Topic: Terry's POS 1969 Suzuki T350 Redneck Reincarnation.

[Terry in Australia]

I'm not sure Terry is pretty enough to grace a T500 

That is a magnificent T500 mate. Sadly they're silly prices here, although I suppose that's good for me as my little T350 is probably worth just as much. I've got my new (to me) CB750A getting delivered on Tuesday, I think I can squeeze the T350 in my garage between my CB750K0 and my son's Royal Enfield 650 Continental GT, which frees up the space in the patio for my new CB750 "Taxi" (watch out for yet another thread) as I have a bit of work to do on it before it's ready for a ride.

Yep, I think the taxi will be bike number 28 or 29 (I've lost count) so I will have to eventually stop bringing home bikes, but I've convinced myself that they're better than money in the bank, even though the wife is yet to be convinced......  

[Terry in Australia]

Lockdown log, day 3. Well it's winter, so being locked down isn't the worse thing in the world, but it does piss you off a tad when it's quite a nice day. No biggie, I'd already written this weekend off because the forecast threatened rain all weekend, so my plan was to sort the wiring on the T350.

I wandered out into the patio workshop and remembered that I couldn't install the airbox until I'd fitted the oil line and oil pump adjustment plug that Rich had sent me, so I forgot about the wiring, and installed the new(to me) hose.

T350 Sunday 18 Jul 2021 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I must admit, it looks a lot better now than with my "fix". Before:

T350 Sunday 13 Jun 2021 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And After:

T350 Sunday 18 Jul 2021 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

OK, so now I could fit the airbox. Oh wait, it looks a bit worse than I'd remembered:

T350 Sunday 18 Jul 2021 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The filter was still in it, but it didn't want to come apart, it was pretty much rusted together, so I had to use my plastic hammer to tap the inner section out of the outer shell, and of course the very old OEM filter was pretty much glued in place as the foam seal had melted against the steel shell.

T350 Sunday 18 Jul 2021 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The good thing is the new old stock filter that I found on Ebay is the correct one, but I'll probably just blow any loose dust off this one once I've painted the airbox, and it'll be fine until the new one arrives. I dropped both halves into the phosphoric acid bath to remove the rust, and it'll be good to paint in a couple of days. I had some work to do on my K2 Bitsa, so I cleaned up my mess and went and did that. More soon.

[Zunspec]

I'm not sure Terry is pretty enough to grace a T500 

That is a magnificent T500 mate. Sadly they're silly prices here, although I suppose that's good for me as my little T350 is probably worth just as much.

Hi Terry,  The T350 is a smashing bike.  In common with several manufacturers the 350 version (CB360, Yam 350, Suz 350 etc.) the performance seems more than just a modest capacity increase.  The pace of your "red neck resto's" is amazing to follow, keep up the good work  .

Cheers  Geoff

The T/GT 500 makes a good race engine too 

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Geoff, that T500 race bike looks the business, I'd love to take something like that for a lap or two of Phillip Island, back in the 1990's the Army had a bit of bad PR when several young soldiers were killed in bike crashes, so they paid for everyone in the Army to attend advanced motorcycle training, which, apart from the usual nit picking #$%* from the instructors like, "Don't use your mirror for a helmet holder" and the usual "death by statistics" that all public speakers like to espouse, usually to kill time, it was a great activity, with a full day at Phillip Island caning our bikes mercilessly while the instructors yelled unintelligible instructions to us, which most of us ignored anyway. I was riding my old  1979 BMW R100RS and scaring everyone behind me as I wobbled and wallowed around each corner, showering them with sparks, but I didn't fall off, and recorded a top speed of 130 MPH down the main straight, just before I slowed down to wobble and wallow around turn one. Great days.

The T350 was a sneaky little bike, it was pretty much a bored out 250, as you said, to only 315cc, but Suzuki went to town with 32mm carbs (up from 24mm on the T250) along with much bigger ports. I bought a pair of T250 cylinders when it looked like Keith wasn't gonna be able to find some good T350 barrels, and I was surprised that the carb spacing wouldn't allow the much bigger carbs.

Back in the day, the Castrol 6 Hour was a fantastic production race, 6 hours of flogging "stock as a rock" bikes around a nice tight circuit at Amaroo Park in Sydney. In 1972, Joe Eastmure achieved legendary status when he beat Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati 750's, not to mention Yamaha RD350's etc to win the race outright on his T350, only to have the results overturned by appeal. It's a great story, and really sums up the T350, a little bike that punched well above it's weight.

https://www.motorcyclealliance.com.au/joe-eastmure-best-six-hour-racer-youve-never-heard/   

[Zunspec]

Hiya Terry,

I'd heard about that Castrol 6 hour race.  The T350 was disqualified because it didn't a have std. horn    I'm sure you'll have blast thrashing it around the local roads.

If I ever get to the Phillip Island Classic you're welcome to take the Seeley T500 out for a session 

Cheers  Geoff

[scottly]

Geoff, how did you repair the cracked tubing on the Seeley frame?

[grcamna2]

Terry,that air filter box is a very good thing to have on the T350.When I had mine I tried pods on it  and the performance was terrible !  I re-installed the airbox with a special-fit high flow foam 'box filter' and it really woke the bike up.The bike had no low-end or mid-range torque without it:with the box installed it has gobs of torque without needing to rev the sh#t out of it and makes a very nice muted growl as you go through the gears.  Definitely a smaller version of the T500 with very much low-midrange torque and didn't like to be wrung-out like the RD350 needed to be.

[Terry in Australia]

Hiya Terry,

I'd heard about that Castrol 6 hour race.  The T350 was disqualified because it didn't a have std. horn    I'm sure you'll have blast thrashing it around the local roads.

If I ever get to the Phillip Island Classic you're welcome to take the Seeley T500 out for a session 

Cheers  Geoff

Well if you do Geoff, I'll put my hand up to be your chief bike polisher, and I'll even buy the beers!

[Terry in Australia]

Terry,that air filter box is a very good thing to have on the T350.When I had mine I tried pods on it  and the performance was terrible !  I re-installed the airbox with a special-fit high flow foam 'box filter' and it really woke the bike up.The bike had no low-end or mid-range torque without it:with the box installed it has gobs of torque without needing to rev the sh#t out of it and makes a very nice muted growl as you go through the gears.  Definitely a smaller version of the T500 with very much low-midrange torque and didn't like to be wrung-out like the RD350 needed to be.

That's good to know Bill, the airbox was pretty hard to find and I did think about pods, but for some reason I was really keen to keep it original. I need to get the last touches finished now as the CB750A is supposedly going to be delivered tomorrow and I need the space in the patio. The lockdown has been extended indefinitely, so I've got plenty of wrenching time, which isn't so bad as it's raining on and off all week anyway.

[grcamna2]

Terry,that air filter box is a very good thing to have on the T350.When I had mine I tried pods on it  and the performance was terrible !  I re-installed the airbox with a special-fit high flow foam 'box filter' and it really woke the bike up.The bike had no low-end or mid-range torque without it:with the box installed it has gobs of torque without needing to rev the sh#t out of it and makes a very nice muted growl as you go through the gears.  Definitely a smaller version of the T500 with very much low-midrange torque and didn't like to be wrung-out like the RD350 needed to be.

That's good to know Bill, the airbox was pretty hard to find and I did think about pods, but for some reason I was really keen to keep it original. I need to get the last touches finished now as the CB750A is supposedly going to be delivered tomorrow and I need the space in the patio. The lockdown has been extended indefinitely, so I've got plenty of wrenching time, which isn't so bad as it's raining on and off all week anyway.

You going to completely sandblast that airbox Terry ?

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Bill, nope won’t need to, the phosphoric acid will take all the rust off it and probably the remains of the OEM paint too, but if not it won’t take much to sand it off.

[Zunspec]

Geoff, how did you repair the cracked tubing on the Seeley frame?

Hi Scottly,

The phosphor-bronze weld was cleaned up and the slight tear in the actual chassis tube was Tig welded (T45 tubing).  Then a sort of saddle piece was laid on top (underneath really  ) and also phosphor-bronze welded.  The rising tube from the lower frame rails was then re-phosphor-bronze welded to this.  It makes a stronger repair and frame alignment was unaffected.

Cheers  Geoff

[Zunspec]

If I ever get to the Phillip Island Classic you're welcome to take the Seeley T500 out for a session 

Cheers  Geoff

Well if you do Geoff, I'll put my hand up to be your chief bike polisher, and I'll even buy the beers!

LOL, that's OK by me    I reckon a few Ginger Joe's would keep the pit crew happy lol.  I know several guys who regularly did the PI Classic but changes to the Regs/support subsidies/Covid has sadly diminished UK participation.

Cheers  Geoff

[Terry in Australia]

If I ever get to the Phillip Island Classic you're welcome to take the Seeley T500 out for a session 

Cheers  Geoff

Well if you do Geoff, I'll put my hand up to be your chief bike polisher, and I'll even buy the beers!

LOL, that's OK by me    I reckon a few Ginger Joe's would keep the pit crew happy lol.  I know several guys who regularly did the PI Classic but changes to the Regs/support subsidies/Covid has sadly diminished UK participation.

Cheers  Geoff

That's a shame mate, I try to get down to the classic every year and was really disappointed that they didn't run it this year because I wanted to ride my CB750K0 down, hopefully it'll happen next year, I enjoy the classic more than MotoGP or Superbikes, the modern stuff is interesting, but the crowds that they attract are either posers (MotoGP) or crotch rocket riders (Superbikes) and the organisers pander to those demographics with super-expensive tickets, seating access, pit passes etc. The thing I love about the classic is that the racers are just like me, around the same vintage, doing everything on a shoestring budget, and riding bikes that I'd like to ride.

Yes mate, if you do get over, the Ginger Joe will be flowing, for sure.  

[Zunspec]

Yes mate, if you do get over, the Ginger Joe will be flowing, for sure.

Sounds like a plan, get me in a couple of crates lol 

All club level racing, like the CRMC, usually have an open pit/paddock.  Makes for a nice weekend taking the Michael out of the others  .  Even at this basic level it ain't cheap though.  I camp and have a trailer for the bike and a typical race event will see £600 - £750 disappear.  Gawd knows how much the guys with massive race trucks/motorhomes and an awning full of £30 - 40K Manx's "invested" in their sport.

Cheers  Geoff

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah mate, I’ve got a couple of retired army mates who race a T250 and were hoping I’d turn the T350 into a 250 and go racing with them, but I’m too old and broken to risk further injury, plus I’d rather just ride to a race meet and watch you guys going 10/10ths nowadays.

[grcamna2]

Hi Terry,have you taken your T350 for a quick sneaky ride yet?

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Bill, no, the weather has turned back to crap and I really need to get the new front tyre put on before I go anywhere. I've painted the rust free airbox and will probably install it in the next day or two, but I'm hoping the T500 gets delivered today, in which case I'll be busy hiding it before the wife gets home tonight.

The T500 fever has already started and I've melted the plastic on some nicer T500 parts from the US, which will cost a fortune for shipping, but make the build easier and certainly quicker.

[grcamna2]

G'Day Bill, no, the weather has turned back to crap and I really need to get the new front tyre put on before I go anywhere. I've painted the rust free airbox and will probably install it in the next day or two, but I'm hoping the T500 gets delivered today, in which case I'll be busy hiding it before the wife gets home tonight.

The T500 fever has already started and I've melted the plastic on some nicer T500 parts from the US, which will cost a fortune for shipping, but make the build easier and certainly quicker.

Lol  ,
I do hope you remove that 'nice looking'/but old Inoue/IRC? 3.00x18 front tire from that wheel.

[Terry in Australia]

Yes mate, just waiting for the new rear tyre for the Hondamatic to turn up, then I'm pulling both Honda wheels off, plus the Suzy front wheel and take them over to the tyre shop to get the old tyres stripped off, and the new ones installed. Stinko's for the Honda, and a Michelin for the little green beast.

[ken65]

Your wife  must be a saint Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

I do feel sorry for blokes who have to ask for their wives' permission to buy bikes Ken, I never have obviously, but I do think I've stretched the friendship to breaking point, so today I started selling stuff to pay for the T500 build. $600 so far, woohoo!

The fcuking delivery dude didn't turn up which pissed me off as she wasn't home all arvo when he told me he'd be here, but at least I don't have to help him unload his trailer in the dark like I've done so many times when these d1ckheads have assured me they'll arrive at the appointed time.

Oh well, she knows about it, but we're just about to go back into lockdown again, so hopefully she'll be pissed off with the government rather than me? We'll see......

[Terry in Australia]

But I digress. To fill my time after I knocked off work this afternoon, I decided to fit the airbox to the little green monster. This is how it looked before the phosphoric acid bath:

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And this is after:

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I installed the new filter:

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Then discovered that the one remaining OEM mounting screw was fitted with a rubber washer, so I went and made me some rubber washers:

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Then I installed it (after trying a dozen different ways, everything on this bike requires a particular method, and won't fit any other way) loosely, but I haven't learned the knack for fitting the rubber airbox manifold, so fcuked around with it for an hour or so:

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 7 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I tried using a right angle seal pick to pull the rubber over the airbox, but gave up when I dragged it thru my thumb:

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And packed up and came inside. I'll give it another try in daylight, probably on the weekend, because of course, we're back in lockdown, so no Heathcote pie for this little black duck......

Terry’s T350 Thursday 5 Aug 2021 8 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[dave500]

good show,at least we know Terry is human,he has red blood.

[ken65]

I feel ya pain Terance. The airbox to carby manifolds on the RD350lc require the finger strength of an Olympic weight lifter. The dexterity  of an Olympic gymnast and the patience of a centre link customer.