95 replies to this topic

[ged]

am looking for any photos of colman tr500s how many were made who owned them who rode them ? any general information would be helpfull thanks ged

[robinmck]

I owned one back in the early eighties. I am not sure who had it when it was newer, possibly Dale Wylie I thought at the time. I bought my one not going, ,it had a faulty CDI unit, so I retro fitted a T500 ignition set up running total loss from a battery that I mounted in the tail section of the seat, which I changed to a TZ seat to allow room for the battery. Mike Sinclar posts on here, he will be able to give you more info on them, as he was very involved with the development of them. Do you have one?. I wonder if it is my old one?? Would love to know where it is now. I traded it in at Southside motorcycles in ChristChurch on a Kawasaki H2B in about 1982.
Here is a photo of my one

Edited by robinmck, 18 November 2011 - 01:32.

[GD66]

Everybody and their aunty rode them, Ged : some were bastardised T500 chassis with a TR motor, as ridden by Joe Lett and a couple of times by Geoff Perry. Ron Grant brought the first one to NZ, and established the Colemans connection in 1970. When he first came, Geoff Perry, along with Trevor Discombe and Lloyd May, were riding Yamaha TR2s. Geoff was on a Suzuki the next year, and with Colemans (and Air NZ) backing and through the Ron Grant connection, soon made his way into favour with the factory courtesy of a couple of shining rides at Daytona, leading to full works support on the TR750s. So, TR500 twins were also ridden by Mike Sinclair, Dale Wylie, Stu Avant, John Woodley, John Boote, Dave Ellis, Keith Turner (including a second in the 500 GP title in 1971), the Worsley brothers, Steve Dundon and probably a few others that don't spring readily to mind like Keith Tinney and Rob's model above. Some were Christchurch-based and flew the flag for the Tommy McCleary stable but the essence of the original thrust of the TR500s was originally from Colemans with dastardly port work by Wellington's Dick Lawton, and a variety of chassis and tank/seat units by the amazing Steve Roberts. No doubt Rob, Stu, Mike and others will be able to correct and embellish this info. For a fairly ordinary road bike they made a surprisingly good racer.
Plenty of Suzuki race info on the net, not least from the site http://www.ozebook.c...ndium/t5006.htm
Happy hunting !

Edited by GD66, 28 September 2013 - 09:16.

[stuavant]

Everybody and their aunty rode them, Ged : some were bastardised T500 chassis with a TR motor, as ridden by Joe Lett and a couple of times by Geoff Perry. Ron Grant brought the first one to NZ, and established the Colemans connection in 1970. When he first came, Geoff Perry, along with Trevor Discombe and Lloyd May, were riding Yamaha TR2s. Geoff was on a Suzuki the next year, and with Colemans (and Air NZ) backing and through the Ron Grant connection, soon made his way into favour with the factory courtesy of a couple of shining rides at Daytona, leading to full works support on the TR750s. So, TR500 twins were also ridden by Mike Sinclair, Dale Wylie, Stu Avant, John Woodley, John Boote, Dave Ellis, Keith Turner (including a second in the 500 GP title in 1971), the Worsley brothers, Steve Dundon and probably a few bothers that don't spring readily to mind like Keith Tinney and Rob's model above. Some were Christchurch-based and flew the flag for the Tommy McCleary stable but the essence of the original thrust of the TR500s was originally from Colemans with dastardly port work by Wellington's Dick Lawton, and a variety of chassis and tank/seat units by the amazing Steve Roberts. No doubt Rob, Stu, Mike and others will be able to correct and embellish this info. For a fairly ordinary road bike they made a surprisingly good racer.
Plenty of Suzuki race info on the net, not least from the site http://www.ozebook.c...ndium/t5006.htm
Happy hunting !

Since when have I been your Aunty GD?

[ged]

gd thanks for info is robs bike ex bob harris and did dave ellis ride for him. I have part photo of him at ruapuna, bike has boomerang front brake anchor most useed dog bone style would kz 71 know about these bikes

[GD66]

Of course, he is in my list ahead of Dale Wylie. KZ71 made his name on a 250 but I reckon getting the TR500 to go was the making of him.

[ged]

on post 612 on malbrough series #40 is that kz71 and could that be robs bike? gwyn

[GD66]

That is indeed him : as to whether it could be Rob's bike, well the front brake and anchor arm are certainly very alike, yet the fairing and pipes aren't. But in those days there was a lot of swapping between like machines going on, as became evident in the aftermath of the unfortunate Rayborn crash, when everyone was keen to label the bike in question as "ex-Geoff Perry" when this was far from the truth. Also I don't recall Mike using a Vesco-style seat on his bike, preferring the small Suzuki hump. But it could well be...hopefully he'll click on and enlighten you.

[ged]

hi guys is there nobody out with any info on these very important bikes in nz m/c history. i believe the Soyonara Special is in austraila as is ex joe letts bike and has been restored. also did any of these bikes race at bathhurst or any of australian meetings if so who rode them. would like info on harris furniture bike and McCleary bikes. photos would be cool
regards ged

[GD66]

Dale Wylie rode for Bob Harris. The McCleary Suzuki Centre bikes were ridden by Mike KZ71, Stu, Dave Ellis and a couple of other blokes from time to time. Joe Lett had some success on a street-framed T500 with purple tank and a TR500 engine, he also rode a Roberts-framed TR500 with an enormous, hideous fairing that would have been aerodynamically efficient but looked bloody woeful, hopefully that isn't the Australian-domiciled bike that's been restored...

[timbo]

There were a pair of Coleman TR500's advertised for sale in a recent issue of Australian Motorcycle Trader.
Unfortunately my copy of the magazine has gone to recycling, so I can't scan the advertisement.

[ged]

anybody have photos paul Mclachlan [chch] tr500 am after good pic of faring and sinage

[GD66]

Often imitated, but never beaten. The Geoff Perry TR500 in the Pukekohe loop, 1970.

Pic by TC Kingston.

[GD66]

Found a pic of that huge, hideous fairing I mentioned above, with its' first owner Dale Wylie, pictured at Levin.

Stu will know, but I think Dale is chatting with his sponsor, Bob Harris.

[kz71]

Found a pic of that huge, hideous fairing I mentioned above, with its' first owner Dale Wylie, pictured at Levin.

Stu will know, but I think Dale is chatting with his sponsor, Bob Harris.

Yep, that's Bob Harris with Dale and I reckon that's Brent working on the bike.
I don't recall that bike.
That looks like a TZ Yam front brake, don't remember that, we used to avoid them like the plague.
I remember the fairing and testing it at South Eyre road.

Edited by kz71, 12 October 2012 - 07:37.

[GD66]

Found a few old pics from the 1971 Bay of Plenty Grand Prix at Bay Park.

Dale Wylie.




Geoff Perry to the right, his friend Robert Bickerton to the left. Bob Haldane's wife Val back to camera : she and Geoff's wife Jan, obscured to Geoff's right, are sisters.





Keith Turner's TR500, with his TR250 to the right.





Turner also appeared on the Colemans 350/3, also variously ridden by Warren Willing, Wylie and the Worsley brothers. Note the Dunstall front end.

Edited by GD66, 13 November 2012 - 10:23.

[greg1953]

Yep, that's Bob Harris with Dale and I reckon that's Brent working on the bike.
I don't recall that bike.
That looks like a TZ Yam front brake, don't remember that, we used to avoid them like the plague.
I remember the fairing and testing it at South Eyre road.

That front brake looks more like a Fontana which was very similar to the Yamaha unit but better made.
Greg

[picblanc]

A lifetime a go!

Great photos Glenn, thanks.

[GD66]

That front brake looks more like a Fontana which was very similar to the Yamaha unit but better made.
Greg

Agree with that, anchor arm and levers look like Fontana 10".

9" have different scoops and backing plates but that looks like a 10" to me.

[twotempi]

My understanding is that the Coleman TR's used Ceriani forks and front brakes. Here are some images of a Susuki TR250 which may be a Coleman bike or a Joe Lett bike. The frame modifications include the straight tubes from the swing arm pivot up to the steering head - wheras the Crooks Suzukis had two curved tubes up to the horizontal frame tubes under the tank.

Geoff Perrys TR250 with Steve Roberts frame is currently being restored after being found in a farm barn. The frame has been identified by Steve Roberts who repaired it after the crash at Talledega.

There are another 3 TR250's that i know of that are being rebuilt - hopefully the Classic Club will see fit to include them as an important part of NZ motorcycling history.











h
ave more images if anyone is interested

Edited by twotempi, 13 November 2012 - 21:05.

[GD66]

Yes please TT, bring 'em on !





Geoff's TR250 at Bay Park, 1971. Colour scheme that year was yellow tank and stripe and a red fairing. The lovely little Steve Roberts-crafted yellow tank reappeared on Geoff's TR500 the day he finished second to Ago at Oran Park.
There's also a colour pic of the TR250 on the Cemetery Circuit 60th anniversary facebook page.

In the background, Dale Wylie doing a u-turn, and working between Rob and Eric Hinton's Yamahas is their mechanic, an up-and-coming, young and nervous Mick Smith !



A couple of pics from that day at Oran Park...




All Oran Park pics by Murray Hill. Thanks, Murray

Edited by GD66, 14 November 2012 - 00:09.

[kz71]

Another pic of Geoff and his TR250. This was at Timaru '71 ACU points meeting.
He had to get at least 2nd for the championship but binned it in practice.
Too much damage to repair so I loaned him my T20 race bike.
I was riding like a Wa..er at the time and couldn't get going after a good injury crash so figured I might as well let him use it as I was wasting the bike.
He finished 2nd to Mel Wrigley and so won the championship.
Even more important it inspired me and something switched on and I was ok again.
Engine let go in a big way on me in the next race so I guess he had been revving the brains out of it.

Edited by kz71, 18 November 2012 - 09:14.

[kz71]

Geoff Perry's TR500 Ruapuna Feb 1972

[kz71]

[quote name='GD66' date='Nov 13 2012, 15:35' post='6020405']
Found a few old pics from the 1971 Bay of Plenty Grand Prix at Bay Park.

Dale Wylie.

That pic rings the memory bells.
I reckon that may be Jim Cashman with Dale.
Jim was killed last month in Italy on his road bike.
I reckon that's me on the left.
Working on my T500, the CB750 front disc is the giveaway.
Was this the meeting where it rained most of race day?

[kz71]

[quote name='kz71' date='Nov 18 2012, 21:23' post='6028418']


Geoff Perry's TR500 Ruapuna Feb 1972

[/img]

And another, Geoff in the red jacket in the background.

[GD66]

[Quote kz71 : Was this the meeting where it rained most of race day?]



Yes mate, overcast in practice and showery during the day. I recall brother Clive getting a **** start on his big, road-framed Trident in the wet, getting to Rothmans in 15th spot and riding round the outside of the dry-line queue on the wet and coming into the back straight in 5th.There was a ripper dice in the (dry) 250 between Geoff, Peter Leahy, Rob Hinton who was then a C-grader, Ginger on a TD3 and Martyn Baylis.
I reckon that's you too, Mike. Jeez you used to get some mileage out of those yellow t-shirts !
Those garish yellow Shell leathers used to look great on the bike but somewhat lurid off it. I recall Keith Turner being issued a set, trowelling it in a big way at Teretonga and pronouncing them run-in...

Edited by GD66, 18 November 2012 - 09:12.

[kz71]

[/img]


One more of Geoff's 500, with a road T500 behind and Keith Turners TR500 on the right.
500 Suzuki's everywhere, as it was in those days.
Old Tom McCleary with the clipboard.

[kz71]

[/img]


One more of Geoff's 500, with a road T500 behind and Keith Turners TR500 on the right.
500 Suzuki's everywhere, as it was in those days.
Old Tom McCleary with the clipboard.

That's a good shot of the geometry on these TR500's.
This was the big framed version (copied off the Jap type 05 )
They used to wheelie badly and when you look at that engine position you can see why. Its a long way back.
And look at that rake angle! A'la Ducati......
The small frame had the engine sitting on the front wheel, Geoff didn't like it at all.

[GD66]

One more of Geoff's 500, with a road T500 behind and Keith Turners TR500 on the right.
500 Suzuki's everywhere, as it was in those days.
Old Tom McCleary with the clipboard.

Indeed, and I think #80 is the Mach 111` that John Boote made his name on that season.
Good point about those chassis with the chopper fork angle... but Geoff wasn't a hug-the-front-wheel kind of rider anyway. Most pics of him show a relaxed, straight-arm style. Plus the bikes were quite big and long, and he was kinda shortish...

[eglia12]

Found a pic of that huge, hideous fairing I mentioned above, with its' first owner Dale Wylie, pictured at Levin.

Stu will know, but I think Dale is chatting with his sponsor, Bob Harris.

Does anybody out there know what colour this large fairinged Suzuki is painted?

[eglia12]

I have a few good Coleman / Roberts Suzuki shots but being the techno dodo I am, I can't figure how to upload to the site !!

[picblanc]

I have a few good Coleman / Roberts Suzuki shots but being the techno dodo I am, I can't figure how to upload to the site !!

You have to put your photos onto a host site i:e photobucket, which I use, its free (I pay because of the amount of photos (100's) posted on the internet) but if your only planning on posting dozens or so then its free, once on host site get back to me/us. Look forward to seeing what you have.

[GD66]

Does anybody out there know what colour this large fairinged Suzuki is painted?

An orange top, white, and a dark blue lower. Tank was orange and white.



PS : a pic of Keith Turner at Ago's Leap in the 1971 Senior TT : he finished 7th at 94.08.

Edited by GD66, 09 February 2013 - 09:34.

[GD66]

Another of Turner on the 500, from Sachsenring 1972.



This pic from Gracefield of the semi-monocoque appeared in the Marlboro Series thread, but pre-dates that series and is from 1972 I think.

Edited by GD66, 10 February 2013 - 00:17.

[eglia12]

You have to put your photos onto a host site i:e photobucket, which I use, its free (I pay because of the amount of photos (100's) posted on the internet) but if your only planning on posting dozens or so then its free, once on host site get back to me/us. Look forward to seeing what you have.

I have the photobucket sorted, just need some guidence loading onto this site ow.
Cheers

[GD66]

Click fast reply,or just reply if you wish to highlight a quote from a post.

Left-click onto the little logo in the fifth box above the reply panel, this will bring up the "insert image" title

Click on the image logo, this will bring up a script prompt at the top left of the page. Type your image details from photobucket into the box and press OK.
The image details will appear in your reply, and when you press the Add Reply box below, the post will appear in the thread. Sounds clumsy, but works quite well.
I am an utter computer gumby, and for a while the ever-patient Graham (Picblanc) would post images for me that I emailed him, but after a bit of swearing I got it sorted, I reckon you will too.

Really looking forward to seeing your pics of the Coleman bikes.

Edited by GD66, 12 February 2013 - 13:42.

[eglia12]

Geoff Perry on K Turners 500

Not going well, keeps telling me "dynamic pages in IMG not allowed"

[picblanc]

Not going well, keeps telling me "dynamic pages in IMG not allowed"

in the photobucket box to right of your photo on photobucket left clic 2nd box down (direct link) it should highlight in yellow copied go to forum page 4th little box from right above were you write your comment left clic on that, at top of pc monitor a box appears (script prompt) & http is highlighted in blue, right clic on that blue bit, the code for your photo will appear in that? clic on OK it should then appear on the forum box where you can post it, do not leave forum page else you will have to start again.

[eglia12]

[eglia12]

That took some doing!! Thanks for the help. Keith Turner in Malasia GP riding the Alluminium monocoque frame 500.

[eglia12]

This time. Geoff Perry on Turners 500

[GD66]

Well done, mate. I see Geoff's in the lurid Shell leathers of 1971 : Keith Turner ran his in by cartwheeling up the road in them at Teretonga...

[picblanc]

That took some doing!! Thanks for the help. Keith Turner in Malasia GP riding the Alluminium monocoque frame 500.

Well done you will soon get the hang of it.

[eglia12]

May not be a 500 but another good thing from the workshops of Steve Roberts and Dick Lawton!

[eglia12]

Same 350 tripple in different livery Harry Hunt style with Colemans Joe lett on board.

[GD66]

That bike was a little beauty, and believe it or not, it's still alive. Lives with Peter Shires in Darwin, and he had Gordon Macdonald pedalling it very effectively around five years ago.
56 is Gary Boote.

[eglia12]

One more of the tripple, yes, I believe it is a little missile, particularly with Macdonald on it! I don't know who this rider is tho!

[GD66]

I don't know who this rider is tho!

Carrying #37, must have been during Geoff Sell's tenure. Just trying to add up how many people have had a gallop on the little weapon.... Warren Willing, Keith Turner, Dale Wylie, Geoff Perry, Pat Hennen, Ron Grant and Joe Lett as pictured above, the Worsley brothers...maybe even Stu ?

Edited by GD66, 15 February 2013 - 09:52.

[eglia12]

Two shots of the Perry camp, I don't know where, showing his 250, 750 and the small frame 500 built for Geoff in the background. It would have had the large fairing at the time (pity it is not on in the photos). The same the 500 sold on to Coleman and Joe lett in '73.
Can anyone out there recognise the place and time?

[eglia12]

Better shot showing the 750, Steve Roberts had just finished repairing the tank.