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Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:25 pm
by rodbargee
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:30 pm
by rodbargee
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:31 pm
by rodbargee
non runner for years but why was it abandoned?...... front brakes still work but have not attempted to start it.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:37 am
by Tricky
You've acquired some very interesting and cool bikes recently old boy- will be watching this one with interest
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:50 am
by Dodgy69
Not seen that colour. I knew a lad who had a couple of blue ones. Good investment I reckon.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:35 am
by 636mick
Does the speedo binnacle still do it’s thing??
I had a couple of Kettles around the time these were out, like you said a lot of GT parts on them. A mate had one in, I think, red, looked lovely!
Watching this.
Ta
Mick
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:39 am
by rodbargee
Engine out what ever as the frame will benefit from re-coating someone says the best way to take it out is to put the bike on its side!.. I guess we'll find out. one exhaust is really good the others possibly recoverable aalso the back mud guards bent at the fixing point so may straighten god knows what the engine holds we do wonder why it was abandoned... The binacle pops open when using the key so far. Haven't noticed anything else apart from New chain and sprockets !!
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:40 am
by KungFooBob
Back in the 90's and early 00's Cusworths in Docaster had a blue one of these upstairs in the main showroom, it was there forever!
There was a one way system if you went upstairs so you had to pass it every time you went in.
I wonder what happened to it when they closed down?
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:37 am
by Le_Fromage_Grande
Good luck, an interesting bike to restore, engine parts are going to be a challenge to find.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:23 am
by rodbargee
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:37 am
Good luck, an interesting bike to restore, engine parts are going to be a challenge to find.
I think most re5 bits will be a struggle. Stuff on US bay, but they want to have your eyes out for anything.
Trying Crooks in cumbria who have s lot of vintage Suzuki stuff and a good rep.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:49 am
by Le_Fromage_Grande
Try Robinsons Suzuki, they've got a lot of old stock and are helpful, I know someone who has restored a few Suzuki GTs who might be able to help sourcing parts, VJMC may be able to help but the membership is a rip off.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:17 pm
by ogri
Total loss oil system as used to lubricate the rotor tips if i remember correctly, rotors tips need changing, instead of pistion rings but more often.
Viable as a race bike for triumph, and they sounded lush when racing, but can be a money pit for private use.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:45 pm
by David
Is that a supercharger under the carb?
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:06 pm
by Hairybiker84
Had one in the early 80's, loved it. Always created a scene wherever I went, possibly due to the clouds of smoke from the exhaust due to the over enthusiastic chain oiler! Double skinned exhausts with little intake grille at the front, allegedly due to the exhausts getting so hot.
Only recently got rid of an original compression tester c/w thermal paper print-out.
I'll try and find the details of the guy that had it off me as he had some assorted bits including a rotor unit.
Large taper-seat spark plugs originally but there was someone making adapters to take a standard plug.
Obviously the colour isn't original, they only came in red or blue for the mk1's (if I recall correctly) and the fuel filler cover would have been black.
Mine had to be completely rebuilt after a bit of a mishap!
- DSC_0239.JPG (1.85 MiB) Viewed 1209 times
Look what I found in the bookcase!
- IMG_20210721_125647.jpg (657.99 KiB) Viewed 1209 times
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:17 pm
by Horse
ogri wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:17 pm
Viable as a race bike for triumph, and they sounded lush when racing, but can be a money pit for private use.
Norton
The F1 road bike was loosely based on it, with the Commander (?) tourer (mainly sold to police and RAC.
And only viable for racing due to how the cc of a rotary is calculated.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:38 pm
by Le_Fromage_Grande
I've ridden a Norton F1 road bike, I think they cost £20K new, and this one was pretty new, it was in 1991, I was buying my first GSXR750 from a garage, he also had an F1 and asked if I wanted a go on it, so I did, my memory of it is that it was slower than the 1985 GSXR I bought off him.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:47 pm
by Hairybiker84
Doesn't time fly? The bits were sold in 2015 through a contact in
https://re5rotary.proboards.com/, user name 'raychappo'. He seemed to know a fair bit about them.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:21 pm
by Skub
That's a rare old thing,even back in the day they were never plentiful. Good luck with the rebuild,I'll be watching this for sure.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:34 pm
by rodbargee
Hairybiker84 wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:06 pm
Had one in the early 80's, loved it. Always created a scene wherever I went, possibly due to the clouds of smoke from the exhaust due to the over enthusiastic chain oiler! Double skinned exhausts with little intake grille at the front, allegedly due to the exhausts getting so hot.
Only recently got rid of an original compression tester c/w thermal paper print-out.
I'll try and find the details of the guy that had it off me as he had some assorted bits including a rotor unit.
Large taper-seat spark plugs originally but there was someone making adapters to take a standard plug.
Obviously the colour isn't original, they only came in red or blue for the mk1's (if I recall correctly) and the fuel filler cover would have been black.
Mine had to be completely rebuilt after a bit of a mishap!
DSC_0239.JPG
Look what I found in the bookcase!
IMG_20210721_125647.jpg
would Sir consider re-homing the manual for a suitable consideration.
Re: Re5 Suzuki rotary project bike
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:40 pm
by Horse
Skub wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:21 pm
That's a rare old thing,even back in the day they were never plentiful.
Don't think I've ever seen (or heard) one running. That said, the DKW was even rarer.
