Tag Archives: Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz’ 1993 RGV500 XR79

1993 XR79 Suzuki RGV500

With Phil Aynsley


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
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.

Kevin Schwantz' 1993 RGV500 XR79 500GP
Kevin Schwantz’ 1993 RGV500 XR79 500GP

Suzuki’s next RGV500, the 1994 XR84, can be seen here:
1994 Suzuki RGV500 XR84 | Kevin Schwantz (link).

Source: MCNews.com.au

1994 Suzuki RGV500 XR84 | Kevin Schwantz

1994 Suzuki RGV500 XR84

With Phil Aynsley

This is Kevin Schwantz’s 1994 factory XR84, on which he won the Japanese and British GPs before finishing a close fourth in the championship that year, three-points behind Kocinski on the Cagiva and five points behind Cadalora on the Yamaha – while Doohan was a whopping 148 points in front. The original number 1 plate has been replaced by Kevin’s more familiar number 34.

A broken arm from a mountain bike tumble had hurt his preparation and made him miss crucial pre-season practice and only gave him three weeks to regain his strength. He was quickly back in form by the third race, winning in Japan. With three more consecutive second place runs, then a heroic win in Great Britain with a broken scaphoid and dislocated wrist along with aches and pains from a violent crash in practice, Kevin seemed poised for another shot at the championship.

That was until Laguna Seca where Schwantz went down at the famous corkscrew, dislocating his left hip and fracturing his right scaphoid. He therefore decided to sit out the remaining races in the ’94 season and have an operation as soon as possible to be able to begin winter testing earlier in preparation for the ’95 season

Kevin Schwantz’s 1994 factory XR84
Kevin Schwantz’s 1994 factory XR84

The 1994 motor was a reed valve V-4 with a 70º V angle (later motors had various angles, up to 80º) and used a dual power valve system.

The reed valve 70º V-4 produced an impressive 190 hp, even by today's standards
The reed valve 70º V-4 produced an impressive 190 hp, even by today’s standards

The earlier Pepsi liveried bikes had a single guillotine exhaust power valve, this bike added a rotary valve for improved low end power.

A quickshifter and and Mikuni 36mm flat slide carburettors are found on this bike
A quickshifter and and Mikuni 36mm flat slide carburettors are found on this bike

The ’94 bike also saw the introduction of a basic quick-shifter, and Mikuni 36mm flat slide carburettors were fitted. Output was about the 190 hp mark, with a weight of 135 kg, allowing for a top speed of approximately 320 km/h.

Kevin Schwantz’s 1994 factory XR84
Kevin Schwantz’s 1994 factory XR84

The team used three or four different chassis during the season to suit each circuit. In addition there were numerous adjustments available including steering head angle (via inserts), triple clamp offset, swingarm pivot position and ride height.

Source: MCNews.com.au