It seems like it’s been raining two-strokes recently, and this RZ500 should make Yamaha fans happy. Bikes seem to come in waves as their values wax and wane. Forgotten bikes suddenly find a collector’s market, and all those folks who’ve had them from new suddenly unload them, or get too old to ride them in…
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…
Look, I’ll be honest. There are basically two reasons I like writing about Suzuki’s two-stroke sportbikes. One, they’re pretty funky, like this RG500Γ Gamma you see here that sports an engine with a very rare square-four configuration. Two, I get to use the cool Greek “Gamma” character which, along with the umlauted “O” for “Öhlins”…
Even by today’s standards, the numbers are impressive… a claimed 95hp to go with a dry weight of just 340lbs would have this little 500 hanging right with the best of the modern 600s. And they don’t sound nearly this cool! The RG500 or “Gamma” was a legitimate monster back in it’s day. Yamaha had…
Today’s ride is a 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma. For all those who criticized the last RZV we posted for being too modified, this RG appears to be mostly stock and OEM, with noted exceptions. Like the last big smoker, this one also appears to have a California title. If the mileage is correct, the kilometer…
The Suzuki RG500Γ Walter Wolf Replica is one of the most collectible sportbikes of the 1980’s, combining maniacal two-stroke power-delivery, big cubes, a state of the art suspension, and an evocative race-rep paint job. It’s always fortunate when someone is born with such an appropriate and evocative name, and Walter Wolf certainly fits that description.…
If you’re looking for a truly collectable Suzuki RG500Γ, your unicorn has been spotted, so move quickly. No seriously: this thing has zero, nil, null, 0, nada miles on it. Absolutely none. Race replicas from the 1980’s obviously needed appropriate powerplants to complete the illusion, and featured two-stroke engines like the machines racing in Moto…
Motorcycle racing is often defined by the rivalries among riders. Recent rivalries include Rossi vs Biaggi, Schwantz vs Rainey, Fogarty vs Russell. Back in the days of 500cc two strokes, one of the major rivalries was Barry “Bazza” Sheene vs “King” Kenny Roberts. Roberts famously said the only reason he got out of bed in…