Cleetus McFarland Gets a Suzuki Running After 21 Years, Freedom Sings Again

Dusty, but not forgotten.

52:27

Jonathon Klein

By: Jonathon Klein

Jul 26, 2024 at 8:22am ET

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I love when you buy something and get something for free. Whether it's a taco, an extra set of Nerf darts, or the occasional sticker, buy one get one free (BOGO) is always a good time. But I have to say, I've never bought something and received a free motorcycle.

Though I'm open to the idea.

Yet, that's exactly what happened to Cleetus McFarland—the famous YouTuber—when he purchased a racetrack now known as the Freedom Factory ages ago. Obviously, he got all the traditional things you get when you buy a racetrack, i.e. the track, some stands, loads of yard work, and a host of leftover tools. But in one of the tool sheds was an old motorcycle, specifically a Suzuki GS1000L, which had been sitting for a long, long time.

Well, after 21 years, Cleetus and his merry band of redneck engineers decided that it was finally time to revive the motorcycle. And though you'd think that something that had been sitting for that long would be a tough cookie to revive, well, you were sorta right and sorta wrong.

As the guys pull the Suzuki out into the sunlight for the first time in god knows how long, they quickly come to the conclusion that it looked better in the darkness. The gas tank is rusted, as was the airbox. And the rest of the bike looked, well, beat, with the brakes locked up, the throttle squeaking like a rabid chipmunk, the shocks were shot, and the tires dry rotted to the nth degree.

But when has that ever stopped Cleetus? Brother took a crashed helicopter and freakin' restored it. What's a little old Suzuki motorcycle to his misfit mechanics? Nothin', BROTHER!

What do you think?

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They then throw it onto their tow truck, bring it back to their shop, and realize they broke the fender, and then immediately drop it. But, after a little hot-wiring, and attaching a jump box to said hot wires, they hit the starter and there's compression. Five seconds later, with a little can of helpful brake cleaner, the Suzuki fires right up. But that isn't the end of the story.

You'll want to watch it as, though it fires pretty much immediately, it still needed a lot of work to get it to the point of Cleetus riding the bike. Check it out.