1965 Suzuki T-10 Touring 250cc - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Test Article

Description

1965 Suzuki T-10 Touring 250cc - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Test Article
Original, Vintage Magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
If we were asked to select a motorcycle that typifies the new
modern trend in two-wheel transportation, the Suzuki T10 250cc
touring model would certainly be one of our top choices. It’s
a machine that is as up-to-date as a 1965 automobile, and probably
better finished than many of its four-wheeled counterparts.
By modern we are referring to such luxuries as an alternator
indicator light located in the speedometer unit that glows when
the battery is not being sufficiently charged, a neutral indicating
light, and the smoothest electric starting system we have used.
“If automatic transmissions were desirable on motorcycles, the
Suzuki 250cc T10 would be a natural bike to have one,” one
rider was heard to remark. He was, of course, implying that
the cycle is smoothly and effortlessly operated and that shifting
gears was about the only feature that reminded him he was
riding a motorcycle!
Th$ T10 even comes equipped with a fuel “gauge” ... (a
clear plastic indicator tube mounted at the front of the tank).
It’s fool proof and a welcome convenience. Another novel and
practical Suzuki innovation is a handle located below the seat
for the purpose of raising the bike on the center stand to park.
Any rider who has ever snapped a seat strap while walking the
machine onto the stand will appreciate this handle.
These features nenthusiasts will even scoff at such “nonsense”. But it is our belief
that the newcomers to the sport, the doctors, salesmen, lawyers,
and housewives, want a two-wheeled version of the family auto-
mobile rather than a stripped down “stormer”. Much the same
situation exists in the sports car market, where the purist has been
joined by the “roll-up-window-automatic-transmission" buyer. A
look at today’s ads will support this idea. At any rate there is no
law that prevents a bike that is packed with convenience features
from being a good performer. Suzuki is an extremely competi-
tion-minded organization; and a successful one both financially
and on the race track. As one of Japan’s “big three”, Suzuki
has nearly dominated certain lightweight road racing classes for
several years. Their racing knowledge is evident on production
models such as our test model T10. The most important recent
refinement to this model has been the adoption of king-size double
leading shoe, full hub width brakes. These units are not only an
appearance asset to the machine, but are powerful enough to
stop a bike twice the size of the 250cc Suzuki.
The twin-cylinder engine is equipped with a pair of carburetors.
For cold weather starting the rider has at his disposal a dual
choke operated by a single hand lever, and a “tickler” on each
carburetor. We never needed the ticklers in our testing. The
T10 fired up every time with a single touch of the button, using
the choke. Once warm, the choke was not required and the
T10 leaped into life instantly. It seemed to “anticipate” the rider’s
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