Suzuki T500 1968-1975

My older brother Yrjö bought himself a slightly used Suzuki T500K when I was a young lad. It had a candy wine red and white tank and it had white Craven hard bags (extra). I thought it was a beautiful and masculine bike and I still do.

 

The specifications of Suzuki T500K (1973 year's model, the numbers provided by Suzuki Motor Company): Maximum Speed: 168-176 km/h (105-110 mph) Maximum Horsepower: 45 hp at 6 000 rpm Maximum Torque: 5,40 kg-m (39,0 LB-ft) at 5 500 rpm Engine Type: 2-stroke, aluminum twin cylinder Piston Displacement: 492 cc (30,0 cu-in) Transmission: 5-speed, constant mesh Fuel Tank Capacity: 14 l (3,7/3,1 gal US/lmp) Lubrication: Suzuki CCI Overall Length: 2,195 mm (86,4 in) Overall Width: 880 mm (34,6 in) Overall Height: 1 105 mm (43,5 in) Tires, Front: 3.25-19, 4PR Tires, Rear: 4.00-18 4PR Dry Weight: 187 kg (412 LB) Color: Candy Wine Red, Bright Blue Metallic

What happened to the bike? My brother used it frequently until he left his hometown in Finland and moved to Sweden in 1978. He didn't take his bike with him. For many years we kept the bike to have fun with when we visited the old home town. Then somebody wanted to buy it and the bike was sold for peanuts. That's really a shame now, 'cause the bike had really low mileage at it and was in quite good shape. "When the pistons were new the bike made 190 km/h", my brother remembers. "It was a wonderful bike." I remember it too. When I was 18 or 20 years old I could take it for a ride on a warm summer night, without a helmet a leather suit. I remember that a T-shirt didn't protect that much from the wind, but when increased the speed to over 150 km/h the friction made me feel warm again. It was quite easy to handle and really a fun bike to ride. I wonder if the bike is still alive somewhere in Finland? It would be nice to see it again.

A "Colorado blue" Suzuki T500M 1975, the picture is from Suzuki's own advert. Click at the image to see the whole brochure. Suzuki stopped making T500 in late 1977.

 

More: Suzuki T500 model history

More: Lasse's 1969 T500

More: Suzuki T models

More: All Suzuki models

Sources: Suzuki 500 (Denmark), Suzuki Fans (Australia)

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