MotoGP Bike from 1989 Truly “Unrideable”?

A new look at vintage MotoGP machinery puts the spotlight on the 1989 Suzuki RGV500 ridden by Kevin Schwantz, a bike described as “unrideable” for its era—yet potentially not so, depending on the rider and conditions. Motorcycle racer and YouTuber Taylor Mackenzie explored the RGV500 firsthand during a vintage racing weekend at Assen in the Netherlands, getting access to both the team and the rider running it. The article frames the RGV500’s difficulty in the context of late-1980s/early-1990s 500cc two-stroke GP bikes: lightweight prototypes under 300 pounds with power outputs up to 165 horsepower, delivered through an extreme powerband controlled largely by the throttle.