I remember the 1989 season like it was yesterday. It was so exciting, like a war between the manufacturers. Nothing was held back, no spec anything. And of course the rivalry between Schwantz and Rainey. Schwantz was and still is my favorite GP rider and that Pepsi Suzuki is still my favorite GP bike. Those were such great times, truly the "Golden Age". We'll never see anything like it again unfortunately.
@@petrolrevolt Ah, come on. I agree those late 80's seasons and last two-stroke years were great (I wasn't there for the 70s), but MotoGp is still awesome. And if you haven't watched the last World Superbikes season, you were missing out on a ridiculously great competition!
It appears the golden age for gp bikes is the same as what I believe the golden age of formula one is. 1989, Senna with a Honda powered mclaren which would have been the car equivalent of this motorcycle to a T. Both with approximately 1350bhp/ton. I thought that sounded immense in the car, but this here bike? Oh my goodness 🥵
@@CatchDude things aren’t the way they used to be, sure, things need to change, but what I mean is that the sparkle is gone. However, I do think motogp has got to be the last great form of honestly pure and raw Motorsport we still have available today, among a few select others. Certainly not formula 1, for it is probably going to be gone forever at this point.
The RGV was a monster in the correct hands of a legend. 34 retired together with him. Future riders cannot use this number anymore, just out of respect for the man. What a show Kevin gave us on the tracs. A true hero.!
I watched my first 500GP at Laguna Seca in 1989... The bikes that year were on another level as far as violent power delivery and the engine's ability to overcome the chassis: I watched Schwantz come out of Turn 4 heading through the short straight to Turn 5... the front wheel was in the air every lap, and the rear tire was dancing all over the tarmac side-to-side even with the bike fully upright. You could tell Kevin was hanging-on and getting punished for it lap after lap. Then Saturday's Second Qualifying session came around: Holy Hell, all of those riders REALLY turned up the wick! Light of fuel, running qualifying tires (Michelin's "Specials") and the riders putting together one flying lap... an impressive sight to see!
Being a lifelong Suzuki guy, Kevin was always my favorite rider. I was stationed in Germany in 1988 and had the incredibly good luck to go to Nürburgring and see him win the GP race there. One of the highlights of my life.
Perhaps the single most famous motorcycle of the 1980’s. A machine of sheer beauty and Kevin Schwartz was a total Texan maverick. The coolest guy on 2 wheels back then! Thanks for showing us this iconic bike. Outstanding!
This has put a smile on a 54 year old bloke, he was also my favourite rider from this era. Remember this well & who doesn’t love the 2 strokes, wish I kept my RD 350 from the 80’s. Love it 😊
I had the great good fortune to be a corner worker in T5 for the ‘93 GP at Laguna Seca. I remember a practice session on Saturday when Mr. Schwantz came through T5 with the back tire lit up, but he was sitting up on the seat cowl calmly looking backwards. Unbelievable.
My friend Dennis Martin was a club racer back then in Pennsylvania, also sales manager for a large shop . When he found out that the GP was gonna be in California he said " hey !! We should ride together there and see it !!! So we jumped on our bikes ,my new 1991 Ducati 900ss and Dennis on a Honda vfr750 and off we went!!! Great ride, great race!!- great bike !!😁😁😁😀😀🏍🏍🏍🏍🏁🍺🍺
I had an ‘84 RG250Gamma that I bought in Japan while stationed there with the Army….it was like a rocket ship between 7000-11500 rpm. Magical and the memories of thrashing it around the twisties still make smile today. Thanks for this great video.
Had an '85 RG250 Japanese import myself. It was overbored to 275cc and ported . It made 67bhp at wheel on dyno with power band from 6500rpm to 10500rpm on standard pipes. With Gibson spannies it moved max rpm to 12000 and was stronger from 800rpm still with power from 6500rpm but needed a top end rebuild every 12500 miles for safety. Most fun on 2 wheels ever.
I had the 125,250 and got 3:11 the final year production 500 (1987) in 1990 and wrote it off in 1991 savage machine considering it only had 95hp as stock!
''Only'' 95bhp, but only 156kg. Same year Yam FZR1000 was 148bhp but 208kg. As power to weight ratio's this means RG500 was only 0.1bhp / kg down on FZR, yet was 25% lighter with all the accompanying advantages.@@stevehaddon151
As a guy who raced 2 stroke GP bikes (TZ-250/350 bikes in the early//mid 70's) i can tell that bike is setup extremely rich to keep the throttle action subdued and thus the rider safe.
I agree it’s so rich - to the ear - that it almost doesn’t want to run. If it was mine, given every component is custom made, I imagine I too would have it on the rich side. Almost everyone who rode 50,000 miles on strokers will have blown up a couple, probably. I’ve had one holed piston (GT750) & one seizure (GT550) but I’ve thrashed my little GT380 all over Europe in the late 70s & early 80s with not a single problem. I rebuilt it in the early noughties and it’s been flawless & feels new all these years later. No, it’s not very fast, but you can use all of it apart from max speed on rural roads. It’s the most all round fun of the bikes I’ve had, despite being far & away the slowest!
Can't have the only other guy to ride it loop a running museum piece..Are crappy gov. Wouldn't bring the street version over here US. Like the 400 inline 4 .Smokers your ride by the seat your leather. Heard Kevin say. When they were dialed nothing better. When they weren't you had ride fast anyway no fun. Total handful.
@@GT380man the 380 is pretty fast. It was first across the line at the Castrol 6 hour back in the day (disqualified because the horn wasn't in the standard place)
Kevin was insane as a rider. Regardless of whether he won or not you knew you were going to see someone riding on the edge of their capacity. I was a big kawasaki fan boy and became a Suzuki fan boy because of Kevin.
Wow that was so amazing to watch! An iconic bike from Suzuki! I owned the RGV250 Team Pepsi many years ago and it was so fast! I got my P Plate License on it too! Wish I still had it now! Great review guys thanks!
Me and my ol'man were GLUED to the TV for the whole season, what a year. These bikes were incredible, and the guys that wrestled them even more so! Just listening to that monster get on the powerband, even for a brief few seconds, gave me goosebumps, and misty eyes. I miss you, Dad.
In the US, one of the main reasons why viewership declined in US SBK series is because the bikes themselves have become easy to ride with the aide of traction control, launch control etc that a normal person can actually ride one. Unlike the bikes of that era, it really takes a very special and talented person to tame it. In other words, the exclusivity is gone.
There's something special about these oldskool superbikes from the 80's. Even the sound! Brings back good memories this bike, I can only imagine the beautiful smell too 🏍✊🏻
@@Paulco67 Yeah, I've seen several come up for sale and I really wish I could afford to buy one now. I think I paid $1,300 for it when I bought it, and I sold it for less than that back in 1996.
Terrific video and also very well done. Very honoured without a doubt , and yes for a bike that old not as smooth but hell the roughness is makes you know your riding an animal. Great vid guys vwd
@@atg1338 Compared to the Hondas the Suzzies were always lacking. Its why Kevin is still admired to this days as he rode the shit out of the Suzzies. He only won one world championship yet he was the first to have his number retired. The guys a legend
Ah, the bigger carbs gambit. We’re often told “don’t do that, the factory knows better than you do, it’ll be worse”. Cobblers. It certainly could easily make things worse but it depends on what the factory was balancing in the choice of carb diameter and jetting. On the GTs triples, all can be made a lot nicer bikes to ride & with no detectable adverse effects if you fit the carbs belonging to the next bigger machine. I’ve been running GT550 carbs on my GT380 (Mikuni VM28s instead of VM24s) for years. Utterly brilliant & it’s not only a little more powerful but it’s now got PERFECT fuelling at all engine speeds & throttle openings. No changes at all. Just fit the carb bodies under the original carb top. I can’t remember how I solved the fact that the jet needles were not matched to the needle jets. I might have just accepted what the 380 had but I might have swapped the JNs from my spare set of VM28s off ebay. Highly recommended 😊
A living memory of the Golden Times of motorcycle racing! What a privilege you had by riding that machine. I can imagine a Pecco or a Jack Miller riding a beast like that against Kevin or Mick...
That bike just has to be incredible to ride. So light with all of that power on tap. I am more of a dirt bike rider myself, but I would treasure the opportunity to ride an amazing machine like that just once.....very carefully, lol.
Wow! What a thing to own! I’d keep that in the kitchen so I could look at it and run my hands over it every time I made a cuppa. Wonderful, this just took me back to being 17 again. I adored Kevin Scwantz, the way he looked on the bike, his riding style, king of the late brakers. Best rider, best bike, great video.
It was a great season, so much happening between teams, riders, sponsors etc. Eddie Lawson on the NSR winning back to back titles with different manufacturers. Great days for sure and thanks for sharing your experience, I am not all jealous.....not one bit😁👍
What a vid, bloody awesome👍I remember watching big brands Honda vs Yamaha vs Suzuki especially Pepsi Suzuki in 500cc. I even have a drawing of Pepsi Suzuki bike when I was a kid. From Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Wayne Gardner, Michael Doohan, Daryl Beattie, legendary voice of Barry Sheene what great time to be around as kid watching these guys, thanks for memories👍
Kevin, best driver of all time! Wild pig in the ring, your fan. Kevin you and family I wish you a Merry Christmas!!! Greetings from Germany from the Sachsenring.
1988 F.I.M on channel 15 TSN Canada Seeing Kevin race Life Changing had no idea what 500cc Motorcycle Racing was ... been a fan rider since Gixxer 750 no Doubt 1988 1989 Pepsi Suzuki RGV most recognized Race Delivery Revin Kevin is a Icon and Legend .....
Awesome《☆》My 1st 73 RD350 in 1975 got me hooked on 2Strokes 4Ever👍🔊Kevin is my favorite rider as well as a true Showman. I always liked the look of Freddie's Rothmans Honda NSR500 better paint scheme. I own a 2002 GSX1300R Hayabusa now. It's my Suzi. Probably as close as I'll ever get to owning a GP bike. Well done Thanks for sharing guys:*: Greetings from Florida🖖😎☮
Glad you liked the vid. The interview on Sunday is mega. I’ve had to watch it about 10 times because he gives out so much info in a short few sentences
Special video that, brilliant 👍 My favourite bike of all time, massive Suzuki fan and that Pepsi paint job was amazing, 2 stroke baby, sniff the Castro R lol What a rider too! I was there when he won at Donnington ✊
" this is such a special buy and it's a cold day and it's got slick so not going to be going very fast", Right after he says that he starts ripping on it 😆😆😆. Love it!!
O man, i remember the good old days ( i was a lot younger back then ) when Kevin was putting rubber down in every turn wrestling the Damn Suzuki's. Always respected Kevin, a true fighter.
My Dad used to work for a motor project in our hometown, trying to help reduce crime by engaging with the local cad thieves and redirecting their energy into becoming qualified motor mechanics. As a result, they used to get all sorts of gifts and blessings, tickets and so on. One year, possibly 1994 but I cant honestly remember, but we all went to watch the world championship stage in England, at Donnington Park, and had the pleasure of watching Kevin Schwantz racing that day. My dad absolutely loves the RG500, and also loved Kevin Schwantz. I'm glad we had that experience.
Mike… omg!! Nice one!! I remember this bike from those days of Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Randy Mamola, who can’t forget that near-off tank slapped he had, side saddling the bike 😅
*Great Rider - Met him many times and bought a Suzuki RG500 C Series [One of the last made] and nearest to the racer at the time - a real beast, but could if ridden gently a modest ride !*
Quite! When we had the ‘76 Sheene bike in the workshop to film PetrolRevolt episode 1, we thought the same. Just goes to show what a legend Sheene was, it was more Man than machine setting that 1977 Spa lap record
I personally know a former factory Suzuki racer who raced in Japan, so he operated out of the same race shop as Schwantz in the early 90s. He said these guys used to do 160mph passes behind the shop testing the jetting, tankslapping the whole way. They really were fearless back then.
You remind me alot of Shakey Byrne, you could be his son! Excellent video, really enjoyed that. Nothing quite like the sound & power of a 4cyl 2 stroke
From me experience on a RZ350 during the 80's, the powerband hit around 7,000 rpm and never let up, enough to pull your shoulders out of joint. At that time i was 14 yrs old. Can only imagine the power of a 500 race bike. 😲😲😲
Awesome bike from an awesome rider, Revin' Kevin was the bomb to watch. As a motorcross rider myself I love the rideability of the fourstrokes, made live a lot easier, especially when getting older. But there's nothing more beautifull than the simplicity and sound of twostroke engines. They are getting more rideable these days with efi and electronic powervalves. Bikes like this are pure magic.
Wow .. just wow. What a treat to watch them open them up on the straightaway. Curborough is my local track, very very small, like you say, so not ideal for something with this kind of raw power.
Kevin e' stato il miglior pilota di quegli anni. Fantastica la sua moto, quelle si erano vere moto GP, non quelle attuali piene di elettronica che pure un pilota normale puo' gestire. basta vedere bagnaia che e' riuscito a vincere. Onore a Kevin
i will never forget kevin on one of these coming into the hairpin at mallory park,in between 2 other bikes with the back wheel way off the deck,dropped it ,squirted the gas and off like a missile.epic days.
My father was a big fan of motorcycle racing. I was fortunate to read about the of GP races wIth Barry Sheene and Kenny Robert’s in Cycle News. My father and I loved watching Kenny Robert’s and Randy and Eddie. Being Americans we realized how much effort it took to beat the Europeans, especially the Italians. Barry retired and Kenny Irons passed away and Suzuki pulled support for the racing program. But along came Barry to offer Kevin a chance to ride his old RG500 and the rest is history. Kevin was a hero to most fans and his RGV’s always looked that much sexier than anything on the track. His battles with Rainey, Lawson, Gardner and Doohan are epic. I have a 1997 RGV 250 SP in Lucky Strike and a 1992 RGV 250 in Lucky Strike. Both are original factory Lucky Stroke models. My Dad called it the Golden age of GP racing and looking back I have to agree.
Brilliant video. What a buzz that must of been riding the iconic 500cc Pepsi Suzuki. Best looking bike ever.. I have RGV 250 in Pepsi livery. Love it. If you want to you could come take a look. She's mint
Awesome video on an iconic bike, gotta love the 80's when manufacturers were building machines with violent power delivery most mortals were incapable of fully utilizing, also brings to mind the mid 80's CR500's even the factory riders wanted it detuned, 2 strokes at their peak development
Such an iconic bike and rider ...today's moto gp doesn't touch the excitement of watching the 500s with Kevin and Co sliding weaving ans bucking all over the place. Also I used to watch gp s. On eurosport from 89 onwards 😉
Kevin is a super nice guy, I photographed him last year for a series I've been working on. What a treat to meet, hear some classic stories and hang with him for a bit.
Kevin was the kind of rider that could lay the bike down, pick it up and go right back to front of the pack. Win the race, and make it seem routine. The only time he didn't win he crashed out. Such a great rider, pure entertainment.
I was in Assen in the Netherlands when Kevin was at his peak. I saw him bounce off his Suzuki at over 250 km/h. Motorcycle in the air, there was no end to it. Kevin was picked up from the riders' quarters and completed his qualifying within 5 minutes. How I, as a Dutchman, enjoyed his style... (was signed by the former team leader of the Amsterdam Police Motor Brigade)
Used 2 get up.at 1am 2 watch the grand Prix in Australia wen I waz a kid....this video is awesome....Kev Schwantz waz my favourite...woke my dad up screaming at the TV n he'd kick me up the arse 4 jumping on the lounge!! Who cares..... Not me!!
When he done Macau on it,,Ron haslem rode his at kirkistown circuit in northern Ireland,, awesome look it up sunflower trophy race ,, awesome rider Kevin Schwantz my hero stayed with Suzuki brilliant video ☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland
I'm thankful to be from the 80/90s era to watch these wild 2strokers in action. No traction control, no computer aids, just the bike & the rider's fine sensitivity & big balls!!!
have to say this bike is more beautiful than anything modern. elemental, brutal and beautiful.
Remember the old SBK... But yeah, you're right. :D
I'd sell my soul if a good brand would come out with a reasonable sportbike with 18" wheels and roundish fairing with dual round headlights.....
The Pepsi RG500 is the sexiest bike ever made tbh...
@@garyives1218you will have to buy a classic if you want that
Love my Retro superbikes
I remember the 1989 season like it was yesterday. It was so exciting, like a war between the manufacturers. Nothing was held back, no spec anything. And of course the rivalry between Schwantz and Rainey. Schwantz was and still is my favorite GP rider and that Pepsi Suzuki is still my favorite GP bike. Those were such great times, truly the "Golden Age". We'll never see anything like it again unfortunately.
Yeah, from ‘76 and Sheene to Rossi’s last race on a 2T, we’ll unlikely see anything as magic
@@petrolrevolt Ah, come on. I agree those late 80's seasons and last two-stroke years were great (I wasn't there for the 70s), but MotoGp is still awesome. And if you haven't watched the last World Superbikes season, you were missing out on a ridiculously great competition!
It appears the golden age for gp bikes is the same as what I believe the golden age of formula one is. 1989, Senna with a Honda powered mclaren which would have been the car equivalent of this motorcycle to a T. Both with approximately 1350bhp/ton. I thought that sounded immense in the car, but this here bike? Oh my goodness 🥵
@@CatchDude things aren’t the way they used to be, sure, things need to change, but what I mean is that the sparkle is gone. However, I do think motogp has got to be the last great form of honestly pure and raw Motorsport we still have available today, among a few select others. Certainly not formula 1, for it is probably going to be gone forever at this point.
Your comment really made me smile, may ones passion for such times never cease
The RGV was a monster in the correct hands of a legend. 34 retired together with him. Future riders cannot use this number anymore, just out of respect for the man.
What a show Kevin gave us on the tracs.
A true hero.!
Indeed. One of the few numbers to ever be retired. Most recent obviously being 46.
I watched my first 500GP at Laguna Seca in 1989... The bikes that year were on another level as far as violent power delivery and the engine's ability to overcome the chassis: I watched Schwantz come out of Turn 4 heading through the short straight to Turn 5... the front wheel was in the air every lap, and the rear tire was dancing all over the tarmac side-to-side even with the bike fully upright. You could tell Kevin was hanging-on and getting punished for it lap after lap. Then Saturday's Second Qualifying session came around: Holy Hell, all of those riders REALLY turned up the wick! Light of fuel, running qualifying tires (Michelin's "Specials") and the riders putting together one flying lap... an impressive sight to see!
The racers ascent going uphill towards the "Corkscrew" is crazy fast.
Why are you shifting in the turns?!
I remember it too❤❤❤❤. Crazy😮😮😮. Good!!!
I miss these bikes so much. I was 14 in 1989 and glued to the t.v. watching these insane 500's. Nothing like them.
Back when men were men and racing was dangerous!
@@salazam This is why Rossi is such a legend,the bikes are so different to what he started on
Being a lifelong Suzuki guy, Kevin was always my favorite rider. I was stationed in Germany in 1988 and had the incredibly good luck to go to Nürburgring and see him win the GP race there. One of the highlights of my life.
The sound of a 2 stroke is a screaming magical symphony.
Nothing like the smell of Klotz in the air!
i can't agree with that it doesn't sound deep and powerfull there in nothing better than Japan's 4 cylinder sound CBR900RR 1997g that is symphony
@@richhughes7450 .yes ,,,so nice,,sound,smell,,bring you back to good memories
Perhaps the single most famous motorcycle of the 1980’s. A machine of sheer beauty and Kevin Schwartz was a total Texan maverick. The coolest guy on 2 wheels back then! Thanks for showing us this iconic bike. Outstanding!
Think that title goes to the NSR500… the Suzuki comes in a close second
The livery is iconic.
Kenny Roberts/Yamaha.
Why Schwartz? Because he farts?
@@Roger_Ramjet It’s the look of the bike that Kevin rode that I remember, nothing looked like it at all.
Schwantz, Rainy, Gardener, Doohan all on 2 strokes best era ever!
Not to mention Lawson, Mamola, Kocinski, etc etc. In fact if I recall correctly 89 was the latters debut in the 500 class. Stand to be corrected.
Freddie Spencer !
You forgot Lawson! It´s a sin let one legend out betwin the one´s you pointed out.
Four strokes and all electronics f-up motorcycle racing.
Gardner
This has put a smile on a 54 year old bloke, he was also my favourite rider from this era. Remember this well & who doesn’t love the 2 strokes, wish I kept my RD 350 from the 80’s. Love it 😊
I had the great good fortune to be a corner worker in T5 for the ‘93 GP at Laguna Seca. I remember a practice session on Saturday when Mr. Schwantz came through T5 with the back tire lit up, but he was sitting up on the seat cowl calmly looking backwards. Unbelievable.
What a memory 👍👍 LS is my dream circuit to ride around, hope to do it before kicking the bucket 🙏
My friend Dennis Martin was a club racer back then in Pennsylvania, also sales manager for a large shop . When he found out that the GP was gonna be in California he said " hey !! We should ride together there and see it !!! So we jumped on our bikes ,my new 1991 Ducati 900ss and Dennis on a Honda vfr750 and off we went!!! Great ride, great race!!- great bike !!😁😁😁😀😀🏍🏍🏍🏍🏁🍺🍺
Great comment........made me laugh out loud.
"Kevin's riding style was a little bit different" Understatement of the century.. Congrats on being able to ride that bike !
I had an ‘84 RG250Gamma that I bought in Japan while stationed there with the Army….it was like a rocket ship between 7000-11500 rpm. Magical and the memories of thrashing it around the twisties still make smile today. Thanks for this great video.
Thanks 🙏 love the older RG250 gamma’s before the RGV.
I had the 125, unfortunately skipped the 250 and went to a 350 YPVS
yes I've still got my RG250 Gamma Japanese import, it's still fun.
Had an '85 RG250 Japanese import myself. It was overbored to 275cc and ported . It made 67bhp at wheel on dyno with power band from 6500rpm to 10500rpm on standard pipes. With Gibson spannies it moved max rpm to 12000 and was stronger from 800rpm still with power from 6500rpm but needed a top end rebuild every 12500 miles for safety. Most fun on 2 wheels ever.
I had the 125,250 and got 3:11 the final year production 500 (1987) in 1990 and wrote it off in 1991 savage machine considering it only had 95hp as stock!
''Only'' 95bhp, but only 156kg. Same year Yam FZR1000 was 148bhp but 208kg. As power to weight ratio's this means RG500 was only 0.1bhp / kg down on FZR, yet was 25% lighter with all the accompanying advantages.@@stevehaddon151
Priceless! This bike and Kevin Schwantz were one of a kind! Wild times!
That bike and Kevin's riding style...........just awesome, we didn't know how lucky we were.
Yup, 125cc and 250cc GP 2 Stokes sadly missed too nowadays
As a guy who raced 2 stroke GP bikes (TZ-250/350 bikes in the early//mid 70's) i can tell that bike is setup extremely rich to keep the throttle action subdued and thus the rider safe.
I agree it’s so rich - to the ear - that it almost doesn’t want to run.
If it was mine, given every component is custom made, I imagine I too would have it on the rich side.
Almost everyone who rode 50,000 miles on strokers will have blown up a couple, probably. I’ve had one holed piston (GT750) & one seizure (GT550) but I’ve thrashed my little GT380 all over Europe in the late 70s & early 80s with not a single problem. I rebuilt it in the early noughties and it’s been flawless & feels new all these years later.
No, it’s not very fast, but you can use all of it apart from max speed on rural roads. It’s the most all round fun of the bikes I’ve had, despite being far & away the slowest!
She does look smoky full throttle
I was wondering why it was smoking so bad. I wonder what the oil and ratio is.
Can't have the only other guy to ride it loop a running museum piece..Are crappy gov. Wouldn't bring the street version over here US. Like the 400 inline 4 .Smokers your ride by the seat your leather. Heard Kevin say. When they were dialed nothing better. When they weren't you had ride fast anyway no fun. Total handful.
@@GT380man the 380 is pretty fast. It was first across the line at the Castrol 6 hour back in the day (disqualified because the horn wasn't in the standard place)
Kevin was insane as a rider. Regardless of whether he won or not you knew you were going to see someone riding on the edge of their capacity. I was a big kawasaki fan boy and became a Suzuki fan boy because of Kevin.
Wow that was so amazing to watch! An iconic bike from Suzuki! I owned the RGV250 Team Pepsi many years ago and it was so fast! I got my P Plate License on it too! Wish I still had it now! Great review guys thanks!
When 2 stroke 500cc GP stopped,, i didn't watch motogp anymore until this day.
Real racing sports are gone
Your haven't missed anything
Rossi was great to see on the first 1000s but yes I loved watching the 500 era it was awesome miss it so much 😭
I Always deeply admired Kevin's Style, Attitude and sheer Bravery! An absolute Stand out Guy!!!
(I was 20ish in NZ)
The clips of Kevin sliding corner exits looking back are etched in my mind forever.
I have never seen another rider do this .
Amazing to see.
Me and my ol'man were GLUED to the TV for the whole season, what a year. These bikes were incredible, and the guys that wrestled them even more so! Just listening to that monster get on the powerband, even for a brief few seconds, gave me goosebumps, and misty eyes. I miss you, Dad.
all the things we saw in this video aside,you approached the hole subject with lot of respect!Good job man!
Because of Kevin schwant I love suzuki and schwant expecially ❤ true hero. You are legend 🏆 champ.
In the US, one of the main reasons why viewership declined in US SBK series is because the bikes themselves have become easy to ride with the aide of traction control, launch control etc that a normal person can actually ride one. Unlike the bikes of that era, it really takes a very special and talented person to tame it. In other words, the exclusivity is gone.
There's something special about these oldskool superbikes from the 80's. Even the sound! Brings back good memories this bike, I can only imagine the beautiful smell too 🏍✊🏻
The golden era of MotoGP ❤
great to see this mythical 500 again, a pity not to have been able to ride on a circuit worthy of it. Thank you for this return to the past.
Mate. What a privilege that was. You’ll remember this for a long long time!
The most beautiful looking and sounding race bike, I was lucky enough to be in my late twenties in 89 so watched this bike and all the 70s Sheena era.
Two stroke engines were a blast to ride when I was a kid.
I still regret selling my Yamaha RZ350. So much fun, so light, and power was well above average.
@@cplcarlman they sell for big money at auction now.
@@Paulco67 Yeah, I've seen several come up for sale and I really wish I could afford to buy one now. I think I paid $1,300 for it when I bought it, and I sold it for less than that back in 1996.
We should have all kept the bikes of our youth. But "life is what happens while you're making other plans" 👍
Terrific video and also very well done. Very honoured without a doubt , and yes for a bike that old not as smooth but hell the roughness is makes you know your riding an animal. Great vid guys vwd
I am old enough to remember when these 500gp bikes raced. The sound and the smell.😀
The brutality of the motor, the instant attack and sheer force of this two stroke machine is just amazing
Really love the name of your channel! Spectacular bike, thanks for sharing.
Kevin Schwantz is my all time favourite rider he was 'edge of the seat' pure entertainment for me.
One of the best motorbikes ever.. and Kevin Schwantz one of the greatest of Moto GP.
Kevin's my favorite champion. Nobody rode more harder with less and still won like Kevin
Less?.. that's laughable
@@atg1338
Less engine compared to the Honda and Yamaha
@@atg1338 Compared to the Hondas the Suzzies were always lacking. Its why Kevin is still admired to this days as he rode the shit out of the Suzzies. He only won one world championship yet he was the first to have his number retired. The guys a legend
@@stewarts8597 they all were ..... i lived it..... he's good be get off ur knees
So he crashed all the time because of low hp 🤣🤣🤣🤣stfu
You're a lucky man Danny to have ridden Kevin's bike, cool video! Nice one m8 :]]
What a beautiful bike and Schwantz was always crazy. I was always a Yamaha guy. I had an RD350 lc with microns and bigger carbs. It was mental!
Ah, the bigger carbs gambit. We’re often told “don’t do that, the factory knows better than you do, it’ll be worse”.
Cobblers. It certainly could easily make things worse but it depends on what the factory was balancing in the choice of carb diameter and jetting.
On the GTs triples, all can be made a lot nicer bikes to ride & with no detectable adverse effects if you fit the carbs belonging to the next bigger machine.
I’ve been running GT550 carbs on my GT380 (Mikuni VM28s instead of VM24s) for years.
Utterly brilliant & it’s not only a little more powerful but it’s now got PERFECT fuelling at all engine speeds & throttle openings.
No changes at all. Just fit the carb bodies under the original carb top.
I can’t remember how I solved the fact that the jet needles were not matched to the needle jets. I might have just accepted what the 380 had but I might have swapped the JNs from my spare set of VM28s off ebay. Highly recommended 😊
A living memory of the Golden Times of motorcycle racing! What a privilege you had by riding that machine.
I can imagine a Pecco or a Jack Miller riding a beast like that against Kevin or Mick...
That bike just has to be incredible to ride. So light with all of that power on tap. I am more of a dirt bike rider myself, but I would treasure the opportunity to ride an amazing machine like that just once.....very carefully, lol.
So many memories and emotion to see this incredible Bike from the Hero!!! Suzuka, Rijeka, Assen... Thanks so much. No one like the 34!!!!
Glad you liked the vid 🙏
1986 - I loved Randy Mamola, Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer n Eddie Lawson. There was my idol at that time. Still love them today!
Wow! What a thing to own! I’d keep that in the kitchen so I could look at it and run my hands over it every time I made a cuppa. Wonderful, this just took me back to being 17 again. I adored Kevin Scwantz, the way he looked on the bike, his riding style, king of the late brakers. Best rider, best bike, great video.
It was a great season, so much happening between teams, riders, sponsors etc. Eddie Lawson on the NSR winning back to back titles with different manufacturers. Great days for sure and thanks for sharing your experience, I am not all jealous.....not one bit😁👍
It was a joy 2 watch Kevin race.
Thank you for showing us that lovely machine😊
What a vid, bloody awesome👍I remember watching big brands Honda vs Yamaha vs Suzuki especially Pepsi Suzuki in 500cc. I even have a drawing of Pepsi Suzuki bike when I was a kid. From Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Wayne Gardner, Michael Doohan, Daryl Beattie, legendary voice of Barry Sheene what great time to be around as kid watching these guys, thanks for memories👍
Kevin, best driver of all time! Wild pig in the ring, your fan. Kevin you and family I wish you a Merry Christmas!!! Greetings from Germany from the Sachsenring.
1988 F.I.M on channel 15 TSN Canada Seeing Kevin race Life Changing had no idea what 500cc Motorcycle Racing was ... been a fan rider since Gixxer 750 no Doubt 1988 1989 Pepsi Suzuki RGV most recognized Race Delivery Revin Kevin is a Icon and Legend .....
I've followed and liked him since I was 20 years old. And now I'm 54 years old. I always have him in my heart.
Bought my very first sport bike in 1989, a CBR 600. And with that, Schwantz became one of my heroes.
Awesome《☆》My 1st 73 RD350 in 1975 got me hooked on 2Strokes 4Ever👍🔊Kevin is my favorite rider as well as a true Showman. I always liked the look of Freddie's Rothmans Honda NSR500 better paint scheme. I own a 2002 GSX1300R Hayabusa now. It's my Suzi. Probably as close as I'll ever get to owning a GP bike. Well done Thanks for sharing guys:*: Greetings from Florida🖖😎☮
Smashing vid Danny. And what an iconic bike.
Thank you fellas, you brought tears to my eyes!
Glad you liked the vid. The interview on Sunday is mega. I’ve had to watch it about 10 times because he gives out so much info in a short few sentences
Working on my first RG500 restoration. Thanks for the inspiring video!
Special video that, brilliant 👍
My favourite bike of all time, massive Suzuki fan and that Pepsi paint job was amazing, 2 stroke baby, sniff the Castro R lol
What a rider too!
I was there when he won at Donnington ✊
Great, yes , Kevin Schwantz was and still is our idol. Extraordinary riding feels, he has.
" this is such a special buy and it's a cold day and it's got slick so not going to be going very fast", Right after he says that he starts ripping on it 😆😆😆. Love it!!
Watched Mr. Schwantz take this bike through the pack of modern 1000 cc bikes at Roebling about 8 years ago. Squirrelly and exciting race.
O man, i remember the good old days ( i was a lot younger back then ) when Kevin was putting rubber down in every turn wrestling the Damn Suzuki's.
Always respected Kevin, a true fighter.
My Dad used to work for a motor project in our hometown, trying to help reduce crime by engaging with the local cad thieves and redirecting their energy into becoming qualified motor mechanics.
As a result, they used to get all sorts of gifts and blessings, tickets and so on.
One year, possibly 1994 but I cant honestly remember, but we all went to watch the world championship stage in England, at Donnington Park, and had the pleasure of watching Kevin Schwantz racing that day.
My dad absolutely loves the RG500, and also loved Kevin Schwantz.
I'm glad we had that experience.
I use to have an RG 500 and RG250 that I got at a grey market shop in Vancouver years ago. Loved those bikes.
Mike… omg!! Nice one!! I remember this bike from those days of Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Randy Mamola, who can’t forget that near-off tank slapped he had, side saddling the bike 😅
The Golden Age of GP Racing.
*Great Rider - Met him many times and bought a Suzuki RG500 C Series [One of the last made] and nearest to the racer at the time - a real beast, but could if ridden gently a modest ride !*
Looks beautifully made, remember being shocked at how crude and rough Barry Sheen's bike looked at the NEC.
Quite! When we had the ‘76 Sheene bike in the workshop to film PetrolRevolt episode 1, we thought the same. Just goes to show what a legend Sheene was, it was more Man than machine setting that 1977 Spa lap record
I personally know a former factory Suzuki racer who raced in Japan, so he operated out of the same race shop as Schwantz in the early 90s. He said these guys used to do 160mph passes behind the shop testing the jetting, tankslapping the whole way. They really were fearless back then.
You remind me alot of Shakey Byrne, you could be his son!
Excellent video, really enjoyed that. Nothing quite like the sound & power of a 4cyl 2 stroke
This bike was so ahead of its time. Physically looking as it the parts look very familiar to modern bikes like the Suzuki GSXR750/1000
From me experience on a RZ350 during the 80's, the powerband hit around 7,000 rpm and never let up, enough to pull your shoulders out of joint. At that time i was 14 yrs old. Can only imagine the power of a 500 race bike. 😲😲😲
I was 18 at the time and OBSESSED with Moto GP. Riding this bike would be an absolute dream come true.
Moto GP was born in 2002. And the two stroke bikes are died !
the street version is my dream bike, sadly its crazy expensive, thanks for the great video!
Awesome bike from an awesome rider, Revin' Kevin was the bomb to watch. As a motorcross rider myself I love the rideability of the fourstrokes, made live a lot easier, especially when getting older. But there's nothing more beautifull than the simplicity and sound of twostroke engines. They are getting more rideable these days with efi and electronic powervalves.
Bikes like this are pure magic.
Best video so far chaps 👍👍🙂 The era of the racing greats !
Thanks Nick 🙏 we loved filming this one
Good video again!
The RGV 250 was the nearest you could get in looks and technology but not capacity.
Wow .. just wow. What a treat to watch them open them up on the straightaway. Curborough is my local track, very very small, like you say, so not ideal for something with this kind of raw power.
Kevin e' stato il miglior pilota di quegli anni. Fantastica la sua moto, quelle si erano vere moto GP, non quelle attuali piene di elettronica che pure un pilota normale puo' gestire. basta vedere bagnaia che e' riuscito a vincere. Onore a Kevin
Thks for this video.
2 Stroke bikes are so nice to ride and so powerful 👍
Kevin, meu primeiro ídolo sobre duas rodas, o qual sempre me encheu os olhos de lágrimas, de prazer em vê-lo guiar! Ele e essa moto, lendas.
It needs mounting on a wall in an art gallery, absolutely gorgeous.❤
Absolutely incredible content, really loved this vid. Opened me up to a whole new facet of motorsport history
i will never forget kevin on one of these coming into the hairpin at mallory park,in between 2 other bikes with the back wheel way off the deck,dropped it ,squirted the gas and off like a missile.epic days.
Nostalgia vibes ❤ I had so many posters of this bike and it’s got to be my fave of all time 🙌🏼
My father was a big fan of motorcycle racing. I was fortunate to read about the of GP races wIth Barry Sheene and Kenny Robert’s in Cycle News. My father and I loved watching Kenny Robert’s and Randy and Eddie. Being Americans we realized how much effort it took to beat the Europeans, especially the Italians. Barry retired and Kenny Irons passed away and Suzuki pulled support for the racing program. But along came Barry to offer Kevin a chance to ride his old RG500 and the rest is history. Kevin was a hero to most fans and his RGV’s always looked that much sexier than anything on the track. His battles with Rainey, Lawson, Gardner and Doohan are epic.
I have a 1997 RGV 250 SP in Lucky Strike and a 1992 RGV 250 in Lucky Strike. Both are original factory Lucky Stroke models. My Dad called it the Golden age of GP racing and looking back I have to agree.
Cracking RGV’s you have!
Would love to see it on a bigger circuit!! Simply amazing what a piece of moving art 🎨 ✨️
Brilliant video. What a buzz that must of been riding the iconic 500cc Pepsi Suzuki. Best looking bike ever.. I have RGV 250 in Pepsi livery. Love it. If you want to you could come take a look. She's mint
Damn. Reminds me of my two RGV 250’s. They really were quite good looking road replicas of the 500.
Awesome video on an iconic bike, gotta love the 80's when manufacturers were building machines with violent power delivery most mortals were incapable of fully utilizing, also brings to mind the mid 80's CR500's even the factory riders wanted it detuned, 2 strokes at their peak development
Such an iconic bike and rider ...today's moto gp doesn't touch the excitement of watching the 500s with Kevin and Co sliding weaving ans bucking all over the place. Also I used to watch gp s. On eurosport from 89 onwards 😉
I had an 86 RG 250 Gamma it was an absolute weapon loved the sound and smell!
I knew someone who had the rg gamma 125 and that was a handful so I can imagine the 250 would be a beast
Kevin is a super nice guy, I photographed him last year for a series I've been working on. What a treat to meet, hear some classic stories
and hang with him for a bit.
Funny how you remember iconic liveries so well. Pepsi Suzuki,Marlboro Yamaha, 7Up Jordan F1 car.
They just look so cool!
Martini F1 cars :)
Fantastic video. I can't wait for the next episode with Kevin
The RG500 road bike was an unforgiving beast, too. But, my goodness, what a rush!
Kevin was the kind of rider that could lay the bike down, pick it up and go right back to front of the pack. Win the race, and make it seem routine. The only time he didn't win he crashed out. Such a great rider, pure entertainment.
I was in Assen in the Netherlands when Kevin was at his peak. I saw him bounce off his Suzuki at over 250 km/h. Motorcycle in the air, there was no end to it. Kevin was picked up from the riders' quarters and completed his qualifying within 5 minutes. How I, as a Dutchman, enjoyed his style... (was signed by the former team leader of the Amsterdam Police Motor Brigade)
Used 2 get up.at 1am 2 watch the grand Prix in Australia wen I waz a kid....this video is awesome....Kev Schwantz waz my favourite...woke my dad up screaming at the TV n he'd kick me up the arse 4 jumping on the lounge!! Who cares.....
Not me!!
When he done Macau on it,,Ron haslem rode his at kirkistown circuit in northern Ireland,, awesome look it up sunflower trophy race ,, awesome rider Kevin Schwantz my hero stayed with Suzuki brilliant video ☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland
El mejor piloto que he visto sobre una moto,gracias pajarito por aquellos maravillosos años que nos ofreciste sobre mi moto favorita la Suzuki N 34
Esos domingos en tve ..
I'm thankful to be from the 80/90s era to watch these wild 2strokers in action. No traction control, no computer aids, just the bike & the rider's fine sensitivity & big balls!!!