automoderated, emailconfirmed
60,768
edits
Difference between revisions of "Suzuki T500"
→1973 T500K
| Line 196: | Line 196: | ||
* Round headlight | * Round headlight | ||
The new models T500K & L were designed to accommodate 1400cc of gearbox oil, some 200cc more than the earlier models. This modification ensured that high speed running would not lead to oil starvation of the 5th, 4th and 3rd speed gear clusters. The bane of T500's until now, the inadequate gearbox oil supply could, over time, lead to pitting of the gears and their eventual destruction as the case hardening deteriorated. It is easy to tell if the gearbox on an early model is on the way out, when riding the bike the gearbox will make as much noise as a steam driven freight train pulling up hill. Perusal of any T500 enthusiast's garage will unearth a comprehensive supply of stuffed 4th and 5th gear clusters! | |||
Suzuki also modified the lower crankcase half of the motor to resolve a long-standing design weakness. | |||
Perhaps in a bid to make their GT range of triples more attractive, the Suzuki factory de-tuned the T500. In Australia the maximum power of the T500 was as low as 44 horsepower for the 1973-year's K model. The subtle changes to the inlet port and the carburetors had robbed the T500 of almost 3hp and returned the fuel economy to near Cobra standards. | |||
The cynical marketing exercise of de-tuning the Suzuki T500 to make the GT range more attractive did not work. The [[Suzuki GT380|GT380]] and [[Suzuki GT550|550]] triples were overweight, peaky and unattractive. The T500 had a loyal following and still sold steadily if unremarkably. | |||
==1974 T500L== | ==1974 T500L== | ||