Anyone interested in a 1973 Suzuki TM400?

knuckle · Post by **knuckle** » Tue May 30, 2006 7:55 am

On another forum I came across a 1973 TM400 for sale. It is currently not running as the slide for the carb is stuck WFO. Otherwise the bike looks to be in good shape.

http://www.clubveedub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15300

Post by **dirtyboy** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:04 am

I bet cladoo has raced one of those.

Post by **cladoo** » Wed May 31, 2006 5:11 am

Luckily I never did ride the "Widowmaker". I read the thread and price was never mentioned.

cedric · Post by **cedric** » Wed May 31, 2006 6:34 am

Wasn't that the bike that Dirt Bike magazine proclaimed the worst dirt bike of all time?

knuckle · Post by **knuckle** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:39 am

cladoo wrote:Luckily I never did ride the "Widowmaker". I read the thread and price was never mentioned.

The price is hiding right under the first ad. $400 OBO.

Post by **cladoo** » Wed May 31, 2006 8:25 pm

Here is my first Race Bike 1974 Yamaha MX100B.

Its in my garage in parts still. Someday I'll restore it.

Post by **dirtyboy** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:19 pm

Sorry cladoo. I got confused by the yellow color.

Troy Basaraba · Post by **Troy Basaraba** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:02 am

I have kicking aound, a couple old Hard Cover Suzuki Repair manuals, from about 1971 or so, including the TM400. If someone wants to buy the Widdow maker, I will sell you one or both Manuals, or trade for a parts bike for a 1979 / 80 Yamaha YZ-80.

Post by **BackInAction** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:45 pm

The link to the website privided in the top post took me to the vdub website, but not the page.

How does one find the bike once on the site?

I'm not much of a re-builder...yet, anyway, but the big TM is kind of motivating.

I did ride a couple and rode closely with a few guys who owned'em. Thrill a minute. About 40 horsepower, 25 of which rushed onto the scene from about 5500RPM to the roughly 8000RPM max. If anyone here remembers what the 125s of that era were like...no power at all below full scream, light switch, all or none....this TM400 is just a bigger one of those.

Oh, and the every part of the frame will flex in all directions all the time(especially with that killer engine yanking on it). brakes were an afterthought, undersized and possibly suitable for a moped.....suspension, who needs that.....they put some uppy-downy things on it to keep the wheels from collapsing up into the fenders but that was pretty much the limit of those units.

What a bike!

Oh yeah, it would also run somewhat rotating backwards. Like backing down a steep incline and using the engine/clutch like a brake...hit it a bit too hard and turn the engine over...Brrrraaaappp! Lots'a fun.

They were damn fast though! Flywheel weights made them acceptable....kind'a. Bike's like this one are where the expressions "tank slapper" and "flying W" came from. The back end was always trying to pass the front and it didn't care which direction it did it in. Kept you on your toes.

Who would not want one of these old beauties?!

Post by **cladoo** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:46 am

The guy with the 400 was VWkid on the forum. I think the post is more than a year old and it is gone. You should PM him.
Claude

Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders

Anyone interested in a 1973 Suzuki TM400?

Anyone interested in a 1973 Suzuki TM400?

TM 400 and other old Suzies