Denis Ireland’s RG500 at Mallory Bonanza

Racer, development rider, dyno technician, race team mechanic. You name it, Robbie Silvester, has done most things within the sport of motorcycle road racing. He’s still sponsoring riders (he helped no less than ten riders at the 2023 Manx GP) and is collector of classic racing machines.

One of the fine collection of bikes he took to this year’s Mallory Park Bike Bonanza was the ex-Derry’s Racing Suzuki RG500 that Kiwi Denis Ireland rode to victory in the 1979 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. Denis had previously finished third on the Senior TT that year on the same bike. 

Weeks after the Belgian GP win though, Ireland’s season came to an abrupt end when was injured after a promotional photoshoot went wrong. The throttle of the RG500 stuck wide-open as Ireland pulled a wheelie – and he subsequently crashed. Photographer Don Morley was clobbered by the bike but still managed to grab the infamous wheelie image, while Ireland hit a concrete post and suffered serious leg injuries.

Ireland returned to racing after a lengthy rehab to ride the RG500 again in 1980 and scored good results at the North West 200 and Ulster. Robbie said: “I bought the bike as it had finished the season, along with a lot of memorabilia.”

Words courtesy Mallory Park. Images by superbike.co.uk