1981 Suzuki GS750G Café Racer

• The best 750 of its day
• Shaft-drive model
• First UK registered in 1995
• Converted into a café racer by Jap Retro

"It has a combination of speed, acceleration, tractability and fuel economy superior to any 750 that has gone before, and fulfils both sportster and tourer markets quite adequately. It trickles through traffic like a lightweight, takes bends like it was designed by a TT rider and is so comfortable to ride that a 150-mile (241km) non-stop run on a cold December night was a pleasure." - MCN on the new Suzukii GS750.

The success of Honda's four-cylinder CB750 made it inevitable that the other major Japanese manufacturers would follow suit, Kawasaki being first in the field with the legendary Z1, launched in 1972. While Yamaha ploughed its own furrow with the three-cylinder XS750, Suzuki went all the way, launching its first four-cylinder four-stroke - the GS750 - for 1976. Even by the standards of its time the GS750 was conventional enough, but with 68bhp on tap and a top speed of over 120mph, it was the fastest 750 around and handled pretty well too. One area where the GS750 lagged behind was the brakes, an issue addressed by the addition of a second front disc for 1978.

Enhancing the GS family's appeal to the long-distance touring market, Suzuki introduced a range of models with shaft final drive, identified by a 'G' suffix to the model designation. These included the GS650G, GS750G, GS850G and GS1000G, although not all of these models were available in every market.

This Suzuki GS750G has been professionally converted into a café racer by restoration company Jap Retro. The vendor advises us that everything was stripped down and all cutting, welding and modifying done to achieve a café racer style machine. All parts were stripped and restored, and the engine fully rebuilt. The rebuild procedure is fully documented by images on a memory stick, which is available to view on request by prospective purchasers. There is also a video of the machine running, which will be available to view on the Bonhams website. Accompanying documents include a V5C Registration Certificate and it should be noted the HPI report records the previous colour as grey. Two keys present.