I was 15 in 1975, my buddies older brother had a TS 400. I taken for a ride, wow, what a demon, bike had so much power from take off, real easy to pop wheelies. Scared the crap out of me on my first ride. Never forgot riding this bike. 👌🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇦🇺
I loved my dirt bikes in the 70s as a kid but also admired the hell out of the Apache. Beasts. I don't understand why I never cheased one down to down in all these years. I ride a 4 wheeler on trails but actually still would enjoy a big bore 2 wheeler.
This was my fourth dirtbike when I was about 15 years old in 1978. It was an absolute blast to ride as I rode along with my brother on his RM 400. So many memories
I owned one of these. Same as seen here. Rode it all over California & Nevada with friends - 5 of us. All along highway 1 and east to Tahoe , Reno, Yosemite, Death Valley, and south to San Diego and many places in between stopping at the Mexico border back in the good 'ol 70's. Great bike.
Dad got me a mint used 76 Suzuki TS185 for Christmas when I was 12 in Wapakoneta Ohio. The bike was in the living room with Christmas lights and garland on it as the tree. Good memories. Got a picture of same 185 in a pick up on my FB page.
I started riding motorcross hard at age 12 with a Factory Hop-up kit on a 72' TS90 then a 1974 RM 125 at 14 . . . Vert Skated the Longwood Pipeline at 16 ... At the University of Florida I bought a used TS400 for $400 bucks and barly out-ran a Frat Boy's Corvette from Light to Light. His girl in the passenger seat why so fast . . . So "later" I gave her a Ride. Thank God I missed Video-Games!
Beautiful vintage 2 stroke Enduro. I bet her powerband is sick, and that she is quite fast. Looks like it's new out of the crate. Whatever customer of y'all's buys that bike, will be very happy, like I have been, with yall's customer service. Certainly much better than any local dealerships by me. Always a Privilege dealing with Y'all. Y'all will truly have a customer for life in me. Much love and respect!
This was my first motorcycle. Mine was silver color. I jumped one time only, at 18 1/2 feet straight up. Boy was this bike powerful. Could pop wheelies at 45 MPH. Bought mine at Big Town Suzuki in Mesquite, Texas. Unfortunately no longer in business.
I bought one of these used when I was 14. Dropped the stock pipe and put a Hooker pipe on it. This guy is barely cracking the throttle. Mine would turn up to around 4,200 if I remember correctly. It had a broad, torque filled power band. It was a tuned down version of the real killer. The TM 400.
Thx K C for an informative and entertaining video FWIW I had one of these on Guam serving in USN BITD used it to get lost in the jungle put about 3500 miles on it on that Island the size of Catalina Island. Paid about $500 for it New from the Navy Exchange. Fun times.
Shoot, there is a memory right there! I had the TS250L then traded to this TS 400L(Silver). Never let me down. Even got a guy to build me a Tuned, over the top exhaust pipe. Then I laid a set of Koni shocks onto it(should have got better advise on those shocks(springs way too hard and increased my steering angle(too steep). Made it a bit twitchy.. Oh well, live and learn. Nice bike, and plenty of memories. ;-)
With that low mileage it might be the original NGK spark plug which were notorious back then to cause a high rpm miss. I had a 74 TS125 and had to switch to a gold palladium plug and never had a problem after that.
I just picked up a 1975 with 720 original miles. Going through the carb, oil change needs nothing! Inside of tank is spotless. Paint perfect no dents or scratches never dropped tires like new no rubber problems, I want $2500.00 for it.
Wow! What a beauty. I can't even remember the last time I saw a TS 400 Suzuki I know it's been a long time. Good luck with the sales on that when can I'm sure it's going to bring a pretty penny.
That bike was mentioned by a desert rider for a moment on the movie about Robyn Davidson called Tracks. Good movie. She treks 2k miles with 4 camels and a dog
Had one as a 14 year old, put the factory "hop up kit " on it with my dad new top end and exhaust after removing the expansion chamber on the pipe and re tuning the carb it would rev forever , my father was an Engineer and ported the kit , needless to say very few if any things could keep up with that bike it was way stronger than the RM370 I had later had
I have a DR370 and it's a *beast.* I had to pass on a 400 and I regret it to this day. I have a couple of 2 stroke Suzukis, but the DR is a 4 stroke and I much prefer the quiet and low smoke.
My first real bike was a 78 TS 250. Back when a kid could ride a dirt bike around town, and not get hassled lol. Had oil injection,but my dad told me to premix lol, excellent condition and paid 400$ for it.
Unreal,road one of these for a couple years as a teen in the early 80s,was a trail beater,back then, Enduro bikes where dime a dozen, people would give em away to get them out of the garage,nice!
This is the same bike I owned when I was in High School (around 1983). It was a blast riding it through the dirt trails and the empty fields. Mine wasn't in as good condition as the one you have. Even back in 1983 it was a bit beat up, but still ran very well. I do believe mine sounded nicer than yours, and didn't smoke as much. Maybe yours isn't as tuned up as you think it is. Also, there is no way in hell you're going to get $10k for that bike. Not even close. You can get a much nicer bike for that kind of money.
That upturned exhuast is so flipping cool, I wish more of these were around ive never seen one. I wonder whats holding it back, carbs or timing probably once you cross out obvious stuff like exhuast clogged or internally collapsed etc. air leaks
Sweet 400 suzi , just need to fix it right on the revs over 3 grand , that problem will keep the price down , tell me who wants to pay top dollar for a 2 stroke that theh have to work on before you can seriously take it out !
How do you know where to find these unmolested gems? Most of these were ridden hard, wrecked, and left in the barn to decay and no one would have thought they would be valuable one day!
It's highly likely that the clutch side crank seal is leaking. Transmission oil will suck into the crankcase, causing the bike to run rich and not rev.
I had to pass on one of these that was on Craigslist for $700. I have too many bikes already, and the deal was I would have to get rid of one to buy this. I really hate that I missed out. I have a TS185, TS250, DR370, and GS1000 for Suzukis. Old Suzus are phenomenal.
When I bought my TS 400 brand new in 1975, it cost me $1350.00 New Zealand beautiful bike. The down side if there is one, do not try to kick it over with sandals on, that back foot rest will catch your heel and rip it up.
I have a rare bike it is a Suzuki SP500 all original even the tires. 7000 miles and sweet it is. It belongs in a museum. Imposible to find except in bits and pieces.
I could use some help. Picked up a freebie ts400 with no title for free, carb pukes but runs. Frame number is "TS4003-23025" engine is "TS4003-22936". Can't find this anywhere online. I want to pursue a title for it. Shes very savable.
excellent old trail bike n hill climber you'd think with all your mechanics there someone could fix the rev in the motor sucks it has dents in the tank that keeps ya from getting top dollar
Not revving out clean on top end is normal for the breed , they just get to a certain rev then misfire like a built in rev limiter ? Ive had every TS apart from the 400 and they have all done it from new ? No mechanic Ive ever met can make them rev out ? even the main dealers from new ? Having said that they remain one of my very favorite bikes ever.
My dad had one of these back around 1980. His wouldn't rev out very well either. A previous owner had installed a different carburetor, so it needed professional tuning. Dad is a cheap man, so he'd take his bikes to a Neanderthal shade tree mechanic that mutilated everything he touched. That fool ruined Dad's Vespa and Suzuki TS
Halldor Tverberg have you put it in yet? How does it fit? Putting a suzuki rg 80 engine into my ts50x because it bolts right in but a ts400 engine sounds loads more interesting
I WOULD OF SAID LEAN THE NEEDLE A NOTCH OR 2 AND LEAN OUT THE MAIN JET SOME AND THAT SHOULD HELP IT REV OUT.... INCORRECT SPARK PLUG GAP CAN CAUSE THAT AS WELL.by now maybe the issue had been fixed....neone knew what it was???
