The GT-350 is an European model and basically the same as the SS-350 Sprint sold at the same time in North America.
Sometimes it's also referred as GTS-350 (Grand Tourismo Sprint and 350cc).
There are only minor differences to the US-models like different available colors and decals. While the US models are referred as model years the european models are referred by the the year built.
While the 1969 (built) year had a "fat" cylinder with the round cylinder head, (often also referred as ashtray head) the 1970 and later (built) models again had the well known "knucklehead" engine style that was used on the previous bikes.
That's one point where the GT-350 differs from the US model sold as SS-350 which used the "ashtray" until model year 1973. The european models also had different taillight brackets than it's US brothers.
The round cylinder/ head combination as you can see in picture no. 1 was not very popular in Italy for different reasons. First, it looked almost like a two stroke engine, hiding everything that makes a four stroke engine special, but it was also worse in cooling the engine. In Europe bikes are ridden harder and faster and reved higher than in The US and they also have to stand the heat in narrow city streets and traffic jams and this thermal stress led to problems with the bearings of the rocker arms in the cylinder head.
I am currently restoring a 1970 GT-350 myself. If you are interested in the progress or if you are parting out a 1970/1971 SS/GT-350 and have some parts for me - let me know, please.
Picture 1: Missing gas tank decals, aluminium stripes on seat and has a polished tach/speedo cover instead of black and wrong mufflers - but beside that it is restored to original condition.
Pictures 02-04: 1971 model restored to all original condition.
Picture 05: 1972 model
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