Team Gallina Suzuki XR70RV
With Phil Aynsley
Suzuki’s RG500 square-four was first raced in 1974 and went on to win seven manufacturers’ GP championships in a row, in a lead-up to the model you see here.
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-001-1024x636.jpg)
The final version was the 1986 XR70RV and the ‘RV’ denotes the switch to reed-valve induction.
![Team Gallina Suzuki XR70RV](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-011-1024x817.jpg)
The bike I photographed is the only known surviving XR70RV still with the factory frame (Team Heron used a Ciba-Geigy carbon/alloy honeycomb chassis).
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-016-683x1024.jpg)
The bike is actually a composite of the the two bikes campaigned by Team Gallina in 1986, ridden by Dave Peterson and Frankie Chilli.
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-012-1024x747.jpg)
Both riders were involved in practice crashes at Silverstone which resulted in only one bike being available for the remaining two races of the season – which used the Peterson frame and the Chilli motor.
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-010-683x1024.jpg)
Chilli finished the season in 10th position with three top ten places and Peterson in 16th with two ninth places.
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-009-1024x836.jpg)
The bike was bought by the Italian Team Greco for the ’87 season then stored until bought by the current owner in 2008.
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-017-1024x683.jpg)
![Team Gallina Suzuki XR70RV](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-013-683x1024.jpg)
Output was 145 hp and top speed 320 km/h.
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-008-1024x627.jpg)
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-007-1024x689.jpg)
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-005-683x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-004-683x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-003-1024x683.jpg)
![](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1986-Suzuki-XR70RV-PA-002-750x1024.jpg)