1972 Suzuki T500j

[Clivoris]

Against my better judgement I am contemplating getting one of these as a project. I have yet to see it but the info I have thus far is:
Hasn't run for 10 years since being stored away in the gargre. Before being put away the motor was probably a bit tired.
The rego has lapsed.
The paint is still in good nick (sexy green) but the chrome (mmm chrome) is spotted.
I have no doubt that there will be all the obvious expenses like tyres, fluids, plugs, set of rings (if I'm lucky) and a whole bunch of of other stuff that will need replacing. I don't want to be in a situation where I end up spending WAY more than this thing would be worth in tidy running order. So my main question is what are these things worth in various states of restoration? I don't think the T500's are greatly desired as a classic but I wouldn't mind having something like this that is an example of the era. Might even be fun to give classic racing a thrash but I hear they're savage bastards.
Any thoughts about whether I am sick in the head? Now that I think about it I'm probably asking the wrong people.

[98tls]

Do it.........awsome bike to have tucked away in the garage for sure.What its worth is no concern mate,the act of restoring her and the plesure of riding her afterwards will make it priceless.

[Shadows]

If it was me I'd have to go into it prepared to spend more than its "market value" restoring it... and then hope that it doesn't actually end up costing that much.

[JMemonic]

Do it.........awsome bike to have tucked away in the garage for sure.What its worth is no concern mate,the act of restoring her and the plesure of riding her afterwards will make it priceless.

What he said, had one of these for about a month once, it was trashed and a wreck, but for all of that it was fun. Kinda wish I still had it, that and a few other bikes that are now classics.

[98tls]

If it was me I'd have to go into it prepared to spend more than its "market value" restoring it... and then hope that it doesn't actually end up costing that much. It always costs more........1/2 the fun really..pisses her indoors off no end.:confused:

[T.W.R]

Titans are awesome bikes, well worthy of restoring. Have a search on the web you'll be surprised what you dig up, there's a lot being raced in Europe in classic racing.

There's this wee gem on TM at the moment too :whistle:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=117407996

[Clivoris]

I am expecting it to end up with my wife throwing things at me whenever the bank statement arrives. I guess I 'm thinking about what a reasonable offer for something like this would be. I've never owned one so there isn't the buzz of trying to relive my youth. That would take a XR500a or GS1000e. But I do like the look of them and don't want to insult the guy or pay above the norm. I don't imagine there are too many of these left in reasonable nick.

[Clivoris]

Titans are awesome bikes, well worthy of restoring. Have a search on the web you'll be surprised what you dig up, there's a lot being raced in Europe in classic racing.

There's this wee gem on TM at the moment too :whistle:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=117407996

Yep looked at that but out of my price range. They seem to be way more popular than the T500.

[T.W.R]

Yep looked at that but out of my price range. They seem to be way more popular than the T500.

It'll be interesting to see what it reaches.

The T500s would match kettles in surviving numbers , it's just the kettles were a bit unique

[98tls]

Titans are awesome bikes, well worthy of restoring. Have a search on the web you'll be surprised what you dig up, there's a lot being raced in Europe in classic racing.

There's this wee gem on TM at the moment too :whistle:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=117407996 :wari:mate shes a beauty eh......very nice indeed.........:argh:wish i had some spare dosh

[riffer]

I have a soft spot for the Titan.

I reckon you should go for it, if time and finances and the wife's good graces permit.

Besides, I'd love to have a ride on it when you're finished.

I'd love to restore a GS1000E FWIW.

[Clivoris]

:wari:mate shes a beauty eh......very nice indeed.........:argh:wish i had some spare dosh

LMFAO. Spare dosh when you've got that serious bling addiction with the TL.

[Clivoris]

I'd love to restore a GS1000E FWIW.

I'll let you ride mine if I can ride yours.

[98tls]

LMFAO. Spare dosh when you've got that serious bling addiction with the TL. :pinch:So you havent heard then mate,the TL and i ran out of rubber on a very tight left-hander and the result was/is ahhhh..expensive.:blank:

[Clivoris]

:pinch:So you havent heard then mate,the TL and i ran out of rubber on a very tight left-hander and the result was/is ahhhh..expensive.:blank:

Didn't know about that bro, I've been hot and cold with KB last couple of months....You might have heard that I'm after a classic Suzuki to restore. Those TL's are a dime a dozen, I'll give you a couple of hundy and a weekend with my sister for it.

[98tls]

Didn't know about that bro, I've been hot and cold with KB last couple of months....You might have heard that I'm after a classic Suzuki to restore. Those TL's are a dime a dozen, I'll give you a couple of hundy and a weekend with my sister for it. Pics and i will think about it.:msn-wink:

[Coldrider]

Do it, or someone else will and you will regret that. You do not have to restore all at once, get it operational and restore as time/dollars permit.
Two strokes are easy, sourcing parts may be the difficult bit.

[Clivoris]

Pics and i will think about it.:msn-wink:

She looks much better in a bikini but I can't find a photo. What if I give you 3 hundy?

[Clivoris]

Do it, or someone else will and you will regret that. You do not have to restore all at once, get it operational and restore as time/dollars permit.
Two strokes are easy, sourcing parts may be the difficult bit.

True that. Ixion has PM'd some very helpful info about some of the traps for young players with these bikes. Handy geezer he is. I think he fancies my sister as much as 98.

[98tls]

She looks much better in a bikini but I can't find a photo. What if I give you 3 hundy? :rolleyes:Mate she farkin gorgeous...tell ya what forget the 3 hundy just the weekend with it will be fine,as ya say TLs are a dime a dozen:2thumbsup.On a lighter note the old TL will be fine.

[inlinefour]

Against my better judgement I am contemplating getting one of these as a project. I have yet to see it but the info I have thus far is:
Hasn't run for 10 years since being stored away in the gargre. Before being put away the motor was probably a bit tired.
The rego has lapsed.
The paint is still in good nick (sexy green) but the chrome (mmm chrome) is spotted.
I have no doubt that there will be all the obvious expenses like tyres, fluids, plugs, set of rings (if I'm lucky) and a whole bunch of of other stuff that will need replacing. I don't want to be in a situation where I end up spending WAY more than this thing would be worth in tidy running order. So my main question is what are these things worth in various states of restoration? I don't think the T500's are greatly desired as a classic but I wouldn't mind having something like this that is an example of the era. Might even be fun to give classic racing a thrash but I hear they're savage bastards.
Any thoughts about whether I am sick in the head? Now that I think about it I'm probably asking the wrong people.

Nice bike to choose and I would like to think that it would retain any value that you invest into any restoration work. I have been tinkering around with bikes for quite some time and once the better half and myself have our next house, I hope to again. But for now, I'm content with getting back to normality after my accident. The better the condition of your bike would not ony increase its value but also the amount of potential punters interested in it should you ever wish to part with it. I don't think your sick in the head at all, just looking at a new hobby, if done right can potentially make money.

Those kettles are a cool looking bike. I had one for awhile, cleaned it up and rode it a few times. An older fellow came over with a friend to look at the bikes in the garage at the time. He saw the GT750 and had to have it, IMO payed far too much for it as I had not really done anything to it as it was going to be the next project (I allready had one going). If you find the right person, wanting the right bike, they can at times pay well to get it.

[Clivoris]

Nice bike to choose and I would like to think that it would retain any value that you invest into any restoration work. I have been tinkering around with bikes for quite some time and once the better half and myself have our next house, I hope to again. But for now, I'm content with getting back to normality after my accident. The better the condition of your bike would not ony increase its value but also the amount of potential punters interested in it should you ever wish to part with it. I don't think your sick in the head at all, just looking at a new hobby, if done right can potentially make money.

Thanks for that. Much of the pleasure of bike ownership is in the tinkering for me as well. Financial gain isn't a consideration, I'm more worried about "over investing". I've also secretly wanted to be one of those guys that has to say "which one?", when people ask what kind of bike I ride.

[Coldrider]

Yeah, a friend is restoring a GT380 disc brake model, you'd never a think a two stroke could make such a growl out of all those exhaust pipes. Suffers electrical probs at the moment.
There was a little write up of the T500 in the July Motorcycle trader.

[inlinefour]

Thanks for that. Much of the pleasure of bike ownership is in the tinkering for me as well. Financial gain isn't a consideration, I'm more worried about "over investing". I've also secretly wanted to be one of those guys that has to say "which one?", when people ask what kind of bike I ride.

Never listen to what others say, as they only will tell you what they would really like and unless they have been there and done it allready, what would they know? One more thing of interest, the longer you keep it, the more it can potientially be worth and attractive to the potential buyer. I have a 1973 z50j & cb350f for sale on trademe at the moment. I have finally accepted that although I can ride a three wheeled motorcycle, my days of riding a two wheel bike are over. Part of this acceptance is selling the last two bikes that I still own. However much to some peoples' disappointment, I'm not going to give them away. I just want what I consider a fair price for what its worth. Although, if I still own either once Coaster and I own our next home, it/they can go into the back of the garage. I like bikes, I think I allways have and allways will. Some people just see the dollar signs, some see the ride, some people just see hard work, then some take the pride. There is something I find very satisfying in tidying up an old Japanese bike. To others, including some of my family, they think I'm nuts. :pinch:

[Clivoris]

I have a 1973 z50j & cb350f for sale on trademe at the moment. I'm nuts. :pinch:

I have to agree with your sentiments there. The CB350 is a pretty iconic motorcycle. They must fetch a pretty penny in the UK. Did you consider Evil-Bay? They definitely aren't going to get any cheaper.

[inlinefour]

I have to agree with your sentiments there. The CB350 is a pretty iconic motorcycle. They must fetch a pretty penny in the UK. Did you consider Evil-Bay? They definitely aren't going to get any cheaper.

To be honest, I'm not at all motivated to sell the bike. It looks pretty cool in the showroom at Energy Honda.

[T.W.R]

:wari:mate shes a beauty eh......very nice indeed.........:argh:wish i had some spare dosh

It's definitely tidy :msn-wink: but think it'll crack at least $5g

there's this at the moment if anyone is brave, though it isn't quite at the classic age of the GTs etc

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=117758860

And Mike here's some inspiration for your other toy

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=116605692

[98tls]

It's definitely tidy :msn-wink: but think it'll crack at least $5g

there's this at the moment if anyone is brave, though it isn't quite at the classic age of the GTs etc

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=117758860

And Mike here's some inspiration for your other toy

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=116605692 cheers mate........any idea of the shock brand?

[T.W.R]

Here's a few links on Titans :msn-wink:

http://www.suzukicycles.org/T-series/T500_models.shtml

http://www.ozebook.com/compendium/t5002.htm

http://gt500.org.uk/

http://www.motorcyclesurvey.com/model_Suzuki_T500+Titan.html

[T.W.R]

cheers mate........any idea of the shock brand?

On the XS ? mm without having a really good look I'd say either Girling or S&W

[98tls]

On the XS ? mm without having a really good look I'd say either Girling or S&W Will suss it out as what i have will be binned.

[T.W.R]

Will suss it out as what i have will be binned.

OEM ones huh? lols when I had my old 750 & 850 the first things I ditched were the rear shocks and Koni 7610s were put in place :2thumbsup farkin heaps better!

[What?]

I had a J model - great bike. Plenty of grunt (in the context of the day) and good economy in standard trim.
Fear not the drum brakes - they were far superior to the discs that appeared in '75 on the GT, especially in the wet.
If it hasn't been running for ten years, the crank seals will probably need replacing.
If you want to thrash it, be prepared for gearbox problems, especially fifth gear. Advancing the port timing (shave the top off the barrels and use two base gaskets) and adding Bassani chambers will help you achieve this.

If it's all there, go for it.

[MSTRS]

If you have a soft spot for this sort of thing, then go for it. The T500 is a classic now. I know of a minter in a shed in Napier - the owner does not ride, will never ride it, and has said he'll never sell it.
Lots of info out there for them, but one thing often overlooked is the oilpump. They are driven off the g/box side of the clutch?? and you never left them going for long with the clutch in. And the left-side kick start takes a bit of getting used to.

[Clivoris]

Here's a few links on Titans :msn-wink:



Big Ups TWR. I had been to one of those but not the others. I'm off for a look at the bike today hopefully.

[Edbear]

And the left-side kick start takes a bit of getting used to.


Yeah but no problems after a while. I loved my '73 and had a ball on it. Only problem I had was the kick start key broke on the shaft, apparently a common issue. HAd it welded but it broke again so I just used to push start it until I sold it to get married.

5th gear was overdriven and top speed was 112mph indicated in fourth but changing up dropped that to 105mph. A common mod was to drop the countershaft sprocket a tooth which brought 5th lower and then top speed rose to about 115mph.

I used two grades of spark plug, both Champion's. L78's for open road as they were a colder plug and L82Y's for around town to avoid them oiling up. If one left the L82Y's in and caned it one could expect to burn holes in the tops of the pistons...

I never had an issue with the drum brakes, but then one rides according to the performance of the bike.

Most of the tidy models I've seen for sale are around the $15OO-$2500 range.

An early Titan would be worth more than the later GT. The original Titan had a shorter wheelbase and a couple more HP and was a bit of an animal so Suzuki tamed it slightly after that.

[T.W.R]

Big Ups TWR. I had been to one of those but not the others. I'm off for a look at the bike today hopefully.

No probs :niceone:

Hope the visit to the bike confirms expectations

I had most of the links from a couple of years ago as a mate purchased one with the intent of doing it up to race. Not actually sure what came of it and the bike could be sitting in his garage collecting dust, was an older model with TLS front brake, :scratch: Might have to investigate that further :shifty:

[MSTRS]

I used two grades of spark plug, both Champion's. L78's for open road as they were a colder plug and L82Y's for around town to avoid them oiling up. If one left the L82Y's in and caned it one could expect to burn holes in the tops of the pistons...

I never had an issue with the drum brakes, but then one rides according to the performance of the bike.

Most of the tidy models I've seen for sale are around the $15OO-$2500 range.

An early Titan would be worth more than the later GT. The original Titan had a shorter wheelbase and a couple more HP and was a bit of an animal so Suzuki tamed it slightly after that.
I had 2. One in about 1974 and another about 1982. The first one was a 1971 model (first of the detuned ones?) and I ran Bosch plugs in it cos it ate Champions. Those Bosch plugs lasted about 12 months and 10,000 miles. Whereas Champions lasted about 3 weeks if I was lucky.

[Clivoris]

Went and had a good look this morning. It is pretty much as he described with the only non-standard bits being the front indicators. The odo indicated over 50,000 miles but that's probably meaningless. The pictures attached don't show it well, but all the chrome (including the plastic chrome sidecovers) is badly pitted. The wheel rims probably the worst but it didn't seem to be structural. The cylinder head seems to have had a silver paint job that is now peeling off. It was ridden into the gargre 10 years ago and left untouched. It still has half a tank of gas but we didn't try starting it. The limited inspection I could make of the inside of the tank revealed suprising little corrosion. It did turn over and had compression. Before he parked it up the only problem he had with it was that the bike would lurch forward when put into gear. Clutch problem?
Thinking out loud...I expect that mechanically it is going to need a fair bit of effort to get running, but I wont know until I get started. It seems like I can pretty much assume that the crank-case seals will have to be replaced and that's if I can still get the seals. In fact half the rubber seals on the bike will probably need to be binned. The clutch may need some work and although the only problem he had with the gearbox was occasional jumping out of gear (couldn't remember which gear), my research indicated that I would need to be prepared for problems with 4th and 5th gear. After a cooling off period I am thinking that the financial investment required to get this running and restored would be beyond what I am willing to commit. It's a bit of a shame because it is all there, but probably gone beyond a requiring a simple oil and fuel change, battery and you're away riding. Then to get it mint might really break the bank. He isn't asking for a heap of money for it but like everyone else, I have other places I could put the start-up cash required. Does anyone have any reliable info about what rechroming costs?

[Grub]

Does anyone have any reliable info about what rechroming costs?

I know it's not Bwitish but Paul NZ and his crronies seem to pretty well connected to all the restoration services avaialble

[Sully60]

Sorry to hear things didn't work out this time Clive.
But some things just aren't meant to be. Keep your pingers for another classic beauty. I must say though I didn't think that you'd be into bikes this old, shit you must be really old...........:dodge: Ha!

Cool taste in brand I must say!
Cheers
Sully60

[Clivoris]

I know it's not Bwitish but Paul NZ and his crronies seem to pretty well connected to all the restoration services avaialble

Good tip. I will PM him.

[Clivoris]

Sorry to hear things didn't work out this time Clive.
But some things just aren't meant to be. Keep your pingers for another classic beauty. I must say though I didn't think that you'd be into bikes this old, shit you must be really old...........:dodge: Ha!

Cool taste in brand I must say!
Cheers
Sully60

Cheers Sully. I haven't made the final decision but the weight of logic is getting oppressive. The good news is that there is an alternative in the pipeline though. I can get my hands on a Honda XL250 (of the motorsport era) but I am totally unsure about what kind of nick it is in. It will be free though. Vintage MX anyone? That's certainly closer to what an old geezer like me grew up riding.

[Drew]

Ah the memories, my second and third bikes ever were a Titan 500 and GT 500. They are fuckin great bikes, dont stop, handle like shit, but fuck did they surprise people when ya twist the throttle. Had mine up to 180 once, never do it again.

The hinge I understand they were called, the swing arm is so long, and just flexes everywhere.

[98tls]

Cheers Sully. I haven't made the final decision but the weight of logic is getting oppressive. The good news is that there is an alternative in the pipeline though. I can get my hands on a Honda XL250 (of the motorsport era) but I am totally unsure about what kind of nick it is in. It will be free though. Vintage MX anyone? That's certainly closer to what an old geezer like me grew up riding. An old silver 250 motorsport would be one of my most desired bikes to find and restore.

[Clivoris]

An old silver 250 motorsport would be one of my most desired bikes to find and restore.

Bingo. It's sitting in my old mans gargre waiting for me to pick it up. It was used as a beach hack for years though so I can only imagine the state of it.

[98tls]

Bingo. It's sitting in my old mans gargre waiting for me to pick it up. It was used as a beach hack for years though so I can only imagine the state of it. Cant imagine it but if for some reason you dont want to go ahead with it sing out and i will cash you up for it.

[Clivoris]

Cant imagine it but if for some reason you dont want to go ahead with it sing out and i will cash you up for it.

Aren't sisters legal tender anymore?
Edit: I'll probably keep it to restore cos I always wanted one, till I got my XR.

[Motig]

Reckon you made the right decision with the Honda over the T500. You've started of with a great advantage too - its free! I've often thought about a resto project but commonsense has luckily prevailed. Its amazing how much it costs to do and in the end unless its really collectible your hugely out of pocket and thats not even counting your labour unless of course its a hobby/labour of love. Did you know you can built a brand new CB 750 from new parts ? (Something to think about after the XL perhaps:msn-wink:) Best of luck with your project:niceone:

[Clivoris]

Thank you all for your input. I have decided not to get the T500. It looks likely that it will go to a more appreciative home.