1975 Suzuki

1975 Suzuki RE5 Rotary At a time when all four Japanese bike-makers were flexing their technological muscles, Suzuki beat them all to market with a Wankel-powered roadster, the RE5 Rotary, powered by a single-rotor 497cc engine with significantly fewer moving parts than a piston-powered counterpart. Wanting to give its new flagship model a step up style-wise, Suzuki brought in noted Italian industrial designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. He gave the first-year RE5 its signature styling touches: the rounded instrument housing – soon to be known as the "coffee can" – plus a similarly shaped taillight and globe-like turnsignals, all playing off the rotary theme. Unliked by buyers, those components were replaced by conventionally shaped pieces for the next model year. Within two years, though, the RE5 would be gone from Suzuki's lineup, making it among the most rare of 1970s Japanese streetbikes. This 1975-model first-year RE5 has a unique provenance in that it was part of Suzuki's magazine test fleet. In fact, it still wears an "Experience Makes the Difference" decal on the frame's rear-right downtube, proof of its time at Cycle World magazine, which used the slogan in the mid-'70s. From a collection of classic Japanese motorcycles, and showing less than 5000 miles, the RE5 was treated to recommissioning by a noted Suzuki Rotary expert some years ago, including new fork seals, rebuilt brakes and because they were showing some age, replacement of Giugiaro's controversial instrument pod and taillight with identical NOS pieces. In the past few months, the bike has further benefitted from new tires, an overhauled carburetor and a re-cored radiator. It sits today prepped for static display with no gas in the tank, no coolant in the radiator and no acid in the battery, but could be made road-ready in a matter of hours. Sold with a clear California title.