Some Assembly Required: 1987 Suzuki RG500Γ Walter Wolf

There are race replicas and then there are race replicas. While many bikes are intended to ape the look and style of racing machines, they’re usually more of a paint-and-tape affair, with few aspects under the skin to link them with their inspiration. That’s not the case with the RG500Γ Gamma.

Powered by a 500cc two-stroke square four cylinder with twin cranks, the bike was powerful and very lightweight, with specifications ripped straight from MotoGP. And while the larger displacement certainly makes low-rpm riding a bit less lethargic than on a 250, that just means the hit of power is that much bigger, and these are very serious machines for very serious riders.

In the usually very flattering traditional Suzuki colors, I feel like the Gamma looks a bit awkward and ungainly. The Walter Wolf dark blue with red and gold details definitely flatters the lines, and I think it’s the best-looking version of the bike. It’s particularly cool that the Walter Wolf Replica included different gauge faces and a special key as well.

While it’s a shame to see a bike like this in pieces, it does give gawkers an opportunity to see the unusual square-four engine: you can see that the rear pair of cylinders sit a bit higher than the front pair. And the seller certainly didn’t skimp on pictures over on eBay, so potential bidders can get a pretty good idea about what’s included.

From the original eBay listing: 1987 Suzuki RG500Γ Gamma Walter Wolf

If you know what these bikes are, and what they will probably be worth in the next few years, than I probably don’t need to do any further explaining!

The RG500 Gamma, is already considered by many to be top of the food chain for 2 stroke street bikes, But a 1987 japanese Walter Wolf edition makes it even more so!
This bike came to me as you see it.  All the parts are there except the belly pan.  It does need a little work, but is in overall decent condition.  Standard RG500s are worth over $20K, In a few years this bike will probably be worth close to $50,000

Bike has just over 16.7K Kilometers, which translates to about 10,300 miles! I believe this to be true and correct.

Paint and body work:
Missing only the belly pan, besides that the plastic is in great shape, no major cracks, left side fairing does need a re-paint, as does the solo seat cowl,
the rest is in rideable condition, there are of course some scratches and wear, but overall the body work is not bad!

Engine:
As you can see the engine is apart, I recently purchased a complete set of overbore cylinders and matched heads.  All the machine work is done, along with 1.5mm over
pistons and rings.  Bottom end and clutch are in great shape, basically all the engine parts are included to put the bike back together.

I have the Japanese title in hand, And original Walter Wolf key.

Remember this bike is almost 30 years old and is a project, anyone that buys this bike will have a rare opportunity of owning a highly sought after machine that is probably currently worth over $30k in mint condition. 

Well, there are projects and there are projects. “Basically all the engine parts are included” is not the same thing as “all the engine parts are included, down to the last nut and bolt.” And while a project claimed to be “90% complete!” might sound like it’d be a snap to put together, keep in mind that’s theoretically a whole lot of missing bits, and the last 10% could be very expensive, difficult, or nearly impossible to track down. If you’re planning to plunk down for this bike, it might be worth a couple quick emails to the seller to find out exactly what might be missing.

I also think that the seller’s insistence that this bike “in a few years will probably be worth close to $50,000” may be a bit optimistic: Gammas are definitely investment-grade bikes at the moment, but I’d be skeptical that this will basically double in value in such a short time period. That being said, there is a strong community built up around these bikes, and this one is definitely cool enough to be worth saving.

-tad