SUZUKI TR750 "Flexi-Flyer"

Sheene at the controls of the TR750

The SUZUKI TR750 was the result of the adaptation for competition of the SUZUKI GT 750, 2T, 3 cylinders, the first SUZUKI with a large cylinder capacity which, due to its liquid cooling, received the nickname: "The Kettle", the kettle, nickname that in the the racing bike became “Water Buffalo”! Like other road 750cc 2Ts from the same era, the TR750 had a reputation for outstanding performance and dynamic handling that left a lot to be desired. At high speed, the first TRs twisted so much that riders named it the “Flexi-Flyer”.

ADV

Sheene in action on the TR750, Daytona in 1975, painting by Selgey Kattvinsky

It might have been daunting, but in 1973, TR was good enough to take Barry Sheene to his first international title at the inaugural FIM Formula 750cc Trophy. Two years later, Sheene nearly died on another TR, when his rear tire disintegrated at 260km/h at Daytona. At this stage in motorcycle racing history, manufacturers struggled to get tires that could withstand the speed these motorcycles reached.