amcn.com.au 57
specs
ENGINE
ConfigurationSquare-four-cylinder
two-stroke
Cylinder headDisc valves inlet,
rotary valves exhaust
Capacity498cc
Bore/stroke56 x 50.6mm
Compression ratio7.0: 1
CoolingLiquid
Fueling4 x 28mm
Mikuni flat-slide carburetors
Power70kW @ 9500rpm (claimed)
Torque71Nm @ 9000rpm (claimed)
TRANSMISSION
TypeSix-speed
ClutchWet
Final driveChain
CHASSIS
Frame materialAluminiumalloy
Frame layoutTwin loop
Rake26.17 ̊
Trail110mm
SUSPENSION
KYB
Front: 38mm telescopic fork with
hydraulic anti-dive, adjustable
preload and spring rate, 140mm
travel
Rear: Monoshock, adjustable
preload, 100 mm travel
WHEELS/TYRES
Wheels Aluminium alloy
Front: 16 x 2.5 Rear: 17 x 2.75
Tyres Michelin A48/M48
Front: 110/90 16
Rear: 120/90 17
BRAKES
Deca
Front: Twin 260mm discs,
four-piston calipers
Rear: Single 210mm disc,
two-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Weight 154kg (dry, claimed)
Seat height 770mm
Max width 695mm
Max height 1185mm
Wheelbase 1425mm
Fuel capacity 22L
PERFORMANCE
Fuel consumption 7.8-10.0L/100km
(tested)
Top speed 230km/h (tested)up the four flat-slide carbies mounted in front of
the rotary-disc inlet ports.
Clicking it in to gear for the first time 30 years
on and releasing the clutch was a moment I won’t
forget in a hurry. I’d often thought about how
fierce my bike was, so I was expecting to be thrown
backwards by a monstrous mono when I hit the
band – but it never came. Well, not like on Josh
Waters’ championship-winning GSX-R1000R which
I had ridden only moments before.
It felt great to be under way though. You
feel wedged in the bike with quite a big fairing
protecting you up front. The ride is very soft – even
allowing for a bit of wear over time, it’s amazing
how soft the big girl was.
I came in and wound the preload up on the rear
shock to nearly max, which improved the situation.
On my next exit, my heart skipped a beat as I missed
second gear and my thoughts went rushing back to
my gear-covered foot, all those years ago. It’s good
to know that it just wasn’t my bike with a hit-and-
miss second gear.
The power was certainly not what I remembered
when accelerating through the gears, but we should
remember this bike is unmolested and is probably
still with its original rings.
Where’s the wheelie?
It wasn’t the wheelie monster I remember, but the
power it did have was tricky to control and use –
more so than the over 149kW (200hp) of Josh’s GSX-
R1000R. On the edge of the tyre it was very difficult
to ride, I felt that it would be easy to highside – a lot
more so than with a modern bike.
As I leant over, the grip diminished and that
opened my eyes about how much respect the
old two-stroke 500cc racers deserve – no wonder
they highsided a lot. It certainly felt light to
manoeuvre, especially as you headed down the
hill at Wakefield Park and changed direction for
the off-camber left-hand turn.
It was keeping its composure and line better,
now that we had upped the spring on the rear but
the tyres, though modern, still had nowhere near
the grip of the modern sportsbikes. I found myself
tipping into corners with not a lot of feel and just
guessing what was happening on the ground.
The brakes had just been serviced and new
pads were fitted, meaning they were in top-notch
condition, but again, on the racetrack those 30 years
of development were obvious. They lacked power
and stopping force compared to a modern bike,
putting a damper on the last thing which I hoped
would be a match for the modern world.
I guess it looks negative for the RG; it doesn’t do
anything particularly well anymore and you must
remember to fill it up with two-stroke oil, too. The
one thing it did do though, was it allowed me to ride
the motorcycle, find the limit and think about what
was happening next – it was exciting.
Nothing is automatic on any old motorcycle, and
that includes the RG. All its imperfections in the
modern world are what draws people like me to
these old beasts – it’s the thrill of the game. There
is no way I would be anywhere near as fast on the
RG as I would be on a GSX-R, on the road or the
track, but I know which one is the most exhilarating
to ride hard.
And although I didn’t set the lap record that day, I
had more fun than anyone else out there.Steve Martin eventually
did turn back time; if
only for a handful of laps
around Wakefield ParkRG500 Gamma