UK friends

[thebikeguy]

not mine

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-RE5,-RE-5-rotary,-wankle-classic_W0QQitemZ290415940668QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxq20100322?IMSfp=TL100322155001r19973

[nickwin100]

Hi the-bike-guy & all fellow RE5 enthusiasts,

Thank you for posting that ebay link - I have purchased these two RE5s!

I know nothing about RE5s (yet) & so I have a lot to learn. I am just finishing-off a full nut & bolt restoration of a small 1964 Honda C200 (known as CA200 in USA) & have been looking for a more challenging project to move on to next. Well, I think I have found it!

The Honda started as a project between myself & my 16 year old son, but he lost interest & I got really hooked on restoring it. Now I want to complete the Honda as soon as I can & progress to my next project, to make one RE5 from the two bikes I have purchased.

The two RE5 bikes come from a part of a shipment of RE5s that were imported into the UK by a local dealer. One bike comes with American Title papers allowing it to be registered in the UK & the other is for spares.

Whilst the main bike (from the photographs I hope you can still see on ebay from the link you posted) look quite complete, it is actually missing a lot of cosmetic parts (such as a side panel, radiator cover, indicator lenses, cover for clocks, & more) all of which I think were removed to put on the other bikes that the dealer has now sold. Some other parts are badly corroded or damaged.

The donor bike appears to be stripped of most all easily removable parts & so comprises, in the main, of the frame, engine, forks, wheels, fenders etc. However, some of the parts removed (& presumably the not so good condition bits that were replaced on the other bikes) are also supplied & so I may get lucky & find I have some of those parts that I can make use of.

I am told that the engine on the donor bike will turnover on the kick-start lever but that the one in the main bike will not.

I am hoping to find some RE5 enthusiasts out there that may be willing to give me some advice over the future months once I get started on this project. I am certainly going to need all the help I can get I would be very appreciative of anyone who is able to spare some time to guide me.

As for the parts I am going to need, well, from what little research I’ve done so far, parts are difficult to find in the UK, so this is not going to be easy.

Once the bikes have bee delivered I’ll post some photos. I hope I can successfully turn them into one nice looking RE5, but it is going to take some time & hard work to do it.

Thanks for posting the link. I now have my next project, am very pleased its a RE5


Nick (Newbury, Berkshire, UK).

[steveuk]

Looking at the pics there is a radiator cover in one of the blue tubs.

Steve UK

[nickwin100]

Thanks Steve,
If I recall correctly I think it may only be half a cover but it would be good if it's a complete unit. I don't have the bikes yet. They should be delivered on the 13th. I'll be able to have a better look then.
Nick

[suzukiclub]

Hi Nick, I have a spare rad cover and a few side panels. I take it your close to Reading ,im down the road abit Aldershot .you can email me [e-mail]
Les

[nickwin100]

Thanks Les, that's great.

I'll send you a brief email now & be in touch again after the 13th when the bikes are being delivered. I can then first check which side cover I need & double check the radiator cover.

Thanks again,
Nick

[ziggystardust]

Hi Nick,

So you bought the two RE5s, brave purchase seeing you don't admittedly know much about the RE5, you are right regarding parts though, they are very scarce within the U.K. and can work out to be very expensive.

Once you have your wish list together contact Rotary Recycle as Jess has almost everything but getting large orders to the U.K. can work out really expensive thanks to our government who add VAT and a handling charge on whatever you buy from the U.S. Don't get stung by sellers on U.S. eBay asking inflated prices for rubbish, I recommend Rotary Recycle.

Have a look at my website pages and see how I've restored two RE5s, the latter one being quite a challenge that is nearly finished. The photos and words may help you?

www.angelfire.com/retro/roadster/index-12.html

www.angelfire.com/retro/roadster/index-9.html

Need any advice then I'm just an email away, good luck.

Lee.

[nickwin100]

Thanks Lee,
Your website is very interesting & what a fantastic job you have done!
Thanks for the offer of some help/guidance....I'm going to need it.
Nick

[steveuk]

Hi Nick

did your delivery arrive ?

[nickwin100]

Yes, Steve, the delivery of the 2 bikes arrived ok.

They are missing a lot of parts & I am wondering if it's going to be possible to find so many parts.

If I had started with a complete bike I would have been able to refurbish many parts & would be better able to reuse them.

Having so many parts missing or broken will make it that much harder for me.

I'm still keen to give it a go but I'm wondering where to start & if it's going to be possible to find all the parts I need.

I was trying to post some photographs of the bikes on the delivery truck, but I can't figure-out how to upload the images. Can you (or anyone) give me some guidance on how to do this?

Nick

[steveuk]

i usually copy and paste pic into the listing but for some reason its not working for me now. have you got a list of parts missing then we may be able to help.

[steveuk]

nick

set up a flickr account (free) then upload pics to flickr then post the link here

steve

[RE5Gary]

Maybe this will help a little for posting your image. It is in the site information and announcement section on the board.

re5rotary.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=199

[steveuk]

if you have trouble with posting the pictures send them to my email and i will see if i can post them for you

[e-mail]

[nickwin100]

Try this link. Hope it works:

www.flickr.com/photos/nickwin100/sets/

Do you (all) think I'll b able to get the missing parts & make one good one form these two?

I'd welcome any comments & advice. if you have comments on a specific photo, please feel free to add them under the relevant photo on Flickr (if the link works!).

Steve, thanks for showing interest & keeping in touch with me. I hope this link works. If not I'll try something else.

Nick