With prices of Suzuki’s RG500Γ “Gamma” through the roof right now, fans of 80s two-stroke exotica have had to look elsewhere for their smoky thrills, and today’s Featured Listing RG400Γ might be just the ticket for collectors seeking two-stroke performance on a less extravagant budget. Certainly, values of the Japanese-market RG400Γ have been below those of…
Welcome to What We’re Watching. This feature highlights some of the auctions we are following – especially those that are about to close. Handy if you’re curious about where values are going, or just want to snipe in at the last minute to score a deal! 1985 Yamaha RZ500 with California title! This is the…
One of the most desirable sportbikes of the 1980s, the Suzuki RG500Γ was in a class of basically two with the Yamaha RZ500. Powered by a two-stroke square four it shared with no other bike in Suzuki’s lineup, the Gamma was intended to evoke their Grand Prix racebikes, which led to an interesting dilemma: two-strokes…
There’s a proud tradition of independent motorcycle builders “sportifying” some very unlikely machines: CBXs converted into monoshock cafe-racers, heavily modified Swallower Moto Guzzis with chain drive and Hossack front ends, even venerable RZ500 engines stuffed into R6 frames. In the case of the HP2, BMW built their very own factory eclectic performance motorcycle by taking…
“It’s only new once” is pretty axiomatic in the collector car and bike worlds. Meaning that a slightly imperfect, but time-capsule machine with a bit of wear and tear is generally more desirable than a perfectly restored, better-than-new example to many collectors. Original machines have flaws: they’re often mass-produced, or have little cosmetic flaws from…
Here’s a great looking, unrestored, Japanese market RZV500. The biggest difference between the RZ500 and RZV500 is the aluminum frame and even smaller production numbers compared to the ROW models. Mileage is a mere 7,400 and with 5 days remaining on the auction, the current bid is a little over $10k, reserve not met. dc…
The road-going two-stroke fours from Suzuki and Yamaha normally tend to look a little awkward to my eye. The wheels and tires look too skinny, the brakes too small, the fairing bulbous and a little ungraceful. That all goes out the window with this 1988 Suzuki RG500Γ race bike, which seems better balanced all-around, and…
Update 6.1.2016: Sold in just one week! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc If Honda’s history of brilliant technical innovation has a downside, it’s that it sometimes posits answers to questions no one actually asked. Some recent missteps like their sophisticated but overweight and expensive VFR sport-tourer suggest that they’ve just recently lost their way.…