Suzuka 1989.....Wayne Rainey & Kevin Schwantz do battle

[VRossi4Life]

Wow, they don't make bikes/races/riders like that anymore.

[minhdovu]

I was too young to watch the race back in 1989, but now when i have enough awareness of what is what, these guys are incredible.

[JoeTheMeatbag]

@JoeTheMeatbag Sorry guys, but that's just the way the world progresses.

[JoeTheMeatbag]

@kickittome70 While I'm not debating that racing isnn't as awesome as it was back then, you have to give merit to the modern riders. They have to be inch-perfect and ride the bikes just right or the things are unmanageable. That requires talent and skill, those guys have got it. The modern GP bikes ride a razor's edge as well, just of a different kind.

And yes, I'm sure most all of us want to see the old 500s get a dustoff and go racing, but the smell of two-stroke premix is a dying scent.

[madra46]

5:51 what happen with the hands? Schwantz offer his hand to Rainey and he refuses it???

[sedgemoor1685]

SHIT HOT,great race with 160bhp on a 170 rear tyre!

[flavaj12]

this reminds of senna vs prost during the best f1 years

[WizzRacing]

You never tame the 500cc 2 stroke dragon. It simply lets you stay on till you mistreat it. Many have come.. but only a few are chosen to ride it.

[BeamRider100]

Amazing, I remember watching this race live.

Looking now, I see the way Schwantz sits back still and locks in a line thru the turns, while Rainey crouches forward more thru the corners. Today's riders tend to crouch like Rainey and also get the head and elbow lower as well.

The sit back style looks like more fun, I might give it a try thru some open turns.

Or maybe crouch forward thru the tight part of the corner and then sit back on the corner exits that open out.

[TheKeendriver]

You gotta love Schwantz talkin shit at 2:44....yeah that's it

[TheKeendriver]

You gotta love Schwantz talkin shit at 1:44

[pgzzz]

This was the golden age of motorcycle racing.. By comparison it is like a procession today !

[BringBack500s]

'A pretty slippery race'...Yeah yeah Kev whatever, what was'ent a slippery race, as in, you rode the fcuking bike waaaay over the limit and it sorta, well, slid all over the track, and of course it had nothing todo with your right hand.

Its OK though, we 'know' what you mean...slippery...

[josephmarks1]

kevin is a man who can get the job done. no doubt. no help from traction control just get on the bike open the throttle and see you at the finish line.

[payatzki18]

great battle...

i hope i see one of these battle today... its too boring now because of electronics systems.

[gorflunk]

Schwantz always looked like a cowboy bustin a bronco when he rode. He did everything wrong but made it work.

[BringBack500s]

@gorflunk Exactly, the way a race bike should be rode. Its not 'logical' like Steady Eddie, Rainey etc, its the way Gardner rode too, why we love the sport. Want to have a maths lesson go elsewhere, want to see laws broken watch Revvin' Kevin.

[svsunil2]

Rainey's crash led to Honda's rise and Yamaha's demise from the GP racing, untill they got rossi with them,. Rainey was most successfull racer of his time, only Doohan equaled his records

[1947japan]

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[TheMackgyver]

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[lookwhatucanget]

BEST MOTORCYCLES EVER MADE 2 STROKE FOREVER.

[FriendForever23]

5.52.... rainey not happy :(

[BooNSianG46]

Who's the guy on bike no 2 , 4 , 5 ?? and no.1 is spencer?? sry im no from this era .. so wasnt sure who's them ~

[stitch999999999999]

@BooNSianG46 2= wayne gardener...4=christian sarron...5=kevin magee......1=eddie lawson

[cutthroat2273]

raineys pit board indicated one more lap, that's why he wasn't to happy

[gemin1962]

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[jezcole75]

Cracking stuff, those were the days! The 500's were brutal and it took unbeleiveable talent to master them. All the top guys from back then are true legends. Would love to have seen Rossi in that golden era as well. Fitting that he was the last ever 500 champion

[auto4union]

There`s a great race between these two in the Transatlantic trophy races in 87or88 ! Fairing bashing and tyres rubbing etc ! Just looking for it just now ! Peace Ye`all !

[phailandaids]

I seen it, I got the Schwantz and Rainey "best of" videos....apparently the first time Rainey saw Schwantz on that shagged out GSX-R-750 he said "who the hell gave that nutter a bike"

[guppytuned]

Racing defined!

[lukesimmons101]

That's got to be the most grudging handshake I've seen in recent memory, but racing should still be this way.

[lemonjiffy]

2.35 mad overtake, wow these guys are on it. Great vid dude & great bikes though in my heart I'd love the Cagive 500

[rodthesod1]

Kickittome, you didnt see Jarno Saarinen originated riding on ice, he brought this skill to GPs and won by huge distances. He was able to slide both wheels, and in those days the corners were much much faster, ask Randy Mamola about Woodcote corner in Silverstone. I must agree however that the 800s are crap, no excitement at all. The only good thing about the coming season is that Donnington wont host the British GP.

[kickittome70]

Rainey didnt look too happy at the end. Schwantsy was the only guy I've ever seen powerslide a 500GP bike at 200k's on the back tyre with the front at least 6" in the air. Back then it was just us Aussies, the yanks and no one else - no Europeans apart from honorable mentions to Sarron and Mc Kenzie. Now it's just Rossi, Stoner and a bunch of losers. Think that 500's are TOTALLY different than the cruisy 800 4-strokes now. Like a wild horse trying to kill you every lap,with a thirst for victory

[phailandaids]

Rainey and Schwantz were so equally matched but in very different ways, Rainey was always "line perfect" while Schwantz would just nail it as hard as he could and hoped it would turn in for him, Schwantz had the bigger balls but Rainey was a little more scientific in his approach....damn shame what happened to Rainey in sept 93.

I also agree that the 4-stroke are tosh, they maybe faster but they have no soul.

[19RedLineR74]

@phailandaids What a great sum up!

I don't watch the 4 strokes at all, but I followed Kevin. Shitty chassis on all of them that twist and flex all over the place under power. The chassis these days are soooo much better. I was a big pusher for GP to move to 4-stroke to better represent what the manufacturers actually put on the road, but I agree, the excitement is gone, but I think it's due to Kevin retiring ;-P

His bike was slower, but he was crazier and hungrier than the rest. First or DNF.

[Tenchu73]

@kickittome70, losers? Pedrosa and Lorenzo are better than Stoner, so leave you of foolishness. From the time of Doohan the Australians have not won anything.

[Tenchu73]

@kickittome70 ....  losers? Pedrosa and Lorenzo are better than Stoner, so leave you of foolishness. From the time of Doohan the Australians have not won anything.

[z0ltanz0ltan]

@kickittome70 You're an old-timer, get over it.

[ghosttroop]

Great video, you the man ;)

One of the best racing duels between two 500cc champion riders ever :)

Rainey (3) was fast, smooth and almost perfect. Motorcycle racing legend.

Schwantz (34) was fast, wild and incredible. Fantastic skills. His Suzuki wasn't quite as good as the Hondas and Yamahas of the era, (It's the same today).

[phailandaids]

I just love these guys, Rainey would be hacking along all smooth and perfect and then Schwantz would come tearing along, bike all over the place trying to stuff him up the inside....then the whole race would plummet into chaos as these 2 had an on-bike shit slinging contest to the finish line.....2 very equal riders but in very different ways

[ghosttroop]

Well said ;)

Two very equal riders with completely different styles. Would love to have seen them on EQUAL MACHINERY, (like Rossi and Lorenzo).

Only reason Schwantz looked so squirelly, (as Kevin called it), was because he had to ride the hell out of the Suzuki to keep up with the Hondas and Yamahas. Only way Schwantz was getting by was in a big slip-stream or stuffing it up the inside into a corner.

Thats why hes so good to watch. The guys riding like he's got a death-wish :) Superb stuff!