technical GS history question (No further replies needed)

[DaveDanger]

Not exactly a question on float heights, but I think a technical question any way. I saw the following statement at the GS History link...

GS History - Evolution Perfected
It was back in the '70's when Honda and Kawasaki basically divided the market for big road-going four-stroke fours. Yamaha was having considerable trouble keeping up, and Suzuki was nonexistent in this market, since they were only offering some fast, but questionable strokers. Oh yes, and a rotary engine bike that gobbled up spark plugs for breakfast

Can anyone tell me if that rotary engine referenced there was a Suzuki product, or maybe a Wankel in a Suzuki frame (Hybrid) or any other info about it? The way the paragraph is phrased, it sounds like it's a Suzuki product. Any info appreciated. (year, make, model, CC's, etc).

[Addy Leung]

Is this one you are talking about?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4578954507&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

[LW_Icarus]

Its the suzuki RE-5 rotary. all the manufacturers had rotary plans, most never saw the light of day
more info here http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/classics/bike.asp?id=39

[DaveDanger]

That appears to be exactly the item referenced. My interest was only to pass along the information to a query about the Suzuki Rotary on another Suzuki forum I peek into now and then. I'll paste these links and look like a hero over there You guys certainly make me look good

[Desolation Angel]

They were cool and it's too bad they weren't successful and we're still stuck with ancient piston engines. Check 'em out...

[Ghostgs1]

Beautiful examples, are these yours?

[Desolation Angel]

Beautiful examples, are these yours?

Oh, man, I wish! I had an opportunity to bid on both at one time, but wasn't willing to pay the price to play! That black one was NOS at some Arkansas cycle shop. A brand new 30 year old bike. I can't believe I let it get away! :roll: :roll:

[Ghostgs1]

No kidding. Must have been worth a small fortune. I noticed a Ducati 750SS on ebay that you can have for $24,000. Thats just a smigin more than I can pay.

[vstan905]

I just saw one at an antique bike show in pretty good shape.

[snowbeard]

so what made them such pigs? did they burn out plugs or break them?

[NICK!]

Actually the RE5's are fine motorcycles, the problem was (the story I'm about to tell you is from my Suzuki teacher Fred Ogden who taught me in the early 80's for a few winters in southern NJ when Suzuki had a facility there) in the early to mid 70's Mazda had ruined the rotary engine in the publics eye. Apparently Mazda's original design burned a small amount of crankcase oil to lubricate the wipers, of course no one reads their owners manual so the Mazda was immediately stamped as an "oil burner". Another problem was you had to use a certain type of oil in the Mazda and of course no one reads the manual and a lot of folks used the wrong oil and that ate up the wipers, another strike. According to Fred at the time the rotary market was ruined by Mazda so the Suzuki didn't have a prayer. Story goes that Suzuki took a big hit in the pocketbook by making the RE5 but had developed a chamber plating process so good that Mazda paid them much more than they lost to buy the plating process. Poetic justice, no? My last official job at a Suzuki dealer in 1997 was a resurrection on an RE5 (luckily Fred use to leave us in the classroom alone sometimes and I got into his stash closet and swiped a full copy of the class notes on RE5's, that and I had run into an original RE5 manual along the way and kept it). I had to etch and line the tank and clean the carb change fluids etc and the bike ran great. Sort of feels almost like an electric motor, power band is dead linear. One of my favorite Fred stories was that he had a friend who bought an RE5 and use to ride it quite a bit. One day he found himself engulfed by Harley riders who wanted to know about the wierd Jap bike. Fred's friend got them to believe it was a nuclear powered motorcycle and it was pretty good except for the fact that he had to go to the nuclear regulatory commission every year for his license and if he wiped out it would take out a small town. The Harley guys left.