TechGP

Found this great Facebook site with lots of interesting GP pics from the two stroke area.
For more pics see
TechGP

RG500 history

This time a very nice interview with Makoto Hase one of the engineers who were responsible for the design of the Suzuki RG500.
Interview with Makoto Hase

Interview with Dane Rowe

Stumbled upon this great interview with the beautiful Dane Rowe.
Surprise Guest- My Interview with Dane Rowe!!!
Dane Rowe formed a sidecar racing couple with sidecar professor Rudi Kurth in the sixties and the seventies.
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Dane Rowe and Rudi Kurth

Michael Jackson and the RG500

Michael Jackson was an RG500 owner!
In 1988 Gary Taylor flew a Suzuki RG500 over to Italy where Michael did some concerts. They heard that he was a motorcycle fan so the RG500 was a present. Taylor said Michael needed the most exiting bike ever made!! In between the races Kevin Schwantz and Rob McElnea visited his opening concert in Rome.
Does anyone know where this bike is today?? If so please let me know via my contact page on this site!
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Michael Jackson and the RG500

Librenti 500 V4

This time some pics of one of the beautiful exotic Italian V4 500cc two stroke bikes the Librenti.
For more pics see 
Librenti 500 V4 
My old entry about Librenti
Librenti 500

Sanvenero 500 square four

In the same time when the Morbidelli was racing there also was another Italian square four in the GP 500, the Sanvenero. This bike was build with the money of a large building contractor Emilio Sanvenero. Some technical specifications; crankcase by Campagnolo, gearbox by CIMA, cranks by Hoeckle, Nikasil barrels and pistons by Mahle, the frame was made by Nico Bakker and it had 120 ps. There were two bikes one with stepped cylinders. The riders were Carlo Perugini, Michel Frutschi and Guy Bertin. The bike had one victory on the boycotted Nogaro GP in 1982 by Michel Frutschi. When Sanvenero went bankrupt in 1982 the bikes stayed in Hockenheim after the GP and found a home in the racing museum. In 2012/2013 German two stroke specialist Matthias Farwick restored one of the bikes and rode it at the Bikers Classics of 2013.
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Sanvenero 500 square four

Morbidelli 500 square four

This time some pics of a very nice Italian square four the Morbidelli, a rather special bike with an alloy monocoque frame and a very nice engine. This bike was ridden by Graziano Rossi and Giovanni Pelletier. Somewhere in the middle of last century, obsession for the motorcycles grew exponentially, so much so, that in 1950s, 60s and 70s, many riders decided to build their own bike for racing purposes. One such man was Giancarlo Morbidelli. He was among the few hobbyists who not only build his bike, but also won races with it. Initially started as a hobby, the Grand Prix wins gave him credibility and the small shop behind Morbidelli’s woodworking machine factory in Pesaro, Italy, launched top-level racing machines that earned four GP world championships. The team won the 125 cc world championship in 1975, 1976 and 1977, and won the 250 cc championship in 1977.
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Morbidelli 500 square four