Walter Wolf RG500 and 400

Walter Wolf was an Austrian born and later Canadian business man who made his fortune in the oil business. He happened to be a giant motorsport lover and funded an F1 team. He must have been a special character as in 1975 after having purchased a Lamborghini Countach, he claimed this wasn’t fast enough and asked for a special version of it with a more powerful engine. And so, in addition to the special edition Suzuki RG500 and 400, there are apparently 5 ultra rare Lambos named WW around the world as well. The RG500 walter Wolf Special - a very limited, very distinctive edition of the 500cc Suzuki machine that has won seven championships in world-class Grand Prix racing. That racing heritage continued in 1986 with the Walter Wolf sponsored RG500 winning the Canadian National Pro & Amateur 600 Production Championships. The full power Walter Wolf RG500 Gamma of which only 99 were produced, were only exported to Canada. No other venue (including the Japan domestic market) was to ever receive the real deal 95 hp Wolf. Canada WW's are distinguished by a dedicated series of VIN's beginning with the last three digits of 883 and ending with 982. Also the Canadian bikes did not have the WW logo on the gauges nor the WW key that Japanese Wolf's had.
(Update 20-04-2016, I received an email from Bob Truelson a well known name in the RG500 community and he told me that some of the Canadian bikes also had the WW logo in the gauges)
Of the 99 production Canada WW's, a surprising number went to Mexico where Walter Wolf was a big name in F1 auto racing circles. Perhaps as many as 30 of the new bikes were shipped there to very appreciative owners, never to be seen again north of the border. The Japanese market had the Walter Wolf RG400 and RG500 in 1986 with colors like the Canadian model and in another black and red scheme and with different clocks. For the Singapore market there was a WW in a grey color. In 1987 the Japanese market only Walter Wolfs came in a new color scheme with the RG400 having Walter Wolf Racing on the belly pan and the RG500 with "500" on the belly pan. These colors are also known as the Mizutani replica colors, Mazaru Mizutani is a former Japanese 500cc champion and was sponsored by Walter Wolf Racing. This last model is very rare.
For more pics see
Walter Wolf RG500 and 400

Update of the Suzuki RG500 project

It has taken a while but here an update of the RG500 project. It has got new Maranello Engineering rotary valve covers, new clip ons, Galfer brake lines and the fairing now fits correct. Next things to do are sanding the fairing and tank, polish the new swing arm and fit the Nitron shock. And then it can go to the painter!!
For more pics see  
Suzuki RG500 project

International Suzuki triples meeting The Netherlands

Seen at the International Suzuki triples meeting 2012 in Collendoorn The Netherlands
For more pics see 
International Suzuki triples meeting The Netherlands

Suzuki RGV500 year by year

This time a nice overview of the Suzuki RGV500 over the years, not complete but it gives you some nice information of the different types.
For more pics see
Suzuki RGV500 year by year

Ciba Geigy Suzuki's

Received some great information from Bernard, he is the owner of one of the Skoal Bandit XR70 bikes. Bernard thanks for this!
When Suzuki retired from the 500 GPs at the end of 83, the old square four (created in 73) was no more competitive against the Honda and Yamaha V4's. Therefore they continued to provide support to Heron in UK and Gallina in Italy with works engines and Suzuki alloy frames. In the UK the Heron team decided to invest in a new frame to reduce the weight and ordered 2 prototypes from Nigel Leaper in Cambridge. The first prototypes were "white" with aluminium sheets on honeycomb material from Ciba Geigy. Six other bikes were build after the prototypes. In 84 they used XR40 engines, in 85 XR45 with exhausts valves and in 86 the last square four, the XR70 with reed valves instead of disc valves. In 84 and 85 they used alloy swing arms and Suzuki forks but in the middle ot 86 they changed for a carbon swing arm and a White Power fork. The weight of the 86 bike was around 110 kgs and the maximum power was 148 HP due to the UK development especially in exhausts, heads and air-boxes. The problem was that the factory was not interested in carbon (too far away from the production road bikes) so at the beginning they were not helpful with the UK team but the results were better than the Gallina bikes so in 85 Heron got better engines and support. The carbon frame was too stiff, it was the most important problem because the bike was so light. The first pilot in 84 was Rob McElnea, In 85 Paul Lewis came in the team and McElnea left to Yamaha. In 86 Paul Lewis was still in the team with Niall MacKenzie and in the middle of the season Kevin Schwantz also got a bike. For the last race (The GP of San Marino at Misano) MacKenzie was in the first row. Kevin Schwantz won his first point in the 500cc class in Spa Francorchamps. At the end of 86, Suzuki announced their return as official team with the new XR71 V4. A batch of carbon bikes was sold at the end of 86 to Gerhard Vogt in Germany and 2 bikes with the XR70RV engine to the Frankonia team in Switzerland with Wolfgang von Muralt as pilot. They used the bikes for 2 years and at the end of 88 these bikes went to Germany also.
For pics of these bikes see
Carbonfiber framed Suzuki RG & RGV500 racers  

Formula 500 RG500

This time some pics of Formula 500 cars, powered by an RG500 Gamma engine. These cars still run today against Yamaha R6 powered cars and cars powered by snowmobile 2stroke engines. Amazing for an engine that is 26 years old and they still run for the title!! This is an Australian speedway race serie.
For more pics see
Formula 500 RG500
Want to know how they sound see
Formula 500 RG500 sound

VRP500 part 2

Got some more info and pics of Carlo and Enzo, the owner of a beautiful VRP RG500 Gamma. Carlo also made frames for the Honda RS500 and the Suzuki RG500 Gamma streetbike. For the Honda he made 3 frames and for the Gamma 6 or 7 frames. Also got an article about the VRP500 published in Moto Tecnica of January 1993 of Enzo.
For the pics and the article see my photoset
VRP500