Suzuki RG 500 Barry Sheene Replica

Looking around the Brands Hatch paddock for Pete Tantrum and his blue and white Suzuki RG500 Barry Sheene GP replica, I finally have a revelation – he’s in pit garage number seven, of course! It’s this obsessive attention to detail that tells you all you need to know about Pete’s lifelong fascination with Sheene – and the RG500 replica on these pages is his tribute to his hero. The fluorescent tubes in the pit shine brightly against the dark grey sky as Pete’s RG500 sits on paddock stands basking in the glow. Based on a road-going RG500, it’s a replica of the bike Sheene campaigned in 1984, his final year in GPs. ‘Eye-catching’ doesn’t reveal the half of it. There are crowds gawping at Pete’s creation, and photographer Howard and I are quickly as mesmerised with this spectacular machine as Pete and the RG’s builder Andy Peck. And there’s more: hung up next to the bike are Pete’s Barry Sheene replica leathers and Arai helmet. Just like Bazza himself used to do, Pete is also proudly wearing a white, red and blue Gary Nixon T-shirt. But the bike is the biggest story. Beneath the DAF liveried bodywork lies a heavily-modified road-going 498cc, square-four, two-stroke 1988 Suzuki RG500. 

Despite appearances, it’s fully road legal, complete with a tax disc and number plate.  The motor has a stage three Stan Stevens tune with modified ports, raised compression and modified disc valves. It breathes through a standard airbox and four painstakingly modified Swarbrick exhausts. The net result is 96bhp at the rear wheel, or about the same as a K4/K5 GSX-R600. The standard aluminium frame is retained, but the stock swingarm is heavily braced (it was from Brian Reid’s old RG500 TT racer). A Hagon rear shock replaces the standard unit and raises the rear ride height substantially, while the front forks remain standard – complete with period anti-dive reservoir, revalved for track use. Early 17-inch GSX-R750 Slingshot wheels replace the RG’s original spindly loops and braking is taken care of by AP Racing classic racing calipers biting onto Suzuki SV650 discs. The fuel tank is standard RG, but the fairing and seat unit are modified Meadspeed pattern units for a Mk9 RG500 race bike, sprayed and deeply lacquered to a perfect finish by Andy. All graphics are by The Image Works. Andy originally agreed just to paint the bike for Pete back in 2004, but he ended up doing all the work – including the mammoth task of fitting the bodywork. At first he wisely suggested someone else fit it, knowing full well how much of a pain it is to fit pattern bodywork at the best of times, let alone some designed for something else. That was the plan anyway, but eventually he succumbed and did the lot.  

 With a flick of the ignition switch (which is now located down by the carbs to keep the machined aluminium factory Suzuki replica yokes uncluttered) and a prod of the kick starter, the RG500 burbles into life. All around big smiles break out on onlookers’ faces, which can just about be seen through the mist of two-stroke smoke as Pete warms the engine. With each blip of the throttle the RG bellows out a deep, hard-edged metallic crackle through its Swarbrick cans, accompanied by a deep roar as the airbox gulps in cold Kent air. It’s time to ride Pete’s baby and I’m understandably nervous, especially when I check out the heavily-treaded Michelin Pilot Sport sports touring rubber, which I know from experience have all the grip of Teflon and would struggle to get warm in an inferno. Sure enough, tipping into Paddock The bike is a replica of the bike Barry Sheene campaigned in 1984, his final year in GPs Bend for the first time, the RG rolls around alarmingly on its tyres and  the front almost tucks. Taking it gingerly for the next few laps, I try to go again and immediately the front goes  walkies one more time. Tyres aside, the feeling from the chassis is excellent;  it’s solid turning into and through the corners, just like a modern day sports bike, and the AP Racing brakes have lots of bite. The RG is light too, so much so that its hard to hold onto in gusts of wind – just like a proper lightweight GP racer. But this machine is all about the two-stroke, 500cc heart beating inside. There’s zero engine braking, which is weird at first when you’re used to a staple diet of big four-strokes. As you’d expect from a tuned two-stroke, there isn’t a lot going on at low revs, either. But from 7000rpm it’s a different story as the square-four clears its throat and overloads your senses with a searing rush of smooth acceleration, noise right up to 10,000rpm. Slice through into the next gear, keep the throttle pinned and you’re rewarded with yet another addictive dose of two-stroke heaven.

With the bike safely back in pit box seven, all that’s left to do is gratefully hand it back to it’s rightful owner, and as Pete disappears up the pitlane he sticks two fingers up behind his back at me. Now where he did he get that from?

Michael Neeves

Source MCN

1988 Road going RG500 plus:
Mead Speed RG500 MK9 Race Replica bodywork (with lots of modification to make it fit!)
GSX600F Front Wheel
SV650 Discs
Lockheed Classic Racing Front Calipers
Re-valved Forks
Goodrich Hoses
GSXR 750 Rear Wheel
GSXR750 Rear Disc
Ex Brian Reid Braced Swingarm
Longer Tie-rod For Increased Ride Height
Stage 3 Stan Stevens Tuned Engine (Producing 96 BHP At The Wheel)
Modified Airbox
Re Jetted Carbs
Swarbrick Pipes (heavily modified to exit seat unit)
Re-located electrics
Daytime-use-only MOT