The first year Suzuki TS185was arguably the best stock out of the box Japanese dual purpose motorcycle of its vintage. Yamaha DT175 was a close contender, the Kawasaki F7 had more raw power, but was heavy and its handling was questionable. A Honda SL175 while a good looking durable bike, it was pale by comparison off road.
The TS185 really had it all. It was extremely light handled superbly and had enough power to climb most any hill. Its light weight allowed it to leave much larger displacement bikes in its dust on tight woods trails. You could take it out on the trail the day you bought it. I remember the first day, I saw one. This guy was popping 2-3 gear wheelies with ease!
Sure, real off-road guys, would have to have knobby tires. They also immediately took off the mirrors, and chrome fenders. They put a little larger rear sprocket, and replaced the 19: front wheel with a 21 incher With that you could ride any enduro of the day and finish! On one colorado trip I took(with my 350 Bultaco Alpina), a friend took a bone stock 1972 TS185 just like this one, and rode the high passes around Ouray colorado! He didn't even re-jet the carburetor. It didn't get there fast, but it got everywhere we went. What a testimony for this bike.
This bike, is in unbelievable condition for a 1972 dual purpose bike, just take a look at the pictures. Did you have one when you were a kid?