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Honda CB 500T
A decade after the CB450 Black Bomber had dwindled into legend, Honda resurrected the medium-size parallel twin with their 500T of 1975. This handsome motor cycle shared the old 450's specification — on paper — in having an all-alloy engine with twin overhead camshafts. The resemblance was more than superficial in at least one respect. Both had a 70mm bore, the stroke of the 500T being stretched from 64.8 to 67.8mm to give a full 499cc. Having a 180° crankshaft arrangement and none of the trendy aids to smooth running, such as balancers and counterweights, the 500T was somewhat vibratory at any speed under 70 mph in top gear. It was more than somewhat vibratory in the 80s and 90s. This together with obtrusive backlash in the transmission, which made traffic-threading something of a chore, ruled out any chance of the Honda impressing as an all-rounder. But handling was good, the bike looked good (the
well-finned cylinder head with massive camboxes being especially attractive),
and it was decently quiet both mechanically and on the exhaust.
Review ONCE upon a time Honda used to make very good vertical twins, Starting with the
(CB72 and passing through the delightful little l25SS. CB250 and CB350, they all
had their own characters and, frequently, were the top of their class. Perhaps
less successful but considered by many to be underrated was the CB450, the
"Black Bomber'', Which brings us to the CB5OOT . The logical successor to the
450, it somehow turns out to be nothing of the sort and, if its ancestry is to
be considered, then the current CB360 would seem to be its close brother.In
fairness, we do not really think that it has any present-day antecedents for it
appeared on the American market at about the same time as the (CB260 and the
rest of the range associated with it. The motor is just rugged enough to give It character, a decent-size engine that looks like a 500. It was, of course, completely oil tight and retained its pristine new gleam. Keeping it that way is going to take reasonable effort but will be worth the trouble. Obvious point of comparison with the CB500 is the old CB450 and, indeed, if it helps to trace the heritage of the CB500 at least it shares a 70mm bore ! The stroke is increased to 64.8 from 57.8 to give the extra 54cc.Weight has gone up by a mere 6 kg to ! 93 kg (387 lh), which is reasonable by today's standards, The looks, have of course, changed with the times and the old "Bomber'' tank with the pointed front has given way to one that is more European than the Europeans. The motor remains the same relatively simple double overhead camshaft vertical twin with no "artifical aids'' to eliminate vibration, . with the result that, not surprisingly , it vibrates ! Mildly below 40 affecting the mirrors, more between 40 and 60, with the speedometer suffering the shakes, enough to be felt through the grips below 70 and considerably, by Honda's standards, above 70. Below 60 It was merely irritating in its affect on mirrors and instruments, above this speed it was tiring after a while. Perhaps time has dimmed our memory a littie but we do not recall the 450 being like this; in fact the later version of the450 was notable for its smoothness. But it was not the vibration that troubled
me but the transmission backlash. A common enough Honda occurrence but more
noticeable on the 500. Perhaps it is because the motor is less flexible than
others in the range, not being at all happy at low rpm. This is very much a
machine that has to be revved and. to its credit, it was more than willing to do
that. Response to the throttle was immediate, the tachometer needle shooting
backWards and forwards as though it were directly connected to the twist grip.
The transmission : five-speed, an easy-to- find neutral and silent operation of
all gears, including bottom. A good gearbox to use but, as mentioned earlier it
did have this backlash ! It showed itself particularly in 2nd gear when, say, we
were just a little lazy going around a slow corner. If we failed to engage
bottom, the transmission objected noisily, whirring and clanking as though the
gears had lost the odd tooth or two. This applied in all gears, excepting
bottom, but got worse the lower the gear. The result is a machine that handles very well indeed with no wallowing, and with precision-but with a slight loss in immediate comfort. In our experience softly sprung bikes often become uncomfortable after a time. Not so the CB500.
The brakes, single disc front and drum rear, were superb and in this they had
the unexpected bonus (non-standard) of British Dunlop TTl00s, 3-25 x 19in front
and 4.10 x l8in rear. Japanese Dunlop tyres are good but these were even better.
The controls were just about as good as we
would have wished, with Honda at last moving the ignition key to the centre of
the steering head where it can be easily reached. The left lever housing
contained the horn/pass light, dipswitch, which was in the inside position-
perhaps the only point of criticism for we would have preferred the dipswitch to
be nearest the thumb, a position reserved for the direction indicators. We
imagine that it is impossible to satisfy everyone with the position of controls
and we don't really feel strongly about it. On the right side was starter
button, lights on and off and of/on/off switch on the top. When will they learn
to isolate the starters well as the coil with this switch ? It is such a
civilized way of letting the rider know that he is switched off, far better than
flattening the battery !
THE SPORTING MIDDLEWEIGHTS HONDA CB500T • The Suzuki GT380 Sebring was the first sub-400cc street bike to break away from the 350cc class rating. It was also the first mid-displacement multi-cylinder roadster from Suzuki. In the wake of the performance bikes of the early Seventies, the Sebring navigated in a very different direction, and moved toward serene performance and exceptional comfort. In designing the GT380, Suzuki's engineers mixed fresh concepts with proven parts. The bore and stroke of the Sebring are the same as Suzuki's 250cc street twin. By adding one cylinder the displacement was bumped up to 371 cc. Mild port timing, low compression and small carburetors level out the 380's power and separate it from pipey, performance-type two-stroke engines. The six-speed gearbox is also of the same design as the GT250 twin's. Gear spans are progressively tightened up in the higher cogs and there's nothing unusual about that, but it does allow a rider to find a gear in which the GT380 is absolutely smooth on the highway. For all intents and purposes the engine has remained unchanged since its release in 1972. The Ram Air System has proved efficient in increasing engine heat dissipation, and more importantly, reducing operating noise. The low compression motor runs trouble-free on regular grade gasolines. Suzuki's intricate oil injection system lubricates the pistons and crankshaft bearings individually and includes a recycling arrangement which removes fuel mixture accumulation from the crankcase areas and feeds it directly into the combustion chambers. In 1974 a number of major changes were made to the chassis, carburetor intake, exhaust and instrumentation. The chassis was completely redesigned to improve handling and ground clearance. Better fork internals, shock dampers and springs delivered a better ride. New instruments were joined by the digital gear readout and larger warning lights. Bell-crank operated carburetors replaced the cable-actuated mixers and the mufflers were moved up and in for additional ground clearance. Modifications to the intake system reduced objectionable induction drone and relocated footpegs and controls increased comfort. Suzuki built the Sebring with a front drum brake only in its first year, moving to a disc in 1973. Rubber engine mounting is unchanged, having proven effective in eliminating vibration. The conventional triple-point ignition system is driven from an independent idler gear to prevent timing fluctuation associated with crankshaft flexing. Initial saddle and gas tank designs have gone without alterations. Minor design improvement changes have been made to the GT380's through its five model series, but few are visible. Suzuki believes in improving the breed from the inside out, not the outside in. The GT380 has successfully survived four tough years, and Suzuki appears willing to retain the Sebring indefinitely. SUZUKI GT550 • There is little new and nothing unconventional about the '76 Suzuki GT550 Indy. It is a four-year old motorcycle that was designed to ride the waves of progress, survive as a seasoned veteran and never get out of date. Paint scheme alone identifies the 1976 Indy as new. Suzuki's innovative design of the Ram Air cylinder head shroud system has endured, unchanged, since the beginning. Ahead of its time in 1972, the RAS provides dual benefits. The scoop increases air-flow activity over the fins, and also functions as an excellent sound-deadener to minimize the amount of top-end piston noise. There have been no performance changes made to the cylinders or pistons since the Indy's inception. The low-compression two-stroke triple was designed for durability and runs as happily on low-or no-lead fuels as it does on premium. Unchanged since the GT550's original design is its exceptionally effective rubber mounting system. Only one chassis change has been made to the GT550 through the five-model series. In 1974 a number of major up-dates were built into the Indy—mostly to subdue noise and improve handling. The carburetion, intake and exhaust systems were modified to reduce operating noise levels. The exhaust pipes were tucked up closer to the frame, the side stand and center stand were moved in and the foot pegs relocated to give the Suzuki additional lean angle clearance. The frame changes amounted to nothing more than relocating foot controls and brackets to which they attached. New instruments were fitted to the Indy in 1974 and included Suzuki's popular digital gear read-out and bigger idiot lights. The five-speed gearbox is identical to the transmission in the big 750cc Suzuki LeMans. The 550's clutch and primary drive are equally robust. Suzuki went to the disc front binder in 1973. The rear drum brake and wheel have remained unchanged, as have the tire sizes. Electric starting was in the first 550, and has remained without alteration. Most of the electrical components are the same as those used in the 750s. The plush saddle and four gallon gas tank have been changed in very minor ways—a new piece of vinyl here and a fresh paint stripe there. Minute internal modifications appear in the parts books of each new Indy, but the motorcycle remains pleasantly the same. Unlike most re-vamped new models the GT550 has lost seven pounds since 1974 and the price has escalated only moderately. As Suzuki's most successful road bike, the GT550's reputation for dependability is a matter of record. Source Cycle World
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