Suzuki RG500 Marco Lucinelli replica 1985

The RG500 name is probably one of the most famous on the race circuits, made famous above all by Barry Sheene, who rode his famous No. 7 to world championships.

Suzuki introduced a road version of this model, which in 1984 was naturally called the RG500 Gamma. It had the same layout as its famous racing predecessors, with a square-four liquid-cooled disc-valve engine delivering an incredible 95 hp at 9,500 rpm. That gave the 156 kg machine the best power-to-weight ratio ever seen on a road-going sports bike. The chassis was an advanced aluminium box-section design and gave breathtaking agility.

Japan had a 400cc version to suit its licensing laws; it was not exported, but because a blind eye was sometimes turned, a few are still ridden on European roads.

The biggest problem with this model was getting the carburettor settings right, and the inability of many dealers to do so led to a not entirely unfair reputation for fragility and poor reliability. Get the set-up right, though, and you will not find a more exciting ride!