SuzukiSavage.com - Cool Project, or Total Nightmare?

SALB Serious Thumper Offline FSO Posts: 668 Whittier, AK Gender:	Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? 04/23/12 at 15:47:35 1976 SUZUKI RE5 ROTARY http://boise.craigslist.org/mcd/2941848619.html I'd never heard of one until I saw this!
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RidgeRunner13 Serious Thumper Offline haulin' the groceries! Posts: 649 Mustang Island, Texas Gender:	Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? Reply #1 - 04/23/12 at 15:57:27 BOTH!! But if I was close & had the money I'd go for it just to have a unique piece of m/c history. I'd offer $900 to start & go from there. Great parts bike for someone if there is too much wrong, but could be an easy fix.
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prsavage Senior Member Offline atgatt Posts: 306 Nanaimo BC Gender:	Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? Reply #2 - 04/23/12 at 16:46:10 I always thought those were cool looking and interesting from a technical aspect but that radiator is HUGE! I thought if a smaller rad were doable that bike might've been around for more than three years.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? Reply #3 - 04/23/12 at 17:28:14 Id look for rotor seals before I bought it.,
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28677 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? Reply #4 - 04/23/12 at 18:06:07 It was "REVOLTIONARY"... I knew there was a reason nobody bought it... ...
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Boule’tard Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Master of the Obvious Posts: 1620 Austin TX Gender:	Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? Reply #5 - 04/23/12 at 18:41:38 I think it'd be a fun project. Cobble up a decent exhaust system, eliminate the crash bar and get rid of that radiator shroud (or black it out) and it would look badass! I like it, but would give up on trying to make it factory authentic.. just mad-max it.
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runwyrlph

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Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare?
Reply #6 - 04/23/12 at 19:17:07

If i remember my rotary engine history, wasn't the main problem horrible fuel economy?

judging by the size of the radiator, it must get pretty hot, too!

that's got to be a rare bike, would make an awesome colector item.

It must have run ok - you see a ton of bikes that age with far fewer miles on them...

haha "revolutionary" i didn't get that the first time around Grin

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2007 s40 -stock -white spacer out -repaired to rideable condition!

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SALB

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Whittier, AK
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Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare?
Reply #7 - 04/23/12 at 20:18:19

The biggest problem with the Wankel engine was the side and apex seals. Unlike a cylinder which can be overbored, you have to replace the rotor and case, if wear is out of tolerance.

I found this Wiki article quite interesting....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_RE5

Seems like an overly complicated machine to me, but for a couple of large ones, I might be tempted to buy it just to tinker. Wink

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« Last Edit: 04/24/12 at 20:54:37 by SALB »

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Dave

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SuzukiSavage.com
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Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare?
Reply #8 - 04/24/12 at 09:37:02

I bought a new one of those - mine was a 1976 model. It did make a lot of heat, got OK gas mileage, and turned lots of heads. It sounded like a big Harley at idle - but at speed it sounded like a Honda 175! It has a ton of friction/compression braking and if you rolled off the throttle quickly in a low gear you could slide the back tire.

I had the bike for many years but did not ride it much - only on bright sunny days. I sold it in pristine condition for $ 1,000 somewhere around 1980.

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Someday I will be old......But not today!

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MarkHB

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Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare?
Reply #9 - 04/24/12 at 20:45:56

I didn't realize that someone actually had a Wankel-based bike in production! That's really cool. I love the idea of rotary engines; too bad they don't get more attention.

As pointed out before, seals are key, and I'm guessing that you cannot just walk into a parts store and find them. If you're serious, ask the poster what needs work and what he's attempted already. He's selling it for a reason...

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Stock White 2007 S40
Raptor petcock
1/2 white spacer

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SALB Serious Thumper Offline FSO Posts: 668 Whittier, AK Gender:	Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare? Reply #10 - 04/24/12 at 20:52:42 I found a web forum dedicated just to these bikes, apperentley they've got quite a following. As far as this bike, it's on the lot of a local thrift store. Somebody just donated it for the tax write off, and there is no history.
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teabowl13

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SuzukiSavage.com
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Re: Cool Project, or Total Nightmare?
Reply #11 - 04/25/12 at 07:54:59

They are SO very rare that they would be kind-of a nightmare project, just because parts are going to be very few and far between, and expensive as a result. However, if you're curious, it might be worth the purchase. If it doesn't work out as a project; you'd get more than your money back parting it out to the handful of guys restoring those things...

I know I wouldn't touch it...
Half the reason I bought my Savage was because I knew parts would be cheap and available...

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VINTAGE ROADSTER BUILD: http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1323582921

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