When Team Heron sold the Ciba Geigy bikes

At the end of the 1986 season the Heron Suzuki team sold the Ciba Geigy bikes. They were no longer competitive and Suzuki was busy with a V4, the XR71 (1986) and XR72 (1987). Gerhard Vogt from Germany bought most of the bikes and some others went to the Swiss Suzuki importer Frankonia Suzuki and were ridden during the 1987 and 88 GP seasons by Wolfgang von Muralt. After that they also went to Germany.
For more pics see 
Carbonfiber frames Suzuki RG & RGV500 racers

The holy grail of RG500's

This time a few pics of one of the most iconic RG500 Gamma's on the planet, Kevin Schwantz his F1 RG500.
He only raced this bike at Assen in the TT F1 race on the thursday evening before the Dutch TT of 1986. They changed the forks, wheels, shock and carbs and Kevin became second in the F1 race ahead of all the Suzuki works bikes. After the race the bike was returned to standard and sold.
Chief Suzuki race technician at the time, Martyn Ogbourne takes up the story, “No engine modifications were carried out, there simply was not time, just the removal of unnecessary parts, lights etc and the fitting of competition tyres. Assen is deceptively fast with a Donington Park like string of corners, I knew the bike would be out paced in a straight line but relied heavily upon Schwantz and his undoubted riding ability. The gearing required for Assen is identical to both Daytona and the TT with top speeds in excess of 190mph being the norm in the big bike classes.” The future 500 World Champion finished an impressive second behind Joey Dunlop and his factory V-four Honda. Ogbourne “I had assessed that, with the right jockey on board, the Gamma would lose around three places per lap down the straights but then make up five around the sweeping twisty bits”
Update February 26 2015, some great information provided by ex Suzuki mechanic Paul Bolton.
"Yes, so far as I remember it was a stock RG500 road bike pulled from dealer stock, which we un-crated, blue printed the engine, (I set compressions and squish), fitted a race ignition and carbs to it and exhausts, possible disc valves as well but this would have entailed some work, so maybe race bike disc valve timing, race forks, WP rear damper, race wheels and tyres, took a few unnecessary bits off it to lighten it and he raced it to finish second at Assen in 1986. It was down on top speed versus the four strokes but good on braking and corner speed. After the race it was turned back to a standard RG500 road bike, and so far as I remember re-crated and sold through the UK dealer network as a used bike. Somewhere out there someone has an RG500 that was raced to second at Assen by Kevin in 1986 and they probably don’t know the history of the bike. At the time it was just a bike for a job and it wasn’t thought to be significant."
I would really like to know if this bike still exists, so if anybody out there has information about it please let me know.  
For more pics see  
F1 RG500 Kevin Schwantz

STR RG500

This time some pics of a very trick RG500, this bike is based on the Suzuki RG500 Gamma street bike but is heavily modified by the German RG500 specialist STR, it has just over 130 hp. Take a look at the frame with the delta box like beams and modified swing arm. Other striking thing is that German RG500's often make use of the standard airbox with good succes. In other parts of the world this box ends in most cases in the bin. These kind of bikes are ridden in the German IG Königsklasse.
For more pics see
STR RG500 

Ciba Geigy XR70

Updated my carbon fiber framed Suzuki RG500 set with some new pics.
For more pics see
Carbon fiber framed Suzuki RG and RGV500 racers

Rudi Kurth and Dane Rowe

Added a lot of new pics to my Rudi Kurth and Dane Rowe photoset.
For more pics see
Rudi Kurth and Dane Rowe

Bikers Classics 2013

Suzuki RGV500 seen at the Bikers Classics 2013 at Spa Francorchamps Belgium.
For more pics see  
Bikers Classics 2013

Suzuki TGA1

This time some pics of a very special and rare bike the Suzuki TGA1, the Italian effort to keep Suzuki in the 500cc Grand Prix in the eighties. This bike was made in 1984 by Roberto Gallina and Massimo Tamburini. The frame is made of 7075 Alloy which cannot be welded, so it is glued together and reinforced with carbonfiber. The engine is an XR45 square four. This machine was made for Franco Uncini, it was also ridden by Sergio Pellandini. Most of the time Franco Uncini raced the official Suzuki factory bike, if he has ever raced the TGA1 in the GP's is not sure. The Italian bike was not near as succesful as the Ciba Geigy bikes of the British Suzuki importer Heron. This bike has been bought by the current owner about 20 years ago out of a large motorcycle collection and has been totally restored. The first outing after the restoration was at Imola this year.

Technical specifications
HB-Suzuki TGA1-500 (1984)
Rider: Franco Uncini (World Champion 1982)
Testrider: Sergio Pellandini
Team: Gallina
R&D: Roberto Gallina and Massimo Tamburini
Sponsored by: HB-Sigarettes and Suzuki Motor Corp.Japan

Engine
Suzuki XR-40 magnesium „square-four“ watercooled engine with rotating inlet system (carbonfiber disks and XR-45 cylinders)
Bore x stroke: 56 x 50 mm, capacity: 493 ccm.
Maximum power: 130 HP (95.6 kW) / 12.000 rpm.
4 magnesium Mikuni carburators (Ø 37,5 mm), two-piece aluminium radiator in V-configuration, close-ratio 6-gear cassette type gearbox, dry-clutch, Nippondenso ignition.

Frame
Number: TGA 0001
Sixpiece aluminium/honeycomb carbonfibre frame bolted together . Big steering head housing secured with12 bolts (the „powersteering“ with belt drive has been removed).
Magnesium Suzuki frontfork with hydraulic anti-dive system.
Aluminium rear-swingingarm with Kayaba gas-filled shock-absorber.
16“ magnesium Campagnolo wheels with Michelin or Avon tyres

Brakesystem
front: double Suzuki steel brakedisks Ø 310mm with magnesium Suzuki brake-calipers (2 piston-type), Rear: single ventilated Suzuki brake-disk Ø 230mm
with magnesium 2-piston Suzuki caliper.

Fairing, petroltank and seat made from carbonfiber and kevlar
Dry weight: 112 KG!!!

Various parts and constructions were patented in 1983/1984.
For more pics see 
Suzuki TGA1