A local bike dealer here in Portsmouth in the UK caught fire in the late 70's and the staff were running around trying to get all of the bikes out of the showroom. One of the lads started pushing out an RE5 and the shop owner grabbed the bike and shouted "No, no. These can burn. Its the only way we'll ever get any money for the bloody thing!" and wheeled it back in.
I bought my Suzuki GT380B from a dealer in Portsmouth in 1978. They had a row of unsold, new RE5 bikes. I wish I’d bought the year older GT550A they also had but no way I could afford the insurance. I still own that 380! And I’ve added a Kettle 15 years ago.
@@lardycake70 You know, I’m sure it was Rafferty Newman. Sounds incredibly familiar. Plate is “OOW xxxS” which is somewhere along the south coast I think?
Interesting engine concept, but problematic in execution (just ask NSU or Mazda in the automotive world, or Suzuki, Hercules or Norton in the motorcycle world). That said, if hydrogen fuel ever catches on, the rotary engine could yet see it's day...
@@abhimaanmayadam5713 - Rotary engines have trouble with complete combustion of hydrocarbons (due to the shape of the combustion chamber - causing a slow burn). Hydrogen burns faster than gasoline (or any other hydrocarbon fuel), partially solving the incomplete combustion problem of rotary engines. Butanol (C4H9OH) does not solve the incomplete combustion problem in rotary engines (since it is a hydrocarbon).
I sold a brand new one and then ended up owning it it was like a great big two-stroke but it was smoother.. the rotor / engine and transmission could be split from each other and of course the carburetor was really something different
Short answer yes…long answer no, it all depends on which 500cc piston engine you’re comparing it to , but generally rotary engines are comparable in power to a larger displacement piston engine, but the way a rotary engine fires means the actual displacement is arguably different than the indicated 500cc , to be fair it’s not fair to compare by displacement alone
@@smol.miniatures I rode one for 3 years and I can say that bike in particular was just a cruiser although it wound up really interesting it would not beat the Titan
A very dear friend of mine who was a motorcycle mechanic all his life died of cancer in November of 2023. He used to tell stories that these rotary bikes would backfire out the exhaust when out of time, loud enough to wake the dead. He love to ride his and always had a large smile on his face when he talked about his rotary machines!
I sold my Mazda Rx2 40 yrs ago to a guy I knew he had an RE5. I remember going up motorway off ramps at night in the Rx2 and backing off from full throttle, flames from the exhausts unburnt fuel would light the road up and creating massive backfires...oh what fun for fellow motorists
Suzuki at the time wouldn't allow disassembly of the engine and had safety wired all bolts ending in a lead safety seal. All engine work had to be done at the factory. We were not allowed to do anything at the dealership. One of my mechanics owned a Re5 and we had to ship it 4 times to suzuki for engine repairs. Amazing engineering for the time. Great video, brings back memories.
@@spartanx169x Well, we're talking early to mid 70's, so early days for rotaries. Mazda was about the only other company with any experience with them, so I imagine Suzuki was leery of letting dealership techs work on them. This isn't that unusual: GM had a similar policy regarding LT5 equipped C4 Corvettes, requiring the engines be shipped to Mercury Marine, who helped design and build them. The bigger question is why didn't they partner with Mazda on this thing to help share the load, these engines were maintenance heavy and I imagine this thing burned through apex seals at an insane rate. I assume Mazda wasn't having their dealers ship their rotaries back to Japan when they needed repairing, maybe to specific service centers in the US. Otherwise, getting into rotary powered bikes in the 1970s looks certifiably insane if you wanted to do it all on your own, especially if you're handling repairs centrally. I imagine the theoretical power output of a 500cc rotary dazzled everyone at Suzuki!!!
Exactly our dealership had to send the engine part directly to Japan and they sent us a new engine part to be bolted on to the customer's bike it had a seal on it
"Maybe we should cover that wire beings we have a fuel leak." "Oh yeah, that would be bad." Craig immediately lights the propane torch. That was great. lol
I loved my Norton rotary, biggest problem was the seals letting go and losing compression, Norton rebuilt it at their factory in Shenstone. Great to see another rotary still breathing.
I'd a UK police forces Norton Wankel in the 90s VAs scary fast highly revving engine mine still full police specs parts radio etc had 2 days and owner of a Ducati Monster 900cc perfect I'd tried buying numerous occasions when he offered bike and 10000 pounds he still owns not for sale as has 1 from each decades from 1900s to 90s rotary a and brand new commando
I got my 1988 k100 running. $500 on marketplace, $500 in parts and it fired right up! Never would have attempted it if i hadnt watched every video on this channel
You mean so much to me craig, starting my first project bike this sunday because of you. To everyone reading this: enjoy the Video and greetings from germany👋
Great video! Some of the reasons the RE5 didn't sell well was its high price and poor gas mileage around 31mpg. Norton also made a wankel called the Commander from 1987 to 1992. Some were used by the London police. These were twin rotor and had 85 hp.
Rode a water buffalo for years. I did ride one of the rotary Suzuki on a test ride once. The thing was smooth as silk all through the rev range. The GT750 pulled harder, but the rotary was just plain smooth. I didn't ride the rotary hard, but the GT750 when pushed revealed the hinge in the middle of the chassis. Lots of memories from this episode. Thanks for inviting us along.
@@adotintheshark4848 As I said, I test rode the rotary, but I had already bought the Buffalo. There wasn't enough difference for me to trade. I put over 50k miles on the GT750. Sold it to a friend at work. Bought a GS850, eventually hung a sidecar on it, because a friend wouldn't let me ride his BMW with a Steb sidecar. When I got married, traded the rig and a Ford in on a Fiat 124 Spyder so I could talk to my wife while we were riding.
@@arthurjennings5202 the RE5's biggest issue was that complicated Mikuni-Solex carburetor. It's very difficult to get it set right enough where the machine won't hesitate or surge. Another thing with the RE5 was, it is nearly impossible to kick start, though it has a lever. I couldn't do it and my bigger and stronger friends couldn't either!
@@arthurjennings5202 I owned three of those, two '72's and a '74. I liked them better than my RE5 too. I rode the '74 practically till the wheels fell off.
OM gosh I can’t believe that in my 56 years I have never heard of the rotary Suzuki!!! This is amazing. I have owned a 1985 RX7 and the engine is amazing. Can’t wait to watch. More comments at the end. Thanks for the content Craig!!!
I'm 69 years old and have only seen two RE-5's in my whole life. One was brand new at a Suzuki dealership in 1975, and in the early 90's I saw a 1976 in mint condition at Mid-Ohio racetrack. The owner had rode it to the event. Keep after it, they are so rare that it is worth restoring. Best of luck Craig!
we had a local shop that raced RE5s. They did well too, the only modification was upgraded shocks and fork springs, and replacing that complicated lump of a carburetor with a Mikuni 40mm motorcycle carb!
I owned two fully restored models the 'M' and the 'A' at the same time not too long ago, very reliable machines and fun to ride. Too many misconceptions regarding these bikes.
Wow, i used to be an re5 Owner a while back, fun video, i was not expecting the statement at the end that most re5 owners are also jawa owners, because i happen to also own a jawa as well. We just love old school niche motorcycles. Great Video Craig!
I can picture a room full of designers, engineers and fabricators standing at a dry erase board talking about making this bike. The only person missing was the one guy that would ask why.
Why? Because some will and have argued that the rotary engine is a superior design to the standard cylinder/piston design. Mazda has been very successful with theirs.
@@spartanx169x I get that Mazda had some success with the rotary. However, I don't recall seeing a new rotary powered car since the 90's. I owned an RX-7 for about 5 years and I've rebuilt a rotary engine myself so I know a little about it.
It was the seventies. Computers weren't really a thing yet - the only way people had to figure out if a technology had what it took to make it in the market was to throw it at the wall and see if it stuck. "Why?" would be answered with "because it might work!" and nobody would see a problem with the reasoning. I figure at SOME point someone must have looked at the overcomplicated mess this project was becoming and realised it'd never actually sell in significant numbers, but by then it must have had too much inertia to stop.
I've been working on my 1982 Honda CB900C and all your videos have been a major help! It's super informative watching you work on so many different problems and diagnose them all.
I taught my son how to. If he wanted to go riding and the bike had set for the winter. He could fix it himself. Later on he made a little money cleaning a few . Something a lot of people have no idea how to.
I'm the opposite. I used to rebuild hundreds of carbs in the 80s and now I hate them. Even more so now since our gas has ethanol in it that destroys them.
Just fun fact about this “Jawa”. Technically it isn’t Jawa. Manufacturer was Motokov and name this bike in our country (back then Czechoslovakia) was Babetta (the name is from movie Babette goes to war). But for export to western countries for better selling chances they rented name Jawa just for this product. And I realy like how you pronounce JAWA (Janeček Wanderer).
I followed a friend on his RE5 and I've never heard such a strange exhaust note! It's like a cross between a 2 stroke/4 stroke/ turbine noise! Great bikes, but terrible fuel consumption and needs a good understanding of all of the components and ancillaries to keep them running sweet and, yes, those early 'globe' flasher lenses are as rare as rocking horse sh*t.
what a treat! Your bike show is amazing. Cant wait for your show to get posted, reminds me when I was a kid waiting for the brady bunch show to come up. lol
Really cool bike and I do remember that no one would buy them off the showroom floor. My mom bought me a Suzuki TS185 when I was in high school in 74 and our Suzuki dealership actually had one for show just to see if anyone would be interested in buying when they received them for stock.
I imported a RE5 from California to the UK in the 90s, didn't need any work doing to it and totally rust free, but it would only run normal on half choke. If you purchase one of these bikes, compression check with the special tester before you hand over good money.
Awesome video Craig, im glad you gave an update on the gt550. Max is awesome and i hope he gives more updates on the progress. I have a Gt550 parts bike i would give him if he ever came down to Oklahoma.
Hi, Craig don't know if you'll see this but just wanted to say thank you for all the knowledge you provide for us and your passion for motorcycles. I first saw you over on the Bikes and Beards channel some years ago and really enjoyed videos with you in them but Shaun makes some fantastic stuff on his own lets not get this wrong. When I heard you'd created a channel I instantly headed over and have been watching ever since. I've had some troubles over the last several years and I have always wanted to get a motorcycle but your content, Shaun's and Wheels Through Time gave that push to go and sit the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training. A legal requirement before you can ride and motorcycle up to a 125cc, you can take various licenses depending on your age that allows you to ride various cc. A license allows a full unrestricted cc.) I took it a few days ago and passed which I'm over the moon about. I'm looking forward to getting my first motorcycle soon and hopefully on a long journey of motorcycle passion. With the knowledge that you lot have provided me I hope I can provide the best care that any motorcycle deserves. I hugely appreciate you and Dan and I look forward to upcoming content. Hope life is treating you well and all the best, cheers.
my first video I've watched, and what struck me was how little mechanics this guy knows, nor electrics, nor anything really. I guess he just guests actual people with knowledge and skills and people don't notice what actually happened....
Nice detailed video Craig! I've worked on just about everything with 2 wheels.. *except one of THESE!* I've always been curious to see the inner workings of the Suzuki Rotary RE-5, so this is a real treat for me! It almost looks like they used 1/2 of a Mazda RX-2 carb on those, since the RX-2 had a 4 bbl. from the factory. I'm thinking you probably have a stuck thermostat rather than coolant getting into the rotor housing, or it would probably be throwing a bunch of white smoke. Anyway, good to see it actually running again. Max is pretty knowledgeable on these. Good guy to have around if you're going to get into it further.😉👍👍
This is such a cool bike and two of them! Thank you for another cool video. It's going to be a great weekend. Those coffee cups are super cool also. Craig and Dan you rock!! ❤🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I remember this bike being released. Even then it was clear that Suzuki had taken the simplest internal combustion engine with so few moving parts and created a ludicrously complex leviathan. Even the dash cover stuck down on the press bike. Such a shame.
Motorcycle shop near had one of these in the shop. It had 1 mile on it. Back in the day the dealership had to cannibalize some parts off of it to repair customers bikes.
I really enjoyed this episode, I think Max might be my new favourite person on UA-cam, you definitely need more episodes guest starring Max in the future 👌🏽
I love the videos and am so glad you’re making more and getting more popular. With that said, please do something about the quiet dialog, when I turn it up enough to hear what you guys are saying the music is ridiculously loud for 3 seconds and then back to quiet again. That and all the fake video cuts make it hard to watch. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Love Max's knowledge and attitude. Top guy! BTW Craig, your glasses need adjusting properly so you don't need to keep pushing them up all the time buddy
i love seeing these vids with a different kind of motor. the diesel was great and so was this rotary. interesting stuff. would love to see a teardown vid of the motors
Please I need as many detailed videos of how to work on this bike! This is so awesome you are showing this to a larger audience. My Re5 is posted on my account if you want to see it run. More videos soon because everyone on my Instagram is asking.
Great video but the sound was quieter than normal, i had to increase volume to hear you guys as always in the other videos. Have a great day, cheers from Chile
I remember seeing one of these on the road back when they came out. My biker buddies thought they were a bit strange/unconventional. Don't remember hearing about issues but you've got to have buyers good or bad. I think they were basically dead in the market before hitting the showroom floors. Glad to see you on the hunt for rare and unusual. Another good one here. Cheers. 👍
@@gorgon9786 Some folks just have to have the latest conversation piece or really are fans of technology. Especially when they think it may be the next great thing and it'll make them feel like forward-thinking pioneers, lol. Early buyers of teslas - much the same kind of person. Cheers.
Wonderful to see the carb being disassembled! I owned an RE5 in Hamilton NZ in the 80's but never touched the carb as they are so complicated to tune. A lot of RE5's were later fitted with NSU carbs, but they never ran as well. The guy who owned my bike after me let the injector tank run dry and blew the rotor seals. The bike is now in Southwards Museum, but I don't think they ever got it running again. BTW, my bike was rebuilt after being dropped off a cliff by the previous owner and was painted yellow and black, which was the colour of the pre-production prototypes even though it was a production bike. The biggest problem I had with it was replacing the side covers and RE5 badges after scumbags frequently prized them off for souvenirs. In the end I didn't replace them until I sold the bike.
Everyone stop what you are doing. Craig just uploaded
Of course! I'm going to be late for work now.
My thoughts exactly lol!👍👍
AND DAN!!!!!
Exactly
Thanks.!!.. work can wait 😀!!!
If Max doesnt have a YT channel, he should.
I concur
indeed, love his clean work and explanations. we probably going to see him more often on this channel 🙂
Yes agreed , max is very goid on cam.
Yup, he's a natural!
He has a go pro strapped to his chest
A local bike dealer here in Portsmouth in the UK caught fire in the late 70's and the staff were running around trying to get all of the bikes out of the showroom. One of the lads started pushing out an RE5 and the shop owner grabbed the bike and shouted "No, no. These can burn. Its the only way we'll ever get any money for the bloody thing!" and wheeled it back in.
I bought my Suzuki GT380B from a dealer in Portsmouth in 1978. They had a row of unsold, new RE5 bikes. I wish I’d bought the year older GT550A they also had but no way I could afford the insurance. I still own that 380! And I’ve added a Kettle 15 years ago.
@@GT380man i love that era of suzuki, i mean theres nothing wrong with gixxers etc but that era was so off the wall
@@GT380man Probably Rafferty and Newman in Southsea lol
@@lardycake70 You know, I’m sure it was Rafferty Newman. Sounds incredibly familiar.
Plate is “OOW xxxS” which is somewhere along the south coast I think?
Rotary engines have a fun way of bankrupting whichever company develops them
Interesting engine concept, but problematic in execution (just ask NSU or Mazda in the automotive world, or Suzuki, Hercules or Norton in the motorcycle world). That said, if hydrogen fuel ever catches on, the rotary engine could yet see it's day...
@@danielklopp7007 if we figure out the mass production of butanol, then maybe.
Thanks, I was unaware that Mazda went bankrupt 😂
@@abhimaanmayadam5713 - Rotary engines have trouble with complete combustion of hydrocarbons (due to the shape of the combustion chamber - causing a slow burn). Hydrogen burns faster than gasoline (or any other hydrocarbon fuel), partially solving the incomplete combustion problem of rotary engines. Butanol (C4H9OH) does not solve the incomplete combustion problem in rotary engines (since it is a hydrocarbon).
Wanker engineering Wankel rice burners lol
I am a Rotorhead, and it has been my dream to see this bike on your channel. Popping popcorn now!
I sold a brand new one and then ended up owning it it was like a great big two-stroke but it was smoother.. the rotor / engine and transmission could be split from each other and of course the carburetor was really something different
Would a 500cc rotary engine produce more power than a 500cc piston engine?
Short answer yes…long answer no, it all depends on which 500cc piston engine you’re comparing it to , but generally rotary engines are comparable in power to a larger displacement piston engine, but the way a rotary engine fires means the actual displacement is arguably different than the indicated 500cc , to be fair it’s not fair to compare by displacement alone
they just waste too much oil
@@smol.miniatures I rode one for 3 years and I can say that bike in particular was just a cruiser although it wound up really interesting it would not beat the Titan
This has got to be the most interesting motorcycle rescue video ever. Full respect to Max for getting his up and running.
A very dear friend of mine who was a motorcycle mechanic all his life died of cancer in November of 2023. He used to tell stories that these rotary bikes would backfire out the exhaust when out of time, loud enough to wake the dead. He love to ride his and always had a large smile on his face when he talked about his rotary machines!
My condolences
I sold my Mazda Rx2 40 yrs ago to a guy I knew he had an RE5. I remember going up motorway off ramps at night in the Rx2 and backing off from full throttle, flames from the exhausts unburnt fuel would light the road up and creating massive backfires...oh what fun for fellow motorists
@@morris2450 Yep back in the day I had two RX3s, still one of my favorite cars.
Suzuki at the time wouldn't allow disassembly of the engine and had safety wired all bolts ending in a lead safety seal. All engine work had to be done at the factory. We were not allowed to do anything at the dealership. One of my mechanics owned a Re5 and we had to ship it 4 times to suzuki for engine repairs.
Amazing engineering for the time. Great video, brings back memories.
But why? Were they concerned about patent infringing? Or didn't trust the dealerships to work on them?
@@spartanx169xwas just going to ask the same thing
Thats crazy!
@@spartanx169x Well, we're talking early to mid 70's, so early days for rotaries. Mazda was about the only other company with any experience with them, so I imagine Suzuki was leery of letting dealership techs work on them. This isn't that unusual: GM had a similar policy regarding LT5 equipped C4 Corvettes, requiring the engines be shipped to Mercury Marine, who helped design and build them. The bigger question is why didn't they partner with Mazda on this thing to help share the load, these engines were maintenance heavy and I imagine this thing burned through apex seals at an insane rate. I assume Mazda wasn't having their dealers ship their rotaries back to Japan when they needed repairing, maybe to specific service centers in the US. Otherwise, getting into rotary powered bikes in the 1970s looks certifiably insane if you wanted to do it all on your own, especially if you're handling repairs centrally. I imagine the theoretical power output of a 500cc rotary dazzled everyone at Suzuki!!!
Exactly our dealership had to send the engine part directly to Japan and they sent us a new engine part to be bolted on to the customer's bike it had a seal on it
"Maybe we should cover that wire beings we have a fuel leak."
"Oh yeah, that would be bad."
Craig immediately lights the propane torch.
That was great. lol
I met him, after filming with you he came to my shop and bought my 78 gs750. Really nice guy!!
Max was on fire.
Enthusiasm and knowing what you’re doing is always good
I loved my Norton rotary, biggest problem was the seals letting go and losing compression, Norton rebuilt it at their factory in Shenstone. Great to see another rotary still breathing.
My youngest son owned and totalled 2 RX7's he ran 2 stroke oil (premix) for the Seals, I presume ..... crazy little powerhouses 💙
I'd a UK police forces Norton Wankel in the 90s VAs scary fast highly revving engine mine still full police specs parts radio etc had 2 days and owner of a Ducati Monster 900cc perfect I'd tried buying numerous occasions when he offered bike and 10000 pounds he still owns not for sale as has 1 from each decades from 1900s to 90s rotary a and brand new commando
I got my 1988 k100 running. $500 on marketplace, $500 in parts and it fired right up! Never would have attempted it if i hadnt watched every video on this channel
or read the factory service manual?
More videos with max! What a terrific trio you've got going on here!
You mean so much to me craig, starting my first project bike this sunday because of you. To everyone reading this: enjoy the Video and greetings from germany👋
Good luck, and don't forget the magic ingredient: patience! Bike mechanics is great fun.
Awesome, he’s got me wanting an old bike to. I used to like the old Honda cb’s. Wonder if they’re still cheap?
@@jcnpresser I had an eye on those aswell, now i have settled on a suzuki gsx 600 f
Fiel gluck und alles gute! Aus Bulgarien!
Seriously. This episode should win some kind of award. Max is in his element with his head mounted cam. And Craig's self depracating humor is genius.
I've only seen these in magazines. Pretty rare find!
Great video! Some of the reasons the RE5 didn't sell well was its high price and poor gas mileage around 31mpg.
Norton also made a wankel called the
Commander from 1987 to 1992. Some
were used by the London police. These
were twin rotor and had 85 hp.
Thank you Max for your expertise. Thank you Craig, for everything else.
Rode a water buffalo for years. I did ride one of the rotary Suzuki on a test ride once. The thing was smooth as silk all through the rev range. The GT750 pulled harder, but the rotary was just plain smooth. I didn't ride the rotary hard, but the GT750 when pushed revealed the hinge in the middle of the chassis. Lots of memories from this episode. Thanks for inviting us along.
My rotary was smoother the higher you revved it. They weren't powerful for their size yet they handled well and you could ride them all day long.
@@adotintheshark4848 As I said, I test rode the rotary, but I had already bought the Buffalo. There wasn't enough difference for me to trade. I put over 50k miles on the GT750. Sold it to a friend at work. Bought a GS850, eventually hung a sidecar on it, because a friend wouldn't let me ride his BMW with a Steb sidecar. When I got married, traded the rig and a Ford in on a Fiat 124 Spyder so I could talk to my wife while we were riding.
@@arthurjennings5202 the RE5's biggest issue was that complicated Mikuni-Solex carburetor. It's very difficult to get it set right enough where the machine won't hesitate or surge. Another thing with the RE5 was, it is nearly impossible to kick start, though it has a lever. I couldn't do it and my bigger and stronger friends couldn't either!
@@adotintheshark4848 As I said, I tried it, but didn't buy it. I liked the GT750 Water Buffalo I owned.
@@arthurjennings5202 I owned three of those, two '72's and a '74. I liked them better than my RE5 too. I rode the '74 practically till the wheels fell off.
OM gosh I can’t believe that in my 56 years I have never heard of the rotary Suzuki!!! This is amazing. I have owned a 1985 RX7 and the engine is amazing. Can’t wait to watch. More comments at the end. Thanks for the content Craig!!!
Nice to meet you MAX!! Kinda jealous because I want to be Craig’s best friend,,,😢
Look at my Suzuki RE5 M restoration.
All I need in my life is Craig and low buck garage.
Imagine a collab 😂
I'm 69 years old and have only seen two RE-5's in my whole life. One was brand new at a Suzuki dealership in 1975, and in the early 90's I saw a 1976 in mint condition at Mid-Ohio racetrack. The owner had rode it to the event. Keep after it, they are so rare that it is worth restoring. Best of luck Craig!
we had a local shop that raced RE5s. They did well too, the only modification was upgraded shocks and fork springs, and replacing that complicated lump of a carburetor with a Mikuni 40mm motorcycle carb!
I owned two fully restored models the 'M' and the 'A' at the same time not too long ago, very reliable machines and fun to ride. Too many misconceptions regarding these bikes.
I am going to look and see if I can find one for myself. They are out there, just kind of pricey because of the rarity.
@@nitrousninja882 Look at my RE5 M restoration. Better if you find one that runs.
Wow, i used to be an re5 Owner a while back, fun video, i was not expecting the statement at the end that most re5 owners are also jawa owners, because i happen to also own a jawa as well. We just love old school niche motorcycles. Great Video Craig!
Till end of the Year I wanna see the ONE MILLION subs. This content is pure Gold !!!
Stupid
My boss is getting weird that I take a 30 to 40 min toilet break each Friday.
Cute, get to work.
I say it helps build my troubleshooting methodology, so it's a win win. Pushing for the whole team to do a weekly lunch and learn.
I can picture a room full of designers, engineers and fabricators standing at a dry erase board talking about making this bike. The only person missing was the one guy that would ask why.
Why? Because some will and have argued that the rotary engine is a superior design to the standard cylinder/piston design. Mazda has been very successful with theirs.
@@spartanx169x I get that Mazda had some success with the rotary. However, I don't recall seeing a new rotary powered car since the 90's. I owned an RX-7 for about 5 years and I've rebuilt a rotary engine myself so I know a little about it.
@rustycleaver8231 rx8 was the last, 2013, there is a new rotary range extender
It was the seventies. Computers weren't really a thing yet - the only way people had to figure out if a technology had what it took to make it in the market was to throw it at the wall and see if it stuck. "Why?" would be answered with "because it might work!" and nobody would see a problem with the reasoning. I figure at SOME point someone must have looked at the overcomplicated mess this project was becoming and realised it'd never actually sell in significant numbers, but by then it must have had too much inertia to stop.
@@fallingwaterAlmost poetic your answer. Very true, it's why so many weird and whacky things came out during this time
I've been bingning all your videos this week so glad for another!
Max, unique bike, those mugs and all of the fan mail....what a great episode, and shows how much people appreciate Craig!
?
Craig, I have an 85 Deloreon that has some flux capacitor issues. I think it would make a great episode.
I've been working on my 1982 Honda CB900C and all your videos have been a major help! It's super informative watching you work on so many different problems and diagnose them all.
Great wholesome content, much love from the UK guys!
Hey mad props to Max there! He's been a good co-host and mechanic if you ask me. Ask me!
Man I love those verses! I had to show my wife, she makes pottery too. Thank you for sharing!
Yeah!!!! ❤❤❤
🤣🤣 you should name that motorcycle mug 'THE COFFEE RACER' 🤣🤣
I went on early break to watch Craig’s new Video thanks for all you do Craig !!! 🎉
I used to hate cleaning/rebuilding carbs. After going through about 300 carbs, it’s now my favorite part of bringing a bike back.
I taught my son how to. If he wanted to go riding and the bike had set for the winter. He could fix it himself. Later on he made a little money cleaning a few . Something a lot of people have no idea how to.
I'm the opposite. I used to rebuild hundreds of carbs in the 80s and now I hate them. Even more so now since our gas has ethanol in it that destroys them.
@@unsafe_at_any_speed also true
That carburetor looks like it was designed by the Borg
Resistance is futile!
Keep them coming Craig! You absolute legend 😎 wicked burnout by the way I didn't expect that!!
Keep these videos coming. WoW. I miss seeing you in Bikes and Beards, but your channel is the best. Take Care and Ride Safe.
Just fun fact about this “Jawa”. Technically it isn’t Jawa. Manufacturer was Motokov and name this bike in our country (back then Czechoslovakia) was Babetta (the name is from movie Babette goes to war). But for export to western countries for better selling chances they rented name Jawa just for this product. And I realy like how you pronounce JAWA (Janeček Wanderer).
I followed a friend on his RE5 and I've never heard such a strange exhaust note! It's like a cross between a 2 stroke/4 stroke/ turbine noise! Great bikes, but terrible fuel consumption and needs a good understanding of all of the components and ancillaries to keep them running sweet and, yes, those early 'globe' flasher lenses are as rare as rocking horse sh*t.
Have you ever heard an all out race rotary car engine at the drags? Funniest sounding thing ever....
The rotary is like a 2 cycle. Thats one of the reasons why the rotary engines stopped production because of emissions.
Everyone needs a Craig and every Craig needs a Max!
what a treat! Your bike show is amazing. Cant wait for your show to get posted, reminds me when I was a kid waiting for the brady bunch show to come up. lol
Awsome how u keep including fans and friends in your videos. Makes for great banter and content.
Really cool bike and I do remember that no one would buy them off the showroom floor. My mom bought me a Suzuki TS185 when I was in high school in 74 and our Suzuki dealership actually had one for show just to see if anyone would be interested in buying when they received them for stock.
Cool mom! Lol I lived in the Bay Area in the 70's and never saw these!
I never knew Suzuki made a rotary engined bike. WoW.
I imported a RE5 from California to the UK in the 90s, didn't need any work doing to it and totally rust free, but it would only run normal on half choke. If you purchase one of these bikes, compression check with the special tester before you hand over good money.
This was so good, pure bikeporn. You guys made my friday evening. Greetings from the Netherlands!
Awesome video Craig, im glad you gave an update on the gt550. Max is awesome and i hope he gives more updates on the progress. I have a Gt550 parts bike i would give him if he ever came down to Oklahoma.
Yes! New video 👌 keep em coming !
Missed joke opportunity - that motorcycle coffe mug is a picture of a "Cafe" racer
I'll add that on the Etsy listing 😜
Great partnership guys. Love it👏👏
Awesome video, Craig! As always. Great format and content.
Always a fun ride with Craig!!!
One of those few channels where I hit like b4 watching vid 👊.
I hit the like button BEFORE the vids are posted🤣
And Dan too!!!
Hi, Craig don't know if you'll see this but just wanted to say thank you for all the knowledge you provide for us and your passion for motorcycles. I first saw you over on the Bikes and Beards channel some years ago and really enjoyed videos with you in them but Shaun makes some fantastic stuff on his own lets not get this wrong. When I heard you'd created a channel I instantly headed over and have been watching ever since. I've had some troubles over the last several years and I have always wanted to get a motorcycle but your content, Shaun's and Wheels Through Time gave that push to go and sit the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training. A legal requirement before you can ride and motorcycle up to a 125cc, you can take various licenses depending on your age that allows you to ride various cc. A license allows a full unrestricted cc.) I took it a few days ago and passed which I'm over the moon about. I'm looking forward to getting my first motorcycle soon and hopefully on a long journey of motorcycle passion. With the knowledge that you lot have provided me I hope I can provide the best care that any motorcycle deserves. I hugely appreciate you and Dan and I look forward to upcoming content. Hope life is treating you well and all the best, cheers.
good job guy, perfect time to be riding! good luck on the bike hunt, allways do your own visual inspection on a bike before ya part with ya wedge
my first video I've watched, and what struck me was how little mechanics this guy knows, nor electrics, nor anything really. I guess he just guests actual people with knowledge and skills and people don't notice what actually happened....
Nice detailed video Craig! I've worked on just about everything with 2 wheels.. *except one of THESE!* I've always been curious to see the inner workings of the Suzuki Rotary RE-5, so this is a real treat for me! It almost looks like they used 1/2 of a Mazda RX-2 carb on those, since the RX-2 had a 4 bbl. from the factory. I'm thinking you probably have a stuck thermostat rather than coolant getting into the rotor housing, or it would probably be throwing a bunch of white smoke. Anyway, good to see it actually running again. Max is pretty knowledgeable on these. Good guy to have around if you're going to get into it further.😉👍👍
Craig by himself is great, Dan and Max are excellent additions! Such great content you guys keep it up I really look forward to these videos!
Love the shot Dan where Max and Craig are wiggling the loom and the rear light is flashing on and off! @34:10
Love this channel!
This is such a cool bike and two of them! Thank you for another cool video. It's going to be a great weekend. Those coffee cups are super cool also. Craig and Dan you rock!! ❤🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Been here 2 weeks and love the content. As an ex Mazda car mechanic, seeing bikes is a real treat!
I remember this bike being released. Even then it was clear that Suzuki had taken the simplest internal combustion engine with so few moving parts and created a ludicrously complex leviathan. Even the dash cover stuck down on the press bike. Such a shame.
The Wankel is one of those ideas that looks good on paper, but is actually deeply flawed and difficult to implement.
Motorcycle shop near had one of these in the shop. It had 1 mile on it. Back in the day the dealership had to cannibalize some parts off of it to repair customers bikes.
Hey guys....really enjoy your videos and the energy that you guys have ...no stress and loads of learning fun 😊
Another great show ! I love how you just fix any brand and any model !
Thanks craig for new video ..
Running is one thing running well is another.
Great video
Nice to see this bike up and running
Keep working on it please
Let's see it finished
You guy's shuld team up awsome Content Max seems like an cool dude.
This video encapsulates the fun/misery of vintage bike ownership.
*and* rotary ownership 🥲
(2x second gen RX-7 owner)
I was about to go to bed but i guess im not now.
Love to see you work on bikes! I have been working on my Dyna a lot latelly. If I only I had you around to pick your brains.
those coffee mugs are cool. Hot Pursuit with Jon Cusac comes to mind.
Let’s gooooo!!
Sweet
I wish I had discovered this channel sooner, the last few vids have been great!
cool channel Craig, keep up the good work
You missed the coffee mug - coffee bike Dad joke.... it's a Cafe racer... a coffee racer. (Cafe is Coffee in french)
1st
Watching from Germany and just enjoying it! “
Keep on going Craig :)
And extra for you guys „das ist gut, ja!
I really enjoyed this episode, I think Max might be my new favourite person on UA-cam, you definitely need more episodes guest starring Max in the future 👌🏽
This was fun to watch. Thank you!
I love the videos and am so glad you’re making more and getting more popular. With that said, please do something about the quiet dialog, when I turn it up enough to hear what you guys are saying the music is ridiculously loud for 3 seconds and then back to quiet again. That and all the fake video cuts make it hard to watch. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Absolutely LOVED my 76 RE5 - was a magnificent piece of engineering and an outstanding riding experience
Love Max's knowledge and attitude. Top guy! BTW Craig, your glasses need adjusting properly so you don't need to keep pushing them up all the time buddy
Nothing beats finding yourself a new friend thats on your level. I know nothing about bikes but loved this vid
What an awesome bike, and rotary engine too! Great collab video! :) Can't wait for more!
When cleaned up and shiny if you love engine are those are the most beautiful conglomeration of course I sold a few new and I owned one
The on the GS 750 the o-ring chains that you're on those bikes we're horribly noisy
I absolutely love craig and this channel. What a genuine good man!!!!
This is hilarious I never thought I would find someone more excited to fix a bike than Craig.
Max "loves" his job lol. Great video as usual!
I need one of these bikes! Awesome videos craig!
That test against the table (before proclaimed "It's runnin good") is how I always imagine the garage test my car after service. Perfect!
i love seeing these vids with a different kind of motor. the diesel was great and so was this rotary. interesting stuff. would love to see a teardown vid of the motors
Please I need as many detailed videos of how to work on this bike! This is so awesome you are showing this to a larger audience. My Re5 is posted on my account if you want to see it run. More videos soon because everyone on my Instagram is asking.
I think Dan deserves one of the coffee mugs you got.
Great video but the sound was quieter than normal, i had to increase volume to hear you guys as always in the other videos. Have a great day, cheers from Chile
Brilliant video thank you very much..good luck
Awesome video Craig, Dan and Max, very cool/ rare Re5, great to hear it running again 😀👍👍
I remember seeing one of these on the road back when they came out. My biker buddies thought they were a bit strange/unconventional. Don't remember hearing about issues but you've got to have buyers good or bad. I think they were basically dead in the market before hitting the showroom floors.
Glad to see you on the hunt for rare and unusual. Another good one here. Cheers. 👍
Yeah, to go for a wankle-engine, was a though decision back then, but like other concepts - you always will meet someone loving it.!
@@gorgon9786 Some folks just have to have the latest conversation piece or really are fans of technology. Especially when they think it may be the next great thing and it'll make them feel like forward-thinking pioneers, lol. Early buyers of teslas - much the same kind of person. Cheers.
@@jimp.7286- absolutely true.. - Cheers.
Great video! I love how you gave Max a Vessel JIS (not Phillips!!!) screwdriver!
Wonderful to see the carb being disassembled! I owned an RE5 in Hamilton NZ in the 80's but never touched the carb as they are so complicated to tune. A lot of RE5's were later fitted with NSU carbs, but they never ran as well. The guy who owned my bike after me let the injector tank run dry and blew the rotor seals. The bike is now in Southwards Museum, but I don't think they ever got it running again. BTW, my bike was rebuilt after being dropped off a cliff by the previous owner and was painted yellow and black, which was the colour of the pre-production prototypes even though it was a production bike. The biggest problem I had with it was replacing the side covers and RE5 badges after scumbags frequently prized them off for souvenirs. In the end I didn't replace them until I sold the bike.