Not to be outdone, Suzuki also got wind of the rotary idea. But this time, they actually delivered. For the 1973 Tokyo show, they revealed the RE-5, probably the world’s best-known rotary motorcycle.

The extraordinary Crighton CR700W extracts an incredible 220 horsepower from a 690cc twin-rotor Wankel engine, and weighs just 129.5 kg (285.5 lb) dry for a MotoGP-level power-to-weight ratio.

That early period's first two-wheeled example that made it into production was Suzuki's RE5, a single-rotor bike styled by none other than the famous Giorgetto Giugiaro. But, the same year the RE5 ...