Suzuki RE5
Suzuki RE5
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| Manufacturer | Suzuki |
|---|---|
| Production | 1974–1976 |
| Engine | 497 cc (30.3 cu in)Wankel rotary |
| Compression ratio | 9.4:1 |
| Power | 62 hp (46 kW) @ 6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 54.9 lbf·ft (74.4 N·m) @ 3,500 rpm |
| Ignition type | CDI (incorporating a points system) |
| Transmission | 5 speed |
| Brakes | |
| Wheelbase | 1,500 mm (59 in) |
| Dimensions |
L: 2,210 mm (87 in) W: 870 mm (34 in) |
| Weight | 507 lb (230 kg) (dry) 573 lb (260 kg) (wet) |
| Fuel capacity | 17 L (4.5 US gal; 3.7 imp gal) |
The Suzuki RE5 is a motorcycle with a liquid-cooled single-rotor Wankel engine, manufactured by Suzuki from 1974 to 1976. Apart from its unusual engine, the RE5 is otherwise a conventional roadster.
Compared to piston engines, rotary engines are smooth, light, compact, and produce high power outputs from relatively small displacements. Although these attributes are highly beneficial to motorcycles, Wankel-engined bikes remain something of a rarity, even though the rotary engine had once been touted as the future of motorcycling
Suzuki's RE5 was one of the very few Wankel engined motorcycles ever produced. Other manufacturers whose bikes reached production include; DKW, Norton and Van Veen (who used a derivative of NSU/Audi engines developed for Citroën).
All four major Japanese manufacturers had prototypes or plans, but only Suzuki's RE5 went into production. Yamaha showed their twin-rotor RZ-201machine at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1972, while Kawasaki tested a prototype as, allegedly, did Honda
RE5 project chief Shigeyasu Kamiya stated that Suzuki had considered a rotary-powered motorcycle in the mid-1960s. Research and development continued till the end of that decade, leading to the signing of a technical licence with NSU in November 1970, Suzuki being the 20th firm to do so. As a pioneer of rotary development, Suzuki engineers designed and produced numerous special machines for the rotary production process. Of these, ten were particularly notable and included the machine to cut the trochoid block. Suzuki holds twenty patents in plating, as considerable research went into the composite electro-chemical materials (CEM) used to plate the rotor housing. Prototypes testing took two years. The bikes were launched in 1974. Suzuki enlisted astronaut Edgar Mitchell, to introduce and endorse the bike. A number of motorcycle publications were given a lavish week-long opportunity for test riding. This RE5's warranty was unusually comprehensive, with a full engine replacement for any engine problem within the first 12 months or 12,000 miles (19,000 km).
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