Night ride onboard Suzuki RG500

Just itching to get out on the #RG500 so went for a little night ride onboard the Suzuki RG500. Not the best as came across 2 accidents and my clutch is really playing up but all the same, a lot of fun. Impossible to keep the front wheel down off the mark and feels so easy.
My Nova clutch seems to be dragging really badly now, so time for a strip down and rebuild.
Apart from the the bike didn't leak any oil and went really well.
#motorcycle #500rg #gamma #suzuki #motovlog #motogp #collection #moto #motorbike #motorsport
The full story
After getting Mark Dent to rebuild my Rg570 engine, I decided to buy another chassis to use and put the engine in. First though, I wanted to check everything was ok with the new RG that I had bought. It was a hybrid and had been heavily modified but only had an RG400 engine in.
On trying to get it going, on the day I'd booked an MOT, I realised it had issues. Under the shiny cosmetics, there were quite a few issues to fix.
Electrics, Brackets, Choke, Carbs and the biggest issue, Check valves!
Eventually, I got it going and put some Sagaya pipes on. Ended up being sweet.
My bike is now a perfectly set up #RG500, well actually a stage 3, Stan Stephens tuned 570cc RG, with Mark Dent titanium pipes and ignition, Mark Dent filters, running 240 mains. Nova gearbox and dry clutch. Gsxr400 front and rear end, YSS rear shock, Koso clocks. Mark dyno'd it at about 108 bhp but I noticed the curve is really smooth, which is very different from the original Stephen's tune, which was very peaky, but the journey has been a long one.
Now the dream has come true, at last my Rg, that I bought in 1991 for £1400, is how I've always wanted it. ♥️
The story so far ...
A long, long journey, that I'll share.
I was riding a brilliant, brand new 1990 gsxr750L but I wanted an RG500.
I travelled all the way from Gloucestershire to the end of Wales to see mine. A drunk biker/hell's hooli stumbled out of the pub and pointed at this beaten up Skoal bandit RG. It was rough but cheap, I was skint and wanted one. £1400 later, I was stumbling home on this rough old dog.
As I had my superior handling gsxr so I used this to ramp around on but no matter how hard I pushed it, it wouldn't blow up. I thought, "this engine's strong'. So off I went to Stan Stephens with the intention of a do everything tune. Just 10 mins from Brand's Hatch it died. I had to wait hours for my Dad to pick me up with his trailer and went home.
Stan said get just the engine to him, so I stripped the bike and off I went back to Brand's. I remember sitting on the forecourt with Stan, as he picked bits up and put them in a box. I'd snapped a crank in half but as he picked up disc valves and the like, he kept saying, 'well that's totally f##*ed, you'll need 4 of those"
I left it with him, then returned to pick up my 570cc stage 3 raced tuned engine with Swarbrick pipes. It was around 1994 maybe and I still have the receipt, around £5500.
I got the engine back in and it was lightening. Very, very peaky and everywhere I rode it was 12000 rpm.
Massive wheelies and absolutely exhilarating. BUT 1 thing...
All that blistering speed but it handled like a shopping trolley with dodgy wheels! Wasn't long before I had a very slow speed slip. Those shitty tyres!!!
Next I took it to a custom shop in Gloucester, only for them to butcher it. Gsxr1100 front end. It was far to stiff with no alterations. They put a JMC back end but second hand. What can you expect for £1200?
They were amazed that on their dyno, it was pushing 106 bhp.
It did handle better but had top end issues, as no jetting had ever been done but still tons of fun but you always got off it with totally dead hands, all that fork vibration!!
Years went by, I moved away and it sat in Gloucestershire for 14 years, started very occasionally but was a pig to get going, obviously. Standing in a damp garage, soon the callipers seized. It was just another hoarded item then in 2016, it came to London. I contacted Mark Dent and he started the new beginning.
The engine was totally refreshed, then in January I bought a doner bike to complete my chassis.
Since about June, I've struggled with carbs and understanding how to set it up but at last, Mark kindly offered to sort everything out for me. What's pained me for weeks, he sorted in an afternoon.
So at long last, this bike is complete, my teenage dream, borrowed from the mags of 80s and 90s is now happily in my garage.

[@MarkSpry-s5s]

Love your videos mate it’s great you use your rg so many just garage queens

[@RG500_detectorist]

Thanks so much. So pleased that you like the videos. Yes, makes me laugh a little when you see all the videos and they are tickling the throttle or on tick over. As you can see and know. Needs to hit the red line. Looking forward to next dry day, maybe next year now and I need to give it a proper test.

[@RG500_detectorist]

This was a particularly fun video. Only got out for an hour before it got too dark but tried to give it some abuse. The wheelies were great but need to work on them. I'm going to change my gearing again, so once it comes up, it'll stay up longer. Definitely what's needed. 😉

[@RG500_detectorist]

This was a particularly fun video.

[@2stroketimebomb]

IMO bin the dry clutch, a lot of people have gone back to wet clutches I have heard, but up to you , see you soon Rich - When we gonna go out together and Crucify some Fourstrokes on our RG's? 👊

[@RG500_detectorist]

Yes, I was going to sell my wet clutch but then thought better to keep it. In the next couple of weekends, if we get a dry day we could meet up. Otherwise, we'll be waiting. Was a great summer though. I did around 2500 miles on the RG.

[@RG500_detectorist]

Look forward to seeing you soon 😊

[@gazcolman9184]

That was great to watch. It's lovely to see an RG being ridden! I do miss the 2 stroke days. That clutch did sound very rattly, it's a bit hard to hear exactly when watching/listening on a phone. My old RGV would rattle a bit like that when cold as my carbs werent balanced. The uneven firing pulses meant the clutch basket wasnt happy. But, who knows. Best to pull it and inspect. Again, cool video, thanks!

[@RG500_detectorist]

Thanks Gaz. It's a dry clutch, because the increased power to 108 bhp made a standard clutch slip. Therefore it is very rattly, as standard. Personally I think some plates have warped. I'll do as you suggest, and investigate. Thanks again Rich

[@gazcolman9184]

@RG500_detectorist Ah got it. There was a way of shimming the clutch packs away from the basket so you get less noise, leaving only the fingers noise. Unless the basket is particularly soft and the gaps are opening faster than normal? Anyway, best of luck! Looking forward to watching all your other videos now 😀

[@RG500_detectorist]

@@gazcolman9184 Thanks Gaz. I'll take it apart but more than likely I'll take it back to Nova for them to sort out

[@RG500_detectorist]

@@gazcolman9184 Enjoy all the other videos!! Some great 2 stroke vids

[@gsxr1127pt]

🔥💪😉

[@RG500_detectorist]

Any advice on why the clutch is making that awful noise, would really appreciate your thoughts...

[@potatojellyjakesalt8643]

you know how you got your son a robot named tobbie 3 years ago now theres a robot called tobbie II that you code yourself or upload activites to its board

[@RG500_detectorist]

Thanks for letting me know. Sounds like a great Christmas present 🎁 😀

[@potatojellyjakesalt8643]

the manuel will have instructions to download the activities @@RG500_detectorist

[@MrTheukbeast]

if you could smell a video mmmm

[@RG500_detectorist]

Yep, the wife tells me off for sitting in the garage, I know it's really bad but smells great !! 🙂