1975 Suzuki T500 IT IS ALIVE! First start video 5/7/11

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

There are a ton of mods that can be done on these bikes. The engine is a fairly mild state of tune stock, some of the vintage racer guys are nearly doubling the stock Hp numbers. The same goes for the suspension and brakes, massive room for improvement. Having said that, I don't plan to go after those possible improvements. I know it's sounds crazy to some, but I really don't want to "update" this bike. I want a vintage machine even if it means having crappy suspension and brakes. One of the big appeals to a bike like this is that it's not like modern bikes. Cable operated drums, big two-stroke engine,etc...you can't buy that anymore. If I stumbled upon a 4 shoe front brake for a reasonable price I'd consider it, but the things I love the most about these old bikes are the drum brakes, spindly forks, and skinny tires. I'm sticking with drums and am running reproduction period tires (Dunlop K70's). No disks or modern sticky rubber. Any performance gains that might be had are going to come from whatever weight it loses and maybe a set of pipes with appropriate jetting. I'm going to do a vacuum check on the crank seals and if they are still holding, I wont even crack open the engine.

As for the brakes being unsafe, I think that's a bit of a stretch. Many thousands of miles have passed under these machines over the years. Are they on par with modern brakes? Of course not! You have to realize the limitations of an older machine and adjust your riding accordingly. IMO, so long as they are in good condition and working properly I have no qualms about riding on these brakes at legal street speeds. I've already got new shoes, cables, springs etc ready and waiting for the rebuild. ;D

If I get the bike back together and find the brakes to be unsafe then I'll certainly do whatever I need to be safe.

I know this isn't going to be a performance machine. It's going to be on the uncomfortable side, it'll probably handle and stop like crap, etc. It'll be impractical in most aspects. I have a practical motorcycle, one I can commute on everyday or ride across the country. I want an impractical toy. Something a bit unique to take out for a little spin every so often and maybe cruise over to the local vintage bike night.

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

I spent most of this holiday out on the motorcycle with my wife cruising out in the country. I did have a bit of time to spend in the garage though. My stock front fender had a few dents and the chrome was starting to pit and rust toward the rear, so I decided there would be no big loss in chopping on it a bit. I'm not sure if I'm even going to run a front fender, but after messing around with this one I think I probably will. It's just rough cut at this point. If I decide I like it then I'll make the cuts a bit nicer and either paint, powdercoat, or maybe even have it rechromed.

Stock, minus the struts:

JUDO CHOP!:

(hopefully you can make out the rust/pitting on the larger cut off piece...I didn't hack up a nice part)

I think I like it:

 

[jlgace]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

Nice. Slam it to the tire! 8)

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

Nice. Slam it to the tire! 8)

Good idea, I hadn't thought about that.

 

[jlgace]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

Re: your comment on the brakes being safe or not, it's all relative. I see you have a modern machine as well, so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about or will find out. It's a funny feeling pulling that lever at a time when you really want to slow down and you find out not a lot happens... have you ridden the T500 yet? I've been on drum-braked machines and that probably influenced my decision to go disc, but I'm curious as to just how bad (or good?) this one really is. Have yet to ride mine. Any bike I plate gets used on my city/highway commute though, not just tooling on Sundays either... I'm minimizing 'risk' at every opportunity as there's enough with the other driver's out there. To me, that means modern rubber, good brakes, decent power and reliability. Sometimes you need throttle to get out of a situation too. Not saying you should change anything you're doing, just giving the background on my opinion.

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

Re: your comment on the brakes being safe or not, it's all relative. I see you have a modern machine as well, so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about or will find out. It's a funny feeling pulling that lever at a time when you really want to slow down and you find out not a lot happens... have you ridden the T500 yet?

Yes, I've ridden my Titan. It was functional when I bought it. As you say, it's all relative. I'd say the brakes are pretty bad compared to my other bikes, but it's unfair to compare cable-operated drums to the pad-per-piston Brembo's on my Aprilia. I'm also giving my Titan's brakes a bit of leeway because they were not in good condition. By all appearances, they're the original parts along with the cables and possibly even the tires. I'm reserving my final judgment until I've ridden the bike with fresh parts. If at that point I feel there is a safety concern, I'm more than willing to upgrade.

I don't have enough experience with drums to say how the Titan's unit compares to other drums, but I did find this in some of my research:

As far as racing is concerned, braking is the biggest short coming of the CB 350's. The front brake, a double leading shoe with an impressive swept area as far as street use is concerned, will definitely fade away on lap seven of an eight lap event. Anyone considering serious racing on a CB will have to contemplate serious brake mods. The most common is to look for a Suzuki Titan 500 front brake, and lace it up to the Honda rim. This gives the Honda 32% more braking capacity.

How many CB's do we see here still running a stock brake? Quite a few.

I'd never discourage anyone from upgrading the brakes on their bike. If you feel it's necessary for safety then by all means do it.

 

[jlgace]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

I know it's off-topic, but what's the Aprilia out of curiousity? They make stuff I like...

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Cafe build

I know it's off-topic, but what's the Aprilia out of curiousity? They make stuff I like...

That's ok. It was an '01 Mille R. I don't have it now, sold it a year or two ago:

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

Not much to report, I've decided to go with clip-ons instead of the clubmans. I just ordered a set from Roc City this morning. I've also got a new tail light coming to try and have been exploring headlight options.

I don't really know if this will be a "cafe" when finished or not. Certainly it'll have some typical cafe styling cues such as the tail, clip-ons, and rearsets. Otherwise I'm just going to play around and it'll be whatever it is. ;D

 

[jlgace]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

That RSV is sweet. Looks like you were racing it apparently...

I really like the headlight on the Titan, has some character. When I do mine, that's one original part I'll be keeping. Prolly won't be a cafe per se... I wondered about retrofitting an H4 bulb to it somehow. Probably won't quite fit in with your look though. Are you going with the retro-looking clip-ons, or something more modern?

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

That RSV is sweet. Looks like you were racing it apparently...

No, just track days. Nesba requires you to run a number on the bike at their events. The Mille was a great bike. I miss having an Italian sportbike in the garage.

I really like the headlight on the Titan, has some character. When I do mine, that's one original part I'll be keeping. Prolly won't be a cafe per se... I wondered about retrofitting an H4 bulb to it somehow. Probably won't quite fit in with your look though. Are you going with the retro-looking clip-ons, or something more modern?

I ordered a set of Roc City's adjustable bars:

I set out looking for something sort of retro looking but also I wanted them to be adjustable. That limits the options somewhat. IMO, while not really "retro" they're closer than the Tarozzi's I also considered. Roc City is also a forum member and makes great stuff!

 

[Titan performance]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

if you are building a T500 titan cafe checkout www.classic2strokesuzuki.com for all cafe racer parts for these great old strokers,expansion chambers,rearsets.fairings,seats .plus many other trick bitsl

No, just track days. Nesba requires you to run a number on the bike at their events. The Mille was a great bike. I miss having an Italian sportbike in the garage.

I ordered a set of Roc City's adjustable bars:

I set out looking for something sort of retro looking but also I wanted them to be adjustable. That limits the options somewhat. IMO, while not really "retro" they're closer than the Tarozzi's I also considered. Roc City is also a forum member and makes great stuff!

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

if you are building a T500 titan cafe checkout www.classic2strokesuzuki.com for all cafe racer parts for these great old strokers,expansion chambers,rearsets.fairings,seats .plus many other trick bitsl

LOL! I'm already a customer...look familiar? ;D

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

My clip-ons arrived a few days ago from Roc City. I threw them on along with the headlight to have a look. Speaking of Sean @ Roc City...we've traded a few emails and I think I'm going to have him hammer out a tank for me. I've been staring at this bike for a few months now and there's just no way around it...I don't like the stock tank. It's too short and I'm not crazy about the lines. I'm thinking a nice long polished GP style tank will look killer. I've also been talking to the guys at Titan Performance and a set of their stainless steel expansion chambers are on the way to me. ;D

 

[VonYinzer]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

Nice. Im sure the newly formed tank will be amazing! Sean does some crazy nice work. Just wondering though... What are you going to do with the Suzi tank?

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

Just wondering though... What are you going to do with the Suzi tank?

In the short term, I'm boxing it up and sending it to Sean so he'll have a better reference for the tunnel and front mounts. After that ???

 

[tWistedWheelz]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

Just spent the last 35 minutes reading this thread...or longer maybe ???, anyway...WOW! I think I have found the suzi I want to build. The frame of that bike is a perfect platform for a cafe build! I think I may need to be on the lookout for one!

Great work and all of it is looking very nice! Your style is spot on and this will be a very fine example of a cafe when finished!

Any plans for performance mods?

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

The biggest performance gains will be had through weight reduction. I think it's going to be a fair bit lighter than stock. I suppose the expansion chambers and jetting might add a bit of power but they are more about looks, sound, and weight. The stock mufflers must be made of lead. I'm eager to get my hands on the new pipes and see just how much savings are there. Weight helps everything: acceleration, handling, braking, etc.

So far as engine mods go, I'm hesitant to go after any more power. It is there to be had as the Titans were in a fairly mild state of tune stock. Some of the vintage racer guys are nearly doubling the power levels. However, the more power you add, the better your chances of breaking things and engine internals are getting hard to come by for these bikes. Bottom end bearings and connecting rods are already extinct. There are sources out there for aftermarket replacements but there usually involve lots of $ and some machining work to adapt parts from other engines. Another factor to consider is that the more power you add, the more peaky it's likely to get. Better for the track, maybe not so much for the street. One of the things the T500 was known for is it's broad, usable power band (by two-stroke standards).

Also, lets be honest....even if I did manage to bump up the power, it still won't exactly be fast. Not much return for the investment, IMO. I'm just aiming for something unique (maybe even cool), and reliable enough to ride.

 

[tWistedWheelz]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

Well I think you will have no problem achieving cool! 8)....you’re pretty much there all ready!

 

[Wingspan]

Re: 1975 Suzuki T500 Call it whatever you want!

Thanks Twisted. We're still a ways from cool, but I'm glad someone thinks I'm headed in the right direction. ;D

My stock tank is on it's way Roc City. Hopefully Sean will bang out a killer tank for me. That will take a while though (good things do), but I've got plenty of other things to focus on in the mean while.

Ripped her down today:

Still need to get the lower triple off. The nuts are being a biatch, so their going to get good Kroil soaking and I'll try again later.