I Bought This $4000 Motorcycle For $150 (Sitting In Boxes For 20+ Years) 

That right hand pipe is still plugged up a bit. You can see the exhaust coming out where it shouldn't. Plus not nearly as much smoke coming out of it. Great score on those bikes.

Those T500’s were excellent bikes, although I’m probably very bias as I bought mine brand new in 1974 and still have it today!! Love them

You are such a breath of fresh air compared to 90% of RU-vid ! Awesome content no swearing and not full of yourself and to top it off a great mechanic 👍keep it up bud it’s so nice to know there is still some normal people out there that are not giving into the new world of garbage 👍

Hey one of the reasons i love your channel is because how you take everything apart and diagnose the problem over the whole video, like its a long video of you taking apart the bike and diagnosing the problem and teaching us things along the way. please never change that PLEASE. keep up the great work!

You never cease to amaze us how you bring these bikes back to life, you're a hell of an educator and i personally have learned so much.

You got such a killer deal on those two bikes. The seller was great too. He knew what he was selling was good just needed putting back together. There is nothing worse than a seller that tells you everything is good and you end up with scrap but that was not the case here. I am slightly jealous lol

I was definitely doubtful on this one. Can’t believe you got it running and idling. Great job!

Had a T500 many years ago. Rode it all over. Reliable as could be. Easy to work on but, rarely needed any maintenance.

A halon fire extinguisher would serve you well Joe. The halon leaves no residue and will disrupt the combustion of gasoline or any other fuel you might use. It will not damage electronic components either. It'd be a good investment for you.

I owned this exact same model bike in blue (Don't remember the year). Never could get the 2 carbs tuned right. Sent it to a pro, they could never get it to run right either. My favorite thing was the little tool kit that came with the bike because back when these were built, they expected owners to know how to service their vehicles.

Those old piston port 2-strokes go like a scalded dog with proper jetting and a good set of expansion chambers. Also hope the oil injection pump is still intact and on the bike, not sure if these use pressure lube to the crank like the Kawasaki H series bikes do. Pull those baffles out of the mufflers and take a propane torch to them, they are clogged up! Cool video! 2-strokes will run if they turn over. Thanks Joe!

Man, talk about resurrecting a bike from the grave..... Great job brother. Cant wait for the tours where you go around the country buying and fixing bikes 😁

I cringe when you rev the piss out of cold engines... But I love it at the same time! Cool bike! Great vid brother!

I bought a $100 snowmobile because of you. Needed a gas cap, tank and carbs cleaned out, and a belt. Only has 830 miles on it but sat for years.

Great job getting that thing running. These old Japanese bikes want to run. They just need some love.

I remember my pal checking the spark on his rm80 in the 90s.. prik got me too hold the spark plug⚡️😬 😂

😂 I was wondering when you were going to realise it was only running off one cylinder

Hey mate I'm really enjoying your content. Thanks for sharing it with us. I am a 54 year old motorcyclist from Australia. Please mate don't use that bike as a parts bike, it's more than saleable and these 500cc 2 strokes are becoming rare as hens teeth. If you don't want to restore it yourself than sell it to someone who will. This is just my suggestions I would never tell you what you should do. Unfortunately Australia has a small population of 27million but our land mass is similar to the USA so barnfinds are far and few. Cheers mate and thanks again

In about 1981 I had a T500!! Good shape. As well as I remember it did, 0 to 60 in first gear! I think...?? it was in was just a few seconds. I never actually timed it, but It about pulled me off the seat! However the top speed was only 100 mph and it got there very fast!... You have to hold tight cause its absolutely a Monster for 498 cc bike from heck!! I miss her and her name was Suzy!

so many people just set aside and forget those old 500--2 strokes---those babies are crazy fast for their size and pretty good on gas as well, plus they look much cooler than the junk they are making today! thanks for helping to keep a part of american history on the road!

Looking good 👍 I like that the different parts had the hardware put back in after previous owner disassembled them. A good practice when taking apart a project.

Music to my ears, I had a GT 500 back in the day😊 can’t believe how much they are selling for,it wasn’t an expensive bike at the time, took me to work winter & summer, never let me down 👍

My dad had a 1976 Honda 554 it sat for five years we got it running again used it for a dirt bike but was very heavy lots of power congrats on your new build 💪🛠️👊

On the carb, the small screw you called air mixture is the Idle mixture adjustment and the bigger one on the body is the Idle speed ajustment 😉

Those Suzukis were notorious for running on one cyl, but that poor thing was choked off completely! Id check both those pipes if you can! Sounds awesome! Great bike

That right side pipe is still flowing poorly. Great find!

im always impressed by your dexterity. I cant wrench on any of my toys with gloves on. such cool old bikes, got a screamin deal there.

The T500 Blue bike is older and very different bike electrically than Your Red GT 500 bike. Your Red bike is a GT500 The ignition is on a totally separate circuit than all other electrical on the bike and does not depend on the battery. The battery is charged for the lights and horn are totally independent of the ignition capacitor charging circuit for the plugs. Also the ignition coil fires to both plugs simultaneous twice every revolution of the engine. I suspect the second firing was to clean any residual fuel oil mixture from the cylinder in the exhaust stroke. This double firing was accomplished by by having two magnets in the flywheel 180 degrees apart charge the circuits and fire the SCR or TRIAC that fed the Ignition coil. Look at the schematic and it will explain this brilliant solution the Suzuki engineers had. I owned a 75 Black GT500 and replaced the early I believe Selenium rectifiers with regular silicon rectifiers due to some perceived efficiency issues or early troubleshooting in the charging system.

Once you get it back together cleaned up and running good it will be worth some bucks.

51:16 Pipe still a little plugged. Good job resurrecting the smoker!

Wow 👏 that is epic mate. Well done buddy ,you are a legend. Great video as always. Massive respect from the UK 🇬🇧 🤙

That had me laughing , i thought it was going to rev to the moon and wouldn't turn off, i was ducking for cover. well done though i didnt think it would run...still needs to come apart but someone might take it on as a project . might be a good deal in another swap

The clogged pipe 😂 "well its definately clogged" good work man! Such a sick bike

You should get a vacuum gauge and sync the carbs at idol. You will need one for your banshee as well.

Incredible. You really scored well with these bikes.

Your muffler on your red T 500 is still plugged even after you shook the dirt out of it watch your video and compare the smoke from both pipes. The right side pipe is pushing smoke out the front and very little smoke is coming out of your muffler. Great looking bikes. Cheers Doug.

Hats off. You really proved you can get just about any bike going again. Nice work!

Sir, Rather than rely on the oil pump, may I suggest pre mixed fuel. Regards, Kev.

If you look into the exhaust port, you will see that there is a seal. Once these are blown, they must be replaced. There are a few different types. Not sure of the type that one uses.

Biggest worry for these from sitting too long is that the crank and rod bearings might have developed rusted or corroded races which would need rebuilding. I hope it works out for you. I'm a retired Suzuki/Kawasaki mechanic from back in the day - the T500s were very quick but vibrated a bit much though they were comfortable to ride in most ways.

Wow, this brings back memories. I had a 68 T500 I was resurrecting once and it also had a slight gas leak... But I started it and it ran, but I had left the cover off of the points to set the timing. The gas hit the points and Boom , I had Flame cycle! The wires were so burnt I gave up on it. I never leave a slight gas leak anymore.

Manufactured IN '75----but a '76 model year. '76 and '77 (last two years of production) are GT500 and had front disk brake, longer tank, CDI ignition, and other changes from earlier Titans.

That right side pipe is still partially clogged, you can see the smoke pushing out near the front pipe due to excessive pressure. That bike is sweet.

Have to say this was easily the more rewarding of the two to watch and, I hope, to fix.

My first bike was a 1972 Suzuki GT380 2 cycle triple. Fun little bike.

Brilliant joe sounds good the pipe is still a little blocked by the looks of it but great job getting it going personally I would save it as will defo fetch good money easy mate well done. 🔧🔧🔧👍👌❤️

Had a GT 500 25 years ago. Traded an old riding motor for it. It ran but needed rings. Rode it on back roads. I too wanted to rebuild but daughter was born and sent it down the road. Love them old 2 strokes. Keep up the gd work.

That's awesome. I worked for a Suzuki dealership back in the 70's and sold those. Always loved 'em.

Seeing it spark is amazing! I’m amazed at how fast all the engine parts work together in such fast motions with very little trouble.

Your R/H silencer is still blocked, as it was leaking from the downpipe to silencer clamp, i would take out the exhaust baffles and clean those as well. It will be a nice bike when it's all sorted .

I really enjoyed your video bring back many memories buying my first bike in 1977 you could buy a Suzuki T500 for about $1200.00 new. I never owned one but had friends that did it was great bike and at the time it was great buy. 1977 was the year that the GS750 came on the market as well as the GS550 a GS750 was going for $22,500.00. I orbited for a 1975 Yamha RD350 with wrecked front end. Back in them days we had motorcycle junkyards there are not a lot of them out there now. I found parts from and older RD250 to repair the bike wow that was a lot of fun. That RD350 was a little powerhouse. I all so had a 1976 Kawasaki KH 400 the 2-stroke triple that was a wrecked rebuilt it then used it and sold. I really love the old 2-stroke like I said it bring back a more carefree time.

I picked up a Kawasaki G4TR Trailboss up in your neck of the woods that was also a basket case. The PO had been told when he bought it that everything was there. Boy was he wrong. I've kept at it and finally got it pretty much complete now but ended up with a lot more invested than what it's worth. You did a great job on this one. That Suzuki is a great bike and if like you said, it has a title I sure wouldn't part it out.

Get the oil pump working next and before you do any more testing of the motor. Do not ride it without the oil pump confirmed to be pumping through all of the oil lines, even if you are running mix to the carbs.

What a brilliant deal you got there. Its worth all the hard work when you hear it running. Good job buddy. See you on the next one.

Thanks a lot for saving the heroes of my early years as a biker. The GT‘s outpaced the 4 Stroke Models with the same cc’s in that days and Racebikes had to have 2 Stroke engines to be fast. I recorded the sequence when you brought all 2 cylinders to life because of this amazing sound which is forgotten in these days. I will follow the progress in restoring the Bike and keep my Fingers crossed that you will have Success 5o make it shine and bring it back to its former Glory!! 👍😎🇩🇪🙋🏻‍♂️

I started smiling right away as the cylinders are showing good on rings, and spark. I used to buy bikes like this one in the 80s, and get them running. I also owned a Honda KR-75. I bought that one from a friend who raced in competition. So it had some mods. It was so fun to ride when I was 12 years old.

The GT500 is equipped with a PEI (Pointless Electronic Ignition) which incorporates a Dual Lead Ignition Coil and a Heavy PEI Rotor on the Crank Shaft End. Whatever you do with the Bike, DON"T Drag Race it or do Full Power Drag Racing (Hole Shots) on the street. The inertia of the Heavy PEI Rotor will cause Fatigue Cracking and the Crank Shaft end will BREAK OFF! Also, an 8mm Heli - Coil Kit can repair the stripped Exhaust Bolt and the stripped 8mm Head Bolt on you 1971 T500. Finally, a Power Washer will do a good job of cleaning foreign material, like mouse nests etc., from the interior of Exhaust Pipes. I was Parts Manager in a Suzuki Shop back in 1973 -1974 and have been Riding/Racing Suzuki Two Strokes for over 50 years. Regards, Mike Piekarski

Nice job getting the GT500 up and running as well great job well done.

It's amazing the kind of deals you guys get in the Mid West. Out here on the East coast you can find deals but you gotta search high and low and in between

I vote Joe for “hardest working RU-vidr”!👍👍👍

Had 0 knowledge of motors and bikes/atvs prior to this channel . Rebuilt 3 atvs and 1 bike from everything I’ve learned from this channel .

I once rode one of the T-500 Titan (first year model), to get it to my father's garage for sprucing up and resale. At the time, I was riding an X-6 Hustler and hunting for it's 305cc bigger brother and had not known of the new (at the time), T-500. What surprised me was the mild manners and relatively good gas mileage it displayed. It was never meant to be a competitive model or a challenge to the Kawasaki H series bikes, but it can be induced to "get up and go" with alacrity (and a bit of expenditure). As a long time mech and bike enthusiast, I winced a few times, as with the insertion of the dry slides, and the uncleaned petcock and tank joining but I also realized that there could also be cuts in the filming where you felt it unnecessary to mention such care having been taken, of course. I offer no criticism at all, and am pleased that you managed such a great package deal as you got with so many usable parts for such an unexpectedly low price. You certainly got the best part of that opportunity. I wish you a bright future, as your presentations are marked by eager expectation and more than a casual knowledge which bodes well for your continued success.

Those are pretty durable Suzukis the 500 ring ding dingers . I had a 72 water buffalo 750 . I beat the 💩out of that bike. No problems . Never broke ....My friend has restored one like yours and you'd swear it was factory new .

A pile of parts and you make a working bike. Amazing.

Spot on job just great work and again what a deal two superb classics, well done . You could sell one and fully restore one either way nice job.

When she fired up I was like oh crap he's got a runaway I was like bail man she's gonna blow I was laughing my ass off and all that smoke! 🤣 Good job though man she sounds healthy!

Super super cool, imo the red bike is nicer then the other one that the previous owner “rebuilt” the engine in. I’d def sit down, grab a beer & go through the red bike with a fine tooth comb, thats a nice bike 👍

The little brother of the GT750. 1 tip, they hate pod filters, stick with the box, if possible. The shift lever can be placed on either side, left or right. Don't expect this to be a crazy as an RD, and no way do they sellf or what you're saying, lol. at most $4k in very good condition.

Nice! I have 1975 yamaha RD350, the bike the Banshee motor came from. It needs the carb rebuilt and she'll be good to go. I love 70's bikes.

my first 'real' bike was a blue GT500 I thought it was great as an 18 year old - loved going for drives on all the windy roads in my area.

That one has front disc brakes and GT500 badges. Very nice!!

I would clean out the muffler and decarbon the two heads and the tops of the pistons, which is what did with my t500.

Seems like the headlight was the collection point for all the wiring on older bikes .I worked on an 82 650 Yamaha and.there was like 15 wires that had bare spots I had to fix.

Always a good idea to make sure both slides move freely and close completely......

Wish I had that bike,had exactly same one in my younger days lol

There's that gear selector shaft on the left, about 2 to 3 inches below the kick start shaft. I'm blowed if I can understand that guy putting it on the right side, ALONG with the brake, that seems really dumb unless the shaft is broken off or, maybe he had a left leg injury so needed it on the right, on the gorgeous first one you got running that is. Oh wow! That turned over beautifully! I do gain immediate respect and feel a bit more confident about an engine like that when they've actually gone to the trouble of blocking things like those manifolds. If you're in Australia (you don't sound Australian) I'd almost for sure give you $6,000 for that first one, I'm in love already. I've even still got the workshop manual for them, just at my country home about 1,200 kilometers away. If I remember correctly, they quote it as having 47 or 48 horsepower. That doesn't sound a lot by modern standards but my experience tells me they underrated them, they can go too hard once setup right for just that, it feels more like about 80 hp from memory of way back when I had mine. Just realised, that tyre tread pattern looks familiar, I think they're either the original tyres or he replaced them with the same when they needed replacing. That bike has very low miles if they are original, that'd explain the great compression it has, not that engine wear was their biggest problem. In my experience with 2 different engines that fifth gear is a much bigger problem. Mine did have quite a few miles on it but, the bores were perfect.

Nice work. I had the 1973 350 (T350J?) version, when I was a kid.

Make sure you buy a carb syncing tool

Love this video. I love Suzukis. I have an old 2000 TL1000s red. Love my beasty. These T500s look pretty cool too. As a kid the RM125 was the most fun ever.

i have one of these in my barn,my cousin gave it to me and it needs piston and rings,i may get around to rebuilding it some day.these bikes are pretty rare.

The oil pump cable should have a roller bearing like section to fit in the round hole of the pump actuator. . .If you forget it, less oil to the motor and gripped pistons. .

Very good channel you are very intuitive mechanic how ever I think you should clean your parts before you start 😂

They were a lot of bike 48bhp all day. Same as the over hyped bonnville.smooth,fast and reliable

Awesome!..my first bike was a 250 GT ram air. Such great memories from the 70s , my mate had your one the 500 GT. God I wish I had half of your talent.

GT500s were gits for cracking those coil packs. They'll run in the dry, but the sun goes behind a cloud and they short out the HT, misfire and then stop. On rainy day they'll give you a shock if you put your hand anywhere near the sparkling b'stards just for good luck. Happy days!

You need to invest in a sonic cleaner for the carbs!!!! I'd still LOVE to have another of those Titans!

hey mate on these you don´t need to hook up the battery or any of the lights to get spark, the ignition is magnete generator and completely separate circuit from the rest, in fact the coil doesnt even require to have ground connection to the frame. Ignition is called a stand alone system like a racer would have. Nice bikes they make a heck of a cafe racer with tuned engines with exp. chambers and what not. The T500 racer was exactly this, tuned GTs which the factory team used to race back then.

Didn't see you bleed the two stroke lines!!!! The petcock isn't a pump,it is a vacuum tap activated when the engine is running;it has a PRI setting which allows you to "prime" the carbs. Although similar to the T500 the GT500 has many unique parts which aren't interchangeable,crank,crankcases and ignition system are the main ones. Nice video

He is right this one sounds much better and has disc brake up front. IU'm sure he won't have any issues selling that.

Nice recovery on plugged exhaust. Exhaust manifold gaskets needed. Hopefully you’ll check oil injection pump pressure! Also verify your charging circuit is working.

Suzuki carbs have a 5 digit ID number on them, often very small and situated near the cold start plunger, these can be checked against the Suzuki manual.

I've done the same thing with two '76GT500. A couple things I didn't see you address were the oil lines to cylinders bleeding and attachment and what about the crank case oil? I didn't see you check or change it. Otherwise it's great to see another person doing almost the identical thing on an almost identical bike. Thank you.

i found a suzki gt x7 in a shed back in 1999,was in box bits but had all the parts a tuned skimmed head and bored out had alot of race parts on it ,handmade pipesfor it and the orginal ones same with mud guards had fibre glass ones fitted and the chrome ones boxed up ,1978/79 model,paid £250 for it

I really admire the way you work. You're a gifted mechanic. Great video. Liked and subcribed.

Hey bud I'm with you I wouldn't use old gas through the whole thing. I would go through all the steps that you did. CHAMPION. That's how I brought back 80's Honda 250 CR stuff. CR500's, CR480's. And I switch tires and run them through the drag strip as well. What a blast. Good job on your videos. If you make more good videos like this I will subscribe. Happy Trails brother. 😉

It's almost better than the blue one, once you route the throttle cables correctly. At least it has the gear lever on the right side.

I got one new in 76 miss my old GT500 love the video sounds great keep up the great work .

The Suzuki Titan. Pretty quick bike when first came onto the market in 68. :)

That bike sounds AMAZING. Good job.

You need to disconnect the speaker for that power pack lol stick a screwdriver through it ps good vids