This Suzuki Bandit Was Transformed Into a Tribute to 1981 Grand Prix Winner

Italian Dream Motorcycles are one patriotic bunch with some very serious plans concerning their future bikes. Over the course of the following six years, this firm will be dedicating unique motorcycles to each and every one of Italy’s six Grand Prix champions.

The first happens to be an extensively customized Suzuki Bandit. It’s been nicknamed Lucky Legend and intends to pay tribute to Marco Lucchinelli, along with his 1981 Grand Prix winning two-wheeler, the glorious Suzuki RG500 Gamma. Competition had been tough for Lucchinelli during the event, with several household names, such as Barry Sheene or Kerry Roberts, looking to claim the title.

However, nothing could stop the Italian racer. He was crowned as the undisputed champion of the 1981 GP and gained quite a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. As such, it wasn’t exactly difficult for IDM’s founder and mastermind, Sergio Giordano to pick him as the very first hall-of-famer to be honored with a statement to his success. Sure enough, Marco Lucchinelli fell in love with this stunning motorcycle and purchased it for himself.

Suzuki’s RG500 Gamma was powered by a U-type two-stroke mill, with four cylinders and a displacement of 500cc. Besides Lucchinelli, this marvel also paved to way to Franco Uncini’s victory at the 1982 Grand Prix, securing two consecutive championship wins for the Roberto Gallina racing team.

I know, you’re probably thinking ‘Okay, cool. But how does one turn a Bandit into a Gamma? Is that even possible?’

Personally, I could hardly believe it too. The Suzuki Bandit isn’t even remotely similar to the two-stroke RG500 Gamma, but it would seem that nothing is impossible for Italian Dream Motorcycles’ ambitious team. To explain why his company chose to use the Bandit for their project, Giordano states that older “500cc two-strokes are not easy to ride,” and we couldn’t agree more. “We chose to customize a Bandit because, for me, it’s very important that our bikes are also usable,” he adds.

In terms of Lucky Legend’s appearance, you may notice that its bodywork is incredibly faithful to the GP-winning Gamma. Beside IDM’s painstaking efforts, there was one other key ingredient that helped them achieve this.

“We found a collector in Finland with some moulds based off the original fairings,” Giordano explains. “He made a copy for us so that we could have an exact replica of the original Suzuki.” For IDM, things were beginning to come together unexpectedly well, to say the least.

A local engine mechanic completely refurbished the bike’s powerplant. As it turns out, this man had the honor of being one of Lucchinelli’s spannermen back in the 1980s. The mill itself was provided with Mikuni carburetors, as well as K&N filters for a boost in performance, while the custom exhaust was designed and put together by Massimo Rinchiuso, a praised designer and creator of outstanding exhaust systems.

Besides a plethora of Motogadget components inside the Lucky Legend, you will even find Marco Lucchinelli’s autograph on its meticulously crafted bodywork. He describes this masterpiece as “a very beautiful bike; made with love, great passion and attention to detail.”

You’ll know you’ve created an amazing two-wheeler when the legend you’re dedicating it to not only autographs it and speaks highly of your efforts, but wishes to also purchase it for himself!

I can’t wait to see what Italian Dream Motorcycles will come up with in the future.