Source: Bike Bound
Tough Tracker builds a two-stroke ripper!
In the 1970s, competition in the 250 two-stroke class was especially fierce, as 17-year-olds could ride 250cc machines in the UK — and of course, every budding street racer wanted the fastest quarter-liter bike on the market.
These days, the Yamaha RD series seems to get the lion’s share of the attention from vintage aficionados, but the Suzuki GT250 was no slouch. Using the tried-and-true piston port engine, it made a claimed 31 bhp — right in line with the RD250’s output — and it could dance through the twisties, too:
“In use, the GT feels much lighter on its feet than the equivalent RD and far more agile than any KH250 Kawasaki or CB Honda.” –Classic Motorbikes
What’s more, the GT250 had “Ram Air System” cylinder head cooling — what more could a young throttle-twister of the 1970s ask for?
Today, we’re thrilled a 1974 Suzuki GT250 from the team at Tough Tracker — a workshop founded in Taichung, Taiwan, in 2015. As the name implies, Tough Tracker has an affinity for flat track inspired designs, and this GT250 is no exception.
Nicknamed “Big Bear,” this is one of Tough Tracker’s annual showcase builds, combining some of our favorite elements:
“Flat tracker direction, with 2-stroke as a focus: smoke, noise, speed.”
As you can see, most of the bike has been customized, including the aluminum front number plate, aluminum rear cowl, expansion chamber, air box, oil reservoir, and more. The result is exactly the kind of bike you’d expect from a workshop called Tough Tracker, and we love it.
Below, we talk to the team for more details on the build — translated from Chinese!
Suzuki GT250 Tracker: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
Tough Tracker was established in October 2015 and is located in Taichung, Taiwan. The business project is customized motorcycles.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1974 Suzuki GT250.
• Why was this bike built?
This is a personal project — Tough Tracker launches representative works every year.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Flat tracker direction, with 2-stroke as a focus: smoke, noise, speed.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Handlebar, front aluminum number plate, expansion chamber, exhaust pipe, seat cushion, tail unit, intake air filter box.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
“Big Bear.”
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
It came out close to the ideal appearance we had in mind. Also, to have a 1974 GT250 with legal license in Taiwan.
Follow the Builder
Facebook: Facebook.com/ToughTracker
Instagram: @toughtracker
