1967 Marusho Magnum Electra 500 - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

Description

1967 Marusho Magnum Electra 500 - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, vintage magazine article.
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
There are many famous quotations dealing with prog-
ress and improving the breed. Almost every single
one has. at one time or another, been applied to motor-
cycles. One small Japanese manufacturer could, however,
use all of them to describe his latest product and would
not be exaggerating a point. The machine, of course, is
the Marusho. Built by the Lilac factory in Japan, it has
undergone constant design changes since 1963 to make it
more reliable and more acceptable to the American rider.
In the past, many people have been guilty of passing
the Marusho off as simply a copy of a highly successful
touring machine and letting it go at that, but a serious look
at the new Magnum 500 “Electra” will reveal a pleasant
road burner that is very individualistic in many ways. A
leg-saving, electric starter is responsible for the word
“Electra” in the title. To accommodate the extra current
requirements, a 12-volt electrical system replaces the pre-
viously used six-volt arrangement. The battery capacity
now has a 10 amp/hr. rating, and at no time during our
test period was the Marusho ever reluctant to start.
The electric starter was conceived and developed right
here in the U. S.. when a small car starter was installed on
a standard magnum. First it was necessary to machine
the original flywheel and install a starter ring on the pe-
riphery. and after welding a mounting flange, the starter
could be mounted from the rear in car fashion. The sys-
tem worked very well after the usual preliminary adjust-
ments. and the American distributors sent the whole lot
off to Japan so that engine castings could be changed ac-
cordingly. Not only did the gearbox casting have to be
changed but also the main crankcase, which now has a
hump at the rear to allow space for the starter drive
mechanism.
Meanwhile, back at the factory, an oil filler was de-
veloped to sit on top of the main crankcase housing, and
when the new castings were designed, a pedestal was cast
into the top of the crankcase to accept the finned oil filter
housing. The oil pump capacity has been increased to cope
with the filter and the sump volume increased for a total
capacity of 2.5 quarts to allow extra oil for the filter. To
help cool the additional oil. the sump now has much
deeper fins, which will also be a benefit to riders in the
desert areas of the U. S.
Large engine castings are always one of the require-
ments of a horizontally opposed transverse twin, and the
Marusho is no exception. Particularly impressive is the
massive front casting, housing timing gears and ignition...
13257-AL-68rta-08 RL- 16297