Suzuki GT 500

Suzuki
Suzuki T 500 1972
Suzuki T 500
Manufacturer	Suzuki
Production period	1968 to 1977
class	motorcycle
design type	Sports Tourer
Motor data
2-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke
Displacement  (cm³)	492
Power  (kW / PS )	47 at 7000 min -1
Torque  ( N m )	52 at 6000 min -1
Top speed (  km / h)	about 170
transmission	5-speed
drive	Chain
Brakes	Duplex drum brake at the front / simplex drum brake at the rear
Wheelbase  (mm)	1455
Dimensions (L × W × H, mm):	2190 × 870 × 1125
Seat height (cm)	about 78
Empty weight  (kg)	185.5
Previous model	-
successor	-

The Suzuki T 500 (later GT 500 ) is a motorcycle from the 1970s . The manufacturer was the Japanese company Suzuki .

description

It was powered by a two-cylinder two- stroke engine with a displacement of 492 cm³ and a torque of 52 Nm at 6000 min ⁻¹ and an output of 47.7 hp at 7000 min ⁻¹ . The engine output allowed Suzuki's first larger design to pull along with the British Triumph and Norton machines that were still predominant at the time . The T 500 was superior to motorcycles with four-stroke engines of the same or larger displacement in terms of power delivery. Motor power with the corresponding torque was already available from a speed of 2500 min ⁻¹ to 6500 min ⁻¹ . The bike was solidly constructed and very inexpensive (around $ 1000 ) and reliable compared to other equally powerful units . The two-stroke engine was much easier to maintain than a four-stroke engine due to the lack of valve technology. Suzuki's 500 weighed only 187 kg empty. The chassis took a lot of getting used to and compared to, for example, English machines, it was pretty bad, but since the construction was basically stable, the handling of the machine could be significantly improved with simple means (other shock absorbers, swing arm steering head bearings and tires). The maximum speed ex works was approx. 170 km / h, the consumption, depending on the driving style, 8 to 10 l per 100 km. However, the tank capacity of 14 l (including the reserve) and the poor quality of the motorcycle's electrical system were cause for criticism.

Technical specifications

T 500

The motorcycle had an air-cooled slot-controlled two-stroke two-cylinder engine with a bore of 70 mm and a stroke of 64 mm (the pistons are identical to the water-cooled GT 750 ). The transmission has five gears and a kick starter . Two Mikuni carburetors with a diameter of 34 mm (later 32 mm) produce the fuel mixture. The secondary drive is provided by an open chain. The chassis consists of a double-loop tubular frame. The wheelbase is 1470 mm. The deceleration is done by a duplex drum on the front wheel and a simplex drum on the rear wheel. The tires are 3.25 at the front and 4.00 at the rear. The spring travel is 110 mm at the front and 70 mm at the rear.

Model history

In order to ensure the piston and crankshaft lubrication , the 500 series Suzuki, like its structurally smaller predecessor models Suzuki T20 and T250, had fresh oil lubrication (Suzuki-Posi-Force-Lubrication) by means of a load and speed-dependent oil pump and did not have to be equipped with a petrol-oil pump. Mixture can be refueled. Already presented at the annual London Motor Show in Earl's Court at the end of 1967, Suzuki's 500 was launched in 1968 under the name T-500-I-Cobra. This model can be easily distinguished from the other models in the series by the tank with its chrome side panels and knee rubbers and by the instruments, lamp holders, headlight housings and shock absorber covers painted in the corresponding color. The Twin was sold in 1969 as the T 500 II Titan with an extended swing arm, different pistons and cylinders (eleven instead of ten ribs) and different timing. The powerful engine and a new design - (tank, side cover, instruments, fenders, seat) - made the 500 Suzuki a successful model.

Suzuki's T / GT 500 was manufactured with the only slightly modified engine until 1977, most recently with the designation GT 500 B. This speaks in favor of the extremely successful two-stroke engine, which works on the reliable principle of reverse flushing . From year of construction 1976 the GT 500 got a contactless CDI ignition system. The intake paths between the carburetors and the cylinders were lengthened by approx. 4 cm with rubber connectors, which shifted the resonance frequency on the intake side to lower speeds. This reduced the peak power a little and improved the torque at low revs. The GT 500 A / B models were 38 horsepower at 6000 min ^-1 in the vehicle certificate certifies. The direct comparison with the four-stroke motorcycles of that time showed that this performance figure was clearly "deeply stacked" and was more likely to be around 45 DIN PS.

The GT 500 A model was equipped in 1976 with a disc brake on the front wheel together with the more modern GT telescopic fork and the instruments of the GT 250 . In addition, it received the fuel tank of the GT 750 with a capacity of 17 liters, which was good because of the relatively high fuel consumption, but the large tank did not match the design of this compact motorcycle. The overall design also no longer corresponded to the style of the late 1970s.

As early as 1974, starting with the L-model, the Suzuki-Motor-Corporation had increased the transmission oil volume from 1.2 to 1.4 l, because at high cruising speeds a number of transmission damage occurred in fourth and fifth gears (Suzuki therefore offered the possibility of retrofitting the previous ones Types in the form of a plastic insert for subsequent installation in the lower motor housing). In Germany, the GT 500 A and B models were also offered with a power reduction (reducers in the intake ducts and other carburetor nozzles) to 27 hp due to the change in insurance tariffs from displacement to performance classes, which, however, now weighs 195 kg and a maximum speed of about 130 km / h the sporty character of this machine suffered. The GT 500 A and B were not a commercial success and very few machines were sold; Last but not least, with a considerable price reduction as a kit ("Motorcycle out of the box" was the advertising slogan of the Gericke company). The end for large-volume two-stroke machines actually came two years earlier, due to changed emissions regulations in the USA, the largest sales market, which could no longer be met with this technology.

The external appearance of the machine with its many chrome-plated equipment parts was retained despite the annually changing paintwork and, with the high-torque engine, the overall good driving behavior and the unmistakable sound, has ensured a worldwide fan base, which still keeps numerous machines of this type alive today.

Type designations

T 500

• Bj 1968. T 500 I Cobra , 46 hp at 7,000 min ^-1
• Year 1969: T 500 II Titan ,
• Year 1970: T 500 III ,
• Year 1971:. T 500 R , 47 hp at 7,000 min ^-1 , 52 Nm at 6,000 rpm ^-1
• Year 1972: T 500 J ,
• Bj 1973. T 500 K , 45 hp at 7,000 min ^-1 , 53 Nm at 5500 min ^-1
• Bj 1974. T 500 L , 44 hp at 6,000 min ^-1 , 53 Nm at 5500 min ^-1
• Bj. 1975: T 500 M ,
• Model year 1976: GT 500 A , 38 hp at 6,500 min ⁻¹ , 53 Nm at 5,500 min ⁻¹
• Bj 1977. GT 500 B , 38 hp at 6,000 min ^-1 , 46 Nm at 5500 min ^-1

Conversions

Several well-known tuning teams from England (Crooks-Suzuki, Seeley-Suzuki) and from Italy the Suzuki importer SAIAD from Turin (Suzuki Vallelunga) refined the street version of the 500 series into veritable Caferacers or junior racing machines. The racing version of the 500 from 1970, the TR 500 factory machine with an air-cooled engine and a weight of approx. 145 kg with an output of 65.4 hp, reached a top speed of 233 km / h. From 1973 to 1975 a water-cooled version with 85 hp at 9,000 rpm was still ^-1 built, this was also to acquire from 1974 in small numbers for License driver bought. The Italian company Bimota also used the engine of this version in their Bimota SB 1 model from 1975 and 1976, which was produced in around 50 pieces.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ motalia.de ( Memento of the original from October 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Bimota SB1, accessed December 30, 2009 

Web links

• suzuki-classic.de : Model history of the Suzuki two-stroke engine, accessed on February 12, 2011