Suzuki RG500 - 570cc Mark Dent built engine conversion running Jim Lomas stainless pipes
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- What a truly special day - Riding an RG500 that has been upgraded with a full host of goodies. This example started life as an RG400 but over time evolved to the 500cc & finally the 570cc conversion. unfortunately due to an electrical issue we had to cut the filming short but I hope to be given the opportunity to put together a full feature once this awesome bike is back to full health.
As a teenager in the 80's I went through all the Yamaha LC's but just didn't like the feel of the RD500 on a test ride. I took an RG500 for a ride , fell in love with it immediately and bought it on the spot. It's 2023 and it's still mine , it has Swarbrick pipes on it and I will never , NEVER , sell it. I've owned many "superbikes" over the years , but my RG means more to me than I can put into words. It now has 31,000 miles on the clock. Sometimes I just sit and look at it , I'm very lucky.
Do you have to do a lot of top end work to the bike similar to dirt bikes.
@@Dairy6 Nearly all my Yamaha bikes had a ton of work done on the top end , it's not really necessary though. My RG is standard apart from the pipes and plenty fast enough. Road bikes don't need the lethal powerband of dirt bikes , inmy opinion.
The Gamma Is legendary.. Suzuki deserves props for building such a faithful repli-racer. If they hadn't limited production, I bet that we'd still see gangs of riders still buzzing around on their 30+ year-old Gamma's. If I had my wish, I'd go back in time and buy the sweet green & white Skoal version that stayed on display, for over a month, in the front window of our town's little import shop. After it got picked up, I never saw anything like it again
😎
my uncle had a 1986 RG500. Super sound but even better..... the smell of 2stroke fuel fantastic!!
It's a real shame all the 2strokes are gone😭😭
There is no better smell than Castrol fully synthetic 2 stroke oil burning out of the expansion pipes :) real shame indeed but with emissions as tight as the are I doubt we will ever see them for sale new again.
it's because of all the global Warming hoax otherwise 2 stokes would be still in production
Danny van Veldhoven 2 stroke is only coming back lol its not Gone at all.
The Chinese were probably our last hope of making a sports 2-stroke, but looks like that hope is pretty much dead now.
^ lol chinese making a good sports 2t bike (or any other)
The 2 stroke era ... best times ever
Oil burning
Its back!
Apart from kick-starting on a very cold morning and it's your only mode of transport.... I would NEVER return to that lifestyle.
Yes, frostbite on knees. Stupid kid, miss that thing.
Yup..I haven't bothered to watch GP since..
hitting the power band on a 2 stroke is one of the best things you can do , lovely bike -like the rear camera angle reminds me of sitting rearward as a pillion on my mates Rg125 lol
Thanks, we've got some great 2 stroke video's planned this year and some new cameras/ angles to play with :)
lol.we did that when was 17 or 18,my mates had 125s i had a rg250
I had one of those.. I can vividly remember riding it away from the Tuners after I passed my test and got it de-restricted... WOW!!!!
Dont forget the RD500.same age but even more rare now.Saw one in malbro colours destroyed on the M4/A4 chiswick flyover many years ago on the way back from heston services.We were only drooling over it at the services (used to be a bike hangout after chelsea bridge every friday night) It had very low miles and was mint.1/2hr later bike and rider destroyed.You could see where he bottled out on the bend in the road mounted the kirb over the grass wheels locked up into the railings.With it having low miles i very much doubt he was used to riding it.cost him his life.On a plus note his loss maybe saved one of us that night.we road home slowley after that.wake up call.Brings you down a few pegs.not a bad thing for a biker.Ride safe .
Heard many stories of the Chelsa bridge hang out, seems I missed that scene by a few years ☹️
If some one wants to let me try an RD500 I would be more than happy to review it 😁
My friend´s brother had one in the early 90´s, they lived very near us and i remember how loud that thing sounded since he was a total nutcase when driving..:) RG 500 was always my favourite but sadly i never had one..:( greetings from Finland..!
I got me one of these road registered but with standard bore motor. It brings a smile to my face every time I ride it
+Heimdall Asgard its hard to find a feeling better than a 2 stroke power valve opening on full throttle 😎
Can almost taste it, you gotta watch the cambers though, steering becomes a problem on the power when the road drops away and the front wheels in the air, best handling bike I've ever ridden and the most exciting! Great stuff brings back many memories!
i can smell the 2 stroke exhaust from Kittygystan!
An RG500 passing a petrol station
bet thats a rare thing lol
😂
That was 4:02 minutes of goosebumps!!! Epic and I do mean epic sounding bike. SO good to see and more so hear it ridden, not tucked away in a collection under 40 layers of polish. Excellent and I thank you for sharing this.
Your welcome & i'm glad you enjoyed the video - plenty more 2 stroke action planned this summer
Sounds sweet on the pipes,had loads of two strokes mostly 250s rs,rgv,tzr, worst regret selling the Aprilia rs 250 ,4strokes just don't have that buzz at 8000rpm.
The smell & powerband 🤤
@@stoneautomotive mmmmmm Castrol R
My dad had a tzr 250 and rgv 250. ..when he got them I was like wtf have you got these for (because he always had big 4 strokes) he said trust me these little things fly ....so I went on the back of him on the tzr ...I was shocked at how quick and hard they accelerated for a quarter litre bike ....I was 16 at the time and he gave me a go of the tzr ....jeez I opened it up on a straight and the little thing was savage .....they used to eat 100 mph ....my dad used to have the tzr reading 125 on the clock he said
Cbr250rr idles at 8000rpm
That's a noise that brings back some memories!! Love the insane powerband!!
I worked all winter in Logging camp in northern B.C. to save up for my RG and bought it from the dealer in Prince George. As soon as I heard it I swear I could smell that sweet exhaust !!! Cool to see this one running so nice and strong!!!
Hope you still have it , haven't seen any here in Vancouver, barely see any two strokes .
@@dilsher12 Nope, don't have it any more. I "imported " it to the US by bringing it down piece by piece, the I sold it to a guy here in eastern Washington state and he ended up flipping it over backwards before he even got it licensed. He still has it so if you know of anyone looking for a rebuilder I could put them in touch with him!!
You have me to thank for those pipes. It was my RG that was used to make the jig up. I got a free set from Jim and spent some time at his workshop. One of the plus sides of having a Czech bird 😁
That’s cool! They looked/ sounded fantastic, if you’ve watched the TDR250 video on the channel you will see another 570 build is currently underway 😎
God this takes me back. I had the privilege of owning the Alan Maple RG special, no lights, racing ignition, carbs etc it was like everyone else was going backwards when opened up on the motorway.
😎
That sound gave me goosebumps love it.
I knew a fellow who owned one of those (actually 2 of them) back in the 80s. He was racing it so he bought the second one for parts. He let me take it for a ride and it's one of the best riding experiences I've ever had. Enjoyed it very much. He raced me on my Hurricane 1000 which was the fastest bike of that time and he was pulling up beside me at the end of the run. Very fast bikes.
Hurricane 1000 wtf is one of those?🤣
Think cbr1000f was the hurricane bit of a limited edition bike but people called the gpz 1000 sometimes too .
2 Strokes...what a beauty! My Gilera (2 strokes) 50cc in the early '90s came original with 3 gears and couldn't go faster than 40 km/h...BUT...the same engine was used by Gilera on 'track' (competition) models and therefore was equipable with a 4th gear and 'ublocked' it reached 80 km/h+...just add a Giannelli exhaust, and it was perfect...the issues started with the switch to unleaded fuel and the ban on "mixed" 2T fuel from the petrol stations, since my early '90s 50cc wasn't equipped with a fuel/oil self-mixer, and Dell'orto came out with a leaded to unleaded fuel 'adaptation kit' for my carburetor after many years...after that all of my bright t-shirts had a permanent oily 'starry sky' at the back... 😂
Was it a gilera bullit? One of my dream mopeds since i was a child. Almost impossible to find one here in sweden.
I am now 75½ and still love Skiing, but tend to choose the Blue & Red Runs only, and let my Son who is an absolutely Brilliant Skier do the others.
I have achieved the Black Schilthorn run in 1989 my ambition, and timed at 62 mph on the 'flying kilometer' run at Zermatt. Felt Hell of a speed on Ski's when I came to stop !
You guessed correctly I have been a bit of a 'speed freak' and can also chalk up a 22.3 minute lap of the Isle of Man on my RG500 - 1989 one of the last made (have video & roads open with speed restrictions in many parts)
Tending to 'roll back a bit' now & have a very safe car B200 Cdi Sport AMG, but can't resist giving it a bit, and last year did 135mph (Sat Nav) near München, on Autobahn, 141 on speedo on the way to Saalbach.
I love Speed, either on the road, Race tracks or Skiing if safe.
Live life to the full, only one moment I really regret - on RG500 after Cronk-y-Voddy straight there is a right turn, and had been watching the TT Race that day and thought I could do that at 120mph - wrong 150 ft skid mark, but got away with it. I did another Lap, stopped, and went back and measured the black line from my rear tyre. Front brake 260mm Twin Disc Sintered Calipers. not enough and used rear brake as well, no weight on rear, result skid.
Great Bike and the Sound to Die for "The Devil Made Me Do it"
500cc was more than enough for me and many unintended Wheelies when it hit 7000 rpm and things really started to happen. Best Bike I ever owned, and have had many in my time. Minus points Horrible MPG & Oil Consumption. Sorry for Causing Global Warming. (Not A Lot)
I'm a fellow lover of the snow/winter sport hobbies! Rumour is the owner of this RG500 maybe taking back out on the road next year 👌
Good Luck with that and keep us posted ✔
Happy 80th burfdae amigo!
Nothing beats the sound of a 2 stroke hitting the powerband.grin factor 11.
If you enjoyed that you should see the Grom 2 stroke build engine swap on the channel 😬
My brother inlaw imported this same bike and had it rebuilt and modified. It had a power band like a light switch, most violent machine I have ever ridden!
Certainly don’t find bikes like this any more 👍
Your crew should be following along behind, handing out "I was passed by an RG500!" t-shirts to those you overtook. I know I'd be thrilled and honored to have one!
This comment has made my day 😂
What a beautiful machine! It would be a dream for me to ride one of these, Definitely on my "bucket list"! They never sold these in the US, They were available in Canada and some of them made there way down here.
Same for me, always wanted to tick riding one off the list, happy to say it didn't disappoint :)
Only ever owned four stoke bike ..the Yamaha TT 600 .. rode that across Australia .. All my other bikes were two-stroke bikes .. including the RG 500, that I bought new in 1987 ..
omg the sound this thing makes when it hits the powerband...i think its deeper then the RD500
Will you listen to that!!! We’ll never see these type of machines again ☹️
Nice to see someone who knows how to ride it.
Thanks 👌
Keeping it nicely on the pipe....
If I ever see bikes like this on the road in my rear view mirror, I pull to the side and let them pass just so I can see it overtake me. Some bikes I only read about in books and magazines makes me happy to see them on the road.
😎
two stroke is a real racing engine
Agreed :)
Ever seen one at "FULL CHAT" at Isle of Man - Mike Hailwood in 1979 in the Senior TT, and I was there!
Not how the story was supposed to end -:
It was raining in Warwickshire on the evening of March 23, 1981. That night, Mike left his house, driving his Rover car, to pick up an order of fish and chips. He smashed into a truck making a U-turn. Imagine Mike the Bike, of all people, dying in such a banal traffic accident.
I met Mike on a number of occasions, notably at Mallory Park in 1961/2 Race of the Champions when he invited me to have a few laps of circuit and join him and Kenny Ball and his Jazzman's afterwards.
@@johngreen2908 Back to school for you mate...
Right👍👍👍
I was lucky enough to buy one back in 1987. Unfortunately I clipped the back of a Citroen 2CV on the way to Le Mans. .. broke my leg in half .. that’s fine I ended up still riding the rg with a broken leg and a crutch strapped to the side of the bike ..epic bike …
Ouch, well done for carrying on 😅👍
Scenic memories. Used to work in loomies when it was still a little chef and I lived in whitehill for 10-11 years.
I didn’t know it used to be a little chef 😮
@@stoneautomotive yeah it was still a little chef when i worked there in the 90s, I guess they bought the site out when little chef went out of business.
As a ex east Grinstead top of the town Kawasaki triple owner, what a truly fantastic motorcycle you have too enjoy.
Thanks Mark 😎
If you ever want to talk to someone about motorcycles , Mark Scott he has a UA-cam channel ( singing), east Grinstead West Sussex was a massive motorcycle town, EG it has always been cool, with roads to make owning a motorcycle amazing. Plenty of ex rg owners in EG.
Stunning i rode suzuki X5s and X7s then the mighty yam RD 350LC back in the mid 80s been into bikes my whole life and been lucky enough to own most of the bikes i fancied over the years but without a doubt the 2 stroke rip and smell is something only a true petrol head can appreciate and sadly we dont see many around now even moto x is mainly 4 stroke now great video it put a smile on my face brought back memories cheers
I wanted one these when I was seventeen. Lovely bike.
Martin Willis yeh me too, it’s probably a good thing I couldn’t afford one.
its never too late to get one amigo!
@@fidelcatsro6948 I could not afford one back then and I can't afford one now. Life sucks! 😀
@@martinwillis9601 yoy need to move to Cuba.. Capitalism doesnt work
drooling at the 600cc 2 stroke prowess...
I owned an RG and it was an awesome machine and regret selling it to this day.
Wonderful things 😎
That’s nicely setup, a glorious noise as it really gets in to its stride. So sad what we have now :(
Such a shame the roads are not blessed with these machines now days ☹️
I remember standing outside Pages of Edinburgh in the mid eighties watching one of these arrive. stunning in the flesh. the daze..
Certainly a rare sight to see on the roads now days with the harsh emission regulations sadly
Damn!! I really want that bike... what a lucky person you are
:(
If it makes you feel any better I don't own it, just very lucky to have a friend who's willing to let me ride it like they should be used :)
That still indeed very lucky, can ride that wicked bike...
T_T
My fathers friend has the rg400 tucked in the storage for almost 20 years it's sitting there getting dust ( that bike was owned by my father) Michael love from Greece
Two simple words: just beautiful.
The Meon Valley is such a beautiful bit of road.
I had a 400 , always eager to Rev 👌🏻😎
Still have my RS250 - still equally as much fun 😎
Closest thing to a Moto Gp experience you can get on the road !!
Agreed 😎
WHAT A BIKE !!! I play with this Bike in Ride 4 and I Absolutely love !
Need to try Ride 4! I can let you all know how accurate it is 😅
The RG 500 is beautiful! I'm a fan of 2T, even if they pollute a lot! I like all the bikes, but overall the enduro bikes, of course, 2T and I have a Yamaha WR 250 2T of 1992, very well kept!!! 2T forever!
I remember WAY back, when the Kawasaki 500s came out. Used to love using full throttle in 1st gear at around 2,500-3,000 RPM. It would just moan loudly, and hardly accelerate. Until around 4,000-4,500 RPM. At that point, it came on the pipe, and all Hell broke loose!! If you just sat there in the same position, it would pick the front wheel off the ground, higher and higher, and would eventually flip over backwards, if you didn't change body/throttle position!! Fastest straight line street 500 ever made, until maybe the 90s, or MY 2000-up.......
The good old days 😎 hopefully one day UA-cam will allow me to pilot a Suter MMX500 🤤
I went to buy one of these from Slipstream in Hildenborough then some turd broke into the shop, stole it & trashed it. Never got round to buying another sadly, such a great sound. I miss 500GP's too :(
Had a RD 400. Done up. Sweet sound. Wheelie on demand. Whole town loved or hated that bike
Yep it’s certainly a love or hate reaction with 2-strokes, can’t say I’ve met any one that doesn’t like the smell though 😎
Appreciate the two stroke therapy during this ridiculous pandemic stay safe🇺🇸🏍👍
More 2-stroke action coming to the channel soon 👍
Great video, thanks for posting. Several years ago I had a gorgeous Walter Wolf RG500 show bike. Like an idiot, I sold it. IDIOT ! I've owned 55 motorcycles in my many years and that one was my favorite bike. It had a special wild personality that if you could tame it, it rewarded you with a sensational ride.
Me too. Really liked the silky engine and my most comfortable bike..much better than my GS1150
Recognise these roads
Lovely bike
I’m on the look out for one as we speak
Awesome thing, you won’t be disappointed 😎
@@stoneautomotive
I live in Southampton
Few on eBay but want the best I can find .
Steering damper = very necessary
I agree got one fitted to mine asap. Worked well, especially at Cadwell Park and Isle of Man.
The Gamma was a great bike. It's only flaw was the poultry 1.5 liters of oil in the gear box that, on the race track, could lead to over heating and crank case/gear box failure. I raced against them on my Yamaha RZ 500 and found the Suzuki hard to keep up with as it was lighter and more agile but not as robust as the Yamaha.
Alex G. 🤓
Not something 99% of these shall ever suffer due to sat in collectors garages/ houses now days ☹️
Can’t say I noticed these issues on the road but obviously pushed no where near as hard as you would on track
Use to love riding my mates rg500 and he'd ride my ns400. The felt so much better to ride but the rg pulled much fiercer. Have a slabby 750 now and an rg 250 mk1. Hopefully ill be riding the rg to loomies next spring.
Loomies is on the map for me next year too (I used to visit there often on my GSXR 600) Once I'm finally set up on facebook you'll have to keep an eye out as we're planning a 2 stroke ride out there so bring the RG250! (should be an RS250, TDR250, RG500 & NSR250)
I don't do facebook. But i'll keep you posted on when the rg is on the road
It's ready for MOT at last, got to wait till lockdowns over now. ua-cam.com/video/q9Vj-TN1Soo/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/7FeVIg2P1x8/v-deo.html
That thing on song sounds amazing 🤩
Oh god now I have to explain why my trousers are all sticky to my boss.... fantastic bike with an incredible sound :D
Thanks, even more fun to ride than watching the video ;)
R u and ur boss so close that he can tell if your trousers are a bit sticky? Bit gay that? Do u work in a gay bar??
Hellfire!
It sounds the biz..
Hellfire!
It sounds the biz..
What a beautiful noise. Gotta love a 2 stroke
😎
@@stoneautomotive I had a Walter Wolf replica version in Canada. Same except colours.
Two things surprised me : a silky smooth engine and surprisingly comfortable with good seat and riding position.
When it come on the pipe it sounds awesome!
Agreed 😎
That bike looks fast! It brings back so many memories for me seeing this video
+z y glad to hear you enjoyed it 😁
I just love this video. I really feel like I am riding this bike. Granted it is more powerful than the small two strokes I used to ride but the camera work brings back all those wonderful feelings. Thanks so much.
+smitajky glad you enjoyed 😉 stay tuned as we shall have more later this year 👍
The best sounding bike made..👌👌
Sounds even better in person :)
Ring ting ting ting,then you hit the power band and KAPOW!!!! Lovely
I couldnt imagine riding that thing an not being ear to ear grinning!
It is certainly something special 👌
@@stoneautomotive after riding my 94 fzr600 and then riding my friends ninja 400, the only redeeming qaulity that thing had was that it was leighter and lower. No soul on these newer bikes
Sadly the way with most of the new cars & bikes ☹️
Love my 748SP with that respect as it has so much character 😎
Pushing it a bit 500cc was more than enough, if handled right - do not exceed 11,500 RPM and make sure right oil : I generally use
Motul 710 2T Engine Oil
Fully synthetic, but Castrol R is ok and smells great to those following, might be illegal in certain countries.
Agree, I have plenty of fun on my RS250 on the UK roads... you can't beat the sound of 4 expansion chambers doing there thing at once though 😎 I wouldn't use anything other than premium brand 2 stroke oil (normally the Castrol 2T racing stuff)
80's bikes are the best!
What a bike. I had the 250 mk3 version. Rising in value all the time
The motorcycle 2 stroke scene has gone nuts value wise!
This is an epic video the camera angle, sound and the lovely bike. Keep it up mate.
Thanks Daniel - one of the first videos, check out the TDR250 if you want to see how the audio has improved on the latest videos 👌
Questa non era certo una moto per principianti. Complimenti, bel video!
Thanks :) (with the help of google translate)
Powervalves kick in about 5700 revs, real power then. Noticed you've put on a steering damper, so had I, like the GSXR750- and 1000 at that time the frames where hopelessly unstable, a weave started at 160 km/h gradually increasing with speed.
Agree, the engine was incredible but the rest felt very dated..
If you’ve seen the end of the TDR250 video on the channel we have a new 570 being built 👀
I owned a seriously tuned KH250 S1 , no power below 6K at 7K all hell broke lose .. 2 strokes , the sound and the smoke ;-)
Working for the power is not ideal for daily/ commuter but as a weekend toy you can't beat it 😎
LOVE THE BIKE MATE SOUNDS BLOODY GREAT TOO
Thank you :)
Owned 3 of these beauties, broke them all.
2 stroke life sadly lol...
Stone Automotive i know, absolutely loved them.
i rode one years ago real handful size of a moped and superbike power and performance ,not my thing but glad i had a go .
Out of all the bikes ever made, this to me was the one, it would bring the devil out in anyone, it's just a mad hatters bike, hooligan tool:)
Haha indeed 😅😈
I don't have the funds for an RG, but I do possess two Yamaha RZ 350's ! Same crazy feeling.
Still good fun I’m sure 😎
I've had two them...what days!
Awesome 😎 if you’ve seen the latest TDR250 video on the channel at the end I provide a sneak preview into the owners new 570cc road registered gp replica build - coming soon to the channel 😁
Rode the rg 500 and 400 back in the day and they were awesome , also rode the rd 500 and the ns400 too. For me personally I found both the rg 400 and ns 400 to be much better than the rd 500 😎
What a time to be alive 😎👌
*_"The Devil Made me do it"_** is the only plausible explanation I can offer to the Magistrates Court.*
😂
Hand the Judge the keys and see if he can ride it slowly.... double or quits?
@@JETJOOBOY
That bike sounds utterly fantastic
😎
Rode mine (E767 GTW is it still out there?) to 94 Donington GP. Must have thought I was immortal on way home, still amazed I survived my 20’s.
Think the same thing some times 😂
I had an rg125 when I was 17 I'm 45 now.
2stroke riders just know' if you've never ridden 1 well you just dont know! LOL 👊✊👊✊💨
Agreed 👌
100% True
Beautiful video, wonderful motorcycle, I love 2T, I have 3 Yamaha models here in Brazil, congratulations, the road is also very beautiful.
Thank you :)
2 stroke old skool legend
😎
Those were the days ! never to be repeated .
What a beautiful bike. And the sound!!!!!!
I love the smell of belray in the morning
I prefer Golden Spectro
I use top of the line castrol or motul 710 for my premix
Kudos mate, watched again again for nostalgia miss my kr1s.
Glad you enjoyed, certainly great fun to ride 👌 hopefully be digging the RS250 out of storage soon
The Blue haze lives on, my smoke alarm has just gone off.
Absolutely lethal, just the way I like it!
😎
Braaaringadingding...
Lovely bike Mate 👍
Thanks 😊
The hills are alive to the sound of music... 💃
Agreed, not sure if the locals would agree but we were happy 😁
Love this bike, what a beauty.... Thats local to me too...if I saw a gamma5 on the road now I think id crash. Amazing.
She has now gone into storage due to the value.. Unlikely to be seen on the Loomies roads again :(
What a bike ! what a sound !
500cc Grand Prix Motor?
NAH.. not big enough.. lets add nearly another 15% displacement..
How does that run & sound so perfect?! what a Beauty
Does sound great, the owner/ my friend is currently building something pretty special with a new RG570 lump 👀
Top bike ☢️🔝
These have leapt up in price. It's now September 2023. Just a couple of years ago they were going for about £8k. They're now listed on eBay for £19k to £22k, and I understood one just sold for £31k 😮
Yep I’ve been following them too, crazy prices these days
Some of these 500 cc 2strokes can be tuned up to 200BHP would like to see a 200BHP 2T racing a gsxr 600 or a R6 both great bikes as well
Hey man I had an rs250 I bet this thing feels insane in the powerband
Noticeably faster but the RS250 come’s on like a banshee, very aggressive 😈
Had both 😅
Suzuki definitely built the fastest 2 stroke you could buy, the rd500 was a nice ride, but the biggest gamma was more fun ! This one is a beauty 👍
Shame we rarely hear/ see this sort of thing on the road nowadays 😭
Would like a shot of a big bore rg500 or big bore rd500 but would love a shot of the tuned nsr 500 with over 200 BHP
Need more videos of these RG please 👍👍👍