I covered the evolution of Aprilia’s RSW-2 GP twins in a previous column – 1997 Aprilia RSW-2 | Twin-cylinder 500 GP Aprilia – so won’t go into detail here. Suffice to say that seven years of effort brought respectable results but no victories.
Tetsuya Harada’s Aprilia RSW-2
Tetsuya Harada and team-mate Jeremy McWilliams between them scored eight top-ten places in 2000 (including two thirds by McWilliams) for 14th and 16th overall.
By 2000 the bike was making over 145 hp at 11,750 rpm and was fitted (since ’99) with RAVE electronic exhaust valves and indirect fuel injection. Bore and stroke was 72.8 x 60 mm, while carburettors were Dell’Orto VHSD 42 mm units. A full carbon swing-arm was used and the bike weighed 110 kg dry.
Tetsuya Harada’s Aprilia RSW-2
The bike seen here is Tetsuya Harada’s 2000 machine – the final version of the RSW-2.
This is one of the two Suzuki RGV500 XR79 machines built for Kevin Schwantz (Alex Barros received the other two) for the 1993 season. Kevin won the championship with four wins and seven other podiums, while Barros finished sixth with one win and another podium.
Kevin Schwantz’ 1993 RGV500 XR79 500GP
Compared to the previous year’s XR78 that Schwantz and Doug Chandler had finished the season in third and fourth places on, the XR79 benefited from improvements to the power delivery, grip, suspension and overall balance. Newly acquired race engineer (ex-Kawasaki and Honda) Stuart Shenton played a major role in the bike’s development.
The 70º V4 big-bang motor produced more than 165 hp at 12,800 rpm and propelled the 130 kg (no fuel) bike to a top speed of over 324 km/h. Two different engine specifications were used at the beginning of the year, one more hard edged, the other more linear in power delivery, with both having the same peak output. The latter type was used by both riders by the end of the season.
Kevin Schwantz’ 1993 RGV500 XR79 500GP
To increase traction the pre-progammable ignition timing could be retarded in the lower three gears, according to throttle position and rpm. Additionally both power valves and Power Chamber variable exhaust system were used. A power shifter was also employed for the first time on a Suzuki.
The four 36mm Mikuni carburettors were fitted with two electronic power jets rather than the normal single jet. The second jet supplied additional fuel from over 10,000rpm. A major change to the engine for ’93 was casting the crankcases in magnesium instead of aluminium which saved 2kg.
Wayne Rainey began the 1993 season riding the new 0WF2. Apart from having a revised motor that produced an extra 10 hp over the previous year’s 0WE0’s 160hp, the major change was the adoption of a completely new chassis.
Wayne Rainey’s 1993 Yamaha 0WF2 500 GP Racer
The extruded alloy main frame members were designed to provide much greater rigidity with increased lateral torsion resistance. Rainey rode the bike for the first seven rounds of the season (up until the Dutch GP), and scored wins in Malaysia and Japan.
However he changed to the ROC framed bike seen here from round eight as the original frame proved to be too rigid, upsetting the handling of the bike. The French produced ROC chassis was based on his 1990 title winning 0WC1.
Wayne Rainey’s 1993 Yamaha 0WF2 500 GP Racer
Rainey won the European (Catalunya) and Czech GPs before his career ending crash at Misano later in the season. He finished the season in second position behind Kevin Schwantz.
Nobuatsu Aoki’s 1998 RGV500 XR88 Grand Prix motorcycle
With Phil Aynsley
This is the 500cc Suzuki RGV/XR88 that Nobuatsu (Nobby) Aoki raced in the final three races of the 1998 season. His best finish was a fourth in the Madrid GP, with an overall ninth position in the 1998 Grand Prix Motorcycle Road Race Championship.
Nobuatsu Aoki’s 1998 RGV500 XR88 Racer
Suzuki tried several different chassis during the year, this being the final version. Compared to the previous year’s bike, the main motor change was the use of Keihin carburettors rather than Mikunis.
Nobuatsu Aoki’s 1998 RGV500 XR88 Racer
The V4 used twin crankshafts at an 80º angle with both reed and exhaust valves. Output was 180 hp with a wet weight of 135 kg, while top speed was 320 km/h.
Nobuatsu Aoki’s 1998 RGV500 XR88 Racer – A staggering 180hp was on tap with a wet weight of just 135kg
This bike was also ridden by Yukio Kagayama in the 1999 All Japan Series.
Nobuatsu Aoki’s 1998 RGV500 XR88 Racer
Suzuki’s RGV500 saw success in the hands of a number of riders, including Kevin Schwantz who claimed the 1993 World Championship, and raced an RGV500 from 1987 through to 1995, with other notable placings including three fourths, a third and a second in the championship during this period.
Nobuatsu Aoki’s 1998 RGV500 XR88 Racer
Daryl Beattie also campaigned an RGV500 to second in the championship in 1995. Beattie was on course to win the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship in 1995, but a crash at Assen proved costly with Mick Doohan going on to claim the crown for Honda.
