T500 Battery Plate or Tool Holder or both?

[diamondj]

All,

I recently recharged the battery in my '71 T500 and realized it doesn't have the retaining plate or door for the side of the battery box. I then checked the rest of my T500's and realized they are all missing this plate/door. I checked Ebay and there are none currently on offer. I also checked the parts fiches and found a couple of different items that look like they perform the same function. The T500 parts book lists a "plate,battery" on the electrical equipment page and it looks like a flat plate with a curved bit at one end to hold in the battery. But then on the frame page behind the side cover, I see a "holder, tool" that performs the same function as "plate, battery" but also has a U shaped metal bit to keep your little plastic pouch of factory tools in.

In the GT500 parts book, there just the "holder, tool" part on the frame page and nothing shown as a retainer on the battery page.

So my question is this - can those of you that still have battery plates or tool holders on your T500 post some photos of how your machine is set-up? I'm thinking the earlier battery plate was a mere cushion that was omitted for the later GT500's but I'd love to know for sure!

Thanks,

Jim

[alanr]

l have a 71 and mine is set up as a -holder tool-one peice as you describe.my 72 rebel is the same only smaller

[geck0]

This is on my 71 and my 72 has the same thing.
Hope this helps

[diamondj]

Thank you both! I should be able to build something similar out of sheet metal or maybe aluminum.

Jim

[rbond]

I have the same thing on my GT500, holds the battery and in my case holds my CDI box.

[ericsattic]

Thank you both! I should be able to build something similar out of sheet metal or maybe aluminum.

Jim

FYI, here is an eBay auction for an NOS tool bar for the 1969-1975 etc... T500. High price, but very RARE part and this one is in NOS condition. You COULD make one of these but it's not as easy as one might think (I had a sheet metal worker try). If you buy one you would get a better idea about what goes into one and probably agree. But at any rate, you could use it on one bike AND help you make sure you build a good replica for your other bike.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzuki-T ... 27bd753177" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Note the tool holder bar is not correct for 1968 T500 Cobra because it has a metal tool kit holder welded to the inside of the left (metal) side cover and it serves to hold the tool kit. As a result, the Cobra's battery box bar is flat and does not have the tool holder add-ons. Finally, the T500 Tool Bar / Battery Box Bars are rare and getting harder to find by the day. Note the photo in the post above which shows the rusty tool bar right below the battery acid overflow drain - once that clear plastic tube slips off the acid hits the tool bar and the corrosion begins. No doubt that's happened countless times to these bikes over the years hence many of these parts were destroyed by rust. One of the MANY reasons why I put some superglue on my new batteries before slipping the clear drain tubes on them... In fact, I should switch to sealed batteries...

[keithwwalker]

I need one of those, my old T500 without the tool kit holder, I believe the part no. is 41561-15000.
The part no. with the tool kit holder is 41550-15101