Suzuki TR500 Race Bike
Year:
1969
Manufacturer:
Suzuki Motor Corporation, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
Number Produced:
Unknown
Specifications:
492 cc Air-cooled inline-2 cylinder, 2-stroke engine
64.5bhp @ 8,000 rpm.
Top speed 233 km/h (145 mph)
Description:
Although Suzuki withdrew from Grand Prix racing in 1967, importers and privateers continued to race modified Suzuki road bikes. Suzuki soon returned in a limited way with the TR500, factory coded XR05, an over-the-counter production racer based on the T500 Cobra road bike, known as the Titan in the USA.
The TR500 was air-cooled like the T500 road bike, but developed for racing with improved performance and reduced weight. Early versions produced around 63.5 horsepower, with later development increasing output to more than 70 horsepower. The 1969 version produced around 64.5 bhp at 8,000 rpm, with a top speed in the region of 145 mph.
The bike first made an impression internationally at Daytona in 1968, where Ron Grant and Mitsuo Itoh showed the potential of Suzuki’s large-capacity two-stroke twin against more established racing machines. In New Zealand, Ron Grant swept all before him in a four-race blitz in 1969, before Geoff Perry rode this bike to success at the Wanganui Cemetery Circuit in 1970 and 1971.
Geoff Perry and the Perry Collection
Geoff Perry was one of New Zealand’s most promising motorcycle racers, remembered not only for what he achieved, but for what he seemed destined to become. His connection with this Suzuki TR500 forms part of the wider Perry Collection at Southward Car Museum, which brings together racing trophies, riding gear, and family history connected to his life and career.
Among the collection are Geoff’s Suzuki racing leathers, which help tell the story of his racing career beyond results and records. Also included is his childhood bicycle, built by his father Len Perry — a reminder that Geoff’s love of speed began long before major race wins and international circuits.
Together, these pieces preserve more than racing memorabilia. They tell the story of a gifted young New Zealander, a remarkable racing family, and a career that was tragically cut short.
Raw, fast, and important in Suzuki’s racing history, the TR500 helped bridge the gap between modified production machines and the more specialised factory racers that followed.
