These red anodised billet carbs not only look absolutely amazing, they are so easy to work with and tune. The whole setup breathes through 3 x K&N pods, and is fed the high octane good stuff via a Pingel triple outlet fuel tap and yellow Tygon hoses.
Fitting aftermarket carbs to a GT750 is made difficult by the lack of clearance to the starter cover and clutch housing. To get around this issue I designed and 3D printed offset adapter manifolds complete with cerakoted hose clamps to ensure the SC2 float bowls stay clear of the cases.
Swingarm / Rear End
The stock swingarm was persuaded to allow me to fit the Banke Performance rear hub laced with Buchanan stainless spokes and 19″ Excel rim. The big 140 Dunlop rubber squeezes in there, just, and a custom fender and mount does its best to keep the dirt off the pretty bits.
The disc conversion meant I needed to fit a Brembo caliper to a modified Banke mounting bracket, and I turned a custom torque arm that uses the stock GT swinger mounting point. The contrast between the DID gold chain and brushed alloy sprocket really complete the back of the bike in my opinion.
The rear end was raised slightly and a set of YSS piggyback shocks ensure the back end feels as good as it looks.
I machined the foot control mounts from some stock I had on hand, and milled some speed holes in them to try and lighten the look. I had to work around the swingarm axle while I frenched the threaded mounts for the plates into the frame. The Brembo rear brake master fits nicely on the right side plate and has nice feel. The white Venhill hose does its best to disappear against the white powder of the swingarm.
The Saddlemen Tracker seat unit sits on a custom subframe made from welded and machined threaded standoffs and 3D-printed base pads. The original frame was shortened and I welded end caps to ensure it all looked neat and tidy. An all aluminium under plate and number plate holder keep the rear looking minimalist, but legal.
The side carbon number plates were sized so that the view of the oil header tank is unencumbered. Many iterations of the plates were 3D printed and trialled before the final design was locked in. The plates sit on flexible 3D printed standoffs to ensure the lines of the seat unit are continued down into the plates.
Colours
I needed some colour in my life as all of my other bikes are mostly black! Enter the need for a crisp white frame with lots of white on the tank and seat unit. Sam at Colourfuel helped put together a coherent design from my big bucket full of crazy ideas. The striping includes a subtle metallic fleck and the depth of the black is endless. The matching helmet stripes was a last minute decision, but I love it.
The chambers are cerakoted in a custom color — almost gun metal — and the crankcase and cylinders got the cera treatment as well. The head and covers are finished in midnight bronze finished with a gloss clear and really pop against the white. The frame and cera work was done by Damon at The Coating Garage.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Unimaginatively it is known simply as the ‘Tracker’.
• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?
The Tracker has been on a serious diet, the weight is unknown however it is significantly less than when it rolled out of the factory in 1975.
The porting, chambers, carbs and ignition upgrades all combine to provide a seriously fun bike to ride, although actual performance numbers are a mystery. The smiles per mile are up there though.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
The bike runs and rides as good as it looks. It snaps necks around my local ride loop, as people just love to hear that ring-a-ding-ding of a classic 70’s two-stroke. It’s all fun and games until the pipes hit around 5000rpm and the world shrinks into non-existence as I focus on holding onto those huge ProTaper bars — all while laughing maniacally. After a few short rides to break in the fresh bores and rings, the first time I gave it a fist full I was laughing like an idiot in my helmet for 10 minutes.
The sound, smell and feel of this bike is like nothing I have experienced before. It is intoxicating in the best kind of way.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Before this project, I hadn’t ever touched a lathe or mill. I can honestly say I am probably most proud of all the little details that most people wouldn’t even notice. Small things like the rear shock mounting spacers, right up to the foot control mounting plates really give me a sense of accomplishment.
I had also never built an exhaust before, and standing back looking at the near perfect symmetry and the torture path the center pipe takes really makes me happy!
My background as an electrical engineer means the electrical side of the build is supposed to be the easiest, but it always ends up being the most stressful. I’ll run cables 2 and 3 times until I am happy with how they sit and lay.
The Tracker has very simple electrics, but I still needed to mill holes in the top triple so that the cables could exit the bars and instruments straight down and sweep under the tank.
I spent countless hours fitting white and black braid to every cable on the bike, just so you don’t notice it. The wiring alone took around 3 months to complete. Does that make me proud or crazy?
• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
A huge thank you to my beautiful wife Kate, who puts up with the hundreds (thousands?) of hours I spend in the garage wrenching on my two-wheeled creations.
James at Spread Cheese Fabrications (@spreadcheesefabrications) for final TIG welding the chambers for me. The guy is a metal working magician.
Sam at Colourfuel (@colourfuel) for the help designing the colour scheme and making it come to life.
Damon at The Coating Garage (@thecoatinggarage) for the powder and cerakote work. He does amazing things with paint, powder and cera. Temperature means nothing to him when he regularly coats turbos and exhaust headers.
My local crew the ‘Wrenches’ for keeping the energy up when things aren’t quite working out for me, and feeding me too many beers every Thursday night in someone’s garage.
My great mate AB for patiently listening to a lot of stupid ideas, and always being up for a late (but not too late) wrenching session. Amongst his many talents, it turns out he is also a wizard with a camera and is responsible for the amazing photos taken of the Tracker at a local beach spot of his choosing. Thanks mate.
Follow the Builder
@potter_corey (me)
@colourfuel (paint)
@spreadcheesefabrications (chamber welding)
@thecoatinggarage (powder and cera)
Very nice build!
Any info on the tyres? Make, dimension?
Annndddd…just like THAT, I have a new favourite Water Buffalo restomod!
Epic project, brilliant outcome 👏👏👏
So many good ideas on this bike. These GT 750s are such good candidates for either upgrading or doing restomods.