Triumph, Kawasaki and Laverda weren't the only outfits with three-cylinder motors, Suzuki having joined the Triples Club in 1971 with launch of the water-cooled GT750 two-stroke. They added a pair of smaller air-cooled triples, the GT380 and GT550, the following year. Using 61 x 62mm bore/stroke dimensions for a capacity of 544cc, the 550 produced 50bhp at the crankshaft. Gearbox was a 5-speeder, while there was also the luxury of an electric starter. Performance was brisk – 110mph being achievable – but compromised at first by a fade-prone drum front drum brake that was soon replaced by a single hydraulic disc, as seen on this 1975 model. Smooth and comfortable, the GT550 changed only in detail thereafter in a production run lasting into 1977. The GT on offer is fitted with an aftermarket exhaust but otherwise appears original.