SUZUKI

TR 750 XR 11 -1972

Return to racing

When Honda announced its withdrawal from the World Championships, Suzuki was quick to follow and did not reappear on the racetrack until 1972. Then it entered the seven rounds of the championship created by the American Motorcycle Association, starting with the Daytona 200.

Need for Sporting Success

Suzuki returned to the ranks of manufacturers of large capacity bikes with its GT 750. It needed desperately to underpin this model with a sporting record to counter the competition from another three-cylinder twostroke, the explosive Kawasaki H2.

David Beats Goliath at Daytona

The GT 750 was a massive basis for a racer and the TR 750, which was closely derived from it, was the heaviest machine on the grid. On the other hand, the TR 750 was one of the fastest and most powerful machines, with 107 horsepower at the rear wheel. An MV Agusta of the period developed just 82 hp. Such a combination of weight and power created previously unknown constraints on machine and rider. The main problem with the TR 750 was the tires, which reached 250°F on the baking Daytona circuit in Florida. Suzuki's leading riders, Art Bauman and ]ody Nicholas, qualified well, making by far the fastest practice laps: 172 and 166 mph respectively. But it was a long race. Bauman went out with mechanical problems and Nicholas had a flat after leading for 23 laps, leaving the way clear for Don Emde's little (247 lb) TR3 Yamaha 350 twin to snatch a surprise victory.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 739cc (70x64mm) water-cooled transverse three-cylinder two-stroke

Power Rating: 107 hp@ 8000 rpm

Valves: intake potts controlled by piston skirts

Fuel System: three carburetors

Transmission: 5-speed, chain final drive

Suspension: telescopic forks (front); swing arm with twin spring/dampers (rear)

Brakes: twin 9.2 inch discs (front); 7.9 inch disc (rear)

Wheels: wire (front & tear)

We ight: 353 lb

Maximum Speed: 185 mph

Suzuki's official return to competition came with the 1972 TR 750, derived from the production GT 750.