En 2023, the Sunday Ride Classic returns to Paul Ricard on May 6 and 7! Exceptionally, a 500cc once driven by Barry Sheene will be on display, one more reason not to miss the unmissable Var event. Early fans surely had it posted in their rooms, it is of course the Suzuki RG 500 (the Grand Prix model).
This icon has influenced a whole generation of fans and enthusiasts! And it's not over…
Entering production in 1974, the RG 500 is above all a technological gem. Designed by only four engineers, this prototype uses a particular engine, a four-cylinder square two-stroke engine. This innovation, accompanied by rotary distributors, allowed Suzuki to quickly stand out in the world of Grands Prix.
Barry Sheene at Assen in 1976. Photo: ANEFO
The Suzuki is particularly efficient from the moment it arrives:
Barry Sheene, still discreet, scores the first podium in the first race of the season, on the Charade circuit. Unfortunately, he will never be able to beat
Phil Read and the king Aug, the two hosts of the season. But the motorcycle is in the news, and could prove dangerous in the years to come.
For 1975, everything accelerates. Barry Sheene overcomes Agostini and Read at Assen to claim his first career victory. On a magnificent blue and white RG 500 XR14, the legend sets off. The 1975 version of the Japanese is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful motorcycles to ever grace a circuit. And we understand them… But it was still nothing. To Daytona that year, Barry took the most famous fall in history, at 300 km/h. This incredible volume threatens his career, but it was difficult to know him. Broken everywhere, he ran again only seven weeks later. A true miracle which is still mentioned today as a reference when a pilot of MotoGP falls at high speed.
1976 is the year of the RG 500. The Hamamatsu brand has decided to sell machines to private individuals, which in motor sports often turns out to be a wise decision. Thanks to new features such as magnesium rims, the first twelve drivers in the championship are riding RG 500s. The twelve...
Dressed in red, white and yellow, the Suzuk' bearing the number 7 is the most victorious. Sheene won the title and six of the ten races of the year. The motorcycle is known to be extremely violent, of the on-off type. As proof, some rev counters started at 5 rpm because acceleration was non-existent at low revs. On the other hand, beyond that, it's stellar. The numbers speak for themselves: 119 horsepower for 135 kilos on the scale. A top speed announced around 300 km/h! A monster...
Photo: SRC
The years go by and look the same. If a Steve Baker in shape (who will be present this year at the SRC!) took second place in the championship, Barry was still in orbit: He won six races out of eleven, including victory at Spa-Francorchamps. This victory is still, to this day, the fastest in history. Sheene drove at 217,30 km/h on the old Ardennes route. To get an idea,
Pecco Bagnaia ou fabio quartararo maintain a pace of around 185 km/h on average on the fastest circuits. 1977 is also the year of Wil Hartog, who takes a historic victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, carried by the crowd.
But the reign has just ended for Barry Sheene. A rookie named Kenny roberts
arrived in 1978, and the fun was over. At the end of a competitive season (six winners in eleven races), the Briton was beaten by Roberts and his Yamaha by ten points. IF we will have to wait until 2015 and
Danny Kent to find a world champion from across the Channel, the RG 500 is not finished yet.
Si King Kenny crushes everything for three years, Suzuki engineers are still racking their brains. For 1981, Yamaha released a four-cylinder square prototype (strange coincidence…) but which was clearly not up to par with the original. Suzuki takes the world title with Mario Luchinelli, a forgotten champion to say the least. Mamola, second, allows the manufacturer to achieve a double.
1982 is also synonymous with RG 500. Franco Uncini comes to the end of Roberts and takes one last world crown for the legendary motorcycle.
The RG500 Gamma, the road version, only accentuated the epic side of the machine. Overpowered with components from the Grand Prix version, it terrified more than one driver at the end of the 1980s and 1990s. Today associated with the myth Barry Sheene, it has made thousands of kids around the world dream, on circuits as well as in their bedrooms. The light colors, the noise, and that No. 7 are in the history of our sport forever.
Sunday Ride
May 6 & 7, 2023
Paul Ricard Circuit
Ticket presale: https://www.sundayrideclassic.com/billetterie
Pre-sale rate €18/day instead of €25 and on weekends €22 instead of €30 to see everything!
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The RG 500 stamped with the number 7 used during the 1977 season. Photo: Rikita
