GreenMachine's T500R
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-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
GreenMachine's T500R
Hey guys,
So I've put up a post about how I came to own the bike - Here's the ongoing story of what I'm doing with it.
Where I started:
Fairly clean, good runner except for a bit of dirt in the carbs causing a cylinder to cut out every now and then (got in a few EXCELLENT speedway-style, foot-out laps of the front yard before pulling it apart). No major rust, scrapes or damage. Tank and sidepanels painted in housepaint, tank was originally Verdoro Green, side panels were Candy Lavender. Not sure what the factory colour was.
First job: Pulling it apart
Awesome redneck cafe bars (stockers turned over and upside down):
Where did the bike go?
No nasty surprises while pulling it apart, no stripped threads, bodged fastners, bent brackets or hidden rust. Wiring loom is probably serviceable, but it's also 40 years old and a fire hazard, so will be rewired.
Next step was sandblasting the frame, borrowing the blaster from a mate who runs a custom paint and restoration business in Brisbane(http://www.karnagekustoms.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Then we painted the frame in semi-gloss car chassis enamel. Powder coating may have been better, but this stuff has been great on frames/suspension parts on cars, so I thought I'd give it a crack.
From there, back to my place for building up.
Swingarm goes on. Already had good bronze bushes in the swingarm, massive bonus. Cleaned all the crappy old grease out, installed a new grease nipple, end cap o-rings and pumped it up.
Brand new shocks from Paul Miller in the States
I don't know if people will jump up and down about this, but I'm replacing all the made-of-cheese, rounded off, 40-year-old Japanese bolts with allen screws. All of them - engine, frame, the lot. Be interested in your comments on this - I've never been involved in bike-building culture. If a mate told me he was replacing all the panel and engine bolts in a car with allen heads, I'd punch him. However, I reckon it's good-looking and practical for a bike.
I think it looks great.
Stands on, with spring kit again from Paul Miller.
From here, it's fork rebuild time. Only limited pics of this so far, although the taper bearings are in the triple clamp and the new fork seals have been installed. Just sourcing new o-rings on the tube nut things and waiting for the fork gaiters to come from...ahem... Thailand and I'm ready to put the front end back on the frame.
Cleaned, but not polished top triple clamp:
This stuff holds the wheel on if it goes back together in the right order:
That's about where it stands at the moment. Will give the bank account a couple of weeks to recover and then re-spoke the wheels. This will give me a rolling frame that I can push in and out of the shed to work on.
In the meantime, here's some stuff I've collected for the build.
How hot are grey cables??
Repro taillight
New clocks from the UK at great expense:
And that's the story so far! Any comments or input (good or bad) are welcomed!!
NH
So I've put up a post about how I came to own the bike - Here's the ongoing story of what I'm doing with it.
Where I started:
Fairly clean, good runner except for a bit of dirt in the carbs causing a cylinder to cut out every now and then (got in a few EXCELLENT speedway-style, foot-out laps of the front yard before pulling it apart). No major rust, scrapes or damage. Tank and sidepanels painted in housepaint, tank was originally Verdoro Green, side panels were Candy Lavender. Not sure what the factory colour was.
First job: Pulling it apart
Awesome redneck cafe bars (stockers turned over and upside down):
Where did the bike go?
No nasty surprises while pulling it apart, no stripped threads, bodged fastners, bent brackets or hidden rust. Wiring loom is probably serviceable, but it's also 40 years old and a fire hazard, so will be rewired.
Next step was sandblasting the frame, borrowing the blaster from a mate who runs a custom paint and restoration business in Brisbane(http://www.karnagekustoms.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Then we painted the frame in semi-gloss car chassis enamel. Powder coating may have been better, but this stuff has been great on frames/suspension parts on cars, so I thought I'd give it a crack.
From there, back to my place for building up.
Swingarm goes on. Already had good bronze bushes in the swingarm, massive bonus. Cleaned all the crappy old grease out, installed a new grease nipple, end cap o-rings and pumped it up.
Brand new shocks from Paul Miller in the States
I don't know if people will jump up and down about this, but I'm replacing all the made-of-cheese, rounded off, 40-year-old Japanese bolts with allen screws. All of them - engine, frame, the lot. Be interested in your comments on this - I've never been involved in bike-building culture. If a mate told me he was replacing all the panel and engine bolts in a car with allen heads, I'd punch him. However, I reckon it's good-looking and practical for a bike.
I think it looks great.
Stands on, with spring kit again from Paul Miller.
From here, it's fork rebuild time. Only limited pics of this so far, although the taper bearings are in the triple clamp and the new fork seals have been installed. Just sourcing new o-rings on the tube nut things and waiting for the fork gaiters to come from...ahem... Thailand and I'm ready to put the front end back on the frame.
Cleaned, but not polished top triple clamp:
This stuff holds the wheel on if it goes back together in the right order:
That's about where it stands at the moment. Will give the bank account a couple of weeks to recover and then re-spoke the wheels. This will give me a rolling frame that I can push in and out of the shed to work on.
In the meantime, here's some stuff I've collected for the build.
How hot are grey cables??
Repro taillight
New clocks from the UK at great expense:
And that's the story so far! Any comments or input (good or bad) are welcomed!!
NH
- johnakay
- I likes them jubblies
- Posts: 2365
- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:19 am
- Country: UK
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: bike
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
looking good so far
If I wanted to make a life-long career out of
working with the mentally retarded I would
have opened a Harley Davidson Dealership
working with the mentally retarded I would
have opened a Harley Davidson Dealership
-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
More updates!
Triple clamps and steering damper are now on, with new tapered roller bearings. Just waiting for a pair of o-rings and some fork boots and I'll be ready to assemble the front end.
Looking more bike-like
Interesting discovery when I put the triple clamps on the frame... Turn out I didn't take enough notes or pics when I pulled it apart. Realised this when I decided, just on a whim, to put the steering lock on. Turns out (logically) you can't install the steering lock with the triples on. So it all came back off.
This would have really pissed me off if the forks, wheel, cables etc were on there. So from now on, I'll be a bit more careful with reassembly.
Triple clamps and steering damper are now on, with new tapered roller bearings. Just waiting for a pair of o-rings and some fork boots and I'll be ready to assemble the front end.
Looking more bike-like
Interesting discovery when I put the triple clamps on the frame... Turn out I didn't take enough notes or pics when I pulled it apart. Realised this when I decided, just on a whim, to put the steering lock on. Turns out (logically) you can't install the steering lock with the triples on. So it all came back off.
This would have really pissed me off if the forks, wheel, cables etc were on there. So from now on, I'll be a bit more careful with reassembly.
- tz375
- Moto GP
- Posts: 6204
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:47 am
- Location: Illinois
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
Looking good. If that's the only mistake you make you will be doing well.
BTW, what is Kevin Rudd doing on the shed wall? Very strange.. Is it time for a Julia poster?
BTW, what is Kevin Rudd doing on the shed wall? Very strange.. Is it time for a Julia poster?
-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
Kevin has been watching over my projects for years! Julia is in there somewhere, but she's taking a long time to grow on me...
In other news, still waiting for fork boots (thailand), o-rings (local bearing shop, just need time to pop in) and clocks (UK)... More progress over the weekend if I get some parts in...
In other news, still waiting for fork boots (thailand), o-rings (local bearing shop, just need time to pop in) and clocks (UK)... More progress over the weekend if I get some parts in...
-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
Well, fork boots arrived from Thailand and they're rubbish. Different length, different diameter and different shape. Nice. Seller is "hondaism".. Guess I should've known better, but you live and learn.
Cleaned up the old boots, they look fine. Have now reassembled the forks and installed them in the triple clamp with the aid of a long bolt to draw them up. Winner. Looks great too. Will post pics over the weekend.
Wheel rebuild next, along with ordering new brake shoes.
Cleaned up the old boots, they look fine. Have now reassembled the forks and installed them in the triple clamp with the aid of a long bolt to draw them up. Winner. Looks great too. Will post pics over the weekend.
Wheel rebuild next, along with ordering new brake shoes.
- wvc
- To the on ramp
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:15 pm
- Location: Ohio, USA
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
You can still buy brand new T500 fork boots from Suzuki. I just bought a set a few weeks ago. About $65 for the pair I think.
76 GT500 - restoration project in work
4 other 76 GT500's
1.5 GT550's
4 GT380's
5 T500's (72-75 models)
4 GT750's
Suzuki GT hoarder...and a bad case of OBD.....(old bike disease)
4 other 76 GT500's
1.5 GT550's
4 GT380's
5 T500's (72-75 models)
4 GT750's
Suzuki GT hoarder...and a bad case of OBD.....(old bike disease)
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- Around the block
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:10 am
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
im not sure if you have gotten to this point yet but what do you plan on doing for the aluminum center hubs for the wheels? Im at that point and i tried painting the center hubs which doesnt look bad but idk what to do about the area that the spokes are in. I would like to avoid taking off all the spokes to polish/paint this area. Anybody have some good alternatives?
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- Novice racer
- Posts: 947
- Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 7:59 pm
- Country: USA
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: gt750
- Location: HOUSTON USA
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
merckid wrote:im not sure if you have gotten to this point yet but what do you plan on doing for the aluminum center hubs for the wheels? Im at that point and i tried painting the center hubs which doesnt look bad but idk what to do about the area that the spokes are in. I would like to avoid taking off all the spokes to polish/paint this area. Anybody have some good alternatives?
What about anodising them to the color of your choice?.
you would still have to disasemble the spokes .
just a thought,.
mark
She will never be pretty but hoping she will be a fun ride.
1973 SUZUKI GT750K.=SOLD
yamaha speedtwinn 100 barn find =SOLD
1x 1973 kawasaki H1 (restored)
1x 1973 kawasaki H1 (basket case) =SOLD
1982 HONDA CB900F =SOLD
1982 YAMAHA RD350LC.
1985 RZ350N
1973 SUZUKI GT750K.=SOLD
yamaha speedtwinn 100 barn find =SOLD
1x 1973 kawasaki H1 (restored)
1x 1973 kawasaki H1 (basket case) =SOLD
1982 HONDA CB900F =SOLD
1982 YAMAHA RD350LC.
1985 RZ350N
-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
Haven't really had a chance to update this lately, have been flat out with work... Have still been checking the forum daily though!
I'm at the wheel/hub stage at the moment - chrome spokes are on order (South East Asia again, I'm giving the Orient one more go after the fake-fork-boots debacle), just trying to work out what to do with the hubs. Needs some more thought, but I've got no interest in mirror polish, so that avenue is out. I think that leaves me with a brushed/satin polished finish (just as hard to maintain?) or paint.
If I end up painting the hubs, it'll be a nice silver on the outside of the hubs and gloss black on the finned inside part. I'm also at a bit of a crossroads of a) how standard I leave it and b) how far I go on this rebuild.
On (a), I think I'll stick to "period" modifications - Original plan was just clubman bars and humped single seat, but the chrome on the pipes isn't all I'd hoped and dreamed, so a set of Titan Performance expansion chambers is increasingly tempting. Then the more i think about it, the more I think that with low clubman bars and the single seat, the riding position will be a lot nicer with rearsets... At least all this would be reversible should prices of mint standard ones shoot through the roof.
On (b), I'm still unsure. Part of me says "you haven't ridden a bike for 6 years and you tossed all the others down the road", which means I should really consider just putting together a nice, safe rider's bike and leave the old chrome etc alone for now, just see if I get back in to riding, if I "fit" with the bike and if I can manage to keep it shiny-side up. I can always do a tear-down on a Christmas break some time in the future.
This question is critical at the moment - the wheel rims have polished up ok, but there are a few little dark rust pits that won't polish out. Once I've re-spoked the rims, the decision is made, so I need to work out whether I live with it ($0), get new rims ($150ish each) or try to get the old ones rechromed ($?)
But then again, part of me just wants to chrome/paint/polish FRIGGEN EVERYTHING.
Of course, money is part of the issue - we're renovating the house at the moment, I'm still running a 40 year old pickup truck as a toy, I smoke and drink... Somethine has to give (I voted the power bills, but the wife wasn't so keen)... Have been watching the "Look what they're worth!" threads on this forum with some interest. You don't see T500s for sale too often in Australia, and the price seems all over the shop. What looked like a really good one that had been used in classic racing but really just needed some lights to go on the road was passed in on ebay when the bids didn't get over $2000ish, but there's a very nice but unrestored one that's just got to $4950 (reserve not met), a crashed GT500 that some hopeful wants $4000 for and a partly restored one with the chromework painted black up for $5000.
Obviously only geniuses and fools restore bikes or cars to make money, but the last project I overspent on cost me a bit over $50,000 and disappeared on a tow truck for scrap value at the end. Not keen for a repeat of that, even on a smaller scale.
When did it become this hard? Progress pics will follow tomorrow.
I'm at the wheel/hub stage at the moment - chrome spokes are on order (South East Asia again, I'm giving the Orient one more go after the fake-fork-boots debacle), just trying to work out what to do with the hubs. Needs some more thought, but I've got no interest in mirror polish, so that avenue is out. I think that leaves me with a brushed/satin polished finish (just as hard to maintain?) or paint.
If I end up painting the hubs, it'll be a nice silver on the outside of the hubs and gloss black on the finned inside part. I'm also at a bit of a crossroads of a) how standard I leave it and b) how far I go on this rebuild.
On (a), I think I'll stick to "period" modifications - Original plan was just clubman bars and humped single seat, but the chrome on the pipes isn't all I'd hoped and dreamed, so a set of Titan Performance expansion chambers is increasingly tempting. Then the more i think about it, the more I think that with low clubman bars and the single seat, the riding position will be a lot nicer with rearsets... At least all this would be reversible should prices of mint standard ones shoot through the roof.
On (b), I'm still unsure. Part of me says "you haven't ridden a bike for 6 years and you tossed all the others down the road", which means I should really consider just putting together a nice, safe rider's bike and leave the old chrome etc alone for now, just see if I get back in to riding, if I "fit" with the bike and if I can manage to keep it shiny-side up. I can always do a tear-down on a Christmas break some time in the future.
This question is critical at the moment - the wheel rims have polished up ok, but there are a few little dark rust pits that won't polish out. Once I've re-spoked the rims, the decision is made, so I need to work out whether I live with it ($0), get new rims ($150ish each) or try to get the old ones rechromed ($?)
But then again, part of me just wants to chrome/paint/polish FRIGGEN EVERYTHING.
Of course, money is part of the issue - we're renovating the house at the moment, I'm still running a 40 year old pickup truck as a toy, I smoke and drink... Somethine has to give (I voted the power bills, but the wife wasn't so keen)... Have been watching the "Look what they're worth!" threads on this forum with some interest. You don't see T500s for sale too often in Australia, and the price seems all over the shop. What looked like a really good one that had been used in classic racing but really just needed some lights to go on the road was passed in on ebay when the bids didn't get over $2000ish, but there's a very nice but unrestored one that's just got to $4950 (reserve not met), a crashed GT500 that some hopeful wants $4000 for and a partly restored one with the chromework painted black up for $5000.
Obviously only geniuses and fools restore bikes or cars to make money, but the last project I overspent on cost me a bit over $50,000 and disappeared on a tow truck for scrap value at the end. Not keen for a repeat of that, even on a smaller scale.
When did it become this hard? Progress pics will follow tomorrow.
- sfront
- On the main road
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:25 am
- Location: Variable.......what day is it????
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
Somebody tellin' you that it needs to be finished 'right now'?
If not, take your time and do it like you want to.
If you take short cuts now, you'll wish you hadn't at the end of the project!
I always have a hard time comin' off my wallet but I always end up buying what I need.
I just have to vent and get over it first!
But its true.....he who hesitates is lost.
I watched a NOS grab bar on Ebay for 2 weeks and couldn't bring myself to pay $50 for it.
When I finally go over it and went to buy it.........it was gone.
And I haven't seen another one since!
I get just as much enjoyment out of building these things as I do riding them.
As long as you're happy with the end result, who cares what anyone else thinks!
Unless of course you ARE gonna sell it.........then that's another story.
If not, take your time and do it like you want to.
If you take short cuts now, you'll wish you hadn't at the end of the project!
I always have a hard time comin' off my wallet but I always end up buying what I need.
I just have to vent and get over it first!
But its true.....he who hesitates is lost.
I watched a NOS grab bar on Ebay for 2 weeks and couldn't bring myself to pay $50 for it.
When I finally go over it and went to buy it.........it was gone.
And I haven't seen another one since!
I get just as much enjoyment out of building these things as I do riding them.
As long as you're happy with the end result, who cares what anyone else thinks!
Unless of course you ARE gonna sell it.........then that's another story.
STEVE
So what if it was short.......I still had a great time!
So what if it was short.......I still had a great time!
-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
You're saying what I'm really thinking...sfront wrote:Somebody tellin' you that it needs to be finished 'right now'?
If not, take your time and do it like you want to.
If you take short cuts now, you'll wish you hadn't at the end of the project!
I always have a hard time comin' off my wallet but I always end up buying what I need.
I just have to vent and get over it first!
But its true.....he who hesitates is lost.
I watched a NOS grab bar on Ebay for 2 weeks and couldn't bring myself to pay $50 for it.
When I finally go over it and went to buy it.........it was gone.
And I haven't seen another one since!
I get just as much enjoyment out of building these things as I do riding them.
As long as you're happy with the end result, who cares what anyone else thinks!
Unless of course you ARE gonna sell it.........then that's another story.
Guess I should get on the phone to Suzuki about new genuine fork boots and start finding someone to rechrome the wheels.
- sfront
- On the main road
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:25 am
- Location: Variable.......what day is it????
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
You've got the same ailment I have........
Although you already know what you're gonna do.....you've got to vent about it first!
I'm sad to have to tell you though.......there's no cure.
Although you already know what you're gonna do.....you've got to vent about it first!
I'm sad to have to tell you though.......there's no cure.
STEVE
So what if it was short.......I still had a great time!
So what if it was short.......I still had a great time!
-
- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
No further work done (and still no more pics), but I bought one of those Ebay cafe racer seat foam and cover sets yesterday... They look great in pics, will report back when I get it.
NH
NH
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- On the main road
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
Re: GreenMachine's T500R
Guard polished as well as I could, with allen heads
Front end mostly together!
Clocks etc back on the bike. Note more sweet allen heads.
Getting there.
Hubs waiting to be blasted and maybe powdercoated. Can you powdercoat these things?
Spokes have arrived, so as soon as the hubs are done I can start building the wheels. My ebay seat unit should arrive next week too.