Posted on 09/14/2003 9:07:48 PM PDT by martin_fierro
Saw a commercial for the new Mazda RX-8 tonight, which highlighted that brand's use of the Wankel Rotary engine.
Hadn't thought about that engine in a long time and started wondering if any motorcycle company had ever tried using it as a power plant.
You'd think the Rotary engine would be a natural -- no valves to adjust, fewer moving parts, less vibration (with counterbalancers), possibly better gas mileage, etc.
Did a search and found out that it HAS been tried briefly by at least one (and probably more) company, Suzuki, during the mid 70s.
Turn out the design didn't work out too well. While extremely smooth, the bike's gas mileage wasn't very good. The exhaust gases are also said to be hotter than a traditional 4-stroke, requiring a redesign of the exhaust pipes. Lubrication and carburation were also problematic.
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NO!
<|:-)~~
A number of changes were made to the mount in an attempt to deal with the aforementioned shortcomings. As a collectable, I would think the '75 model would be worth more.
Joe, I wouldn't mind taking one for a spin; looks like it might be fun! If I were a rich man, I'd have one of these in my stable right next to a Suzuki "Water Buffalo". ;0)
Afraid so. The dealer who was my helpful source of Jawa and CZ bits from around '69-'72 sold out to a local farm implement shop who also picked up the Suzuki brand and in either '74 or -75 got one of the RE-5 rotaries in. He had a devil of a time unloading the ones he got, three total I believe, and the demonstrator was the last to go, hanging around his shop until the Bicentenniel. He really armtwisted me into taking the thing, even to the extent of letting me wring it out on a weekend run to the Illinois State Fair at Springfield. Happily, he got a used BSA in on a trade, and I got stuck with that instead of the rotary; I wasn't real impressed with the thing.
The riding/buying public is a lot more tolerant of watercooled bikes [Hey, that thing has a radiator on it...] now, though that was far from the only blemish that kept it from being thought of as a thing of beauty. They handled like a pig, the brakes were about as bad as anything available back then [I'd had Triumphs and Jawas previously and was spoiled; the Triumphs were at least improved over the years and the stoppers on the Jawas were meant to be able to handle a sidecar rig] and my riding buddy at the time had a 500cc Marusho BMW copy that out-accelerated the Suzy-Q.
The Wankel-engined Norton was the Norton F1 P55 and P55B. It's sort of unfair to compare a early-1990s bike with a early-70s pioneer, but the Norton is a much better developed proposition, as well as being a good deal easier to look at. Didn't the East German MuZ firm also have a rotary engine option for one of their offerings a few years back?
Suzuki RE-5 1975-77
The RE-5 was powered by a 498 cc single rotor water cooled engine. It was first shown in 1973 at the Tokyo show. The first model year was 1975 and it was produced for three model years. The instrument panel and tail light were contained in cylindrical shapes to play on the rotary theme. Sometimes the company represented the engine as 1000cc because some regulatory bodies de-rate the engine by doubling the chamber capacity.
The engine was tested for 100 days non-stop on a dynamometer at the Hamamatsu factory. It was also ridden in snow in Alaska and desert heat in Death Valley. It did not lose much power at altitude. Some users experienced some reliability problems with the engine, though.
Suzuki RE-5 Engine
Capacity 1 x 498 cc
Horsepower 62 bhp at 6,500 rpm (48 bhp net at 6500 rpm)
Torque 55 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm (45 lb-ft at 3500 net)
Brakes front disk, rear drum
Weight 507 lb dry, 552 lb fueled oiled and watered.
Fuel Tank 4.5 gallons US (3.7 gallon Imperial)
Fuel consumption 31-33 mpg ("your mileage my vary")
Top Speed 110 mph
Quarter Mile 13.9 sec, 93 mph
Suzuki RE-5:
I want one that defies gravity, growls at old ladys, sets off car alarms, never falls over and slips into the fourth dimension just before an impact!
I know just the thing for you. But you'll want a drag parachute if you want any sort of real stopping capability.
Ticking over on the side stand the bike throbs gently forwards and backwards but as first gear snicks silently in and the sharp, juddery clutch takes up the drive even this barely perceptible movement disappears. The engine smoothes like the surface of a lake when the wind drops.
It warms slowly and needs more choke than most.
It read like some dates I've been on in my bachelor days. HOO-AH!
All that blubber was hangin' down over the tank decals!
You know you're in a bad place when you weigh almost as much as your bike.
Whatchoo tippin' the scales at these days, Joe?
<|:)~
LOL! Just ... eww.
<|:)~
More than 15% or 20% would probably be excessive, unless it's given you very good service....
...and pick it up at least once a year.
In some seedy barroom, wrapped in fishnet stockings and spandex, no doubt.
-archy-/-
Where the heck were you when I needed my Velocette kickstarted?
Parking on hills was not always do-able back in my Kansas days....
-archy-/-
I'm not sure what all the Katana has hidden under the *fuel tank* moldings, but electricals and overflow catch tanks for the radiators are pretty common now. Of course even the Vincent had it's stressed fork-to-seat frame member built into the tank spine, and old Indians rather cleverly had their oil tank built into the rightside fuel tank, making the leftside gas tank a pretty good reserve supply.
Oh stop! I never wear spandex in mixed company!
<|:-)~~
At the local Thursday bikenite here in town, one of the babes that works at the titty bar tools up and parks her newly bought 70s-ish sportster ironhead(?) and heads inside for a beer, alone.
After hanging around for the 50-50 raffle and some tall tales, everybody is saddling up and heading to the waterfront. The babe walks out with a few bikers slobering all over her and they all seperate & head to their bikes. I'm watchin' her walk and waiting for the jiggling to commence when she has to kickstart her bike. Then-- She stops alongside her bike and motions to one of the cars in the lot. Some goofy lookin' long hair get's out of a car, walks over to dancer, turns the key, pulls the choke, twists the throttle and stomps the kickstart. Vroom.. cranks right up.
She smiles at him, blows him a kiss (but is only a foot away) and tells him where they are going & to meet her there. He slobbers OK and gets back into his car. She rode off with a crew of bikes.
So i'm laughin' my butt off with a bunch of us who noticed this and sure enough, at the waterfront, this bozo is sitting in his car while we're all partyin'.
Having your own private kickstart goon is a very uplifting experience I guess. <|:-)~~
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