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Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by Lannis <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=Lannis' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 12, 2025, 5:44 pm

My son and I are headed down to Tennessee on Thursday to ride old motorcycles with a crowd of like-minded old motorcycle riders.

I'm on my '69 BSA Firebird, and him on his '68 Suzuki T500 Cobra.

We put new brakes, chain, sprockets, plugs, head bearings, tires, and fork seals and bushings on it, but I haven't messed with the engine since it seemed to start and run ok on short runs.

But on the highway, he said it seems to bog down a bit at 70+ going uphill in fifth gear, and won't pull from 2500 RPM like his '76 GT500 Titan would.

I said that due to the '68-'69 porting, it wasn't going to pull at 2500 like a '76, which was ported for low rpm grunt like a 4-stroke.

But I drained the gas (some of which had been in it for over a year) and put 90 octane non-ethanol in it, changed the plugs, pulled and cleaned the baffles, pulled and cleaned the air filter, cleaned and gapped the points (one set was too wide), and set the timing with a dial indicator down the spark plug holes to assure firing at 3.40 mm ( .134" ) (24 degrees) BTDC.

Only bike I've ever worked on that has NO spark advance provision. I was looking for a way to lock it at full advance to set timing, and had to join a Suzuki forum to find out there isn't any.

Raining here so can't test ride it, but it started and revved like a good 'un so at least I did no harm ... Neat old bike!

Lannis

I don't take health advice from people who think the world is overpopulated.

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by Andy C <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=Andy+C' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 12, 2025, 7:04 pm, in reply to "Working on an old Suzuki"

You might find it runs better, as you probably know 2Ts can be quite particular about things like timimg / state of the baffles and air filter.

Who needs a signature anyway......

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by Lannis <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=Lannis' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 13, 2025, 12:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Working on an old Suzuki"

Working on the turn signals this morning. The bulbs are in a complex but sturdy anti vibration mount and I haven't figured out how to remove them. Still raining steadily today so no testing yet ....

Lannis

I don't take health advice from people who think the world is overpopulated.

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by Andy C <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=Andy+C' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 14, 2025, 6:31 am, in reply to "Re: Working on an old Suzuki"

Looks very tidy Lannis

Who needs a signature anyway......

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by geoff the bonnie <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=geoff+the+bonnie' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 14, 2025, 10:59 am, in reply to "Re: Working on an old Suzuki"

I wanted a Suzuki 500 from the day i was 16 and failed to get one.

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by Lannis <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=Lannis' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 14, 2025, 11:45 am, in reply to "Re: Working on an old Suzuki"

There's still time. Like most old bikes, prices have dipped a bit; there are good ones out there still....

Lannis

I don't take health advice from people who think the world is overpopulated.

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by geoff the bonnie <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=geoff+the+bonnie' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 14, 2025, 1:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Working on an old Suzuki"

Left foot gearchange though Lannis, i cant bend my knee to allow gearchanging so i would have to stay in 1st

Re: Working on an old Suzuki

Posted by laverdabru <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/classicbikemart/info/user=laverdabru' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on May 14, 2025, 3:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Working on an old Suzuki"

Didn't the early ones have the option of swapping sides with the gear/brake controls?

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