GT550j engine colour

[geoff1200gs]

i have a original GT550j and the engine covers are a smoked laqueur finish as they were when they were new as I had a GT380j and that was.
Why did they make the gold model j without or the ones I see are just polished alloy , As far as I remember I thought they were the same but Ive a feeling they were not. also was the blue model the first and the gold came out later in the year was that the reason . (come on alan H you old timer you should know,am in your club alan only just remember my password as for the absence)

[Alan H]

The gold and blue ones were both available in 1972 and came out at the same time. I bought my gold one from Garners in Barnsley on 26th August IIRC and it was the first one in the area. Cusworths in Doncaster had a couple of blue ones but I don't remember ever seeing another gold one until about a year ago - and that was a picture! The side casings were definitely 'dark' laquered and I've just cleaned it off the original genny casing to fit to the J when I get round to it.

[yeadon_m]

Chaps,
Interesting! when I bought a NOS genny cover for my GT550B from Marcel last year, I was surprised to find it a grey colour. I assumed something had happened to the clearcoat but I now believe that was factory then. Ashamed to say I got rid of the darker coating with Nitromors (it fell off) and Baz has had it polished!
So I deduce it was a coloured, near-clear laquer.
Cheers,
Mike

[Russell]

Hi guys, J & K models had the gun metal finish, these are my NOS covers I have collected including the inner sprocket cover & the ram air covers.
The only one I haven't got is the clutch cover, I sent my original cover away to be re polished & refinished in the gun metal finish, I will posted up pictures in the recommend services section when ever I receive it back.

Gun metal

Does anyone know if the J & K GT750's had this finish too?

[Alan H]

Remember that the J had embossed genny, points & RAS covers, not stickers.

[Russell]

Remember that the J had embossed genny, points & RAS covers, not stickers.

That's correct the k had stickers on the generator & points cover but the RAS covers where embossed just like the J model

[Alan H]

Correct. All the early 'separate carb' models had the stepped side 'square' RAS cowling. Suzuki kept changing things to keep us on our toes!!
It's quite interesting with different models in strip/spares in the garage just how many differences there are.

[geoff1200gs]

Hi guys, J & K models had the gun metal finish, these are my NOS covers I have collected including the inner sprocket cover & the ram air covers.
The only one I haven't got is the clutch cover, I sent my original cover away to be re polished & refinished in the gun metal finish, I will posted up pictures in the recommend services section when ever I receive it back.

image.jpg

Does anyone know if the J & K GT750's had this finish too?

Nice covers , the gt750 didnt have the smoked effect just polished alloy laquered , Geoff1200gs

[heathcliffe]

The GT 380 J'/K' and GT 550 J/K'' were the ONLY bikes to feature the dark grey gunmetal finish to the outer engine casings, they only did this in 1972/73' then..dropped it, for reasons best known to them,!! unless you fall upon genuine new old stock cases this i would think would be a near impossible task to restore to original,its most proberbly a "Tinted "clear laquer finish,rather than a different colour alloy casing, most restored J'/K' bikes ive seen just have polished outer engine casings there is a limit to what you can replicate, no matter im sure chests will be sticking out on those lucky enough to have found an original complete set of N.O.S. ones {Russell!} for J'/K' machines,

[Russell]

The GT 380 J'/K' and GT 550 J/K'' were the ONLY bikes to feature the dark grey gunmetal finish to the outer engine casings, they only did this in 1972/73' then..dropped it, for reasons best known to them,!! unless you fall upon genuine new old stock cases this i would think would be a near impossible task to restore to original,its most proberbly a "Tinted "clear laquer finish,rather than a different colour alloy casing, most restored J'/K' bikes ive seen just have polished outer engine casings there is a limit to what you can replicate, no matter im sure chests will be sticking out on those lucky enough to have found an original complete set of N.O.S. ones {Russell!} for J'/K' machines,

This is picture of my refinished clutch cover that was done by Clive from Rapier paint in hull. I sent him the clutch cover polished along with a nos cover as a sample & I have to say it looks fantastic!

When I get time I will post a full write up in the recommended services section of the forum.

Refinished clutch cover