the rumor mill has fired up

[firko]

Yeah Doc, I realised it wasn't a Honcho but like the looks anyway. Do you actually know what it is Doc? Is it some sort of Japan only release?

[Doc]

Firko I don't know, I assume it is a factory 90 for all Japan 90 series they ran. I have no other imformation only to say the bike was shown at a Tokyo Motorshow around '67 '68 '69. Some say the clear pic is of a 250 rotary valve but one look at that peashooter stinger in my eyes dispells this notion, it's small bore. I've been hunting around for ages as I'm more than a little interested in the factory 125's and other tiddlers from '67 to '73..I have a genuine suzuki sticker that proudly states, Suzuki 125cc World champion 1970, 1971, 1972  okay, so where are the pics?? who were the riders?? where are the bikes?? Where is the history??  maybe if there was a little more imfo it wouldn't be such the obsession it is    

[pokey]

Is two ways that may assist in finding just what thet little beastie be Doc.

 A well earned Hoilday to the land of sushi and sweet talk a Suzuki official for a look see at the Heartech Plaza private museum.

 or

Putting pen to paper and and snail mailing

The Heartech Plaza of Suzuki Motor co, Ltd.
300 Takatsuka,
Hamamatsu,
Shizuoka-Pref,
JAPAN.

 They apparently dont do email

[GMC]

I have a genuine suzuki sticker that proudly states, Suzuki 125cc World champion 1970, 1971, 1972  okay, so where are the pics?? who were the riders?? where are the bikes??

I thought that Gaston Rahier was the first 125 world champion around 75 - 76 as before this the 125 class was a European championship, not world?

[firko]

I thought the sticker may refer to road racing Doc as Dieter Braun won the 125 title in '70 on a Suzuki but unfortunately Angel Nieto and his Derbi took the title the next wo years so that theory goes out the window! Maybe it was one of those American race series where they have a world championship with nobody else in it but Americans. A bit like the World Series baseball!

[pokey]

I vaguelly remember, ( vague i do well) suzuking fudging the ad machine  in the 70s. the 125 may have won a road race in 70 and the 250 in 71 and the 500 in 72. the statement still stands correct as suzuki being world champs in 3 consecutive years but......

[Doc]

I agree GMC, the class didn't exist in but somehow the bikes did. Forgetting the sticker, the picture below of the '72 RA125 ridden by Christian Gouverneur of Belgium confirms there were RA's much earlier than 1975



Pokey you could be right, maybe they referred to the 250/500GP also..maybe I read the sticker wrong I think the bike I built with the RM125S in the TS125 chassis is as close as I'll ever get 

[pokey]

checking out a few basics on those machines Doc and the RA has a weeny small front brake hub and the mystery bike has a largish TS 185/250  one

The mystery bike also appears to have a late 60's  design barrel yet the rest of the bike looks more modern in styling cept for that gearbox .. is it seperate from the engine?
 Interesting looking lil thing

[Nathan S]

Front brake on the right is pretty odd for a jap bike, no?

Can't be a big capacity machine, unless the races were one lap each - I doubt that fuel tank would feed a 250 for more than a single lap...

It definitely is a pretty little thing though!

[Quicksilver]

Cant offer any info the help you Doc but it is one very sweet little bike. Interesting to say the least. Maybe a letter to Japan will answer a few questions for you. Then you can lets us all know. 

[Doc]

yeah Nathan, I'd swear the wheels are simply '67ish B100 hubs laced to mudcatchers. The front has alloy lowers which is odd for the era and the wheel appears back to front. Pokey, at first glance I thought it was pre unit construction as well. Wish there were better pictures available I also noticed the throttle housing is 90 degrees from the usual position and the lack of a killswitch is another thing that caught my eye. I'm wondering if infact the clear picture is the pre production mock up and the other the prototype it's based on. Someone reckons they are the same bikes but I'm not so sure   no option of a right side gear shift by the looks either which also has me thinking Japanese domestic..call me curious George if ya like   maybe a letter is in order, would save a whole heap of speculation..maybe, do ya reckon they'd reply??

[oldfart]

Not in here either , also did a search of Suzuki history ( suzuki toyama) birth place of small suzuki motors .
http://motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=260

[VMX247]

Doc ,
just write the letter.
Send them something Auzzie for a thanks (Qld Sticker/postcard) and a return envelope and you'll get heeps of stuff back.Trust me I work in the tourist industry and they love Aussie stuff.

[pokey]

stuffed if I know what it is.
 found some early pics of Suzuki MX bikes and none of them look like that

RH65 i think?

http://www.saksi.se/vmx/image/1965nohead.jpg

http://www.saksi.se/vmx/image/1965luftburk.jpg

http://www.saksi.se/vmx/image/pic1.jpg

 The mystery ride looks mid 70's in its styling, The out of focus bike is a different bike than the other two shots  but shares the same engine. Hmmm  could it be a prototype pre unit RM with a disk valve? orr maybe its a factory frankenbike  

[Doc]

Pokey, I have looked and looked and searched even the most obscure sites and there really is little if any 125cc> history pre dating 1974 excepting trials and tar bunny stuff. Suzuk also had a few bikes entered in the ISDT of the 60's with decent results but I can't find sweet bugger all on those either. The 90's I posted I'd estimate to be about '68 or '69 The tank and decal styling is slightly reminicant of the RH67 or around that era. I'm also kinda leaning toward the models being pre or just on Pettersson days as the engine styling is 'sort of' like the really oldschool suzuki stuff before they had any outside influence.

I found this little snippit also that attracts my curiosity..

1969   Olle Pettersson comes in 3rd place in World Motocross Championship GP250 class series ranking. Kinjiro Yajima piloting an RA wins the All Japan Motocross Championship 125cc class title.

This taken directly from Suzuki Corp. Racing History. So the RA was around at least in Japan well before 1970. Now I just want to see the bikes 

it seems they were also successfull at home before the Ole Pettersson CZ infuence..this taken from the same site. At least I have a few names to work with now..more than I had last night 

1959 April  The inaugural All Japan Motocross race. Kazuo Kubo wins both the 125cc and 250cc classes
 

VMX247, I've been os a few times and I know how it seems other nationalities seem to go out of there way for us 'Aussies'    I'll send the letter and wait for a reply and I sure hope they can spreak ingrish better than some of the ones I've met out here