“A screaming riot of two-stroke lunacy” from ETTO Bikes…
Launched in 1985, the Suzuki RG500 Gamma was carefully patterned after Suzuki’s 500cc Grand Prix bikes, which had earned 4 world titles and 50 GP victories since hitting the monitor with Barry Sheene in 1974. Most not too long ago, the RG Γ 500 GP bike had gained consecutive championships with Marco Lucchinelli in 1981 and Franco Uncini in 1982.
Many level to the square-four configuration as the key to the RG’s success, because the centralized mass of the 4 cylinders created a extra balanced motorbike.
Within the late 70s, you would really purchase a manufacturing model of the RG manufacturing unit racer for about £12,000, do some tuning, and take it racing. Reportedly, the bike differed solely little from the works model.
“In 1981 Dutchman Jack Middelburg rode his manufacturing RG to victory on the British GP at Silverstone, overcoming King Kenny Roberts’ manufacturing unit Yamaha on the final lap. That was the final time a privateer machine gained a premier-class GP. Think about that now.” –MCN
Within the early 80s, the producers started to launch street-legal variations of their GP bikes, usually often called “repli-racers.” These included the Yamaha RD500, the Honda NS400, and the mighty RG500 Gamma. The road-going Gamma was frighteningly just like the race bike, that includes a 498cc square-four engine with 4 flat-slide Mikuni carbs and 95 horsepower on faucet.
“The Suzuki is sort of a precise reproduction of the race machine, its roots may be traced on to the 1983 manufacturing unit XR45 and the crankcases, barrels and normal engine structure are just about similar to the bikes ridden by Sheene, Mamola, Crosby and the remainder of the manufacturing unit boys.” –Traditional Motorbikes
The engine had two cranks geared to a pilot shaft that went out to the moist clutch. The road model had a damper to ease the shock of a lot energy racing towards the transmission. Nevertheless, in addition to lights and a license plate mount, there have been few different concessions to be used on public roads.
The Gamma remained a monitor Thoroughbred at coronary heart, packing the equal energy of 4 125cc two-stroke engines.
“In its powerband the RG500 is a vicious motorbike that’s extra at residence on the monitor than on the highway.” -Mat Oxley, MCN
The bike weighed simply 154 kg (340 lbs) dry — one kilo lighter than at present’s $100,000 Ducati Superleggera, even with the Duc’s fashionable array of titanium, magnesium, and carbon fiber.
One of many best testaments to the Gamma’s track-bred pedigree was the time Kevin Schwantz raced a street-spec RG500 at Assen within the TT Components 1 class.
“For TT F1 World spherical held at Assen, the US rider rode a just about customary 500 Gamma actually taken out of inventory at Suzuki GB and race prepped the week earlier than.” –Traditional Motorbikes
The bike had zero engine modifications. It was actually a avenue bike, safety-wired, with the lights eliminated and a set of competitors tires. Schwantz completed second to Joey Dunlop on a manufacturing unit Honda V4!
Lately, we heard from Ian Davis of ETTO Bikes, who constructed the Yamaha TRX 850 cafe racer we not too long ago featured. Ian had a buyer who needed a one-off RG500 with simply two necessities:
“I don’t desire a fairing and it has to have riser bars.”
Ian, who’s each a standard sheetmetal fabricator and suspension technician, swapped in a set of contemporary USD forks from a 2005 GSX-R1000 up entrance and a GSX-R750 swingarm with Maxton shock out again — the latter was fairly the endeavor, requiring Ian to construct a jig utilizing an authentic RG500 swingarm. In the meantime, the subframe was rebuilt to suit the one-off fiberglass tail part, electronics, customized oil tank, and extra.
This square-four streetbike is now rolling on a set of light-weight Dymag wheels with Yamaha “gold dot” calipers, as used on the R1, matched with ISR discs.
Ian put his fabrication prowess to good use with the bespoke oil tank, oil cooler, quantity board, mudguards, modified tank, and extra. In the meantime, a trick race sprint retains the rider abreast of engine RPM, velocity, and extra.
As for the engine and pipes, they’re the work of two of probably the most well-respected names in UK two-stroke tuning, John Floyd (Floydy Racing) and Mark Dent (Efficiency Fabrications).
The square-four was blueprinted and tuned by Floydy Racing, whereas Efficiency Fabrications constructed the quad chambers. Horsepower is now estimated to be north of 100 bhp.
As you may think, the 100+hp tuned square-four two-stroke engine, upgraded suspension, light-weight wheels mix to make one monster of a avenue bike. Says Ian:
“The bike might be a screaming riot of two stroke lunacy out on the highway.”
Appears like our sort of machine! Under, we speak to Ian for extra particulars and the total construct sheet on the undertaking.
RG500 Gamma Customized: Within the Builder’s Phrases…
I constructed this bespoke Suzuki RG500 for a buyer. His solely stipulation was, “I don’t desire a fairing and it has to have riser bars.”
So that is what I constructed. The colors are impressed by Workforce Heron Suzuki and the quantity is Randy Mamola’s, from when he raced with Barry Sheene. It’s a closely modified chassis, tuned engine with beautiful excessive finish elements elements.
I did the back and front finish swaps, fabricated the customized oil cooler and quantity board, modified the tank. I couldn’t discover a mudguard that suited the vibe, so fabricated one. And an enormous record of detailing together with a hidden latch for the tank.
• Are you able to inform us what chassis mods had been executed?
The body was reduce on the again and the subframe was utterly altered to suit the one-off fiberglass seat unit, electrical elements, and a customized oil tank with aero filler cap, and authentic Suzuki oil degree sender unit.
The pinnacle inventory has a customized bracket welded on to suit, the customized speedo bracket. The body’s airbox housing was modified to relocate a customized ally battery field. A cool neat tank launch latch was made and glued to the body, in a hidden location (for aesthetics). The body was additional modified to precisely find the Valter Moto rearsets.
• Was there something executed throughout this construct that you’re significantly happy with?
My favorite half was becoming the GSXR swingarm. It was extraordinarily sophisticated. I needed to make a jig utilizing an authentic RG500 swingarm, reduce the suspension lugs off, modify the GSXR swingarm, and match all of the elements on the jig and weld it up.
• Are you able to inform us what it’s prefer to trip the completed bike?
The bike was delivered to the shopper who cherished it to bits. It has but to be ridden, because the bike then went straight to an RG500 engine specialist for closing setup and operating in. With 100bhp, upgraded forks, Maxton rear shock. The light-weight Dymags and a colossal quantity of weight discount, each to sprung and unsprung mass. The bike might be a screaming riot of two stroke lunacy, out on the highway.
Construct Sheet
- Tank modified with a double filler
- GSXR750 K5 swingarm
- GSXR1000 K5 forks
- Yamaha Gold spot radial calipers
- ISR discs
- Dymag wheels
- Floydy Racing blueprinted and tuned engine
- Efficiency Fabrication pipes
- ETTO Customized oil tank
- ETTO mudguard
- ETTO Modified body
- Trans Race Sprint 2
Comply with the Builder
Web site: www.ettomotorcycles.co.uk
Instagram: @ettomotorcycles
