[Video] Suzuki and its venerable engineers restore a 1981 RGΓ500

Shy about new products and therefore back on the commercial level, Suzuki is experiencing another prosperous period in MotoGP. The Hamamatsu brand also has a tremendous heritage to preserve… and to restore, like this RG "gamma" 500 XR35 entirely overhauled by its engineers. Emotion sequence (s) !

MNC Premium readers – who, we thank them all, actively support their favorite motorcycle newspaper, its independence and impertinence, and spare themselves from invasive but essential advertisements – know that in France, sales of Suzuki motorcycles are in decline. … for more than ten years !

The competitors of Hamamatsu’s firm have also suffered considerably from the crisis sanitary financial, economic and social of 2008, but they all rebounded (between 2013 and 2015) by continuing to develop and market new products … which Suz ‘did not do.

• MNC special file :
• MNC special file :

Last year, the Hamamatsu Yellows sold only 7643 motorcycles in our territory. An increase compared to the previous year (+ 6.9% Vs 2018) but terribly far from the peak observed by Site (which has been studying the new home market since 2003): in 2007, as a reminder, Suzuki had sold nearly 33 000 motorcycles and scooters !

Sadly impacted by the coronavirus, the year 2020 is not so bad on the motorcycle market: some brands have already left – the first … – confinement, Yamaha (its Tenere and its Tmax) in the lead. Due to a lack of new features (the V-Strom 1050 alone cannot rectify the situation), Suzuki begins to decline again … But nothing exciting has yet been unveiled for 2021 !

Instead of organizing scholarly virtual press conferences (like BMW) or creepy promotional campaigns like Yamaha, Suzuki publishes a no less interesting – much more exciting, in fact! – video showing the complete restoration of one of his famous motorcycle Grand Prix machines.

Exhibited at the brand’s museum in Hamamatsu – so during his test of the almost new Katana – an RGΓ500 XR35 (1981) was completely dismantled and then reassembled by the engineers of the firm … and of the time !

A moving reunion, 38 years later…

For the record, this machine war competition had defeated its rivals in 1981, winning eight races out of eleven and leading Marco Lucchinelli to the world coronation in front of his colleague Randy Mamola, pilot of the Suzuki n ° 3 Heron precisely.

The following year, Franco Uncini in turn crowned the crown in GP500 with Suzuki who, for his part, won a seventh constructor title in a row. In 1976, eleven Suz ‘pilots had monopolized the first twelve places in the ranking, the first going to a certain Barry Sheene.

• Biopic motorcycle rider :
• Barry Sheene and James Hunt :

The RG500s represented a prosperous and furiously beautiful period for the competing brand, just like the RGVs in the early 90s with the charismatic Kevin Schwantz (titled in 1993) then in the year 2000 thanks to the coronation of Kenny Roberts Jr….

This year, the GSX-RR opens a glorious new page in Suzuki history within the Intercontinental Circus in the company of Joan Mir (championship leader) and Alex Rins (winner of the GP of Aragon). If n ° 36 – or n ° 42! – takes down the timpani in 2020, the prototype will deserve the suffix Γ or "gamma" in Greek, initial of the word glory, no ?

While waiting for the outcome of MotoGP 2020 as well as the 2021 news from Suzuki, Site leaves you in the company of Takayuki Suzuki, Chiaki Hirata, Shiro Yoshida, Mitsuru Okamoto, Tadao Matsui and Tadaaki Koyama for a hearty mechanics session and a tasty trip to the time.

Suzuki video: restoration of the RGΓ500 XR35 (1981)

Related articles

• Culture – [Video] A brief history of the Colleda CO, the first Suzuki motorcycle – Used SUZUKI

  [Video] A little history of the Colleda CO, the first Suzuki motorcycle Readers of Site – who, as everyone knows, are a little more cultured than others…

• Culture – Suzuki group celebrates 100 years and Yamaha Motor celebrates 65 years – Used SUZUKI YAMAHA

  Suzuki Group celebrates 100 years and Yamaha Motor turns 65 Two Japanese manufacturers pass an important milestone in 2020: Suzuki becomes 100 years old…

• News – Suzuki wants to become the absolute leader! – Used SUZUKI

  Suzuki wants to become the absolute leader ! Already first in the market in more than 125 for four years, Suzuki has progressed from third to second…

• MotoGP – Video testing of the new Suzuki Moto GP –

  Video testing of the new Suzuki Moto GP The racing department of Suzuki offers to visualize in video the first laps of the wheels of its new prototype…

• Culture – Mourning: François Etterle (Suzuki Moto France) passed away – Used SUZUKI

  Mourning: François Etterle (Suzuki Moto France) has passed away The former sales director of Suzuki France, François Etterle, has passed away. This great…

• Roadster – Kawasaki Z H2: new video teasers and first stolen photos! – Used KAWASAKI

  Kawasaki Z H2: new video teasers and first stolen photos ! As Kawasaki continues its intoxicating – even intoxicating – video teasing session on its…

• Market reports – First half of 2013: Suzuki’s market report – Used SUZUKI

  First half of 2013: Suzuki’s market report Suzuki has just completed the first half of 2013 with a decrease of -16.1% and has a total of 6,162…

• Market reports – Suzuki La Defense interview: our customers have been extremely loyal – Used SUZUKI

  Suzuki La Defense interview: our customers have been extremely loyal In addition to the 2020 market figures and for its fourth dealer interview, Site…

• Market reports – First half of 2015: Suzuki’s market report – Used SUZUKI

  First half of 2015: Suzuki’s market report Suzuki has just completed the first half of 2015 with a decrease of -7.1% and has a total of 5,837…

• Interviews – Guillaume Vuillardot (Suzuki): “In the long term, electricity will be replaced by genuine clean technologies” – Used SUZUKI

  Guillaume Vuillardot (Suzuki): In the long term, electricity will be supplanted by genuine clean technologies For Site subscribers, the Motorcycle Sales…