Cheap Thrills
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics|June 2018

Suzuki’s RF900R was cheap back in the 1990s and is even cheaper now – but is there also a lot to love? Andy Bolas finds out.

Andy Bolas, Bertie Simmonds
Cheap Thrills

We’re heading back now almost a quarter of a decade, to a time when Britpop ruled the airwaves and the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade ruled the road-ways.

Even by 1994 the two-year-old Blade was being raved about by the press, but other manufacturers were jumping on the 900cc bandwagon with varying degrees of success.

While Kawasaki tried to tackle the CBR with the portly and very fast sports (but more sports-touring, really) ZX-9R Ninja, Suzuki was quietly working on a new version of the RF range. The RF600R was released in early 1993 and was a welcome ‘middle of the road’ machine with which to take on the sportier likes of Honda’s CBR600F and Yamaha’s FZR600/R. For early 1994, Suzuki was going to launch the RF6’s big brother…

Let’s check out those looks first…Even for the time the RF was quirky looking, with its Ferrari style louvres and huge beam frame (cheap, as it was made from painted steel as opposed to alloy). It had a usefully large fairing and substantial tail-light which came in three separate parts and would light up like those once-dodgy parts of Amsterdam when a stag do was in town… Suzuki reckoned the overall ‘look’ was based upon a stingray. At CMM we’re not so sure!

この記事は Classic Motorcycle Mechanics の June 2018 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Classic Motorcycle Mechanics の June 2018 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICSのその他の記事すべて表示
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Honda VFR750R - RC30

If there’s a more worshipped V4 out there, we’ve yet to see it: welcome to our reboot of the awesome VFR750R RC30…

time-read
2 分  |
September 2021
Mountain tension!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Mountain tension!

Award-winning motorcycle engineer!

time-read
5 分  |
September 2021
Fazer set to STUN!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Fazer set to STUN!

What do you get when you mix CRK’s lovely café racer kit to Yamaha’s budget middleweight and the recently-retired Martin Fox? Well, one helluva foxy Fazer!

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Project Suzuki 1984 RG250 part 4 BRUNO BARES ALL!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Suzuki 1984 RG250 part 4 BRUNO BARES ALL!

This month, while we wait for backorder engine parts, we strip the chassis back to the bare frame, assess what is needed and plan the reassembly…

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 2 Ralph has a blast!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 2 Ralph has a blast!

For the best finish on his Z900’s motor Ralph wants the best, so he visits Stephen Smethurst Casting Renovation to find out how it’s done properly.

time-read
10 分  |
September 2021
Project Suzuki TS400 Part 8 Loom with a view!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Suzuki TS400 Part 8 Loom with a view!

We’re getting down into the nitty-gritty this time with component testing and loom building. What could go wrong?

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Project Yamaha TX750 Part 12 A question of balance…
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Project Yamaha TX750 Part 12 A question of balance…

Only The Beach Boys had good vibrations… so what’s Mark been up to, to sort out the bad ones coming from his TX750?

time-read
6 分  |
September 2021
Splitting links
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Splitting links

Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox.co.uk so he knows what works.

time-read
4 分  |
September 2021
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

STAVROS: PRINCE OF PRANKSTERS!

It’s probably fair to say that Stephen JamesParrish’s persona and overall levity throughout his life have muddied the waters as to just how good a bike racer he was back in the day.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2021
Metal magic!
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Metal magic!

Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox co uk so he knows what works.. .

time-read
3 分  |
July 2021