Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

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Skub
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Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Skub »

I'm not sold on the chrome casings,but it looks a tidy enough job for and old smoker. Oddly,some angles remind me of an old Jawa,which isn't a good thing!

https://thekneeslider.com/suzuki-gt500- ... fKqPgHekWg

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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by weeksy »

Mmmm not for me this one sorry.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Yorick »

I can't unsee the Jawa :D
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

It reminds me of the JDM Honda GB500T, it's proof that you can polish a turd
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by mangocrazy »

I'd much prefer a sympathetically restored standard GT 500. Way too much chrome, a naff top fairing, bar end mirrors, inappropriate instruments - it's a proper dog's breakfast.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by DefTrap »

I just remember stories of how crap they were in the bike buyers guides I used to buy in the 90s.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Yorick »

DefTrap wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:14 pm I just remember stories of how crap they were in the bike buyers guides I used to buy in the 90s.
The engine was foundation for many race bikes. But yeah, crap road bike.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by DefTrap »

Yorick wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:20 pm

The engine was foundation for many race bikes. But yeah, crap road bike.
That makes sense. Engines had rave reviews. But everything else, frame, brakes, general quality, seemed to make it something to avoid.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Skub »

The early T500 Cobra or Titan,depending on market,was an ok bike in it's day,but Suzuki made it into the GT500 and it ran well past it's best years.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Taipan »

They was always an odd looking model, but this has at least cheered it up a bit!
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Buckaroo »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:56 pm It reminds me of the JDM Honda GB500T, it's proof that you can polish a turd
If you meant a CB500T, I had one that was turd coloured and was not Honda's finest moment.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Skub »

Buckaroo wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 6:24 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:56 pm It reminds me of the JDM Honda GB500T, it's proof that you can polish a turd
If you meant a CB500T, I had one that was turd coloured and was not Honda's finest moment.
An old schoolfriend of mine has a brown CB500T,he has spent a fortune dickying it up and it still sounds like a bag of spanners. :lol:
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Druid »

Skub wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:28 pm The early T500 Cobra or Titan,depending on market,was an ok bike in it's day,but Suzuki made it into the GT500 and it ran well past it's best years.
I had a T500 many years ago. It was long and heavy, with oversprung and underdamped suspension, it handled as badly as you would expect. it also had drum brakes front and rear, but stopped better than you would expect
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Skub »

Druid wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 7:42 pm
Skub wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:28 pm The early T500 Cobra or Titan,depending on market,was an ok bike in it's day,but Suzuki made it into the GT500 and it ran well past it's best years.
I had a T500 many years ago. It was long and heavy, with oversprung and underdamped suspension, it handled as badly as you would expect. it also had drum brakes front and rear, but stopped better than you would expect
And you lived to tell the tale. :thumbup:
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Buckaroo wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 6:24 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:56 pm It reminds me of the JDM Honda GB500T, it's proof that you can polish a turd
If you meant a CB500T, I had one that was turd coloured and was not Honda's finest moment.
Nope, meant GB500, it's a Honda XBR500 made to look like a cafe racer.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by The Spin Doctor »

mangocrazy wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:08 pm ...naff top fairing
Oi!

I had that exact same fairing on my 125 back in 1975!
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Buckaroo »

Skub wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 7:36 pm
Buckaroo wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 6:24 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:56 pm It reminds me of the JDM Honda GB500T, it's proof that you can polish a turd
If you meant a CB500T, I had one that was turd coloured and was not Honda's finest moment.
An old schoolfriend of mine has a brown CB500T,he has spent a fortune dickying it up and it still sounds like a bag of spanners. :lol:
So did mine. Weird torsion bar valve adjustment system if I remember.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by Taipan »

I keep looking at it, as something isn't right for me? I think the front end is a bit MX and the bike would have looked much better with a (restomod) USD front end.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by cheb »

It's a 2T therefore it's better than OK.
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Re: Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer

Post by JackyJoll »

Buckaroo wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:50 pm So did mine. Weird torsion bar valve adjustment system if I remember.
I think the CB500T valve springs were torsion bars, as on the CB450.