Rotary Engine Motorcycle? 1975 Suzuki RE5 - Jay Leno's Garage

This misunderstood motorcycle boasts an incredibly smooth rotary engine but was not a commercial success due to many factors that you'll learn about in this episode!
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Hosted by legendary comedian and “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno, the series explores our obsession with all things automotive. From classic cars to supercars and everything in-between, Jay is hitting the road to discover the most exciting, weird and wonderful vehicles ever made and meet the passionate people behind their wheels. Each one-hour themed episode features a mix of stunts, challenges, reviews, and celebrity interviews that showcases the colorful history of the automobile. Whether he’s exploring the story of an iconic brand, road-testing the newest super car, or investigating the latest automotive innovations, there is no wheel Jay won’t get behind to tell the story of our love affair with the car.
About Jay Leno: Acclaimed TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist…it’s no wonder that Jay Leno is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.”
Rotary Engine Motorcycle? 1975 Suzuki RE5 - Jay Leno's Garage
• Rotary Engine Motorcyc...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage

[@robertcarkeek8391]

" the wife left years ago, the kids won't talk to him, he washes carburetor parts in the kitchen sink." That's poetry Jay . You should finish it Jay, It's too good!

[@mooslionheart]

It’s the greatest country music lyrics of all times🤣

[@user-bv1gq8jj6b]

Holy crap, that's quite deep, isn't it?

[@bugnfront]

Don't forget It's garage in the living room where the coach used to be 10 years ago and the kitchen cupboard was where the polish and oil tags are...lol. been there done that..

[@martinjrgensen8234]

James May?

[@garrettraiden1229]

You prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I stupidly forgot my password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me!

[@amazingredkitty3605]

I was the Suzuki Factory Service Rep for NY & NJ when the RE5 was introduced. One of the big problems with the dealers servicing the bike is there was about a 6 month delay between the factory training of the dealers and the bikes arriving at the dealership. Everyone had forgotten what they had learned. Some of the first bikes that were shipped had the carburetor linkage misadjusted at the factory. Using a protractor type special tool attached to the butterfly shaft the linkage had to be bent to adjust it properly. I would willing to bet that the RE-5 carburetor is the most complicated carb ever put on a motorcycle and it baffled the mechanics. Being the "RE-5 Guy", I think I worked on at least half the RE-5's sold in my territory. It is a great bike once it's dialed in and fun to ride. On a humorous note, we called the speedometer "the lunch box". Thanks for a great video and a blast from the past.

[@johndangelo4647]

Thank you Jay for covering the Re5. I bought mine in 1980, it was considered a 1976 model. Yes as you described Suzuki tried to de-weird it by putting GT750 turn signals and gauges on it and painting it black with gold pinstripes on the tank, which I thought looked pretty sharp. My good friend talked me into buying this bike because the dealer had a bunch of them and was trying to just get rid of them, I paid a $1000.00 for mine brand new still in the crate, and was pretty happy about it. My buddy who already had a water buffalo (GT750) got one too. And then he talked his neighbor into getting one also. When all three of were riding together we thought they sounded like a B-17 bomber, or so we thought. I did a lot of touring on it and even took it to Daytona from Detroit for bike week. I entered it on the boardwalk bike show and took 3rd place in the most unusual category behind a Honda minibike powered by Kawasaki Mach3 motor and then a custom bike with Chevy 350. Its funny you mention the kick starter because I had to use it for while when the starter clutch failed and I had to wait for parts to fix it. All in all a fun and reliable bike with a lot of great memories.

[@creedsexton296]

I love it now and I loved it then I bought one in 76 when I got my drivers license... still have it... it runs as good now as it did then.. of course I have only got 14,000 miles on mine.

[@dv8740]

That's amazing. What an awesome bike

[@dubmoke2717]

Any videos of it

[@bodeyjamison7096]

My grandpa has one of these and actually was licensed to work on it. He still has all the old paper work and everything.

[@goodforwatch]

Get him to do a youtube live 😊 I'd love to watch it!

[@bcgrittner]

During the mid 1970's I worked at a Yamaha dealer. The Suzuki RE-5 got our attention. I read all the magazine articles. I was probably more knowledgeable about the RE-5 than the local Suzuki dealer.

[@Wooley689]

That is cool Bodey, you wouldn't get me a copy of the paper work and info would you? I'm a member of AMCA (American motorcycle club of America) and the info would be great for our archives.

[@p51mustang82]

Dear Mr Lenno, with your lifestyle, and you being so fortunate to live such a admirable lifestyle. How could you vote for joe biden?? People like you confused me. Remember most normal Americans who ate going and trying to make our way cannot afford electric cars . We cannot afford tax increase. We can't afford reparations for people that lived 159 years ago .

[@truthseeker8483]

@@p51mustang82 Did he? I am sorry to hear that....I guess in Hollywood if you don't say you voted for geriatric, globalist, corrupt Biden you can kiss your career goodbye.

[@mcburket]

I was a Suzuki mechanic when these came out. I owned a '76 for awhile, as did the service manager (he still has his). Suzuki had a two day training course at the time - I still have a couple of training manuals from that class. Since Suzuki didn't let dealers work on the engine 'proper', the bike wasn't that bad to deal with, except that the carburetor was probably the most complex carb I've ever worked on. If the engine did have a problem you would have to replace the whole proper assembly (cases, rotor, eccentric shaft) as a single unit, and return the old one. It would have been pretty entertaining to see Jay try to start the bike with the kick starter. I think I was able to do it once. There is a guy in the midwest that was a friend of one of the Suzuki managers and he ended up buying every spare part that Suzuki USA had. He still has almost every part for the bike.

[@markcolt1114]

Were you guys warned or had any problems with the famous apex seals?

[@Topper_Harley68]

There are no 76 models.

[@God.EmperorBran]

How can I find this guy in the midwest? I own a Suzuki RE5 thats why I’m asking.

[@God.EmperorBran]

@@markcolt1114they are titanium carbide and are the most reliable (biased). They only fail if you turbo the motorbike.

[@rodh2168]

I parked my bike next to an RE5 every day at university in 1975. I thought it was the coolest bike. Never saw the owner. I still think it's the coolest bike.

[@townhall05446]

You never saw the owner because he was hiding. I owned one of these and heard my friends laughing who had never laughed before.

[@huntermcmurray9326]

What did you have?

[@rodh2168]

@@huntermcmurray9326 Yamaha TX500

[@ftby59mikeD]

The instrument panel always reminded me of 'Rosie' the maid on the Jetsons!! Thanks Jay for sharing & preserving history once again.

[@povking1460]

Wow I thought that was an oil reservoir lol

[@GhostRyderFPV]

Ooooo. Cool. Now I see it! ô¿ô

[@redram5150]

Same

[@joshuanicely8722]

Ha! Never noticed that but I can't unsee it now lol

[@jquest43]

Hahahaha,true!

[@slargo83]

"I'm gonna smooth out of here" 🤣

[@goodforwatch]

He's a gem!

[@richardorosso7377]

Haha he's cool love him!

[@GunsmithSid]

Stop trying to make ‘Smooth outa here’ a thing Jay! 🤣

[@GhostRyderFPV]

That's his Star Trek Captain tagline. Doesn't have the same effect as Engage.

[@dmc5291]

Jay would be an excellent salesman. So much detail and history in such an effortless and genuine way makes you fall in love with whatever he’s talking about.

[@operator91210]

When shopping for cars I always appreciated salesman that knew everything about the car I'm looking at instead of trying to get into my pants.

[@MrTonhill]

My Dad and our family business from 1970 to 1982 was motorcycles, we sold Suzuki and this brings back some fun memories! For the introduction of the bike to the dealers in Las Vegas they had this big space theme and nasa astronauts to meet people. We had one on our floor, it was dark blue. It never sold. I think my dad traded with a guy to get it out of shop. They were smooth and fun to ride, but the rotory engine scared folks. Nice to see it's not forgotten!

[@jimweed7269]

As someone who rode a couple of Harley's for a good amount of time I can appreciate a motorcycle that does not vibrate.

[@thomaselliott573]

we all have our faults. At least you are honest.

[@ZGryphon]

Oh jeez, don't type that out loud, you'll have the entire "loud pipes save lives" crowd crawling up your spillway.

[@bansheemania1692]

I ride my Honda 750 Ace...

[@bartholomausallen883]

Buy a BMW K75. The K100 was the 4-cylinder that didn't feature a balance shaft. The K75 was a 3-cylinder, and even with less power it's still the better bike because the triple required a balance shaft.

[@artmchugh5644]

@@ZGryphon my shirt reads " LOUD PIPES POOR SUBSTITUTE FOR NO SKILL !!!😄😄😄😄😎😎😎😎😎🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🍺🍺🍺

[@joezednick3197]

Jay,,,,,you drove me crazy placing that cylinder with all the sharp edges on that vintage seat!!!!! Wow!

[@pbyfr]

The two bolts coming out straight in the seat were even difficult to watch.

[@joezednick3197]

@@pbyfr Jay is an amazing guy, but when you have his kind of money you may forget the little things,,,like poking holes in a vintage seat,,ha ha

[@harrybarnes3539]

And then he throws it on the ground hahahaha

[@boredvideos1]

@@harrybarnes3539 i mean the rotor and housing are already trashed. That prestine seat looks great tho:(

[@PlasticKelly]

I bought the 1976 model new and had it until 1982 when I was hit by a drunk driver. Put me in the hospital for 9 weeks with a broken femur and totaled the bike. Sold it as scrap for $100.00. The most regretable episode of my life. I loved having that bike and enjoyed riding it so much. Forty years on and all I have left is memories, a few pictures and a limp. Thanks Jay, good see one again.

[@mitchelllorens]

I’ve followed Japanese motorcycles much of my younger days and only wish I’d of paid attention to this gem more closely at the time. I love it! Real head turner. So sad the parts got deep-sixed 😔. That failure ( So to speak) probably sunk a few careers but Suzuki is still strong and I’m enjoying one of their maxi scooters . Thanks for this really special review. Totally enjoyed this.

[@johnmooney2740]

Hi Jay I saw a write up in a magazine in 1975 when I was 15 years old and I was so taken by its futuristic design, it got me hooked on motorcycles. I have had many motorcycles but never had a RE 5 , never quite had the money for one at the right time and apprehensive of the complexity of the bike. Maybe one day ! Thanks for showing us your bike .

[@waitaminute-vw9hf]

Maintenance is a bonding experience with your bike.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

agreedos

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Here in UK no-one bought them exactly because you couldn't do that. Everyone knew how to maintain normal bikes and fix them by the side of the road, but if you had a problem with one of these you were screwed. Going somewhere like the highlands of Scotland was out of the question because you probably wouldn't be able to get the right oil even if you could find a garage, so touring on it was risky. It might have made a decent town bike as long as you didn't mind paying main dealer (read: expensive) fees to have it serviced. It wasn't really a case of the world not being ready, just that there were many more practical alternatives.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@Kevin-mx1vi you have a great mechanic in uk his name is allen milyard!

[@johnbourdeau895]

Thats a real biker statement. Exactly us ugh ugh ugh men bond.

[@ACoustaDC]

I learn as much from Jay as I did my auto shop teacher.... both of them .. very knowledgeable.

[@traveler7249]

The "power curve" on rotary engines is very unique compared to piston engines. - I drove the Mazda rotary in Japan and it took a while to adapt. Shift points and torque etc. are in different locations along the power curve.

[@Jgeneraledger23]

Saw Jay on the freeway once on his Harley. It had a custom Orange sprocket to go faster. When he saw us, he took his hands off the bars for a sec to show-off, it was really cool.

[@waynethomas5408]

The 1970's, what a great decade for Japanese motorcycles.

[@CCW1911]

Yes had a Suzuki GT750 and thought it rotated the earth but my friends H2 Mach IV 750 was absolutely terrifying.

[@markcooper8561]

1970's - great decade...

[@geoben1810]

@@markcooper8561 Yeah, but the 60s was a 🎶Magical Mystery Tour🎵 of peace and love. And really good pot! ✌😉

[@TucsonDude]

It was the start of Japanese greatness. Bought a 1973 Kaw Z1 for $300 at a junkyard. Only had a burned out fuse and ran all thru college.

[@bansheemania1692]

Kawasaki z series 900 and 1000👍✅

[@saxjonz]

My dad bought one of these when they came out. He questioned why the fan never came on. They asked him to bring it in and he got a warmed up Z1 as a loaner. My dad took me for a ride and because of that experience I fell in love with Kawasaki and the Z1. Be was always one for innovative design.

[@townhall05446]

I went to the dealer to buy a leftover KZ900 and they had just sold the last one; the dealer sold me one of these. Damn him.

[@richardanderson2742]

The maintenance issue with many owners is something I’ve never understood. For those of us that got our first car in the late 60s/early 70s, they were normally clunkers that either you stayed on top of maintenance or enjoyed walking. Having conducted teen driving schools for years, I am always appalled at the number of kids that don’t even know how to open the hood or check tire pressure…..and even more appalled when their accompanying parent don’t have a clue either. More than a few parents stated that they’d have to take the car to the dealer when I showed them low oil or low tire pressure on their vehicle…..and sometimes wouldn’t let me properly inflate a dramatically low tire, thinking that required trained dealer personnel. Personally I think hands-on car maintenance should be a requirement as part of every state’s driving test.

[@byrd85land]

I had a '78 Mazda RX-3 with the Wankel rotary engine. I took it up to 110 mph, and it was still 2000 rpm below the red line. Impressive, smooth power.

[@townhall05446]

Pretty amazing for a 95hp car with a top speed of 115.

[@98KingQuad]

Would love to see more motorcycles on the channel, Jay!

[@ksigurdsen034482]

The Honda CB500 I owned got 50 mpg even with lots of full throttle takeoff. I owned a 2004 Mazda RX-8. Beautiful car, superior balance and handling but the rotary engine still suffered Apex seal and water jacket failures. Your specimen is beautiful, glad to see it is loved.

[@hankgs]

What is so cool about the bike is the fact that a factory was thinking OUTSIDE THE BOX... and it made it to production... Kudos to Suzuki back in the day.

[@c.j.1089]

Every week Jay manages to do the impossible and show me another vehicle I have never heard of.

[@bhuuthesecond]

Right? I frigging love this KZbin channel!

[@ianmangham4570]

You're obviously young /under 45

[@dukecraig2402]

There's a reason you've never heard of them, it was such a nightmare that Suzuki dumped every unsold bike and all the spare parts in the ocean so they wouldn't have to provide support or have to look at another one, that's why even Suzuki doesn't have one to display, it was a total flop and almost killed the company, they wanted to erase every trace of them.

[@ExternalInputs]

@@dukecraig2402 Anyone that was around at the time remembers them. A failure that big is hard to erase and tends to live on, regardless of a company's desire to put it all behind them. Rotarys nearly sent Mazda broke too. If only Triumph had managed to erase oil leaks as effectively during that period. The dealers "solved it" by not putting oil in the showroom bikes.

[@dukecraig2402]

@@ExternalInputs Yep, I was around back then myself, introducing a machine that's got horrible mileage and needs a quart of oil poured in it every 300 to 400 miles during an energy crisis is a recipe for failure. Here's a hint, remember how he said the exhausts get so hot from the heat coming out of the engine? One of the laws of physics is; Heat=wasted energy. Not good for a fossil fuel powered machine during the oil crisis 🤣🤣🤣

[@bigredc222]

I was holding my breath watching him jab the locator pins of the case into the seat 1:35, he's lucky they didn't poke through.

[@CRFLAus]

Same here. I expect more out of a car/motorcycle guy. People like this usually lean on cars as well in their Levi's with the studded pockets. Drives me insane!

[@bigredc222]

@@CRFLAus I try my darnedest to keep my vehicles nice, but it never fails something ends up happening to them. I've had three vehicles that were less than six months old when someone dented them.

[@GTRtonyd]

excellent - but i cried when the rotary piston example was put on the seat!!1

[@jlwilliams]

Pfff, if he poked a hole in the seat, one of the guys could just reupholster it...

[@Pfsif]

He has Zero F's to give.

[@thoggboogus2560]

@@jlwilliams it’s jay leno he can afford to throw it off a dam and have it repaired to brand new condotion in a weeks time or less

[@charlesfriend9557]

@ Tony Lee, Jay already knows where all the spare seats ,and other parts went, so I imagine he has out of work gill net fisherman and deep sea salvage divers on standby in the event he tears the seat! On the other hand I so much apreciate his ability to collect,store and share all these amazing vehicles

[@prettytoes11]

Glad I wasn't the only one!

[@TheCarablanco]

"If you ever get the opportunity to ride one . . . " You're killing me, Jay. Love this piece.

[@1928ModelA1931]

Actually a quick search of these showed that they are not terribly uncommon and very reasonable in price. There were even two that were in new condition. One had never been ridden. So yes, one could be had and ridden.

[@Orkaney]

In my country it was named "the toilet paper roll" (dassrullen) because of the gauge cluster.

[@waqqashanafi]

Cannot unsee.

[@Orkaney]

@@waqqashanafi muwhhahahaha... (-;b

[@RegulareoldNorseBoy]

Norsk, vil jeg anta:-D

[@Orkaney]

@@RegulareoldNorseBoy Jeg aner ikke hva du prater om. (-:b

[@bennylloyd-willner9667]

@@RegulareoldNorseBoy yup, om det är samma som user name på deviant. "dassrullen" funkar för mig som svensk också😊

[@jeroen9637]

Speaking about Wankel engines, I would love to see a NSU RO80 on Jay Leno's Garage.

[@25Soupy]

Yeah, that would be cool. Did Suzuki but this engine in any of their cars? Well all know Mazda put it cars and trucks.

[@jeroen9637]

My dad had a Mazda RX3 for a short point in time. And there were actually quite a few RO80's here in the Netherlands at the end of the '70-s.

[@jeroen9637]

@@25Soupy According to Google just in the RE5.

[@samjl4]

Some of the Norton ones would be cool too, they really went as far as you could go with the technology in motorcycle form.

[@MultiArrie]

Or ride a hercules wankel.

[@ashwinpegasus3400]

This motorcycle was made for a particular set of people, may be the set was too small to keep it alive. I liked it anyway. It really stands out. This is how a collector’s motorcycle should be. And Jay, thanks for popping the gauge cluster hood thrice! I love that mechanism.

[@TucsonDude]

Love Jay's Garage. Many of the other vehicle channels just review high-priced cars. Bikes are always more interesting than cars...and I own both.

[@mrawesome2524]

Love this format, Just Jay talking to us sharing what he loves and teaching the next generation at the same time. Thanks Jay!

[@reddermot]

Thanks for posting this Jay. There are lot of forgotten rotary engine applications. Motorcycles, outboard marine engines, aviation engines, snowmobiles, chainsaws and more. Please, please tell me you didn't damage the seat with that rotor housing!

[@kenlombard3269]

This bike was gorgeous in '75 and still is, thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@dv8740]

Wow, what an incredible bike and a bold move from Sukuzi to develop. I have always loved rotary engines and owned some rx-7's but never heard of this bike before seeing this video. What a unique and beautiful piece of engineering history. Way ahead of it's time for sure.

[@mountaineer1438]

This engine has always blown my mind. I’ve known about these type engines as a younger man when Mazda tried them, never knew about the motorcycle try and being a biker, I’d love to experience it. The engineering in the motor is nothing short of genius, thank you for sharing.

[@brianstacy7228]

It would have been helpful to mention that it burned oil "by design" ... just like a 2-stroke, it had an extra oil tank. It also had the most nightmarish throttle cable ever. Thanks for sharing this!

[@Oddman1980]

I seem to remember one cable split into five different cables to pull on various things.

[@nomadben]

@@Oddman1980 My god...

[@brettlathrope3612]

My Dad's favorite motorcycle. We both loved riding it. He would ride it from Cypress, CA to Kamiah, ID a couple of times a year to see his mom (he was retired Navy). He crashed and died on it in '79. I still have the bike out behind my garage.

[@jimgreen3382]

Had one of these that I purchased new in 75. Great bike, super fun to ride, I could hit 90 in second gear with glass smooth mirrors. Took mine across country (N.C. to Calif.), raced with a corvette at 110 mph in Arizona. Issues are as Jay mentions, oil consumption, chain wear, and 'buck rogers' look. Loved mine, but sold it in San Fran in 77.

[@koekcoek]

revving a rotary engine is so addictive, what a bike it is.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

closest thing today will be electric motor

[@michaeltorrey3603]

I was in the army when this came out so I don’t remember it. But as a kid I remember when Suzuki came out with water cooling and we all thought that was nuts (I still do). Suzuki has always been very innovative.

[@MarinCipollina]

I never had a rotary engine motorcycle, but I did have a charcoal color Mazda RX -7 in 1981, and that was kind of an amazing experience. It was just incredibly smooth and very lightweight.. The redline was something like 9000 RPMs or some crazy number like that, and the car loved to run.. I never had any problems with it, but I got out of it when it was about two years old.

[@patricklozito7042]

A dear friend of mine worked at the Suzuki dealer in Queens NYC when this model came out and to show how smooth and vibration free it ran, he would start it up and then balance his cigarette on it's filter on the gas tank. I can still see it sitting there, smoking, as he revved the engine. Good times!

[@ronalddaub7965]

I worked at the Suzuki shop as a mechanic the year they came out and I had one and it was just like a great big two stroke as far as the torque goes only different I wish I still had it

[@gregp103]

Did they fire you due to your propensity for run on sentences?

[@darrenswails]

@@gregp103 grammar Nazi....but that is funny

[@alanrix5344]

Ronald Daub I think I heard Jay say it went through a lot of oil .Did you find that ?

[@gregp103]

@@darrenswails Well, it IS a Wankel.

[@darrenswails]

@@gregp103 good point 😁

[@donelmore2540]

There’s one in the motorcycle museum in. Solvang, CA! Ive seen it there a couple of times and really liked the Buck Rogers’ styling cues!

[@michaelhartzell9758]

I like the new to me camera view. Makes you seem more comfortable talking about the bike, like you'd talk to your friends . Great video, and back then they WERE ugly.

[@marceldemir7514]

I think changing the oil and servicing generally makes you care about a vehicle. To be honest most newer cars leave me cold, which is why I love this channel.

[@yeahitskimmel]

I took a shot every time Jay said "smooth" and had to go to the ER

[@wmason1961]

Only Jay Leno would drop a crankcase with studs sticking out the bottom. directly on top of a 50 year old seat. What killed this bike was competition from Suzuki. I remember when my brother bought a new GT750. He said the RE5 was not fast enough. So the GT750 guys would not buy one. It was much slower. He said it would be like buying a 550 for the price of the 750. The RE5 could not compete withe the other bikes made by the same company.

[@captaintoyota3171]

Plus you had kawa Z1s and 650/750s coming in that dominated. Timing was off and engineering was a bit to far fetched. If they had computer direct inj the Re5 woulda been amazing

[@lukeperry1891]

@@captaintoyota3171 the same could be said for every single other motorcycle out there if they were direct injection.

[@TheFowler99]

in 1976 when these were being sold the 750 gt cost £999.00 the re5 cost 1150.00, and was 10 mph slower with about 30 mpg .

[@mundanestuff]

I have a buddy with one of these, rode it several times, always amazed at the smoothness. We took it to someone in Ohio who was a specialist and had quite a following one time, and he really tuned it up. Later, around 91/92 we took shifts driving it to his family's house just above Harrisburg, PA from Rochester, NY in freezing temps and occasional snow and froze near to death. I don't think it's been run since then.

[@colindowd3892]

I owned one of these in 1976 and everything Jay said is absolutely true. Loved mine wish it was still in the garage. I have been tempted to buy another but finding someone who knows anything about them is a rare thing. On another note I bought a Heratige softail last of the carb models when harley davidson changed to fuel injection. Guys in the dealers were so young they never learned to set up a carburettor. So before riding the bike home I did it myself in the carpark. Thank you Jay. Colin from the UK

[@charlie1832]

Those turn signals are pretty cool looking

[@Simonofcalifornia]

Brighter then street lights.

[@AxLWake]

Cool spherical design. Just a ball, half metal, half orange glass (or plastic?). It's strange but I agree, it does look cool.

[@FCT8306onTwoWheels]

My Yamaha has turn signals like them, lollipops

[@Downstairsish]

My friend has one of these, it took him ages to get it running.. and he's an aircraft engineer.. Nobody has a clue what it is here in the UK and he only rides it when its cold weather as its incredibly hot when running.

[@watchjaredwork1487]

My dad got his cheap because the guy couldn’t get it to run. No spark, said he cleaned and changed the whole ignition system. Dad got it home and digs into it and discovers that there’s actually two sets of points on these, one sits behind the other and the bike actually starts on the inside set of points and only switches to the outside set during deceleration to change ignition timing. He cleaned the inside set and it fired right up haha.

[@bansheemania1692]

@@watchjaredwork1487 gotta love those buys when they come around.

[@truthseeker8483]

Just remove the carb and lean it out like Jay did....hahahaha

[@marthamryglod291]

If it's too hot in the UK, then half of the US will be unrideable without a fire suit

[@ExternalInputs]

@@truthseeker8483 I'll bet it wasn't quite that simple.

[@benrodeheaver701]

Rated at approx 500cc I couldn't believe the amount of torque this machine had. Didn't own but rode a friend's bike and really enjoyed it.

[@DonnDIY]

Really beautiful bike.

[@hugh-johnfleming289]

The old 'Water-buffalo' was damn smooth too.

[@bigsmoke6189]

GT 750 ? We used to call them Water buses

[@davidgrow7406]

The most fun with my buffalo was telling guys and gals that it smoked because it needed a valve job.

[@mightress]

Kettle, waterbuffalo and few more names for them. I love mine. Nice power and smoothe ride

[@frankcastle5294]

They were great bikes. Still some buffaloes running around here in AmishLand.

[@6thgear914]

I never thought such a heavenly thing could exist

[@donaldasayers]

There was a Norton rotary too.

[@davidsomervaille5929]

6thGear oh it existed alright but the tech made it impossible to maintain remember Japanese bikes were popular then but your average joe could maintain them not so with this and as most people still did there own maintainence it took it out of reach for us so it was a Honda 750four or a z1kawasaki 900 cheaper and faster

[@torquemada6781]

Van Veen OCR 1000, 38 were built, 100 hp, weight 292 kg

[@fidelcatsro6948]

china should make replacement wankel engines and sell them on ebay

[@billyhellboy6138]

What rock u live under the sea sponge Bob spare panties

[@geoffreygarwood8018]

My dad had one a long time ago, he loved anything with a rotary engine. I rode it several times and it was a decent bike. Mainly it was unique which was its attraction. He sold it eventually to a collector from Japan who paid him double what he had in it.

[@kimchipig]

I saw one in the flesh many years ago. It was the most amazing bike I have ever seen or heard!

[@fredbullmer273]

My dad was a fan of rotary engines, but never owned one. Now I know why. (USN-WWII)

[@greggcollins4215]

If he had owned one he would not have been a fan. I had a 73 RX2 and have never owned another Mazda.

[@thomaselliott573]

@@greggcollins4215 Mazdas have never been a good car

[@greggcollins4215]

@@thomaselliott573 I figured that after one.

[@TheBandit7613]

Next, do the two stroke triple street bikes. Those are SO COOL!

[@robertashwood4128]

As a kid so excited to see a new one at my home town's Easter motorcycle racing, tens of thousands of bikes to see on the town's streets. Wonderful memories.

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Another example of "just because you can build it, doesn't mean you should." (Edsel) A 1975 Honda CB750 is/was just as smooth riding, had more power and cost less. Fun episode, Jay. This bike fits right in with your eclectic collection. 👍

[@_Sisyphus]

Headbolts resting on that seat! Ouch!!!

[@m.b.82]

yeah i winced

[@hoodagooboy5981]

I saw that, started to get upset. Then I think, "well it's his bike, he can do what he wants with it".

[@harwoods11]

@@m.b.82 Yea.. Me too. Imagine lifting the barrel and seeing a tear 😱😱😱

[@SheepInACart]

@@harwoods11 If he noticed a tear he'd have made a quib for the camera, and simply had it recovered some stage after the shoot. Motorcycle seats aren't a "numbers matching" part expected to last forever, and while COVID may reduce ability to have crew in the shop ect, the couple of hundred bucks is going to be only a small part of the cost of making this video. You don't buy multiple half million dollar cars, and spend that again restoring them to pebble beach quality, then loose your mind over a torn seat.. these things happen, and in terms of accidental damage, its likely close to the cheapest thing in the shop.

[@harwoods11]

@@SheepInACart Really??? I thought these cheap pvc Japanese covers lasted for ever and a day. I don't even sit on mine for fear of damage...i just ponder. FFS !

[@dieselrules4843]

Jay You have to do a video on the Hercules Wankel. The original--german made Motorcycle. I love these.

[@benrodeheaver701]

They make a small rotary that I recently found out. I'm building a fat tire mini bike and look to purchase one of them to install on it.

[@markleadbeatter6196]

I can remember first seeing one of these in a motorcycle shop when my best mate was picking up his first bike (a 1973 TS125) and it honestly was like the future had arrived. I thought that flip up instrument cover was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Sadly I was too young to ride at the time, or I may well have signed up to buy one! It was a product of the times though, as no corporation would take such a huge gamble on such a risky technology these days. It is interesting how something that was viewed as a bit of a lemon back in the day has become a genuinely sought after automotive collectable. Thanks for uploading this video, very enjoyable.

[@RobSchofield]

Lovely, lovely bike. First saw one in Leeds, UK, in 1979 when I went to buy spares for my Suzi GT250 (which I still have).

[@darrenparkinson4576]

"The wife left years ago,the kids don't talk to him,and there are motorcycle parts in the sink.." That's an accurate depiction of many a motorcycle enthusiast,Jay.

[@rogerbarrett9920]

They were interesting times- I also remember the German Hercules W2000 Wankel motorcycle with the Sachs 294cc unit- that was air cooled though- plus of course Norton experimented with the Wankel as well, culminating with Trevor Nation racing one at the Isle of Man. It sounded fantastic.

[@RDEnduro]

I'm a two stoke guy, but I've always been facinated with these Suzukis! Yours looks really nice, love the color and the details.

[@thomaselliott573]

This was one of your better videos. Good to see you enjoy it. The 70's were a wonderful time when simplicity and experimentation such as this were much more common than now. They were lovely days. Take care.

[@townhall05446]

Except that this bike was anything BUT simple. Even the dealers couldn't work on them and they had more systems than a missile base.

[@alternator7893]

It's beautiful!, Crazy to think Suzuki doesn't have one in their museum as it's one of the few Wankel motorcycles that were ever built

[@joshbobst1629]

"Is there a more seventies color than this?" *BROWN*

[@billhill7330]

*Mr. Regular appears*

[@Clay3613]

Mustard Yellow.

[@tommytom5757]

James May Brown

[@roberttoews2775]

Avocado

[@davidaxman]

Brown and Orange is what comes to mind when i think "seventies colour"

[@charlesaay110]

I test rode an RE5 in 1975 or so (I was 23 then), and had owned 3 piston Suzuki's before then, and owned a '72 GT550J (3 lung, 2 stroke). I rode it for a couple hours, and like Jay, I was astounded at the at the Singer Sewing Machine type smoothness. Zero mirror blur at any rpm. Decent acceleration and handling, but the price was well out of my reach. It was literally priced in the Harley Super Glide area. Great video by JL...as are all of his vids

[@radioguy1620]

A 3 cyl two stroke can be as smooth as a 6 cyl 4 stroke at certain loads and speeds, experienced it often with my 75 GT 380 Suzuki. I rode a RE 5 at the dealers after he offered one up and it handled great but at the time a bit intimidating due to my respect for anothers ,didnt feel much torque to it if I remember right but handled like my later GS series bikes. We were so lucky back then . Man.

[@LuciFeric137]

Our small town Suzuki (and sporting goods) store got one of these in back in the day. Seemed like a space ship back then.

[@pessia61]

When I was attending CSUDH in the mid 80s, there was one of these in the parking lot regularly.

[@erichreinl2965]

Thank you Jay for your interest and dedication to motorcycles as well as other vehicles and their history. Whenever I come across one of your presentations it's hard to turn away without watching and I look forward to the next segment. It's always a pleasure.

[@andrewprice1189]

Its one thing having a great collection like Jay, but the passion & interest/knowledge he has of each model in his collection is what makes these videos so watchable

[@ashleyphotog]

I'd love to see Leno do a world tour where he does the same format but goes around the world finding vehicles to tell the story of.

[@joemannix6643]

18:21 “I’m going to Smooth Out of here” too Thxs Jay ❤️👍.

[@garyandrews3925]

I’ve driven the hell out of one of these. The revelation for me was liquid cooling. Poor low end torque, but once it got going you had to hang on. Also, the gear indicator was pretty cool.

[@DevrajThakkar]

An old rotary bike prone to failure: It was just more trouble than most people than it was worth. Jay with his army of mechanics: "Not me, I love it, I think it was great"

[@starkparker16]

You're the man Jay. This channel is among the best.

[@Phil36ful]

Oh, Jay, your show is just great. Love watching it!

[@Brad772006]

Oh my what a wild wonderful machine that I had no idea ever existed. That was very ahead of it's time. I could have seen this going over great if had been released about 10 years later in 85-86. Suzuki was releasing all kinds of new ideas in the mid 80's.

[@ZipKickGo]

I've always wondered what you thought about the 1980s motorcycle race for the fastest product bike. The Magna v65 blew me away as a kid, I was hooked when that commercial first came on. Then theres the Virago, the Vmax, and everyone else under the sun bringing in high rpm motorcycles. What a time to be alive!

[@abbielindley123]

Im not a bike guy really but saw it had a rotary so I'm having a watch.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

better like it amigo!

[@unducational]

Dorito engine

[@abbielindley123]

@Akira S Cheers pal!

[@abbielindley123]

@@fidelcatsro6948 pretty nice bike actually.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@abbielindley123 i know

[@ItsBillee]

"All the spare parts were dumped into the ocean to make a reef or something" 😂😂

[@Marauder252]

That's when you know it's a failure, when that's the best use for all the parts.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

that wasnt wise!

[@ShamWerks]

soooooooo... a Rotareef? Must be so smooth.

[@Johonavich49]

It’s a shame. That’s not a bad bike.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@Johonavich49 would be nice to even see a 150cc chinese wankel engine on ebay on sale

[@alexanderknopf9629]

Nice video Jay 👍 I love Suzuki bikes. I had a 750GT, (a 2 stroke engine), GSX 750L, GS 850G, and for the last 25 years I ride a GSX 1100F. But I’m curious, did you ever ride a “Van Veen OCR 1000” bike? It was based on the Comotor Audi/NSU/Citroën Wankel engine. Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱.

[@r.michaeldunwiddie2449]

I was a Suzuki partsman in the mid 80s and we looked up the parts list on one of these bikes. The most interesting thing was that the motor in total was a part! If anything went wrong you had to order the whole motor! Not one internal part was available.

[@redmoped]

jay brother, thank you for the motorcycle content

[@matthewhelton1725]

One Suzuki Executive, when he saw the first renditions of the RE5 and the Waterbuffalo, commented that they looked like a collection of pots and pans. Even Suzuki knew they were taking a risk, great bikes, great engineering... poor reception.

[@dukecraig2402]

No, not great engineering, introducing something that gets horrible gas mileage and has to have a quart of oil poured in it every 300 to 400 miles in the middle of an energy crisis is doomed to fail. These bikes were such nightmares that Suzuki dumped every unsold bike and all the spare parts for them in the ocean so they not only wouldn't have to provide support for them but they also never wanted to see another one of them again, that's why Suzuki doesn't even have one in their collection to display, I'll bet a lot of people got fired over this mess.

[@TheEZGZ]

I'm a VW sandrail guy and I was on vacation at the Utah, little Sahara Sand Dunes. We were at this big hill called sand mountain and this old guy with a budget build had a Mazda Rotary engine and snow tires gave me a ride that made me change my shorts. He never took it out of second gear and we went up the back side of sand mountain with me white knuckles holding on. When we got to the top and headed down the big hill I thought I was a dead man for sure. LOL We landed back at camp and he let me out and gave someone else a ride. Holy Moly, that old boy scared us all with his home brew contraption and rotary power. Then he went off and was not seen for the rest of the weekend. Those rotary engines are the devil in disguise I tell ya. To bad they never caught on, It's a legendary design just like you Jay. Peace and Good Health to ya brother. Love your show and Love you!

[@RideCamVids]

Thanks for re-posting an updated video of your RE5 Jay, I was hoping you would do this one day. I have a 75 in the firemist blue and its a great bike and as you said, hated and misunderstood by many, but loved by those who own them.

[@56cote]

I came close to buying one when my dealer was trying to dump them, I bought a XS650 instead, not so smooth, but great gas milage.

[@bingosunnoon9341]

I had a 78 XS650. Bought it new for 1500. Great bike.

[@georgeperkins4171]

Ever try to find an xs 650 now? They've all been turned into bobbers etc. Shame. They were great bikes.

[@benson4u215]

Bought an 82 xj650j and swapped on the seca heads after porting and polishing, ohh boy that sound gagve me chills, cant wait to get it running again