Suzuki 2 Strokes

Bought these NOS tubes as T500 last year as my project had bent forks, they looked right so I put them away ready for the day they were required. Now I come to use them there are longer than stock. I also picked up a used set but they are pitted and will need re-chroming and grinding.

Question is what are these for? They are the same as T500 is all respects other than length which is about 4" longer. I even got them all assembled and it was only when I slide them into the triple tree it became apparent they were too long. The NOS have BW4 stamped on them below the stop ring (2nd pic). They came in what looked like the original box but there are no Suzuki labels on it but there is a label with a hand written number 23256.

Any ideas what they are for?

Just guessing, but they are probably just extended tubes. They were quite popular in the 70s. The seller may not have known.


Lane

Surely being that much longer, they would have to be dirt bike wouldn't they? TS400 maybe?

Yes - trail model was what I thought, but looking at the part fiches TS400 looks to carry the spring internal to the tube. But these have the same lower bush pinned on the bottom and spigot at the top where they insert into the top of the yoke/triple tree. So no practical way to have an internal spring. TC305 is the same P/N as T500 for the tube.

'Raked Out' T500, could be, but would need 4" longer spring or a spacer and longer gaiter to cover the spring.

My knowledge of the range from this period is really weak, tubes came from Canada so guess could be a North America only model?

Confusing the hell out of me!! Thought I was turning a corner and would be back to a rolling chassis soon, but this one is fighting me all the way.

T500 with extended forks: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6022&start=8

Never understood why people did stuff like this.

I remember that post last year......that chopper 500 is horrible. Are those forks only 4" longer? What has been done at the bottom end, there's no visible springs?

That's way longer than the tubes I have would produce, I'll take a pic of them on the bike later and post it up.

Perhaps they thought they'd be different and have a rigid front and sprung rear Them Pirates like their bikes to be individual.

titan performance wrote:I remember that post last year......that chopper 500 is horrible. Are those forks only 4" longer? What has been done at the bottom end, there's no visible springs?

Its hard to tell from the pics.
I think they are probably from a T250/T350 that has internal springs.

Loosely assembled, slider fully extended, you can see the gap at the spring. Fully compressed it barely compresses the spring.



Perfect fit except length.

Perhaps they will just have to go to one side for a T500 based trail bike in the future!!

Run them up through the clamps four inches, then attach clip-on bars above the triple clamp. Voila! Adjustable bars! Do you know what Heli-bars sell for???


Lane

rngdng wrote:Run them up through the clamps four inches, then attach clip-on bars above the triple clamp. Voila! Adjustable bars! Do you know what Heli-bars sell for???Lane

Unfortunately the top clamp is smaller diameter for a spigot on the top of the tube so they can't go through the stock clamp. To go modifying the the triple tree I might as well go the whole hog and swap the front end for something with more modern damping. My intention was closer to restoration than custom on this bike

To be honest the point of this thread was to hopefully identify them as belonging to another model so I can sell then on and get some cash back for the 101 other things that need doing on this bike. Although looking more likely they will get 'filed' in the garage for future use. Probably means they will be on Ebay or whatever the equivalent will be in about 35 years time when my kids clear the garage of dad's junk

Well Sh!t. I thought I had the solution. Good luck. I'm out of ideas.


Lane