Looking very much like a little brother to the RG500, this Suzuki RG250Γ offers up sophistication to match its larger stablemate: anti-dive forks, Full Floater suspension, Suzuki’s Automatic Exhaust Control that increased the weedy two-stroke midrange, and a six-speed gearbox. The package was very light, weighing in at 286lb dry and the water-cooled 247cc parallel twin came restricted to 45hp from the factory, although more was available with tuning.
Available between 1983 and 1987, this generation of the RG250 was available in traditional Suzuki white and blue, but the dark blue, red, and gold Walter Wolf colors seen here are especially striking, and those proprietary gauge faces look very trick. Born in Austria, Walter Wolf’s name can be found on both the RG250 and RG500. Wolf made his fortune in the Canadian oil business and sponsored racing cars and bikes in the UK.
This particular example is very clean, with little pitting on the aluminum parts, although there is some rust on the steel subframe and brackets visible. Unfortunately, the bodywork, while complete, has some bad cracking around the headlight and scuffs and scrapes from a lifetime of riding. Some of the decals have peeled so folks might think you’re riding a “S 7UKI” and the paint on the tank is in poor shape. Mechanically, the bike is claimed to be in excellent condition.
From the original eBay listing: 1986 Suzuki RG250 Walter Wolf for Sale
1986 Suzuki RG250 Walter Wolf version very rare to find one titled in the United States . This bke was brought from Japan with a U.S. service man in 1990 it is completely documented with all the custom papers and has a clear title . Good luck finding another. The bike starts one kick and runs and handles perfect. The plastics have some issues but are very restorable. I have some nos. Suzuki parts that go with bike new gas cap. new factory grips service manual and a few other Suzuki factory parts that will go with bike. 10927 kms, not miles.
There is no interest yet at the $3,000 opening bid, and the seller has set the Buy It Now price at $6,000. Walter Wolf Gammas come up for sale occasionally, but this is only the second 250 I’ve seen for sale: they were never common, and are especially rare here in the US. This one needs some cosmetic attention but, considering the rapidly escalating value of two-stroke sportbikes in general, it could be a great rolling restoration for someone living in a state with a permissive DMV.
-tad
An interesting two stroke survivor that deserves to be rescued and restored. Being a Walter Wolf variant is a plus (how many were made?) as is the U.S. title, of course. But wait a second…those are Dunlop K591 tires from 1987! Big red flag to me- if it’s still wearing 30 year old rubber, what are the chances the rest of the bike was maintained and in good condition? Seller gives absolutely no information on actual maintenance or mechanical condition, beyond “starts one kick”. What are the compression readings? Has it been rebuilt, refreshed, tuned, or even maintained? Bodywork is obviously very rough, but what about underneath it all? That’s much more important than the selling point that it comes with a new gas cap and grips.
Let’s see, total bodywork refurbishment (paint and graphics)- at least $1K, tires $250, who knows what else $$. With the optimistic Buy It Now $6K or a reserve even close to that, you’d easily be thousands more into it than current market values. Could buy an Aprilia RS250, MC21, or TZR, instead. Again, it sure is cute and deserves to be restored, but this doesn’t add up financially at all.
I agree. Could be a good deal for someone who can do the work themselves and the bike is “worth saving” but not a great financial proposition. Amusingly, I just found an RG400 Walter Wolf on eBay as well!
Wow I did not even know they made a 400cc version of the RG, let alone a WW. Love this site…
The RG400s were meant for the Japanese market I believe. I’d love to have posted it, but the photos were pretty poor and the description was pretty vague.
It does have some real positives going for it- especially the fact it hasn’t been substantially modified, changed, or “improved” from original. Different front turn signals, grips, and tinted windscreen are minor. To me, this is a $3K max project, as much as I’m charmed by it.
I also just came across that 400 Gamma. Yes, there were 400cc Japanese market Gammas (and GSXRs, FZs, etc). Boy, is that listing scary! Terribly poor presentation, one of the worst ever. First, English is seller’s second language- so good luck prying out any important information to make a solid assessment. Second, only two pictures of the motorcycle provided, and the first one isn’t even the actual Gamma for sale! Run!