Motorcycle specifications SuzukiRG 500 GAMMA 1986 The GP in your hands

the magic starts before you even get started. Or rather, intoxication. As he approached, the driver wasn't careful, and the RG 500 immediately bit him. After a few seconds, he could no longer see the headlights and indicators. All that's left is the racing wheel. The Gamma, superb, stuns us with admiration. Rarely has a motorcycle looked so much like a racetrack machine. A quick tour of the owner's quarters and the venom sinks in even deeper. The hand caresses the all-aluminium frame, a shiver shakes the vertebrae at the sight of the 4 exhausts... the visit ends with a drool over the finish. Suzuki have done a hell of a job.
Time to line up on the starting grid. Lawson, Gardner, Spencer, Sarron... They're all waiting to see our hypnotized youngster battle it out on the hot tarmac. It's going to get bloody! All that's left to do is turn on the engine and the 4-cylinder 2Ts will be screaming. Just enough time to...

shit, unfold the kick first. The mind comes back to reason. And yes, the RG 500 really does look like it's come out of the paddock. But to start it off, a little jerk reminds you that this is a production bike. A little slice of the over-the-counter dream that competes directly and ruthlessly with the Yamaha 500 RDLC and Honda NS 400 R. A one-way trip and the windmill meows. You're ready for a personal GP session.
Head on the handlebars and drooling? Not just yet. The Suzuki starts by welcoming you before launching the attack. The riding position, although the legs are fairly tucked in, is not radical. Sporty but reasonable, just like the grip. The bike can be ridden effortlessly, but is less agile than its Honda competitor. No matter; the RG's mill monopolizes all the rider's attention. By its exclusivity? No, by its civility and education. It hardly vibrates at all, keeps its voice soft yet melodious, and shows its willpower right from the low revs. This 4-cylinder engine... in what way? Oh yes, let me explain the mechanics a little:

the engine of the RG 500 Gamma is a 4-cylinder of a rather unusual design, even marginal compared to the main architectures of in-line or V-blocks. Yet this is the type of engine Suzuki has been using for the past 10 years in its 500 GP models. In fact, it consists of 2 banks of 2 cylinders coupled in parallel. Each bank drives its own crankshaft, which in turn transmits power to an intermediate shaft. The very small gearbox can be extracted from the engine in a matter of minutes, without having to remove the mill. It features a system of valves and expansion chambers, known as AEC, to gain breath at low and mid-range speeds. A process not far removed from Yamaha's YPVS. On the carburetion side, there's a trick that allows you to fill the engine. The technique resembles the V-Max's V-boost. The carburetors of the opposite cylinders are connected to each other - so, in the intake phase, one recovers the gas that the other doesn't use. Double dose for the receiving cylinder. Anything to get the pistons moving, and they love it!

voluntary at low revs, the boiler gradually kicks in. After 5,000 rpm, you've got enough watts to enjoy yourself. But the best is yet to come. The needle flies towards the red zone as the bike takes you along at full speed. Some people expect the effort to diminish once you've passed 10; that's right, believe it! This is where the Suz thruster really comes into its own. After 10,000 rpm, the engine goes wild and injects pure adrenalin into the pistons. It screams out all its vigor and bounces even harder. After 12,000 rpm, his strength fails him, but he goes on for another 1,000 rpm. Watts and pride all the way!

the bike goes as fast as the wind. And while the 500 Gamma claims the same top speed as the new 750 GSX-R, it boasts much better handling at high speeds. And yet, the design of the chassis is not far removed from that of the 750. A magnificent aluminum-alloy double-cradle frame houses the engine and holds a fork of fairly similar design to that of the GSX-R. But the RG 500 has a Full-Floater system for rear suspension, and weighs just 154 kg dry.
Compared to the NS 400 R, the Suzuki is a little less rigorous, but its roadholding is very homogeneous and bends without constraint to the rider's whims. Braking to the limit (frankly average for a machine of this size - it's THE weak point of this bike), violent entry into corners, heavy exit, the bike accepts without complaint, and only pumps a little from the rear. During heavy acceleration or braking, the bike's attitude varies very little: the Suz is no stranger to pitching up or diving. Good suspensions, a PDF system on the fork replacing the anti-dive, well-distributed masses, a fire-breathing engine - that's how a replica propels you into the world of Roberts and Mamola. Except that GP machines don't have such narrow tires. A 120 in the rear on a rim that "doesn't go very far" isn't very serious and limits dynamic possibilities. But you know what?

this bike is so great that it's going to make a serious mark on its generation. Up against the 500 RDLC and the NS 400 R, it's got some serious trump cards up its sleeve. In fact, it's an unequal battle, and the RG 500 Gamma is already on the road to success. At the end of the straight, the chequered flag, just after a little inside at Spencer... It's just a dream, but isn't it fantastic when it happens with your eyes open?

M.B
(internet photos)