LAST of the LINE
We ride the RGV500 XR89, Suzuki’s last two-stroke Grand Prix racer and a world apart from Sheene’s RG500…
Compared to the 1970s RG500 XR14 that gave Suzuki their first premier-class world championship, the bike that secured their last title is so staggeringly rideable that it destroys everything you thought you knew about race-prepped two-strokes.
This bike put Suzuki back to the front of GPS in 1999 with Kenny Roberts Jr. It finished the season in second, before winning the 500cc world title the next year. First impressions are pure racer – the RGV is tiny, locking you into a tight riding position with ridiculously high, worryingly short footpegs. It feels super light, extremely stiff and overwhelmingly responsive. It’s as if controls amplify inputs – put 30% effort into the steering, brake lever or oh-so-light twistgrip, and get 90% out. The V4 goes from upright to knee-dragging lean in a blink, places itself wherever you look, and has more braking power with one finger than my forearms can take. It makes even modern sports bikes feel fat and ponderous.
Yet despite all this, the RGV’S skill set includes manners and composure. Steering is never anything but light and balanced. Suspension combines plushness with spot-on damping, and although they have power to ripple Tarmac the brakes offer feel and control. However, it’s the twin-crank V4 two-stroke engine that’s the real revelation.
In race trim the RGV gave 192bhp on high-octane rocket fuel. Today it’s wound back for longevity (not many dealers carry RGV500 spares), but still has 170bhp – which, in a 130kg package, means 1.31bhp/kg and dimension-leaping acceleration that turns your brain into scrambled egg. But it’s also fabulously tractable. You can short-shift out of corners, cleanly pulling third or fourth gear through a turn that should usually be taken in second. There’s midrange torque that lets you ride round all day in one gear – it’s so friendly and forgiving that you could ride it on the road. The V4 even sounds subdued; the exhaust note is more RGV250 road bike than rowdy racer.
Riding the XR89 at ten-tenths would, of course, be a different matter. However, comparing the unbelievably predictable, easy to ride RGV500 with Sheene’s explosive and demanding RG500 is still like comparing a French-polished dining table to a rough-sawn bench. Truly sensational.