SUZUKI 500
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| SUZUKI 500 IN GREEN & WHITE COLOR'S |
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 air- cooled 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 (241km/h).
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 lOO mph (161km/h) and a 1IOmph (I77km/h). The
earlier models were generally slightly faster due to less restrictive
exhausts.
SUZUKI 500
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 500 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.
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