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Suzuki T20 Super Six / X6 Hustler
Suzuki T20 – 1965
Suzuki T21 – 1966
Suzuki T250
– 1967
| I have tried to tell the Suzuki T 20
(whatever it was called) model history on this page as I know it. This page is still under
construction.
I would be grateful of any contributions — sales brochures, magazine ads,
magazine articles, pictures, specs, facts, corrections etc. Please scan the material
in JPEG format (large enough that all the details are visible) and send
them to me. Please tell me the source and the publication date if possible.
If you send me pictures of your own bike, please follow these
instructions. |
| 1965
Suzuki T20 was company's first motorcycle with aluminium cylinders, 6-speed gearbox and tubural duplex frame. The bike was designed to be fastest 250 cc bike in the world. |
When Suzuki started selling motorcycles in the U.S. market in 1962, it was just another small Japanese company that tried to expand and sell their products worldwide. Suzuki could offer quite nice bikes for their American customers. They were still only producing two-stroke machines and their largest bikes were 250 cc twins. The 1962 Suzuki TB250 had two cylinders, 250 cc engine with dual carburetors, electric starting, hydraulic rear brake, 12 Volt electrical system, Turn signals, baggage rack, gear-driven primary, tank fuel gauge... That, and the 1963 TC250 ”El Camino” and the 1964 T10 were all nice motorcycles but it was the 1965 T20 that impressed the American customers. It could offer more power, more speed and better handling.
We find many names for those we love
Suzuki was proud of the fact that they could offer six gears on their new 250 cc motorcycle. In those days, a 6-speed transmission was rare even in racing machines. Suzuki chose to use the name ”Six” when marketing their new bike.
The T20 was presented to the U.S. market even before it was launched in its home country, but the American customers would have to wait before they could buy one. In Japan, a slightly different version of the T20 was launched in June 1965. It was similar to the export version it that sense that it had the new (Suzuki's first) aluminium cylinder engine, (Japan's first) 6-speed transmission, a 6-port valve engine, Celmix separate lubrication system and , double cradle frame – all previous Suzuki models had used a pressed-steel backbone frame. The main difference was that the domestic version delivered ”only” 25 bhp, compared to the export version's 29 bhp. Still, the 25 horsepower was enough to make the T20 the stongerst motorcycle in its class.
There was nothing special about the engine, it was a straightforward two-cylinder air-cooled two-stroke, with its transmission housed in the crankcase. No rotary valves, the induction was
through piston-controlled ports. It was the 6-speed transmission that made the difference. It enabled the rider to keep the engine running near its power peak at all times – and the top gear that was an overdrive made cruising at high speed strain-free.
When the Suzuki T20
was actually available in the U.S. in 1966 the model had already got a new model name in Japan. The 1966 T21 was basically the same bike as the T20 but its power output had been increased to 30.5 bhp. The main difference in appearance was that the T21 had exposed front fork springs, while the T20 springs were covered with black rubber dust covers.
In 1967, the model name was changed again. Now the T20 became T250. The T250 got the new, revised lubrication system. The Celmix system, a method of automatic mixing (separate refueling) gasoline and two-stroke oil, introduced in the early sixties, was replaced with CCI (Cylinder Crank Injection). Since then, CCI has been established as the standard separate oil supply mechanism for Suzuki 2-stroke engines.
Bacause of the the T20, T21 and T250 models
looked vertially the same it's easy to believe that they all were T20 Super-Six bikes. The model names were not written anywhere on the bike and the same frame, with model code ”T20” stamped on it, was used on all of the incarnations of the 250 twin between 1965 and 1968.
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The 1965 Suzuki X6 Hustler also called the T20 Super
Six
Capacity: 247cc Power Output: 29 bhp @ 7 500rpm. Weight: 143 kg
(316 lbs) Top Speed: 145 kph (90 mph)
When Suzuki introduced the X6 in 1965 it caused an immediate stir,
especially among lovers of light-weight high-performance engines.
The small 247cc air-cooled two-stroke engine was capable of almost
90mph and the motorcycle was suprisingly sophisticated.
The goal was to get 100 hp per one liter cylinder volyme, that
is 25 hp from a 250 cc engine. Suzuki engineers acchieved this
gole, that's exactly the power figure given by Suzuki for the domestic 1965 Suzuki T20. The claimed maximum power for the export model was even better, a whopping 29 hp – fantastic achievement from a 250 cc engine. The 250 cc Super T21 (very similar to T20)
that came 1966 had even more power: 30.5 hp.
Among the features of interest on this model was unusual separation
of the oil pump instead of the typical oil/gasoline premix system.
The Hustler was extremely popular and, at the hight of production,
Suzuki produced over 5000 machines per month. Totally 35 500 T20/T21
was sold worldwide 1965-1967. Despite it's success, the X6 was
only produced for three years.
A offroad version of the T20 was introduced (1967?) with the name
TC250 (also called X6 Scrambler). See pictures of Supoer T21 and
TC250 at the end of this page.
Features
1. Six-speed gearbox
2. 20.3 cm twin-leading-shoe front brake
3. separate oil pump (not the usual premix)
4. Externally sprung telescopic forks
5. Light alloy barrels with cast-iron liner
6. Kickstarter on the left side
Suzuki T20 Data
Length 76.8 inch (1.95 m)
Width 30.1 inch (0.765 m)
Height 40.6 inch (1.03 m)
Engine Air cooled 2-stroke twin
Bore and stroke 54mm x 54mm (2.1 x 2.1 in.)
Displacement 247cc (15.1 cu in.)
Compression ratio 7.3 : 1
Carburettors Mikuni VM 24 SH (x2)
Carburettor float level 0.98 inch (25.0mm)
Carburettor idle mixture screw Screw out approx 1.75 turns
Maximum power 29 bhp @ 7500rpm
Maximum speed 90 mph
Acceleration Standing 1/4 mile in 15.1s
Braking distance 39.4 foot @ 30mph
Maximum torque 20.3 ft-lb @ 7000rpm
Maximum rev limit 8 000rpm
Gearbox 6-speed constant mesh
Overall top gear ratio 6.171 : 1
mph/revs in 6th 100 mph/ 8800rpm
Clutch Wet, 12 plate
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T20 features listed above are:
1) Racing type double leading shoe 8'' front brake
2) Aluminium alloy twin cylinder engine
3) Close ratio 6-speed transmission
4) Twin 24mm carburettors
5) POSI-FORCE lubrication
6) Air pump
7) Scientifically designed quiet efficient mufflers
8) Safe powerful 8'' front brake
9) Wide type tail lamp
10) Safe bright turn signal lamps
11) 3 position adjustable shock absorbers
12) Wide, comfortable dual seat
13) 3.7 gal (14 litre) gasoline tank
14) Racing type throttle
15) Easy-to-read tachometer and speedometer
16) Sturdy oil damped telescopic front fork
17) 12 Volt fully approved lighting system |
An updgarded version of the Super Six was the T21, with a slighty tuned-up engine. Although being ”last year's model”, the T20 Super Six was being sold in several countries. The T21 was sold in 1966–1967. I believe the luggage rack was option.
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| 1966
Suzuki Super T21 had twin carburetor and increased power output to 30.5 hp. It looked similar to the 1965 T20 except for the exposed front springs. |
Suzuki offered a scrambler version of the T20 in 1967. Some
sources claim that the TC250 had slightly (one horsepower) more
powerful engine that its sister model T20, other sources say that
the models had similar engines. The TC250 was available 1967 to
1969 in the USA, the last version being upgraded with a special
type of fuel tank and seat made of fiberglass, called the GP kit.
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Although discontinued in Japan and Suzuki already presented the second version of the T250, the T20 was still being sold in some parts of the world. Here's a nice 1968 U.S. version, sold new with the GP kit installed. Appearently some of the bikes were delivered without the fuel tank and the seat from the factory and the kit was mounted onto the bikes by the dealer.
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 T 20 (X-6 Hustler) 1968
Overall Lenght: 1 950 mm (76.8 in)
Overall Width: 765 mm (30.1 in)
Overall Height: 1 030 mm (40.6 in)
Wheelbase: 1 280 mm (50.4 in)
Ground Clearance: 165 mm (6.5 in)
Dry Weight: 135 kg (297 lbs)
Engine: Air-cooled 247 cc aluminum parallel twin 2-stroke. 29 hp (20.3 ft-lbs) @ 7 500 rpm, 2,7 kg-m @ 7 000 rpm
Click on the image for larger format.
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More: Suzuki
T-20 magazine adverts
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Suzuki models
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