IN COMING!
CLASSIC JAPANESE MOTORCYCLES
Not having ever read RealClassic until I bought RC191, I was pleasantly surprised by it and thoroughly enjoyed the articles contained therein. I was particularly interested in the 500 Japanese bike test. I currently own 2½ of the machines tested. 2½? Let me explain.
I am the lucky owner of a 1973 Kawasaki H1D, and a 1972 Suzuki T500J. The half? Well, I don’t have a Honda CB500T in the garage, but I do own a 1970 Honda CL450 K3 which uses a similar powerplant and frame as the CB500T. Both of course were developments of Honda’s 450cc Black Bomber. As a young mechanical engineering student during the 1970s I had another T500J, which I owned for almost 10 years and used as everyday transport. Based on my experiences, I agreed completely with Mark Redfern’s comments and conclusions.
My CL450 has been solidly reliable (well, it is a Honda!), if a little under-braked. The CL450 has a 2ls front drum brake, which needs careful setting up to work effectively. Handling is good, although the rubber-mounted handlebars move a little bit under acceleration and braking. The first job I did after buying the bike was to replace the handlebar mounting rubbers. The high and wide riding position is comfortable and the steering light and accurate. As Mark says, parts (with the exception of exhaust systems) are readily and easily obtained from the specialist suppliers, with a lot of NOS parts still available.
The Suzuki in the magazine would appear to be a 1973 T500K or a 1974 T500L, painted in the Candy Lavender colour scheme of a 1971 T500R (and there is nothing wrong with that, IMHO!). The tell-tale signs are the dog bone rear light (introduced on the T500J in
