I got a dilemma....'74 Suzuki T500 Titan or '69 Triumph Bonneville
- Thread starter marclucarelli
- Start date
Titan performance
Titan cafe racer builders.
HaHa....
Buy them both.......cut the T500 up and make a cafe racer,
cut the Trumpet up and weigh it in !
Sorted.
Buy them both.......cut the T500 up and make a cafe racer,
cut the Trumpet up and weigh it in !
Sorted.
marclucarelli
Life is life!
To anwer one question that was asked....no I have not driven either. I have sat on both....the suzuki needs a new battery and the triumph needs a new ignition system. Both felt equally comfortable to sit on. Since this will be a first bike I figure I'll adjust to either as well.
If I go Suzuki I'm planning to ride this season in its current state. Then decide by the end of the year if I want to make any changes to it.
If I go Triumph, changes will be made for/during this riding season.
One thing for sure...a 50/50 split doesn't solve the dilemma, but all the chatter has. I'm glad I posted this and if nothing else its been fun to read and discuss.
Not the best picture I've ever taken, but here is one of the T500 from my phone
If I go Suzuki I'm planning to ride this season in its current state. Then decide by the end of the year if I want to make any changes to it.
If I go Triumph, changes will be made for/during this riding season.
One thing for sure...a 50/50 split doesn't solve the dilemma, but all the chatter has. I'm glad I posted this and if nothing else its been fun to read and discuss.
Not the best picture I've ever taken, but here is one of the T500 from my phone
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VonYinzer
Over 10,000 Posts
Ahhh... Ignition problems on a Triumph. No kidding. Haha. Honestly though, dealing with Brit electrics can be a bit harrowing if you dont know what youre doing. Not that it cant be done, its just a bit different and can be pricey for certain bits. I have to say, the 500 seems like a better deal every day.
Titan performance
Titan cafe racer builders.
500$ for that T500 !.......Jesus, you guys in the States don't know you are born ! What a bargain. Get me 10 of those..........in the UK that bike would be 2000$ or more subject to condition.
Go and buy it immediately !
Go and buy it immediately !
Just buy teh T500, clean it up and flip it. Then buy the Triumph. It's only a 500 so it will never be as valuable as T120 but they are sweet bikes. Not powerful and never will be, but nice rides all the same.
Ignition is exactly the same as any Jap bike. Replace teh points with electronic and forget about it. Maybe even use a DYNA with twin ended coil and wasted spark arrangement. Cheap simple and effective.
Ignition is exactly the same as any Jap bike. Replace teh points with electronic and forget about it. Maybe even use a DYNA with twin ended coil and wasted spark arrangement. Cheap simple and effective.
jackstraw650
Been Around the Block
marclucarelli said:
Where in Eastern PA do you live, Marc? I live in central Virginia and let me tell you...do I have a deal for you! I will drive up tomorrow and buy the Suzuki for $500 and give you $200 towards the purchase of the Triumph and its build. I am serious.............................Let'ssssssssssss make a deal!!
Again, speaking with a lot of British bike experience, buy the Suzuki if you are tight on money.
Another consideration, are you comfortable with a shift-on-the-right Triumph? Some people struggle with it, while to me it is normal and my Japanese bikes feel strange with shift-on-the-left.
Buy the Suzuki.
Another consideration, are you comfortable with a shift-on-the-right Triumph? Some people struggle with it, while to me it is normal and my Japanese bikes feel strange with shift-on-the-left.
Buy the Suzuki.
So what did you buy, or did your head explode from all that input?
Or are you completely confused now? It's march already and the sun is out. If you want to ride this season, it's decision time.
Seriously though, both bikes are very different. Go with the one that's really talking to you the loudest. Which one do you dream about? In the final analysis, it's just a bike. There's a lot more where they came from - just not at those prices. If teh Suzuki runs well and is totally legit, it's a steal at that price. Buy it and run it through the summer and if you aren't even more in love with it by winter, sell it and get something else.
Or are you completely confused now? It's march already and the sun is out. If you want to ride this season, it's decision time.
Seriously though, both bikes are very different. Go with the one that's really talking to you the loudest. Which one do you dream about? In the final analysis, it's just a bike. There's a lot more where they came from - just not at those prices. If teh Suzuki runs well and is totally legit, it's a steal at that price. Buy it and run it through the summer and if you aren't even more in love with it by winter, sell it and get something else.
marclucarelli
Life is life!
Well sorry for the delay. I'm not sure anyone will even check this out at this point, but here we go. After much consideration, realizing that I have little mechanical skills, and less british engineering experience I ruled out the Triumph. Let me know if any one is interested, I can get you in contact with the seller. He has done no advertising, but doesn't ride, so he wants to sell it. Its a hidden gem for the right person.
I was waiting on the T500 seller to decide what he wanted to do. A few years ago he had it at a yard sale for $400, and not one person looked at it. In our first conversation he said, "well I'm not sure what I'd want for it, but probably not much, close to what I was asking for before"...then came the power of the internet. He found that the bike was worth much more due to condition and low mileage (under 7k) and threw numbers around in the $4500 - $5000 area. At the point I went deaf...DAMN YOU AL GORE FOR INVENTING THE INTERNET! ;D
So after a little while I found the bike I purchased. A 1978 Kawasaki KZ650. I have a picture below. It runs, but has a throttle issue. I also have found that it is losing power going up hill...any thoughts on why would be helpful.
The plan is to clean it up and ride this season, and do major changes this winter.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts in this thread. I look forward to any thoughts you have on my purchase, and/or even ideas on making it a sweet cafe.
I was waiting on the T500 seller to decide what he wanted to do. A few years ago he had it at a yard sale for $400, and not one person looked at it. In our first conversation he said, "well I'm not sure what I'd want for it, but probably not much, close to what I was asking for before"...then came the power of the internet. He found that the bike was worth much more due to condition and low mileage (under 7k) and threw numbers around in the $4500 - $5000 area. At the point I went deaf...DAMN YOU AL GORE FOR INVENTING THE INTERNET! ;D
So after a little while I found the bike I purchased. A 1978 Kawasaki KZ650. I have a picture below. It runs, but has a throttle issue. I also have found that it is losing power going up hill...any thoughts on why would be helpful.
The plan is to clean it up and ride this season, and do major changes this winter.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts in this thread. I look forward to any thoughts you have on my purchase, and/or even ideas on making it a sweet cafe.
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marclucarelli
Life is life!
Swan...I would've bought the Titan, but like I said he never finalized his price, and still hasn't to be honest. If he does I'll post it so everyone can know what he asked in the end, and maybe he'll be more reasonable than the numbers he gave, but anything more than $1500 was too much for me. I'm not looking for a collectors piece, but a bike I can do what I want to it and not feel like I'm destroying history.
PHeller, I agree. The Titan guy was I older guy I knew from chruch and he hadn't ridden the bike since 1983. He seemed like he just wanted to get rid of it, and his wife really wanted him to get rid of it...but he was patient and checked out the "value"....we'll see what he gets for it if he sells it. Maybe he'll come to me with a reasonable number and I won't be able to pass it up.
Who knows what the future might bring.
PHeller, I agree. The Titan guy was I older guy I knew from chruch and he hadn't ridden the bike since 1983. He seemed like he just wanted to get rid of it, and his wife really wanted him to get rid of it...but he was patient and checked out the "value"....we'll see what he gets for it if he sells it. Maybe he'll come to me with a reasonable number and I won't be able to pass it up.
Who knows what the future might bring.
bbillington
wadda wadda leffit
re the kz650: was it rejetted for the pod filters and exhaust? had it been sitting for a while?
I'd start by pulling the carbs and plugs and go from there. nice looking bike
I'd start by pulling the carbs and plugs and go from there. nice looking bike
MotorbikeBruno
Over 1,000 Posts
Yup, I'm with Bbillington. I happen to own one of these too. I had to go up on the pilots and the mains to make it run right, because you have a nice open exhaust and the pod filters I see on there seem to let it a ridiculous amount of air for it. (I have that style too). Also look into the clutch springs. I found that mine had the clutch slipping slightly, and under higher revs (passing people) it would slip too, so I changed those springs out for a set of new ones for 15 bucks or so. well worth it to me.
marclucarelli
Life is life!
Thanks!
It had been sitting for a while as far I know. I do know the plugs were replaced, but highly doubt that its been rejetted. Where can I pick up a jet kit? How difficult it is to do on your own?
As for the clutch...i do not seem to have any slippage at this point (fingers crossed). I did or should say have a throttle issue binding up, but the more I run it the less the problem has been. I think it was just sticking from sitting and is idling much better than it did when I brought it home.
It had been sitting for a while as far I know. I do know the plugs were replaced, but highly doubt that its been rejetted. Where can I pick up a jet kit? How difficult it is to do on your own?
As for the clutch...i do not seem to have any slippage at this point (fingers crossed). I did or should say have a throttle issue binding up, but the more I run it the less the problem has been. I think it was just sticking from sitting and is idling much better than it did when I brought it home.
MotorbikeBruno
Over 1,000 Posts
Jetting is super easy to do. Once you get the carbs off the bike, flip them upside down, take the float bowls off, and replace two screwed in jets. (yeah I made it sound really easy didn't I? :
) Sometimes it isn't THAT easy, but since you already have pods, you don't have to deal with how they cram them between the airbox and engine. My local dealer had jets in stock for 3.50 or 4.50 each. And the pilots were about the same price. When I get home I'll see what my carbs had as the "stock" jetting. You can also order new jets from Z1 Enterprises, or Dennis Kirk too now (they added a ton of jets from the last time I looked in the catalog) I think the pilots were 15's if I remember and I bumped them up to 17.5's and the mains I can't remember at all. But I think I went up about 3 sizes (in 2.5 increments) So for example if it was 105 mains I went to 112.5 mains. I'll get back to you on that one. Hopefully there are a few others here with the same bike that chime in with their jetting. WAY cheaper than buying a full kit and not using most of the jets. And just buy some new throttle cables. I think they were 15 bucks each or so. Nice piece of mind to have that done and move nicely. (I also get a clutch cable too and just keep the others as spares....but I'm a hoarder)
) Sometimes it isn't THAT easy, but since you already have pods, you don't have to deal with how they cram them between the airbox and engine. My local dealer had jets in stock for 3.50 or 4.50 each. And the pilots were about the same price. When I get home I'll see what my carbs had as the "stock" jetting. You can also order new jets from Z1 Enterprises, or Dennis Kirk too now (they added a ton of jets from the last time I looked in the catalog) I think the pilots were 15's if I remember and I bumped them up to 17.5's and the mains I can't remember at all. But I think I went up about 3 sizes (in 2.5 increments) So for example if it was 105 mains I went to 112.5 mains. I'll get back to you on that one. Hopefully there are a few others here with the same bike that chime in with their jetting. WAY cheaper than buying a full kit and not using most of the jets. And just buy some new throttle cables. I think they were 15 bucks each or so. Nice piece of mind to have that done and move nicely. (I also get a clutch cable too and just keep the others as spares....but I'm a hoarder)
bbillington
wadda wadda leffit
There's a jetting thread on kz650.info that is great. I bought two sets of of mains and pilots from z1 when I did mine and was very happy right out of the gate. I think bruno is right on the numbers for a 4-1/pod setup.
marclucarelli
Life is life!
Thanks again...you make it sound simple Bruno. Btw, i checked out your build it looks sweet.
I'll check out the post on kz650.info for a little more research, but I'm gonna call the kawasaki dealership and see if I can get the stuff i need locally.
I'm hoping to get this figured out quickly, I'm ready to get riding!
I'll check out the post on kz650.info for a little more research, but I'm gonna call the kawasaki dealership and see if I can get the stuff i need locally.
I'm hoping to get this figured out quickly, I'm ready to get riding!
