What's this?

[robinm]

This is a roberts tr500 that i owned in ChCh in the early 80's

[husaberg]

I just cottened on i basically repeated Grumphs post.

Maybe Grumph or someone else can confirm as i always thought the T500 etc differed visually from the air cooled TR500.
On account of the TR500's not having splayed EX ports the one's in the pics seems straight is it a trick of the angle?

My fuzzy recollection from reading about the differences were for the road bikes the Early Cobras had 2mm bigger carbs 34mm carbs vs 32mm?
the oil level was lower and i think the GT500 had CDI. i think the later than cobras were maybe a little longer in the swing arm ( 2 inches?)

The old man had one (probably still does) it was an interesting bike to ride.

[jellywrestler]

There's an emblem on the back cowl I can't make out. Did Mr Roberts brand his stuff?

he often put the kiwi made logo on his bike but never his own name.
I was at Steve's place today he's just bought his lotus he brought in 1970 into the workshop to restore, blew it up in 1984 and it's sat ever since. it's good to see him do is own stuff, his motivation was his son getting a lotus so it got him cracking