Rotary bike purchase. Simplest bike the most complicated!

[Grindle]

I have treated myself to a 1976 Suzuki RE5 Rotary, a fully restored bike and the handbook says it's just got 3 moving parts for simplicity. It uses a lot of GT750 (Kettle) parts like clocks and forks and wheels etc., by the look of it.
But it has FIVE throttle cables, a massively complicated cooling system, an amazingly complex fuelling system and even the exhausts have to be cooled with internal vents as they run so hot. No wonder Suzuki gave up on these quickly!
But the SOUND is unique. A fussy starter, it sounds like a Norton twin at low revs and then spins to a smooth scream higher up.
This one is a keeper as it's so different even though it's a bad-tempered old sod.
It's also hideously expensive to run for a bike. About 22 mpg i am getting. Then there is total loss 2-stroke-style oil to keep topping up, plus it uses some of it's conventional engine oil, oh and yes it has a third oil for the gearbox which needs changing a lot for some reason.
Simple? They are having a laugh. Well the 3 moving parts bit sounds simple i guess.

[dern]

Sounds cool, got any more pictures/info?

Love rotary engines in cars, never ridden a rotary bike. On our 3rd rx8 and got rid of a kit car with an rx7 turbo engine in it a couple of years ago. Not the easiest things to live with but there's something about them.

[Krikkit]

Pictures please! Obviously not gonna happen if it's a runner, but would love to see one of these torn down...

5 throttle cables

[gareth_r]

The RE5 was renowned for being over-complicated and heavy.

The original did have an automatic flip-up cover over the instruments, though.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=5INfMyReP8Q

[CousinDupree]

A friend had one for a couple of decades. He gave it to the British Motorcycle museum, who have sadly neglected it and it has really deteriorated.

Such a shame. The chap is in his nineties now.

Enjoy the bike, I'd love to have a look at it sometime, as would the said friend

[rodericb]

Cool! Can you lob some pictures up?

[Grindle]

[Grindle]

[Grindle]

[outnumbered]

Looks great ! I was trying to guess what all the various bulges are, but gave up and found this:

http://www.motogallur.com/re5.php

[podman]

Its a cool looking thing...as long as you go into it with the mindset those 3 moving parts will be the quickest to wear & the rarest available, you'll be fine, get it!

[Tango13]

outnumbered said:

Looks great ! I was trying to guess what all the various bulges are, but gave up and found this:

http://www.motogallur.com/re5.php

I'm impressed that Suzuki managed to take such a simple concept and complicate it so much.

[NITO]

Nevertheless, that’s a very cool thing

[srob]

How engine’s would look if buyers weren’t sheep

Well done op, rotaries are tremendous things

[dc2rr07]

srob said:

How engine’s would look if buyers weren’t sheep

Well done op, rotaries are tremendous things

Nothing to do with buyers, if manufacturers could have managed to get them to be better than conventional engines these would now be the norm.

Nice looking bike though op

Edited by dc2rr07 on Thursday 2nd May 22:58

[Grindle]

A modern rotary made now would have twin rotors not one, two modern iridium spark plugs instead of one hideously big old-fashioned one, far better rotor tip material and chamber sealing, smaller casings and much more power.
Production and running costs and emissions would still make it a non-starter in this day and age though.

[Pothole]

Pity it's the one without the cylindrical instrument cluster and tail lights. Should have been a bit cheaper, though

[Grindle]

The MK2 is a better bike then the first one, quite a few changes and improvements. This one is worth around £12,000.

[julian64]

Looks nothing like the one I used to spend my childhood riding on the back of.

[Grindle]

Why, did you go on the MK1? That was basically the same apart from instruments and rear light to look at.