Photo: Suzuki
Back in 1973, Japanese bike builder Suzuki introduced the G-54 concept, the precursor of the XR14 and RG500 motorcycles that landed British racer Barry Sheene the championship title in 1976 and 1977.
In the concept presented decades ago, the G stood for Grand Prix use only, while the number 54 unnaturally stood for the year it was meant to compete, 1974. It was created by Makoto Suzuki as the tool for the bike builder’s return to the Grand Prix, this time in the premier 500 cc class.
At the time, the Japanese had been out of the series as a result of regulation changes for several years and were only competing in lower class series. But the arrival of the RG500 and the signing of Sheene in 1972 meant Suzuki was once again up to the task.
This G-54 concept is currently in bits and pieces, awaiting the Motorcycle Live event at Birmingham’s NEC starting November 17 so that engineers led by former Grand Prix technician Nigel Everett and Suzuki technician Martyn Ogborne to rebuild it in front of a live audience.
The Japanese will pull this stunt not once, but twice. First, the bike will be assembled over the first weekend of the show, so that it can be fired up on November 19. It will then be taken apart and reassembled once more over the last weekend of the even, and fired again on November 25.
“It paved the way for Suzuki’s return to Grand Prix racing and spawned the bikes that took Barry Sheene to world championship glory and was raced by some incredible riders in its day,” said Suzuki’s after sales coordinator Tim Davies about the original RG500.
"It is probably one of the most important bikes from our history, so to not only be able to restore it using our Vintage Parts Programme but do so with the likes of Martyn Ogborne and Nigel Everett is really special.”
At the time, the Japanese had been out of the series as a result of regulation changes for several years and were only competing in lower class series. But the arrival of the RG500 and the signing of Sheene in 1972 meant Suzuki was once again up to the task.
This G-54 concept is currently in bits and pieces, awaiting the Motorcycle Live event at Birmingham’s NEC starting November 17 so that engineers led by former Grand Prix technician Nigel Everett and Suzuki technician Martyn Ogborne to rebuild it in front of a live audience.
The Japanese will pull this stunt not once, but twice. First, the bike will be assembled over the first weekend of the show, so that it can be fired up on November 19. It will then be taken apart and reassembled once more over the last weekend of the even, and fired again on November 25.
“It paved the way for Suzuki’s return to Grand Prix racing and spawned the bikes that took Barry Sheene to world championship glory and was raced by some incredible riders in its day,” said Suzuki’s after sales coordinator Tim Davies about the original RG500.
"It is probably one of the most important bikes from our history, so to not only be able to restore it using our Vintage Parts Programme but do so with the likes of Martyn Ogborne and Nigel Everett is really special.”
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