Suzuki GT185 Yamaha CS5

IN THE EARLY 1970S, WITH THE BILL FOR insurance on a 250 crushing your average young rider’s spirit and apprentice wage packet, the sporty Japanese 200 was just the thing. They were cheaper to buy and run, could be coaxed into long journeys, were moderately fast and could be thrown about.

Your biggest decision was which motorcycle brand to go for. This kind of youthful tribalism was very important at the time, almost as much as which football team you supported or who was your favourite Pans Person (Dee Dee, since you ask). Suzuki, with everybody’s hero Barry Sheene on their team, had an advantage in the street cred stakes. Until he left for Yamaha and you had to sell your Suzuki and buy a Yamaha and branded leathers.

YAMAHA’S PURPLE PATCH

Yamaha had a bit of a head start in the tiddler twin stakes and had been making 200s for a little longer than Suzuki. Unlike their rivals they concentrated on small two-strokes for most of the decade, their biggest offering being the four-stroke XS650, while Suzuki made