...forty years ago [Suzuki T-500 content; not Guzzi]

[Daniel Kalal]

Forty years ago, today during a ride to Death Valley.  This was on a Suzuki T-500, which soon enough became a Guzzi Eldorado Police.  This was my first trip of some length (and over several days) without much of a destination.  As with most of us, this first trip had all sorts of things go wrong, but that's part of the process.

No words this time; just the photographs.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Arizona Wayne]

I shoulda bought 1 of those.  Heard they were bulletproof.  Rode Yamaha 2 strokes instead.  Yours musta been 1 of the latter year models judging by the paint job. Hope it handled/stopped better than my sons Suzuki 550 triple.

[oldbike54]

 Love that fairing Deke , looks like the model made in Tulsa .

 Dusty

[leroysch]

....my first bike.

Memories of my first road trip from Evanston, IL to E. Lansing, MI., leaving in the rain, included the discovery that tire grip is marginal on the steel expansion joints located on a bridge curve on Lake Shore Drive (why is the rear end slipping and re-gripping...oh!)

The little set screw holding the baffles in giving way as I was taking off from an intersection and shooting out....

And my first prognostications over why the bike wouldn't run and thinking..hmmmm.... .maybe it's something I hear is called "points". What the heck are they?

Think I have a new swing arm bushing or some such thing for that bike knocking around in a tool box somewhere....

[Daniel Kalal]

...little set screw holding the baffles in giving way...

I was on a different trip--this time riding through the Yakima Valley in Washington--when that same screw came out and I also lost the baffle.  Then I got a ticket from the Washington state police for being too loud (but, more likely for having California plates).  Sigh...

[Aaron D.]

One of the best sounding 2 strokes.

[pete roper]

In the UK at least the last of the GT500's had, (Gasp!) a disc brake on the front.

It was useless too! 

Pete

[SmithSwede]

Have you had the same yellow dry bag for the past 40 years?  Looks suspiciously familiar. 

[Xlratr]

Great pics! But they must be photoshopped because everyone knows you can't tour on a 500!
:-)


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[Huzo]

Christmas Day 1974 in Australia. That was the day Darwin was destroyed by cyclone Tracy and the day my Dad let me ride his T 500 Suzuki (illegally) on the road for the first time. I could not believe the endless acceleration that was on tap and the die was cast... I'm now 58 1/2 years old and so I must have been 16 or 17 at the time. His bike (later mine), was identical to yours in every way except our turn indicators are yellow over here. At least 35 road registered bikes later, I still remember the two stroke smell. Thank you, to you and to him, wherever he's resting...

[Huzo]

I shoulda bought 1 of those.  Yours musta been 1 of the latter year models judging by the paint job. Hope it handled/stopped better than my sons Suzuki 550 triple.

In response, yes you should'a, yes it was, yes it did (long wheel base) and no it didn't... the T500 became the GT 500 with same tank as the GT 750, electronic ignition and a disc brake, might'a got the better instruments of the GT750 but I'm not sure.

[Daniel Kalal]

In the UK at least the last of the GT500's had, (Gasp!) a disc brake on the front.

It was useless too! 

Pete

Yeah; I didn't realize just how bad the drum brakes on the T-500 were since my next bike was a Guzzi Eldo, and its brakes were hardly any better.  The T-500 engine liked to be run near redline (if you wanted to pass anything), but if you did that your hands would go numb, regardless of the rubber attachment of the bars.  The bike had character...

[Cam3512]

Have you had the same yellow dry bag for the past 40 years?  Looks suspiciously familiar.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[Lannis]

In response, yes you should'a, yes it was, yes it did (long wheel base) and no it didn't... the T500 became the GT 500 with same tank as the GT 750, electronic ignition and a disc brake, might'a got the better instruments of the GT750 but I'm not sure.

After my son learned to ride (on my Centauro), we bought a '76 GT 500 which he rode everywhere when he was 16 to 18.

I wanted to make sure he had a proper appreciation for where our modern bikes came from, but he liked this bike more than he likes the Versys that he bought later.

I ended up selling this one, probably shouldn't have!



Lannis

[Tobit]

After my son learned to ride (on my Centauro), we bought a '76 GT 500 which he rode everywhere when he was 16 to 18.

I wanted to make sure he had a proper appreciation for where our modern bikes came from, but he liked this bike more than he likes the Versys that he bought later.

I ended up selling this one, probably shouldn't have!



Lannis

Same year and color I had Lannis.  Bought it new in El Paso in 1976.  Put low BMW bars, blue Oury grips and Mulholland shocks.  Took my first long trips oon it as well.  Across Texas & New Mexico in a snowy winter in '76 and all over the southeast and Florida afterwards.  Rode it down to Cape Canaveral to watch a Space Shuttle launch.  Just topped it off with Bel Ray Si-7, and army backpack strapped to the tank to lean on and go.

Bombproof bike.  Over 35,000 miles when I pulled the top end and it needed nothing.

Tobit

[Tom]

1st bike for me was a '68 T500 Titan too.  Lost the baffles too.  That was until I crimp/bent the inner mount ring so that the baffle wouldn't slide out.  Biggest upgrade was adding the disc front brake.  Very durable bike.   

[Chuck in Indiana]

After my son learned to ride (on my Centauro), we bought a '76 GT 500 which he rode everywhere when he was 16 to 18.

I wanted to make sure he had a proper appreciation for where our modern bikes came from, but he liked this bike more than he likes the Versys that he bought later.

I ended up selling this one, probably shouldn't have!



Lannis

The nut *doesn't* fall far from the tree, does it? 

[Lannis]

The nut *doesn't* fall far from the tree, does it? 

Nope.

When my boys are around me for comparison, the "glint in the milkman's eye" jokes fall sort of flat .... !

Lannis

[Arizona Wayne]

Great pics! But they must be photoshopped because everyone knows you can't tour on a 500!
:-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe that's why I got looks touring on my RD350 w/a Vetter Phantom full fairing.    Oil injected Yamaha 2 stokes were bulletproof too.  Just had to pull the heads off periodically and clean them of carbon.

We got used ($100)chrome expansion chambers for my sons GT550 and then it sounded like a popcorn popper.  But then other bikers showed it respect for it's acceleration, even tho it wasn't really that fast.  But it sounded good and less smoke.  The chambers gave it more midrange power. 

[Gliderjohn]

My first major trip was on a naked Suzuki GS400 in September of 1979. Rode from Wichita to Dallas to Houston and return. Luggage was a paisley home sewn duffle bag the wife made for me. Also learned a lot on that trip but made it fine.
GliderJohn

[tazio]

After my son learned to ride....



Lannis

Hey, Mr.Lannis, you got a big 'ol body guard like I have !!!
Mine calls me "wee dad"....

[Sheepdog]

Is that a Bates fairing? An old favorite.

I had a '75 T500. I rode the hell out of it and traded it (with some cash) for my '74 Norton Interstate. Great bike...

[Lannis]

Hey, Mr.Lannis, you got a big 'ol body guard like I have !!!
Mine calls me "wee dad"....

The good news is that this one is 6'4" 250 pounds, the other is a 6'2" 240 pound Marine, and I never have to worry about getting sand kicked in my face by the bully on the beach.

The bad news is that they had to learn to ride on their own.   There's not a motorcycle made that would carry any two of us without blowing tires and burning out clutches .....

Lannis

[mtiberio]

Funny, 39 years ago I rode cross country and through Death Valley on a Suzuki GT 500 Titan.

[PJPR01]

Nice historical photos...love that Volvo 1800 ES in the pic as well!

[Arizona Wayne]

Nice historical photos...live that Volvo 1800 ES in the pic as well!

Yeah, I had a red Volvo P-1800 at 1 time.   That ES brought back memories. 

[Dofin]

My trusty rusty 76 GT500, next to my RD400 the best motorcycle I ever owned.




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[brlawson]

Had a 1972 model as my first bike bought with my own money. Back in those days a tank full was a buck fifty.

All it seemed to need were tires, brakes and the occasional shot of oil. Loved not having to mix at every fill up.

[Huzo]

Had a 1972 model as my first bike bought with my own money. Back in those days a tank full was a buck fifty.

All it seemed to need were tires, brakes and the occasional shot of oil. Loved not having to mix at every fill up.

Is that an old shot or have you still got it ?

[wymple]

I had 73 Titan, looks like the same bike by the color. Big enough, light enough, reliable as a stone bridge.