Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
Viewing: Tues 27th October from 1pm
Auction: Wed 28th October from 10am
Location: National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 0EJ
Registration No: GDX 27N
Frame No: 74144
MOT: Exempt
Excellent 1970s TR500 Replica
Ideal for parades or classic racing
Supplied with a current V5C
By the late 1960s the Manx Nortons and Matchless G50s that had been the mainstay of 500cc racing were getting a bit long in the tooth and riders were searching around for more competitive mounts. Suzuki and Kawasaki both made very limited numbers of their two stroke road bikes available in race trim, but they were both expensive and difficult to get hold of. In 1971, Keith Turner and Rob Bron finished second and third in the 500cc World Championship behind Agostini’s MV Agusta on their TR500s, and Jack Findlay won the Ulster Grand Prix, the first victory for a two stroke in that class. The Suzuki TR500 was basically a tuned version of the standard T500 road bike, so many riders and tuning firms got together to make their own replicas. Barry Sheene had his first 500cc ride on Suzuki GBs Seeley framed version, and T500 engined bikes dominated the grids in the early 1970s.
The vendor of this good looking TR500 Replica raced a Seeley framed T500 in the 1970s and assembled this bike as a tribute to the works bikes of the day. The frame has been braced and delugged, with a shorter swinging arm fitted to replicate the TR, topped off with a Pete Kyte alloy tank and race seat with a period style fibreglass fairing. The front end is a twin disc set up from a Suzuki GT750 to keep it in character, with Koni rear shocks and the wheels built up on alloy rims. He has tuned the engine to the specification of his old race bike to include a lightened crank, stuffed crankcases, centre plug heads, PVL ignition, Scitsu tacho, Mikuni VM34 carbs and a pair of Swarbrick expansion chambers. Presented with straight through tail pipes, included is a pair of silencer end cans to get through racetrack noise test. A well thought out and put together replica with all the right parts and modifications, the vendor has enjoyed parading it over the years. The bike started and ran whilst being photographed and still has its original V5C registration document if someone wanted the ultimate Cafe Racer on the road, or a great Forgotten Era race bike.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Entry by catalogue and can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people)
