On the move: Walter-Suzuki GT 1000

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On the move: Walter-Suzuki GT 1000

On the move: Walter-Suzuki GT 1000

The really big thing

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If so, then, Walter Friedrichs said to himself as he set about reinventing the Suzuki GT 750. With 1000 cm³ displacement and classic cooling fins.

E.Walter Friedrichs was actually looking for a classic that would not only be suitable for the showcase but also for the extended vacation trip with his wife and luggage. It is not surprising that sooner or later he ended up with the Suzuki GT 750. Although the water buffalo was also used for sporting activities in the 1970s, anyone who knows the GT 750 knows that the chassis and engine characteristics were more in favor of leisurely pace. In particular, the 67 hp two-stroke engine of the GT 750 had a completely inconspicuous appearance in contrast to the shrill Kawasaki H2 750 three-cylinder. With full torque, but limited revving, the buffalo made a very passable tourer with decent manners and acceptable vibrations, but without bite – which could not be said of the Kawasaki triplet.

Completely enthusiastic about this character, Walter Friedrichs’ desire for more grew. More torque, more power and a little more power. What to do? Normal people would have simply looked around for a suitable motorcycle, for Walter Friedrichs, mechanic, technician and tinkerer with body and soul, the GT 750 turned out to be a life-long challenge. Welding, grinding, hardening, milling, turning – Walter’s daily bread and, thanks to the technical support of Suzuki Germany technician Rolf Hoheisel, a task that has to be mastered.

What followed between 1998 and 2002 is unrivaled Sisyphus work even for passionate hobbyists and tinkerers. In around 2500 working hours, Walter Friedrichs put a motorcycle on its wheels in his workshop, on which he renewed or redesigned every screw and even the smallest detail. Friedrichs wanted to nail the nail on the head, and machined the entire water jacket of the Suzuki cylinder, welded a new, voluminous housing with the standard ducts around the core with significantly increased water volume and precisely placed cooling fins for additional external cooling. Aluminum bushings welded onto the cylinder torso allow eight millimeter larger bores with adapted gray cast iron bushings. Everything made by Friedrichs – what else?

Flat slide carburetors with membrane blocks replace the constant pressure carburetors of the slot-controlled series engine.

Piston Wahl from Fellbach supplied the forged 78 pistons, which now also cover more stroke. New lifting disks were created from 42CrMo4V steel, which rotate in the spindled crankcase and raise the stroke from 64 to 70 millimeters. The bottom line is: 1003 cm³ displacement.

The generously ribbed cylinder head is also welded from several components and has new combustion chamber caps with wide pinch edges. Due to the increased water volume, the engine manages with a small cooler behind the exhaust manifolds and a radiator equipped with two fans in the rear frame of the Suzuki. In addition, the tinkerer increased the delivery rate of the water pump.

Real water buffalo fans will already have noticed: The alternator, a standard component on the right crankshaft stub that is at risk of falling, is now located, hidden and driven by an intermediate shaft from the large primary gear, directly under the gearbox. While the Suzuki CCI lubrication system with oil pump and direct feed line to the cylinder walls and crankshaft bearings was retained, the new Mikuni TMX 35 carburettors are placed on the diaphragm-controlled intake manifold of the Suzuki TS 250 Enduro with six diaphragm tongues and correspondingly enlarged inlet channels.

In conjunction with the self-constructed exhaust pipes welded from stainless steel, the engine delivers 106 hp at the clutch at 6800 rpm and 106 Nm at 6400 rpm. Absorption silencers made of aluminum and a closed air filter box reduce the background noise and ensure successful TÜV approval. Until the new engine was set up as required, not only countless nozzles, needles and throttle valves, but also a power jet system for mixture enrichment that is linked to the electronic ignition system were tested.

Visually still a Suzuki GT 750 – albeit with a little more luxurious tires.

For solid internal cooling, solenoid valves open the risers between the float chamber and the intake funnel and provide an extra portion of fuel in aisles four and five. A contactless Newtronic ignition ensures that the mixture ignites with pinpoint accuracy. In addition, the mixture composition in the idling range can be adjusted using a rotary switch while driving.

That the immense effort was worth it is shown by the problem-free 47,000 kilometers that perfectionist Friedrichs covered with his wife and the GT 1000 before he offered the good piece for sale. Two-stroke fan Helmut Kretschmer from the Franconian town of Bessenbach (www.polipower.com) was immediately enthusiastic about the unique specimen and is happy about every kilometer.

And what is Walter doing? Temporarily drives the Suzuki GSX 1400 and is working on the new GT 1000 engine, which MOTORRAD CLASSIC was allowed to view and photograph in advance. According to the motto "enough can never be enough", the man from Dusseldorf has upgraded and brought the old GT engine up to date with the latest two-stroke technology, without questioning the classic lines and the optical air cooling. With four transfer channels instead of two and fed by 38 carburettors, the new engine is supposed to generate even more torque thanks to an additional, electronically controlled exhaust control. The question arises: Do you really have to implement all the technical possibilities for optimization with a classic? The Suzuki GT 1000 from Helmut Kretschmer, which MOTORRAD CLASSIC was allowed to take on a joyride around Bessenbach, gives a clear answer.

Although everything on this machine has been rebuilt and rebuilt by hand, Walter’s dream motorcycle has retained many of the characteristics of a mass-produced motorcycle. Get on, start, drive off. Everything works like clockwork, nothing reminds you that this is a very complicated self-construction.

Walter Friedrichs, here with the second expansion stage, loves the Suzuki GT 750 as a comfortable tourer and redesigned the three-cylinder two-stroke engine so that it could hide a full 1003 cubic centimeters of displacement under the silhouette of a classic air-cooled engine.

The engine willingly takes on gas, idling cleanly and holds back on the first sprint with the usual blue smoke of the GT 750. Converted to the consumption of around eight liters of fuel, the mixing ratio levels off at around 1: 100. Soft and velvety, but with noticeably more lard than the series Suzuki, the GT 1000 starts at 2500 rpm, purrs through with a steady increase in power up to 7500 rpm and then falls, just like the GT 750, into a noticeable lethargy uneventful against rubber. The comfort range is between 3000 and 7000 rpm, also because the GT 1000 vibrates very subtly despite the larger pistons and individual displacements and the gentle jerking of the slide when the throttle valve is closed cannot affect the curve. If you let go of the reins, the GT 1000 sprints surprisingly fast over the country road. The gears of the five-speed gearbox borrowed from the Suzuki GS 750 move neatly into their position.

 Although significantly heavier than the GT 750 at over 260 kilograms, the Walter Suzuki benefits from the extensive chassis modifications, is extremely agile but not wobbly. Almost needless to say, Walter Friedrichs carefully reduced all the fits and bearing clearances on the frame and swing arm on the boring mill to the smallest tolerances.

But the best thing about the Walter GT 1000 is its visual appearance. Classic lines, paired with modern components and an engine that is compact and massive and has its heart in the right place. No hoses, no tangled cables, no radiator front disturbs the view of the monument, which demonstrates its uniqueness through the symmetry of the cooling fins and the angular lines. It was not for nothing that the Walter was one of the most popular machines at the CLASSIC two-stroke meeting in summer 2010.

And to come back to the question of whether this motorcycle needs even more power and pulling power, the answer after driving through the Spessart is clear: yes and no. Yes, because the two-stroke freaks are certainly very excited to see what can ultimately be squeezed out of the old GT engine. No, because 106 HP in connection with the highly cultivated character traits are ideal for this homemade youngtimer. But should Walter Friedrichs’ new super engine be ready soon, the guild of two-stroke fans can be sure that MOTORRAD-CLASSIC will stay on the ball. Promised.

Technical specifications

The engine of the Walter-Suzuki GT 1000.

engine design type  Air / water-cooled three-cylinder two-stroke in-line engine, diaphragm-controlled, separate lubrication
drilling  78 mm
Hub  70 mm
Displacement  1003 cm3
power  106 hp at 6800 rpm
Torque  106 Nm at 6400 rpm
Mixture preparation  Three flat slide carburetors, Mikuni TMX 35
 
Electrical system
starter  Electric starter
battery  12 V 14 Ah
ignition  Battery ignition, contactless
alternator  Three-phase current, 12 V / 360 W. 
 
Power transmission
coupling  Multi-disc oil bath
transmission  Five-speed, claw shift
Secondary drive  Chain, O-ring
  landing gear Frame type  Double loop frame made of tubular steel
Front wheel guide  Upside-down fork
Rear wheel guide  Two-sided swing arm made of aluminum profiles, two spring struts 
Front / rear suspension travel  125/120 mm
Front / rear wheels  Wire spoke wheels, 3.00 x 18 / 5.75 x 18
Front tires  120/70 ZR 18
Rear tire  170/70 ZR 18
Front brake  Double disc, Ø 310 mm, six-piston fixed calipers
rear brake  Single disc brake, Ø 300 mm, two-piston fixed caliper
 
measurements and weight
Weight  260 kg
Tank capacity  17 liters
 
Performance
Top speed  over 200 km / h
 
Manufacturer  Suzuki Motor Co./Walter Friedrichs

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