This Week's Collectible Bike: Suzuki RE5
A single piston, water and oil cooled rotary (wankel) rotary engine makes this a rare motorcycle in the long history of bikes. Suzuki was the only Japanese manufacturer to bring one to the market, although all of them built prototypes. Due to a lack of power and some distinct reliability issues, the rotary engine passed into history with hardly a ripple.
On the other side of the Earth Norton brought out a Wankel powered bike in the last years of it's existence. The company was already doomed to fail and the rotary bike certainly did not help to keep it around.
As unique as a rotary powered motorcycle is only the instrumentation and the motor distinguish the RE5 from the rest of the Suzuki line up. Gas mileage and power were not up to fleet standards and all the added systems make this a very heavy bike. Little wonder that it was not successful.
Look carefully at the photos and you will see some of the extra stuff the Wankel needed. That insterment cluster is unique as it is ugly. Note the intakes on the front of the exhaust pipes used to cool the oil. And two exhaust pipes for a single cylinder bike.
The RE5 was a failed experiment. There were temperature problems, and exhaust problems and all sorts of problems which tends to make the RE5 a highly collectible bike these 40 years later. There are a few really good examples around, you should be able to buy a very good example for less than $6000. It is guaranteed to turn heads at any sort of motorcycle gathering as most people have never even seen one. Unique counts in this market.
There is one saving grace. If you are an Iron Butt Association member you probably know that the very first IBA Rally was won by an RE5. If you are a member, and have completed at least one rally, entering the Iron Butt Rally on an RE5 gives you near automatic acceptance as one of only 100 to be entered in the Rally. You will be entered in the ‘Hopeless’ class. Good Luck!
I just love motorcycles. Old, new, the good and the bad. Thanks for indulging my obsession, I really do appreciate it!
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That is a pretty ugly instrument panel. I don't think I could handle that even if I did ride :)
It is too bad that the rotary engine hasn't been more widely adopted. When done correctly it seems to be much more efficient from everything I have read. Maybe I am misinterpreting it though...
There are a couple of serious problems with the motor, most notably the temperatures it develops internally. There is no possible way to cool the crankshaft internally and even today's seals won't stand up to them for very long. If you go by a new RX (is it 9?) from Mazda it includes one courtesy seal replacement for as long as you own the car.
The motor is efficient. Very few moving parts and they can be moving in a hurry. High RPM are not just possible, they are practically a requirement.
Notice in that last picture (of the open instrument panel) that the tach needle is in the red (and no particular problem). The problem being weight. The motor is fairly heavy and the auxiliary systems it requires made this an 800 lb motorcycle. The whole package just overwhelmed the technology of the 70s from suspension to analog controls. Could it be made today? Very possibly, but development costs would be obscene and the mfgs balk at 'untested and unknown' items.
Thanks for all the info. That is pretty funny about the Mazda's I had never realized that!
I hadn’t heard of that one, ITs not one that catches me to think I want it but cool to read about it
Yeah. Me too. The tech of it is way more exciting to me than the actual bike. I've never found myself wanting to own one... Though I did own an 'orphan' bike from Suzuki. An automatic transmission 350. When I got it, the transmission had 'difficulties' and I learned more about it that I really wanted to. But it was a part of motorcycle history and I was happy to have owned one.
By the way, Honda made a damn serviceable Automatic in the time frame that flopped miserably, too. Manufacturers are just now starting to revisit the idea...
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