Gamma, Gamma, Hey: 1986 Suzuki RG500Γ for Sale

1986 Suzuki RG500Γ
Miles: 23,681
Clean Title
Buy It Now Price: $33,500
Current Bid: $20,000 Reserve Not Met
Auction Ends: November 30, 2025

These days, it seems like everyone is trying to sell you a very nice, compact, v-twin-sounding 270° parallel twin, but the 1980s were a particularly wild time for motorcycles: the Japanese economy was booming  there were no fully-established rules yet, regarding what a motorcycle could or should be. Two-stroke and four-stroke road bikes still shared the showroom floor, and your four-stroke could be two-valve, four-valve, even turbocharged… You could buy inline fours, triples, flat twins, v-twins, inline sixes, v-threes, parallel twins in transverse and longitudinal varieties. You could even, if you really wanted something truly wild, grab one of Suzuki’s very rare square-four-powered two-stroke Grand Prix replica RG500Γs. Often just called the “Gamma” after that little Greek symbol at the end of the alphanumeric name, the Suzuki RG500Γ was extremely lightweight, compared to contemporary sportbikes, with a typically “exciting” two-stroke powerband and wisps of aromatic smoke from its four distinctive tailpipes. There was really nothing quite like it then, and there’s definitely nothing like it now, making it one of the most collectible sportbikes of the modern era.

1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma – Street-Legal GP Legend

Modern GSX-R Front End, GSX-R Wheels 

 Absolute Weapon

The Rowdiest 500 Two-Stroke We’ve Ever Ridden. Period.

I’ve ridden a lot of rowdy two-strokes over 50 years as the “King of Ping,” that’s my specialty. 

I’ve ridden everything from factory race bikes to the cleanest museum restorations you can imagine.

This 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma is easily on the podium as one of the rowdiest, nastiest, most intoxicating 500s I’ve ever thrown a leg over.
Street-legal four-cylinder GP-derived madness.

Never officially imported to the U.S. Almost never seen here.
This is the first RG500 we’ve had come through the shop in 13 years.

If you’re reading this, you already know: This is the closest thing to a real 500cc GP race bike you could buy in the 80s.

GP Pedigree

This machine is heavily based on Suzuki’s RGT500 GP race bikes that took world titles with:

• Marco Lucchinelli – 1981
• Franco Uncini – 1982

The architecture is directly descended from the factory program.
It is widely considered the most hardcore of all the Japanese 500 two-stroke replicas.

Think of it as a GP race bike that snuck out of the paddock with lights and a license plate.

Engine & Performance

498cc Two-Stroke Square-Four

• Essentially two parallel twins stacked, each with its own crankshaft geared together
• Rotary valve induction, independent discs for front/rear cylinder pairs
• Liquid-cooled, front-mounted radiator, very efficient
• AEC exhaust power valves
• Four Mikuni flat-slide carbs with individual float bowls
• Rated 95 HP @ 9,500 rpm stock
• Redline: 10,000 rpm

This engine feels like four 125cc GP engines screaming in sync.
The power hit feels turbo-charged, addictive, and violent in the best possible way.

With the Moto quad pipes and rejetting, these typically push 105–110 HP.
Race builds go significantly higher.

Dry weight: 340 lbs.
That’s modern 600 Supersport territory… with a demented, explosive 500cc two-stroke powerband.

Quarter mile: mid-11s @ ~120 mph
Top speed: 130+ mph

Chassis, Handling & Braking

Suzuki built this bike with a box-section aluminum twin-spar frame (welded cast sections front/rear).
It was radically advanced for its era.

This example is upgraded to feel modern, not 1986:

• GSX-R modern sportbike front end
• Brembo radial-mount calipers
• Large gold floating rotors
• Carbon fiber front fender
• Fresh Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires (≈3 miles on them)
• New gold chain

This setup absolutely transforms the bike.
It handles razor-sharp, plants confidently, and stops like a modern supersport.

Exhaust & Sound

The bike wears a Jolly Moto / Tommy Crawford–style quad chamber system, carbon-style/aluminum-tip high-performance race pipes.

The sound is pure GP, visceral, violent, and intoxicating.

The first time we started it, I was standing behind it and it hurt my eardrums.
It’s that wicked.

There’s a lot more information about this Suzuki RG500Γ over at the original eBay listing: the seller is obviously very knowledgeable and passionate about the bike. The listed Buy It Now price is a seemingly very reasonable $33,500, although that does assume that you’re okay with the fact that this bike is not completely original, sporting a more modern front end and 17″ wheels, along with reproduction bodywork. The finished bike looks pretty impressive and, if it runs as well as is claimed, you’ll be getting a well put-together bike that captures the wild and woolly spirit of the two-stroke GP replicas of the 80s, with much less hairy handling and a much wider selection of grippy rubber. Basically, this one probably boils down to: purists and anoraks need not apply. If riding is more your thing, the line forms to the left.

-tad