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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