Tuesday 21 February 2017

Suzuki T500 (1967) Price, Colors, Specification

Posted By: ygshhd 00:52 Leave a Reply

Suzuki T500

Suzuki’s 492cc two-stroke parallel twin engine lacked sophistication but produced 44bhp, was reliable and had plen

The T500’s styling was no more outstanding than its performance, but the Suzuki barely changed for almost a decade. Suzuki’s T500 twin was by no means the most stylish or sophisticated bike of the late 1960s and early ’70s, but in terms of providing speed at a cheap price it was outstanding. British twins were generally more expensive and less reliable; the Japanese multis that arrived in the 1970s cost far more. For two-wheeled thrills on a low budget, arguably the only bikes to touch the T500, which was known as the Titan in the States and the Cobra in the UK, were Yamaha’s rival 350cc two-strokes. On its introduction in 1967 the T500 was essentially a larger version of the T20 Super Six two-stroke twin that had shaken up the 250cc market a year earlier. The heavily finned, 492cc aircooled motor was the centrepiece of a simply styled, reasonably good-looking roadster.

The first models had twin 34mm carbs, but after 1969 the Suzuki used 32mm Mikunis, producing a claimed maximum of 44bhp at 6000rpm. The motor’s tuning potential was proved by Suzuki’s TR500 twin racebikes, on which riders including Ron Grant and Art Baumann won many races and were timed at over 150mph (241 km/h). Suzuki's Three-cylinder Alternative

Suzuki had a rival two-stroke middleweight of its own in the 1970s, in the shape of the GT550 triple Launched in 1972, the GT was similar in looks and layout to the GT380 model. Its 543cc air-cooled engine produced 53bhp, giving lively acceleration and a top speed of about 110mph (177km/h). The GT handled reasonably well and was a competent all-rounder, although it was heavier than the T500 as well as more expensive. Like Suzuki's other two- strokes, it fell victim to tightening emissions regulations towards the end of the 1970s.

For a two-stroke the T500 was reasonably torquey, the motor feeling flat at very low revs but pulling fairly crisply from 3000rpm. Above 4000rpm it took off, the note from the twin pipes rising to a high-pitched snarl as the tacho needle span faster towards the 7000rpm redline through the five-speed box. True top speed was between 1 OOmph (161 km/h) and a 1 lOmph (177km/h). The earlier models were generally slightly faster due to less restrictive exhausts.

Not so classy chassis

The T500’s chassis was less impressive. Its twin- downtube frame and swingarm were made from steel tubing of distinctly narrow diameter. Its 35mm diameter front forks had external springs under their gaiters. Like the twin rear shocks, they were ineffective devices that contemporary tests showed to be over-sprung and lacking in damping.

Much of the time the Suzuki nevertheless handled reasonably well, thanks to its combination of 19-inch front wheel, conservative steering geometry and a friction steering damper at the steering head. At a more aggressive pace, though, the twin could quickly get out of shape. Many owners replaced the original rear shocks with superior aftermarket units, such as Girlings, but even that modification could not make the T500 handle particularly well. Nor did its front and rear drum brakes provide much in the way of stopping power, though this could be improved with the use of aftermarket brake shoes.

Despite the T500’s mediocre handling and braking, Suzuki introduced very few changes during the model’s long life - partly because its competitive price ensured that it carried on selling quite well, particularly in America.

But they did eventually uprate the front brake. In 1976 the twin was given a single front disc, a bigger fuel tank, electronic ignition and a handful of other detail changes. It was also renamed the GT500A. in an attempt to bring it into the GT range of triples that Suzuki by then built in 380. 550 and 750cc sizes.