Suzuki 2 Strokes

Here's an interesting read about the 652cc Suzi XR23, sometimes known as the RG700, a monster version of the RG500 which was mostly used in Europe.

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/news- ... uki-xr23b/

Apparently it was so wheelie-prone that to try and keep the front wheel down, factory rider Steve Parrish had an 8-pound weight made up which they hung from the front downtubes. One was also made for Barry Sheene because he would pinch Parrish's one. This was all to the disgust of Suzuki, as Sheene said; "The Japs went bloody bananas, they spent loads of money to reduce the bikes weight by using magnesium this and titanium that and what did we do? Bolted a big piece of lead on the bikes to make it handle properly."

Sheene also enraged the factory by fitting RG500 exhausts to replace the huge XR23 chambers, so he could sit comfortably on the bike without burning his backside and boots.

A great article on the bike, Rick Lance does a 630cc big bore kit for the RG500 with all sorts of enhanced 'add ons'. In his words "its a whole new bike once you ride it and compare it to my already breathed on 500cc versions".

How things have changed since then. Now it's commonplace for bikes to make the sort of power that Suzuki deemed to be too much. 150Hp from a full sized RG750 is far less than 500CC Gp bikes were making just prior to being made obsolete by MotoGP.

Didn't Sheene race the XR23 at Daytona or am I confusing it with something else?

As far as I know, Sheene never raced the XR23 at Daytona. There's a more detailed version of that article in a Classic Racer mag I have, I'll get it scanned as it has more detail on who rode it and where.

It includes comment from Mamola, who tested one in his first season in Europe. He said it was much faster in a straight line than the 500, but much harder to ride and would wheelie or spin up tyres everywhere, so after a couple of practice sessions he chose to ride the 500.

Paradoxically, that straight-line power would probably have been well suited to Daytona ...

interesting article but a fair bit of cobblers, I know Chris Wilson personally and I know for fact Frank Sheene built the first 0versize RG500 not suzuki with the help of Graham Dyson

Pete O'Dell wrote:interesting article but a fair bit of cobblers, I know Chris Wilson personally and I know for fact Frank Sheene built the first 0versize RG500 not suzuki with the help of Graham Dyson

It makes ya wonder where they get their facts ?

I suppose it depends how you define 'facts'. I guess the article should really say the 'first big-bore RG built by the factory.'

Steve Parrish hated the XR23 but had to ride it under his contract. Before it was introduced, he said he used to fit his RG500 with an oversize piston & barrel to make it 501cc to race in the superbike classes. These classes had a minimum capacity of 500cc so that TZ350s couldn't be entered ...

blimey Craig you actually believe anything that comes out of cuprinol mans mouth (parrish)

It was also Frank and Graham who cured the first RG's of their perpensity for shearing the crank drive gears.