RE5 Pre-Production History Anyone?

[va7db]

Question from Canada about the first RE5 production model


Hi, name here is Dave (Ex pat Brit from NW London), I live in Canada on the west coast just south of Vancouver in a little fishing village called Ladner.

I have just found your site and am very interested, I have been riding motorcycles since 1962 and still ride daily to and from work, my wife also rides her own machine daily a Piaggio MP3.

My question is related to the first production models of the RE5. I read an article recently in a magazine stating that the RE5 started production in the mid 1970's..........I find this a bit confusing because way back in 1970 I left England to hitch hike around the world, in 1971 I arrived in Australia and traveled across the country from Perth to Sydney where I got a job working for a Stereo repair and sales company called Autel Systems run by a fellow called Roger Brookes...... Roger was amongst other things a professional Speedway rider and owned a couple of J.A.P. bikes along with some others I cannot remember.

One of the local companies we did work for was a motorcycle dealership and being that Roger and I both rode daily they brought around the latest new stock for us to look at and test ride......I honestly cannot remember the model name or number but distinctly remember the mechanic who delivered it as being a Suzuki because he was a very old and experienced Australian who pronounced the make as "Geeze mate, it's one of them Suzi-Que's."

Anyway to cut the story short we both rode the machine and both were amazed at its speed, smoothness of acceleration and it's seeming endless rev range compared to the bikes we were both used too, old 1960's Triumphs, Norton's, BSA's J.A.P's and the like.

I distinctly remember on my first ride on a local highway outside Sydney cracking open the throttle and almost sliding off the back of that old style flat seat and actually having to pull myself forward again in order to let off the throttle to slow down a bit :-)

After reading the article I am now really thinking that the bike I rode must have been a very early pre production model sent to Australia maybe to test the market for possible sales there at a later date?

Any thoughts you or your group may have would be greatly appreciated.

Dave Barrett
Vancouver Canada

[suzukiclub]

Hi Dave ,interesting piece

[gerryggg]

I don't know how they did prototype testing in Australia, but, having worked for Suzuki in the US from 81-96 I'm pretty familiar with how it was done here. Usually the riding is done by employees of the distributor on public roads, but with the bikes showing no brand identification. The early prototypes and production prototypes over here were usually silver. I know they had some as early as 72, but 71 sounds a little early. Are you sure what you rode was not a GT750? The "water buffalo" was a liquid cooled two stroke triple that was introduced in late 1971 as a 72 model. It would have matched your description and was much more likely to have been something you had an opportunity to ride. I don't suppose you remember anything about it like colour, number of exhaust pipes or type of front brake do you? That would help pin it down.

BTW, I have family out in your neck of the woods although south of the border west of Port Angeles, Wa. I've been to Victoria a couple of times, though not since the early 90s.

[wayne]

I have a couple of friends these days who were with Suzuki back in the early 70's and beyond. One of them a Salesman for the then importer Hazel and Moore (who sold the firsr RE in NSW, possibly in Australia) and another who owned dealerships at the time stocking RE5's.

They both own RE5's now and much of our discussion is about the bikes and their history. The possibility of early prototypes has never come up but I can certainly ask.

As for 1971, my own knowledge from reading, boards, articles and conversations with those involved would indicate that would be too early for RE5 prototype testing in Australia. And certainly not for a bike that would be lent out to anyone not in an "inner circle".

I'll chat with my Australian dealer contacts and see what they have to say.

Wayne