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Suzuki 250 RZ 63
The Suzuki company built and tuned extremely competitive
vehicles in the 50-cc. and 125-cc. classes. Then it tried to achieve comparable
results with a larger-displacement—250-cc. —engine, because that class had
become extremely important from the commercial point of view during the early
1960s.
The Suzuki 250 made its racing debut at the 1963 Japanese
Grand Prix trials. Its engine, consisting of a pair of two-cylinder 125s that
had been put together with a water-cooling system, was a technical novelty for
racers. The cylinders of the RZ 63 (the 250) were arranged in a square. There
were two separate counterrotating drive shafts held together by the gearing of
the primary transmission. Although this arrangement was fairly complex, it
reduced the front section. At the same time it required a fairly long, and
therefore less manageable, chassis.
The Suzuki 250 RZ 63 was entered in the 1964 and 1965 world
championships. Its best performance was third place at the 1965 Tourist Trophy,
which was too little for a motorcycle that, at the time of its debut, boasted
the highest power that had yet been achieved by a 250-cc. engine.
Motorcycle: Suzuki 250 RZ 63 Manufacturer: Suzuki Motor Co.
Ltd.,
Hamamatsu Type: Racing Year: 1964
Engine: Suzuki four-cylinder, arranged in a square, with distribution through
four rotating disks. Displacement 247.4 cc. (43 mm. x 42.6 mm.)
Cooling: Water
Transmission: Six-speed block
Power: 55 h.p. at 12,500 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: Over 140 m.p.h.
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular. Front and rear, telescopic
suspension
Brakes: Front, central drum, four shoes; rear, central drum
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