[John] October 2022 at the Stafford Show and we're here with Steve and this gorgeous Suzuki T500 which
is 'the best in show' in the concourse. Absolutely stunning machine and Steve, the owner, is going
to talk us through a few bits. So Steve, how long have you had this bike? [Steve] Bought it in 2017 as a
restoration project. I was looking for a UK bike that hadn't been restored, so it had all the correct
nuts and bolts on it and nobody had sort of taken it apart before. Which makes, for me, the ideal
bike to turn into a concourse machine. [John] Was this bike complete and was it a runner when you
first got it? Or was in a really sorry state? [Steve] It wasn't very healthy.
But it was a complete bike. Lots of little bits missing on it but as a general rule it was
okay, it was all there. Not that I used... a lot of the parts weren't reusable like the mudguard,
the exhausts, handlebars. There's lots of parts that couldn't be reused, but I knew what I had to get to
replace them to make it a factory original bike, because it hadn't been taken apart before. [John] And
that's the key isn't it, when you, at this level of concourse on these types of machines, it's all
right them looking cosmetically perfect as this one does, but it's got to be the correct parts, correct
fixtures, fittings, everything. [Steve] Every nut and bolt and screw is specific to that particular bike.
You know, like every every nut and bolt's got a little 'S' on it, Suzuki 'S'.
Things like that rubber cover there on the gear lever. If you want to put that,
that one there, if you want to put the gear lever on the other side for the old British people who
used to buy them, you can, but there's a cover that goes on it. You know, little things. [John] And
I was talking to the judges earlier about which bike they'd chosen, and one of the
head judges there was saying even the detail that you went to on where the cuts are on the
transfers on the tank were spot on. [Steve] The tank had never been restored, so I knew that Suzuki had done
that from the factory. So I could replicate it basically, which if somebody had
sprayed it and done it, you know differently, I wouldn't have been able to replicate it.
[John] And is it the process of restoring a bike like this that you get excited about, or being able to
show it here? What is it that really drives you to do it? [Steve] I love restoring and showing, you
know. So I love the process of achieving this and then letting other people see what can be done.
It's just nice that lots of people are interested in it, and that's a great thing really. It's
just such a great atmosphere. [John] What was the hardest part of getting it to this standard?
What was the bit that you were really finding the most challenging? [Steve] Probably things like the
mudguards. I couldn't find a good mudguard, so I got three from The States
in succession that looked okay, but when they came I stripped them off and they were scrap.
But they were lots of money as well you know, so you're paying lots of money to
get the perfection, and when it comes it isn't perfect. So fourth time lucky
I found one on a UK eBay. Stripped it off and it was good. So we eventually got there.
It's just the way it is really, it just takes time you know, to find those good parts. [John] And
what sort of time was put into this then? How long did it take you to get it done? [Steve] It took
three years really to sort of get the job done. But not every day obviously, just in spare
time. And a lot of time waiting for parts you know, to sort of look for them and then find them.
[John] And the T500, so it's a twin cylinder two-stroke.
And is this a bike you've owned before, one of these? [Steve] I had one when it was 17.
I built it from a box a bits when I was 17. Somebody had taken it apart. But I didn't, you know,
I hadn't got this skill level in those days so I just put it together and rode it, you know, like
you do. But I never forgot that acceleration and that sort of adrenaline rush. So yeah,
when I got a bit older that was the one I wanted to do. [John] And that's what's given you the desire
and passion to, you know, build a bike to this standard and bring it here today. And it looks
amazing. What's the next project you've got lined up then? [Steve] I've got a GT380 which is a similar
era, slightly older, so I'm going to do the same to that. That's the next little
project/ [John] Oh brilliant. Well we look forward to seeing that here at the show and no doubt
it'll be winning a prize along the way. [Steve] Hopefully yeah, if I live long enough to finish it. [John] Good
luck with that and thanks for talking to us about the bike Steve. [Steve] Cheers, thank you.