Manufacturer Suzuki Predecessor Suzuki T10 | Production 1966-1968 Successor Suzuki T250-1 | |
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Also called Suzuki X6 (US)
Suzuki Super Six (UK) Engine 247 cc (15.1 cu in) air-cooled two-stroke parallel twin | ||
The Suzuki T20 is a motorcycle with a 247 cc (15.1 cu in), two-stroke, twin-cylinder engine, and six speed gearbox. It was first manufactured in 1965 (but introduced as a 1966 model) and was produced until the end of the 1968 model year. Production peaked at more than 5000 units per month. It was superseded by an updated version which was designated the T250-1. An X6 is owned by comedian Jay Leno, and one segment of his web program called Jay Leno's Garage features his profile of the motorcycle.
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Marketing
In the UK the T20 was called the 'Super Six' (which refers to the motorcycle's very unusual six speed transmission, since most motorcycles had only four speeds or, rarely, five speeds) in that era. In the USA the bike was designated the X6 with the advertising department tacking on the "Hustler" name.
Advertising brochures produced by Suzuki listed the following features to be found on the new model:
In the US, Suzuki first opened a showroom featuring the X6 Hustler in Santa Monica, CA (in late 1964 or early 1965) and shortly after (in June 1965) opened a second showroom (the first on the US east coast), named Cycle City, located in Newport News, Virginia.
Posi-Force system
The T20 was equipped with a 247 cc two-stroke engine, which meant that oil needed to be mixed with gasoline prior to injection into the cylinder. Simple two-stroke designs simply achieved this by requiring the user to combine oil and gas together (a solution known as pre-mix) before filling the fuel tank. However, in an advanced system like the T20, which was expected to operate for longer periods at higher RPMs, this would have been unsuitable. An excess amount of oil would be burned using pre-mix under these conditions, resulting in reduced performance and dirtier emissions, which in turn would cause the exhaust system to become laden with deposits, further reducing performance.
The T20 solves this problem by incorporating a once-through oil injection system known as Posi-Force, which consists of an engine-driven oil pump coupled to the throttle, which is designed to provide the proper amount of oil needed at the current RPM and throttle opening. The pump draws clean oil from a separate oil tank, and pumps it through hoses into the crankcase, where it is injected into the engine from a nozzle located between the intake manifold and the cylinder. A separate oil injection point is also provided for the main bearing(s) and big end rod bearings of the crankshaft. This dual-point injection made the Posi-Force system far superior to the competitions' single point per cylinder systems. Suzuki would continue to use this system on many of their two-stroke motorcycle designs for many years.
Racing
The T20 immediately had real success on the race course in the 1960s, and many are still used to this day in Classic Racing meetings around the world. The T20 has had notable success in the Manx Grand Prix and some riders have managed to lap the famous Isle of Man course at over 100 mph on heavily modified T20s.
Revival
In 2013, Suzuki renewed the Hustler motorcycle trademark for Europe, leading to rumors of a retro style 250 twin in the works, or possibly a new sportbike.