Posts tagged as “Rick Lance”

Featured Listing – 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma!

Published November 23, 2022 by Mike

The seller states this 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma Featured Listing is a “Street-legal Collectible GP Replica” and he is very correct indeed. The sharpest of the street going 500cc two strokes, the Gamma was the pinnacle of the GP replica set. Showroom statistics aside, this beauty goes quite a bit further than that, thanks to a massive rebuild and performance work done by the legendary Rick Lance. The best part is that this is not a new bike to RSBFS, as we have seen it before on occasion which allows us to track mileage and usage across owners. In short, this is a stunning example of what a RG500 could be with performance far beyond what you might otherwise find, and even includes a signature by Randy Mamola; someone who knows a thing or two about riding a fire-breathing beast.

Featured Listing: 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma for sale on eBay!

From the seller:
1985 Suzuki RG500
Powered by a very compact, water-cooled, twin-crank, square-four two-stroke engine that works like a pair of parallel twins geared together. Stock the bike was cutting-edge. Weighing-in under 400 lbs dry and producing 100+ HP at the crank (stock) with typically ‘exciting’ two-stroke delivery, the Gamma was one of the rawest bikes of the period, a true “race-bike for the road.”

More from the seller:
This listing isn’t some all-original barn-find, but was given serious mechanical and cosmetic attention by the late Gamma Guru Rick Lance. It has the following list of mods:
Full motor rebuild including:
555 Big-Bore upgrade
GSX-R Radiator
Maranello transmission kit
Lance Gamma clutch upgrade
Lance Gamma TriPod air filter kit
Lance Gamma supplemental fuel shut-offs
Pipes supplied by Lance Gamma (I believe Rick said the were Jim Lomas pipes in our last conversation)

Chassis, bodywork, etc:
Battery and oil tank relocation
Upgraded wheel/ tire combination (Katana wheels)
Race-Tech fork upgrade
Rear shock upgrade ( FOX, I believe)
Lance Gamma fiberglass bodywork with custom paint scheme
Tank autographed by GP legend Randy Manila

More from the seller:
This is the second Rick Lance prepped Gamma I have been fortunate enough to own and is irreplaceable to me, but life-circumstances change and it is time to let go. I’ve seen several Gammas sell for $30-35,000 and I believe this is highly collectible and nicer than any of them.

Feel free to contact Vinnie @ 920-988-1950 with any questions

With an auction starting in the bargain basement price territory, there has been avid interest in this bike (reserve not yet met). We know this will not stay in bargain territory very long – after all, you are never going to see one as striking – nor as nicely outfitted – as this one. We encourage you to check out all of the details on this one – as well as the archive posts from years past – and then throw your hat into the ring. Suzuki has not built a RG500 for decades, and the glory days of the two stroke is over. Rick Lance, sadly, has left us with a limited number of his fantastic creations, this being one. So move quickly if you are interested – this beautiful 1985 Suzuki RG500 Rick Lance Gamma won’t last long!

1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma with Rick Lance upgrades

Published August 9, 2022 by Dan

This RG500 is up for auction a second time after a failed listing that is described in the seller description. Unfortunately it’s unlikely you’ll be able to title the bike in California. The seller states it has a Florida title which should transfer in most states. Bidding is over $22k at this point and reserve is met. Good luck to buyers and seller in the remaining 5 days of the auction!

1986 Suzuki RG500 for sale on eBay

from the seller:

I brought the bike up to Rick Lance in 2015 and had him redo the suspension with his own shock and ride height adjustment link. The front forks were also rebuilt. It is setup for bigger guys over 200 lbs. Also, his clutch kit, his petcock kit, and his air filter kit were installed to replace the old ones.

It is in beautiful shape. It does have an aftermarket belly pan and an aftermarket upper fairing. Rick wasn’t sure who the manufacturer was but he said it was high quality. The stock pipes are in beautiful shape.

Rick commented that the bike rides incredibly well. In fact, he told me it was in his top 10 best riding Gammas. The motor has not been opened.

The current mileage equates to 13,021 miles. I have only ridden the bike 30-40 miles since Rick worked on it.

The bike has been sitting for a few years. The fuel was removed. It has been leaking a bit of 2 stroke oil. It needs the oil check valves replaced. There are a couple ways to do this. You can add check valves inline or replace the ball valves in the carbs. Both Lance Gamma and RG500 have them. I was going to bring it up to Rick and have him replace them, but unfortunately he passed away in 2019. His shop was bought out and now is in California, so it’s not easy for me anymore to bring the bike to have it worked on anymore.

I do have the stock air box. I have a repair manual. I do not have the old suspension parts that Rick took off.

One Response.

Featured Listing – 1986 Suzuki RG500 with CA plates!

Published May 17, 2021 by Mike

Update 5.17.2021: eBay shows this auction has sold at $28,500. Congratulations to the buyer and thanks again to Andy for support the site! -dc

There are few more iconic motorcycles than the mighty Suzuki RG500 Gamma. This bike is the essence of a 500cc GP machine when two strokes ruled the racing circuits. Never imported into the United States, the big twin crank, square four rocket remains a rare find for smoke hungry American riders. Today’s Featured Listing is not only a rare RG500, it has been breathed on by none other than Rick Lance (RIP) who is known to be the ultimate guru of these machines, it has been the subject of a complete and comprehensive refurbishment AND it carries with it a CA plate meaning that it can be legally owned and ridden on the street. This is not just a unicorn. This is a unicorn carrying a leprechaun while towing Santa’s sleigh. The seller is known to RSBFS readers thanks to a gorgeous ’87 Suzuki GSX-R Skoal Bandit replica that sold on these pages last year. You will find this 1986 Suzuki RG500 to be of the same high standards and quality.

Featured Listing – 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma!

From the seller:
This extremely rare and pristine RG500 completed a 2-year frame off nut and bolt restoration in June of 2019 and comes with a clean unobtanium California title in my name. The bike is currently registered and enjoys the odd sunny afternoon out in the California mountains. This is a Rick Lance bike built in his California workshop in the early 90’s. Before Rick sadly passed away, we were able to exchange several emails about the bike and talked at length on the phone, his passion for these bikes still evident after all these years. Originally imported from Canada, the bike was kept in an LA collection for most of its life and has extremely low miles. However it had lost much of its original bodywork and had been severely neglected, so the decision was made to give it a full OEM restoration while retaining its original period correct Lance Gamma modifications. The bike was stripped to the frame and every single component refurbished, painted or plated before reassembly. The engine when disassembled confirmed the low mileage, but was rebuilt with new components to ensure reliability and maximum performance. As with my other restorations this bike was built to ride and I’ve included a link to a recent canyon carving video as evidence of that. The bike handles beautifully with its more modern GSXR750 running gear, and the engine pulls strongly through the entire rev range, peaking with that heart pumping powerband you anticipate but are never really ready for. Alternatively you can just sit back and admire it as a piece of beautiful art and for the motorcycling history it represents.

Restoration Details:
Chassis/Suspension: Frame fully stripped, cleaned and all new bearings fitted. While the frame has the Rick Lance oil tank and battery box conversion within the original airbox location, I did convert the oil tank back to OEM with additional heat shields because I wasn’t a big fan of the oil level sighting tube and wanted the comfort of an oil level sensor. Its easy enough to convert back if you prefer. All running gear including forks, headstock, wheels, brakes and radiator were originally converted to 1990 GSXR750 by Rick. Forks were fully stripped and fitted with new seals. The rear is fitted with Rick’s iconic braced swingarm and period correct Fox Twin Click remote shock. Swingarm and front forks were re-polished to maintain period correctness.

Brakes: Front and rear calipers fully stripped, refinished & rebuilt with new seals/pads, rotors refurbished/refinished, all brake masters rebuilt with new seals. The 6-pot Tokico calipers are a little overkill for such a light bike, but stopping is not an issue! Wheels were fitted with new bearings, painted and shod with Diablo Rosso II tires. New chain and sprockets. All fasteners replaced with NOS or re-plated.

Restoration Details :
Electrics: Wiring loom gone through, rewrapped and in perfect working condition. Switchgear and gauges refurbished, speedo converted to MPH. Fitted Japanese OEM turn signals with smoked lenses, because they look cool! New battery.

Engine: Stripped to the cases, new seals, gaskets and complete top end rebuild (Cylinders still on their original bores, were honed and well within tolerance!). Rebuilt power valves and rotary intake valves, replaced clutch and reconditioned auto lube pump. Power valves and auto lube work exactly as they should from factory! Carbs ultrasonic cleaned, rebuilt with new gaskets, and Lance Gamma ball valves, then balanced. Lance Gamma jet kit and TriPod air filters. Bike has original Tommy Crawford chambers and has been tuned to give the best compromise between rideability and performance. Fuel tank petcock rebuilt, tank internals in excellent condition, zero rust.

Fairings/Body Panels: All OEM with the exception of the screen. No missing tabs, poppers or cracked mounting holes. All panels taken back to plastic and sealed with two stage primer. Traditional Suzuki Blue/White base coat from RS paints in the UK. New decals from RD decals. 3 Coats of clear, then 3 flow coats, wet sanded and polished for show quality. Seat and butt pad recovered.

More from the seller:
This could be one of the best examples of a Rick Lance RG500 in the country but you are more than welcome to see for yourself, I am located in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact me if you would like to view before the auction closes.

Restoration photographs and a running video can be found here

And if all of that detail, all of the photographs and the documented restoration is not enough, how about a little absolute proof in the way of an onboard ride-along? Check out the fun (and function) in this video of the actual bike:

As seen with the previous Skoal Bandit bike, the work done on this RG500 is impeccable. This is a man cave bike ready to soak up the views from inside, but equally prepared for some hard riding in the real world. It is rare, it is gorgeous, it is Rick Lance-ified, and it is street legal in the most forbidding of DMV bureaucracies, the state of California. The starting bid for this one is right in line with what it is and how it looks, and although early days the watchers are filling the bleachers to monitor the fireworks. Check out all of the details of the auction here, grab yourself a case of castor oil, and Good Luck!!

Featured Listing: 1986 Suzuki RG500Γ for Sale

Published April 12, 2018 by Tad Diemer

Suzuki’s RG500Γ “Gamma” is a modern classic, a bike from the tail end of the two-stroke sportbike era, at least here in the USA where lightweight, smoky strokers were gone by the mid-80s. At the time, it offered significant on-paper advantages over something like a GSX-R750: it was lighter and the 498cc engine made similar power and torque to the four-stroke 750. But the two-stroke engine was much more highly-strung, making it a more challenging bike to ride quickly, but that’s exactly what two-stroke sportbike fans love about them. They relish the involvement required by the narrow powerband and the trail of heavy, oily smoke that drips from the four tiny exhaust pipes.

Why four pipes? Well the Gamma was powered by a square four engine that, although not actually based on the unit that powered Suzuki’s Grand Prix machines, at least used the same format, with twin crankshafts and a pair of very compact Mikuni carburetors on either side. Of course, like all two-strokes of the period, it featured a power valve system, in this case Suzuki’s AEC or “Automatic Exhaust Control” and a cassette-style six-speed transmission theoretically allowed quick changes to the gearing trackside. The aluminum frame resembled the GSX-R’s, and the Gamma had hydraulic anti-dive forks at the front and a complex, rising-rate monoshock rear suspension that Suzuki dubbed their “Full-Floater” system. A 16″ front and skinny 17″ wheel out back seem odd today, but were fairly standard at the time.

This particular bike should be familiar to long-time readers, as it was posted up here a couple years back. The individual who purchased it has decided the time has come to pass the bike along and let a new owner appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into it. Most Gammas look very much alike, as 99% of them originally were, or have been repainted, in the traditional blue-and-white Suzuki colors, with a few blue-and-red Walter Wolf examples thrown in for good measure. But this particular example was custom-painted and, lest you think the less traditional colors mask a bike that’s been less than lovingly maintained, let’s dissuade you of that notion right now: it was rebuilt a couple years back from the ground-up, and tuned by none other than Rick Lance. Basically, this bike has had a kitchen sink worth of upgrades thrown at it, as you can see from the seller’s description, and the result may not be original, but is pretty spectacular.

From the seller: 1986 Suzuki RG500Γ for Sale

I have been blessed to own 3 of these legendary motorcycles. Out of the 3, this is the nicest and best out of my collection. I purchased this bike in October of 2016 from California. It was a recent build done by Rick Lance. I was talking to Rick at the time about doing a build with him in the exact format. However the cost was more and the timeframe was about 2 years wait. I came across this one on eBay and snatched it up. When it arrived it was nicer than the pictures detailed. Furthermore, it was listed as a 1985 and the California title reflected it as a 1986. The details are as follows:

This 1986 RG500 has ~1200 miles on it since being fully rebuilt in 2011 by Rick Lance from Lance Gamma lancegamma.com

It has the following features:

Motor: full motor rebuild including:
555 upgrade, GSX-R radiator, valve kit
Maranello transmission kit
Lance Gamma clutch upgrade
Lance Gamma TriPod air filter kit
Lance Gamma supplemental petcock
Lance Gamma pipes

Chassis, bodywork, etc:
Battery + oil tank conversion
Wheels ands rotors
Forks
Shock
Lance Gamma fiberglass bodywork with custom paint scheme

This bike is something special and unique

BTW– when Randy Mamola visited the previous owners home he autographed the bike on the gas tank, so that makes it even more unique!

The bike is the nicest you will come across. I have very much enjoyed it. I only put 200 miles on it since the purchase. It has spent more time sitting in the storefront window of my Indian dealership. My business circumstances have changed and I am looking to reinvest in my business.

I have a service manual and extra windshield that will go with the bike if desired.

I will ship worldwide on your dollar. Feel free to contact me for pictures, videos, or call me if you desire to discuss specifics.

As the seller states, this bike has covered just 200 miles since it was last seen on RSBFS. Frankly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the looks when it was posted previously, but the photos that feature the bike indoors, in less glaring light, show just how classy and striking the paintwork is and it’s sure to stand out in any crowd [?!] of Gammas… I generally prefer the Walter Wolf colors for the RG500, but there’s no denying the quality on display here. It is posted on eBay, no reserve, so submit a bit and take a chance!

-tad

Well Presented: 1985 Yamaha RZ500

Published January 30, 2018 by Mike

[1.30.2018 – The eBay listing on this nicely-described RZ500 was pulled before we could post. The bike does not appear to be available, but enjoy the right way to present a bike. MI]

Every once in a while RSBFS staff come across a bike that is both rare AND honestly represented. The latter is often as rare as the machine itself. And speaking of machines, today’s offering is no less than the vaunted Yamaha RZ500, a twin-crank V-4 two stroke patterned after the big GP bikes of the day. With a GP-inspired 16″ front wheel, full bodywork, and exhausts poking out of the tail section shotgun style, the RZ500 has long been a lusted after model by collectors and riders alike. And this particular bike is so nicely documented by the seller that I will let them take over the narrative at this point. Read (and drool) on!

From the seller:
This is my 1985 Yamaha RZ500 for sale. This is a Canadian Version. This is one of the legendary models that Yamaha built for the street use and if you are already looking at this posting, you may be knowing how valuable these bikes are. The bike is absolute fun to ride, not restored, not molested.

It was imported to USA back in 1986 by the previous/ first owner and he had the bike all these years taken well care of. I bought the bike 2 years back thinking that I will keep it forever as a collection.

Now that I have bought a new house and moving in, I have a lot of financial priorities to take care of and I find no other way than letting this bike go. I myself is a picky person when it comes to things I buy and this bike is really worth it. The joy of riding a 2 stroke in power band is something that you won’t get in any of the new generation bikes as per what I think. The RZ500 is one of its kind that really needs to be known.

More from the seller:
When I bought the bike it was all original untouched in any way. I decided to do a complete engine rebuild as the bike itself was 30 years old and I thought it’s a fair thing to do to make the bike completely reliable to ride myself.

A complete engine rebuild was done by the famous 2 stroke specialist Rick Lance (very well known for Lance Gamma) in October 2016, little over a year ago. No expenses were spared. All the engine seals and gaskets were replaced. New first oversize pistons were installed. All genuine Yamaha parts were used for the rebuild. Anything and Everything related to the engine was taken care of. The water pump, oil pump, YPVS etc. work perfect as they should. It is using stock carburetors and exhausts. I did the break-in run and was carefully done. The bike has run only 580 Kms after the engine rebuild. All fluids were replaced at the time of engine rebuild. However I replaced the engine fluids again and topped up the 2t oil two weeks back because I did the break-in run and thought it would be nice to.

The bike starts usually in one or two kicks and settles to a nice idle and runs real smooth through all the gears.

More from the seller:
A new fuel petcock was installed, and as per Rick’s recommendation, a supplement fuel tap is also installed which is really required for these bikes for shutting off fuel completely from flowing to the system when the bike is not in use, and this is the only additional fitting on the bike other than the stock setup and as per me I really like the supplement petcock as it is very useful and really convenient.

New battery was installed at the time of the engine rebuild and is still almost as new.

Rear brake calipers were completely removed and serviced. However, I would like to change the brake pads for more efficient braking. Just did not get the time to do it, now the new owner could 🙂 (A set of brand new EBC brake pads along with the set of caliper pistons and kit goes with the bike. See the list of items I am giving away with the bike for more details).

The Tires are not new but they are in good condition Metzeler tires. However it’s up to the new owner whether he/she decides to put on a new pair before doing any serious fast riding.

All the electrics work on the bike as they should, the Turn Signals, headlight, rear/brake light, meter lights, horn etc.

Everything on the bike is original. The bike is really clean and well maintained. The pictures speaks for themselves.

More from the seller:
Please read below for the drawbacks and negatives as I think it is and important to mention.

1) The body kit is replaced and is a brand new Australian made high quality kit and price runs over $1000. The body kit was replaced because the bike fell down on the drive way (while parked on kick stand) when I was moving things to my new house. It broke the right side lower cowling screw attachment at 2 points.

2) The right side exhaust also got a scratch mark when it fell which I thought of leaving it alone. (Please see the picture)

I bought a separate super clean gas tank from a seller and got it repainted by a high end professional. High quality DuPont paint was used for the paint job and the color matches perfectly with the new body kit. As said please refer to the pictures and you can see the quality.

This is a 32 Year old bike and will have its own minor blemishes and drawbacks as you could imagine. Please don’t expect a 100% perfect showroom condition bike. There is no warranty or guarantee expressed or implied.

More from the seller:
The bike is currently located in Houston, Texas. It has a clear Texas title in my name.

The reserve price I have kept is very nominal and reasonable as per the market price. I have no intentions to make any profit out of selling it, and I am not a business man.

I hope it finds an owner who is just enthusiastic and a bike lover just like me.

How’s that for some detail? Gotta love the attention this seller has put into the advert – and based on the photos one can only assume the same treatment was bestowed on the bike. Sure, it has some use and the pipe rash and replacement plastics are a ding to sanitary originality. The rebuild from a reputable shop is a check in the plus column. The big RZ is the most common of the 500cc smoking set here in the US, but that does not make it cheap by any means. Bidding has started out very slow on this one, and the auction sits at just over $10k with reserve in place. I would expect a bike like this to fetch in the neighborhood of $15k, so there is time and room to move if you are so inclined. Check out all of the details here and enjoy a collectable classic that is begging to be adopted and ridden like its repli-racer looks might suggest. Good luck!!

One Response.

Featured Listing: 1986 Suzuki RG500Γ Gamma for Sale

Published October 13, 2017 by Tad Diemer

Update 10.27.2017: SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc

Like Ducati’s MotoGP inspired Desmosedici, the square four in the Suzuki RG500Γ “Gamma” in today’s Featured Listing wasn’t actually a detuned version of the race bike’s engine. Race bikes engines are built for power, not longevity, and simply “de-tuning” is probably not going be enough to make one work in a road bike. So in both cases, the engines shared the configuration and general specifications with their MotoGP racebike counterparts, but few or no actual parts. Which almost makes them cooler in my mind: in both cases, the one-off engines were built to be installed in a very limited run of exotic motorcycles, with no intention that they be mass-produced or turn much of a profit. These engines and bikes exist seemingly only for a very small group of enthusiasts, and there’s something inherently cool about that. Also, I love using the Greek alphabet typing up these posts.

The “configuration and general specifications” we’re talking about in this case refers to the two-stroke, twin-crank, disc-valve square four that displaced 498cc. Four very compact Mikuni flat-slides fed fuel and air into the engine, and the gearbox was a quick-change cassette six-speed. Of course it featured a power valve system, in this case Suzuki’s AEC or Automatic Exhaust Control that helped smooth out the two-stroke’s abrupt powerband. The result? The Gamma put just a bit less than 100hp worth of stinky, heavy exhaust smoke out of its four tiny stinger exhaust pipes.

The rest of the bike was more familiar, with an aluminum frame not all that different from the GSX-R, with hydraulic anti-dive forks in the front and Suzuki’s “Full-Floater” system out back. Skinny period 16″ front and 17″ rear wheels mean terrifyingly skinny tires that look like they’d be more at home on a beach-cruiser bicycle today, but were par for the course in 1986. With 340lbs worth of dry weight to push around and less than 100 horses to do it with, performance seems like it would be unimpressive. But it’s the very nature of that spiky power delivery, the all-or-nothing acceleration that requires constant use of the gearbox to make fast progress, the challenge that seems to get two-stroke fans excited.

Unless you’re “of a certain age” or younger and a bit of a bike nerd, the appeal of the whole two-stroke thing may fly over your head. They’re smoky, buzzy, and generally pretty high-maintenance. They also have famously narrow and fairly abrupt powerbands, making them challenging to ride quickly. But even though they do require more regular maintenance than a four-stroke motorcycle, the upside is that they’re relatively simple to work on, lacking traditional intake valves, and therefore cams, cam chains, cam belts, pushrods, or any of the other bits typically associated with “normal” motorcycles.

This particular bike is claimed to have seen the attention of the famous Rick Lance during its refresh and appears to be in extremely nice condition, ready to become the showcase of the next owner’s collection and hopefully be the talk of every motorcycle gathering when the new owner takes it out for a spin and stretches its legs.

From the Seller: 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma for Sale

Located in Greater Chicagoland Area 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

This 1986 RG500 Gamma with 17,769 km (approximately 11,041 miles) is in near mint original condition. It comes out of the famous BAC car and motorcycle collection. It was extremely well cared for by the previous owner and the current owner. BAC has owned this bike for almost ten years. The current owner searched for almost two years to find the best one that could be found. After purchasing the bike, he had Mike the Chicagoland expert on Gammas along with Rick Lance, a Gamma guru, to supply necessary technical information to bring this bike back to its original factory condition and near mint condition. The bike runs just as you would expect an original factory bike to run. And looks exactly like an original factory bike would look after only a few thousand miles were put on it.

Over the years many of these bikes have either been raced into the ground or had the engines pulled out to put in a smaller bike leaving the close to mint original bikes very few and far between. The current elderly owner has collected cars and motorcycles and says that these Gammas have a long way to go in terms of appreciation and wants to be sure that the next owner is going to preserve the intrinsic and cosmetic value as he has invested so much time, energy and money to bring this bike to its highest level.

Mike the master Gamma mechanic and Rick spent two long years getting this bike and all its necessary parts together to make this bike one of the finest original Gamma’s that exists.

Great bike for those who want only the finest and priced accordingly.

Asking price is $18,500 negotiable.

Other two-stroke GP replicas of the period compromised: the RD500LC famously added a balance shaft to make the bike more civilized, while Honda’s NS400R went with a smaller displacement to help home-market sales. Both offered a much more refined experience, and both have a far less rabid cult following than the RG500 as a result. Prices have been steadily rising, although the RD and NS have increased in value as well, perhaps simply because RGs have been nearly unobtainable for a while now. If you’ve been looking for an RG and have the cash to spend, this one is worth a look.

-tad

The Right Snuff: 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

Published November 14, 2014 by Mike

If you are looking for the big dog of the two stroke world, few would argue that the 500 Gamma is the way to go. With a compact, twin crank, square four configuration (same as the GP racers), the RG is a favorite for modders and hot rodders alike. In this particular case, today’s bike has been transformed from a stock RG into a Skoal Bandit GP replica with the creds of Rick Lance to back it up with performance. This thing looks very, very sweet and is certain to fetch a serious price.

1986 Suzuki RG500 for sale on eBay

Looking at this paint job makes me wonder why Suzuki didn’t churn out more than the reported 150 genuine replicas. I find the color striking, and very applicable on this smoker. While the seller does note the paint is all new, it is unclear if this bike started out life as a Skoal replica in the first place. The most telling item missing is the hideous green seat that is found on a genuine Skoal stocker, but given how much has been changed on this bike I wouldn’t blame the seller for swapping that out for a better looking unit. As the Skoal bikes were simply a respray of the standard RG (with absolutely no performance differences), does it really matter what the starting point was? This bike could have started life as a Walter Wolf edition for all I care.

From the seller:
Up for sale a 17 Digit VIN clear titled Rick Lance full performance built Skoal Bandit RG 500. Getting very difficult to find one as good as the claims?, Well, you have now found it!! Suzuki waited 11 years before releasing the square four RG500, a brilliant half-litre sports two stroke. The fact that the street version which has been properly modified in Rick Lance fashion is as potent as the 1976 World Championship winning RG is quite astonishing.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO OWN IT!!!!!
The outstanding features of this machine are as follows:
Rick Lance Big Bore motor which is inclusive of Rick’s exclusive “O” ring machined heads.
Jim Lomas Torque Pipes.
Offset bored carburetors to 31.5 mm.
Rick Lance Supplemental Fuel petcocks.
Rick Lance Air Filter kit.
Rick Lance Clutch upgrade which yields outstanding performance vs. the issues of the past regarding the Gamma characteristic “drag”.
Maranello Transmission upgrade.
Rick Lance Battery relocation.
Rick Lance Oil in frame, stock oil tank elimination modification.
SV 650 Black powder coated wheels mated to Michelin Power Pilot Radials
EBC wave rotors.
Front fork Gold Valve emulator kit/ with full Rick Lance fork tuning and Spring set.
Rick Lance specifically designed rear shock/ with Lance ride height adjuster.
Rick Lance braced and polished swing arm.
Lots and lots and lots again of polishing work as evidenced in the pictures.
AWESOME, Skoal Bandit paint scheme.

You cannot look at this bike and tell me it doesn’t appear completely awesome. Apparently most of the folks that stumbled across it on eBay agree, because the current bidding above $30k with a reserve still in place. Anyone care to guess what this one will go for? Check it out here, and then share your thoughts. It’s not easy being green, but this one pulls it off with aplomb. Pardon the pun, but this one really does have all the right snuff!

32 Responses.

Alpha Gamma: 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

Published December 7, 2011 by Mike

For Sale: 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

From the great state of Pennsylvania comes this fantastically clean Suzuki RG500 Gamma. Now mind you ALL Gammas are objects worthy of our lust, but here is one wearing less common livery (ranking right up there with the Walter Wolf variety in rarity). The bike is very well kept, tastefully modified, and available to the highest bidder. Happy Holidays indeed!

Much has been written about these fabulous square fours, and I KNOW the folks reading this board have a hankering for that smell of smoke in the early hours of morning. This RG is as imported as they come (probably snuck over the boarder from Canada as a used bike), as the US shores never held open arms to this, or any other street-going two stroke from the early 1980s onward. I do so love the look of those upper pipes exiting the seat cowl. I look at this bike and say to myself: Someday……

From the seller:
Heres a VERY nice 1986 Suzuki RG 500 GAMMA up for auction.It looks like new + runs better than it looks! It has the rare black/red/white color combo…only 60 out of 650 or so GAMMAs came in this color when originally imported into Canada….its even rarer then the Walter Wolf (at least in this hemisphere..maybe europe had more) It has most all of the Rick Lance mods that make the bike much faster,better handling + better stopping then a totally STOCK Gamma is…Tommy Crawford pipes,tri-pod air box mod., floating EBC front rotors + calipers,wider more modern tires,in-line petcock mods, etc…etc..this bike FAST as F— when you hit the powerband + is NOT for the faint of heart! If you never rode a Gamma..your in for a BIG treat!! Tons of FUN! comes with clear title.

Additional info:
Bike also has a FOX racing shock+ resevoir ,fully adjustable / Lance strut NEW….tires are 120/V-17 front 160/v-17 rear,great shape,engine is ported/carbs. modified to flow more air/fuel, this bikes performance + looks are exceptional!! buyer will NOT be disappointed!

It is not often that we find a RG in the States with a title in this kind of condition. When we do, they invariably do not last long. Today’s RG has the added benefit of being sorted and nicely updated – reference Rick Lance mods and parts, as Lance is the guru of the Gamma. This auction has just started and your chance to own this beauty before Christmas is now!

So what price do you place on the rare, exclusivity that is an RG? This auction started with an opening bid of $3k and very quickly jumped up to $9,689 by the time of this writing. The reserve is still in place, and the BIN number is set at $15,500. While high by many counts, this appears to be the new going rate for super-clean RGs and RZs these days. No doubt that values of these bikes are on the rise given the ever growing polulation of Priuses in our EPA-choked and limited world. For more info and details, click the link and jump over to the auction. Good luck, and don’t forget to tell ’em you found it on RSBFS!

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