GT 750 Tank Badges,

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heathcliffe

GT 750 Tank Badges,

Post by heathcliffe »

Thought id write a little piece on the subject of fuel tank badges i get a few questions on these via the V.J.M.C. , first off typical Suzuki they are all different!!, the smaller engined bikes have smaller badges125/185/250/380/550. the pin holes dont line up with 750 tank mounting holes 750 ones are a slightly larger size ie slightly longer in length, mounting pins are fitted to all tank badges from J models to M' models 1972-1975 . A' and B' 1976-1977 machines had small phillips headed screws to attach the badges to the tanks, J and K' model tank badges were the same, L model are a one off, and M' model are a one off, A and B bikes used the same badges J to M bikes also use a "nut" as the parts book refers to it, a small very tiny metal grommet that fits into the tank mounting hole these "grip" the pins when the badge is inserted into the mounting hole and hold it secure if you are re-painting a tank you need to replace these as they are allways rusty ,and loose their grip a second time round they are still available from suzuki part number 09148-04005 you need 4,

Something also to bear in mind from Suppliers of "Reproduction" badges is although great looking and of good quality whoever makes them has made the carnel mistake of making the moulds the exact size of the badge itself,Metal always expands when hot and-contracts when cold ,with the inevitable happening with these .the badges shrink in size when cooling in the moulds and the pins then DO NOT line up with the tank mounting holes,!!!!, i have written to several suppliers asking the question "Do the pins line up with the original tank mounting holes??" YES or NO,?,and always receive an evaisive answer!!, quoating badge length in milimetres and the distance between the pins??. a simple NO would suffice!, this is another one of those "one manufacturer makes them-and sells them to several different suppliers senarios,, cutting off the pins and using double sided tape is not the solution,!! someone dropped a "clanger" with these when the expensive moulds were produced initially ,instead of making the moulds bigger to account for shrinkage, they made them the same size as the badge with the inevitable then happening.and is now trying to work around it when selling them on.,!! so beware if you are considering them because £32.00 a badge is not cheap,and for that money id expect a "correct" fit and NOT have to cut the pins off and mount with double sided tape! as per some suppliers recommendation.!..thats not the way to attach them ,when one goes bouncing down the road when out on your bike,!

for sure the hardest replacement badges to source secondhand today are those for 1974 L' machines and 1975 M machines i know from experience!!,hens teeth the M' ones especially, Badge design was the same on each model year although of different sizes as mentioned above all models carried the same badge design "font" thoughout the engine range on a given model year machine.125-750.
regards
H.
Roger Ackery
Posts: 3693
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:40 am
Location: Sydney NSW Australia

Re: GT 750 Tank Badges,

Post by Roger Ackery »

Another wonderful insight into GT750 land,thanks H,will add this to my collection of road tests & usefull information,comes in very handy all this stuff,along with "GT750 Field Guide" Web Site.
Cheers,
Roger.
GT750A.
Cheers.
Roger
GT750A.
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kettle_on

Re: GT 750 Tank Badges,

Post by kettle_on »

Just got my "M" model tank badges from Reproduction Decals. I think someone must have listened to the complaints about the spacing of the pins. Mine fit exactly without cutting one off, even after putting the slight bend on for the contour of the tank. I used new genuine Suzuki clips to fasten them. Maybe I was just lucky!
You can see some close-ups here:
http://www.kettleclinick.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3225
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heathcliffe

Re: GT 750 Tank Badges,

Post by heathcliffe »

Well im pleased to hear that then,! i need a set for my 75' M also and was put off with this problem of shrinkage they do look good quality, finding good used ones is dogs work, i must have 3 sets all damaged differently ,and because of the chrome finish on the letter tops once its damaged you cannot do anything with it,
thanks for that.
Oscarmog01
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:56 pm
Location: South wales

Re: GT 750 Tank Badges,

Post by Oscarmog01 »

I don’t have any mounting holes at all on the L I have just started , both badges were stuck on. What do these fixings look like please
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