Posts tagged as “Square-Four”

I Think I’m Turning Japanese – 1985 Suzuki RG500G Gamma

Published March 16, 2023 by Mike

Spring has not yet sprung, but the ring-a-ding-ding sounds of our favorite smokers continue this week with a very cool RG500 Gamma. We don’t see enough of these square-four monsters on these pages, and rarer still in the black & red livery. This particular bike is on the ground in Japan, purportedly a full-power example out of Australia. It doesn’t matter to me what flag it runs under, because as an American this is one awesome looking 38 year old piece of forbidden fruit.

1985 Suzuki RG500G Gamma for sale on eBay

The RG500 magic starts with the engine – which is actually TWO engines. Think of the RG as a pair of independent, parallel-twin, 250cc two stokes, complete with independent rotary valve induction (there is a very thin, Mikuni flat slide attached to every cylinder), exhaust and crankshaft. Now stack those two on top of each other, one right behind the other. Connect the two cranks via gearing, and route that whole hot mess through the gearbox. You end up with a very powerful, very compact and dense package that can be placed far forward in the chassis for optimal weight distribution. And speaking of chassis, that would be a double down tube cradle style affair, exquisitely constructed in aluminum alloy. A 38mm, air adjustable front fork and Full Floater single rear shock complete the package.

From the seller:
SUZUKI RG500G GAMMA(Type HM31A, motor type M301)Export car full power (Australian specification) There is an aluminum caution plate on the left side of the frame. (Year 1985)500cc 2-stroke square 4-cylinder full power engine It is a very valuable vehicle. First year registration date in Japan (April 1994)

*Restore & Custom*The engine has been fully overhauled at a specialty shop (there is a list of work, change parts, etc.).
* Replacement of uotani SP II coil, headlight relay kit, etc., harness wiring, other electrical system refresh (work, change parts, etc. list available).
* Restoration around the car body (work, change parts etc. list available).In addition, customization and maintenance at the shop
* Racing chamber for Sugaya 500 Gamma (at that time).
*Equipped with carburetor O/H setting and oil check valve.
* Ohlins rear shock (separate tank with height adjustment).
* O/H with white power front fork springs and hard OL.
* Change to external aluminum F sprocket outer plate.

More from the seller:
Restore & custom
The engine is full overhauled at a specialty shop (listed, changed parts, etc.).
*New speedometer at the same time as engine O/H.
Current mileage 6533km (30400km before O/H) There is a possibility that the odometer will increase due to handling.
*Replacement of uotani SP II coil, headlight relay making, harness wiring, and other electrical refresh (list of work, change parts, etc.).
#Restore around the body (list of work, change parts, etc.).
*Sugaya 500 Gamma Racing Chamber (at that time).
*Cabretta O/H setting, oil check valve is installed.
*Orleans -made rear shock (separate tank, vehicle height adjustment).
*O/H with white power front fork spring and hard OL.
* Changed to external aluminum F sprocket outa plate.
* Changed to XAM front sprocket, aluminum rear sprocket, 520 chain.
* Brembo front master cylinder
* Mesh brake hose before and after.
* Yamaha TZR High Slottle / OW type thin handle switch.
* Seat leather reupholstered
* Various bearings around the body, dust seal replacement.
* Suzuki genuine key x 2 (main key, gasoline tank opener, gasoline tank cap, same seat).
* At the time of sale, such as the body, front and rear wheels, exterior, it is almost for Suzuki genuine export. (FRP non-genuine under cowl)
* The inside of the gasoline tank seems to be rusted.
There is no big wound due to falls or accidents.
* Although it was stored indoors, there may be scratches, cracks, rust, dirt, etc. Be sure to check the image for used cars, and ask if you do not know.
* No issues with riding at the moment.
* Accessories other than the main unit (used goods include scratches, rust, dirt, etc.
* Buyers are responsible for paying transportation costs, taxes.
* An export cancellation registration certificate is attached.
* Tandem seat and manufacturer genuine 500 racing stand (at that time). If you wish,we will ship separately.

A full power RG500 is published as 95 HP – which is a fair amount of poke for a sub 350 pound (dry) machine. This gives the big RG its bona fide GP replica status, and general reputation as the fastest of the street-going two strokes. This one is safely tucked away in Japan, indicates nearly 23,000 miles on the KM clocks, and has been cared for and maintained in a manner that allows it to show very well indeed. Paperwork, shipping, taxes and importation hurdles notwithstanding, this auction has an opening ask of $36,500 USD (no takers yet) and a BIN of $48,000 USD. Check out all of the details here – including a walk around video – and Good Luck!!

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Blue Haze & Gamma Rays – 1983 Suzuki RGB500 MK8

Published February 6, 2023 by Mike

Located on the eastern outskirts of Tokyo in the Japanese prefecture of Chiba comes today’s ultra rare find: a Suzuki RGB500 race bike. Created by the factory to outfit privateer racers, the RGB500 was steadily improved over the years in the direction of – but always slightly behind – the full factory effort. Still, this was as close as you could get to buying a 500cc GP machine because it WAS a 500cc GP machine, capable of astounding feats of performance with a brave enough pilot on board.

1983 Suzuki RGB500 MK8 for sale on eBay

Like the Big RG500 Gamma street bike that shares its name, the Suzuki GP bike was a big square-four, liquid-cooled two stroke. Power was estimated to be 110+ HP from the rotary disk-valve inducted motor, with most of that concentrated way up near the top of the rev range. Suzuki did what they could to tame the beast via a steel double down tube frame, stout front forks which incorporated a modern anti-dive mechanism, and a rising rate “Full Floater” single shock rear suspension.

From the seller:
It is a very beautiful vehicle.
The aluminum tank is new.
The exterior is all original paint.
Not a repaint.

SUZUKI Works Specifications:

The front fork is a 40mm magnesium square anti dive
Magnesium front caliper
Magnesium rear caliper
Front and rear 18 inch Works Campagnolo XR35/40 Wheels
Resin kill switch
Front and rear works disc rotors: 310mm / 220mm
190mm pitch Works stem: Upper magnesium / Lower aluminum
Magnesium Front Brake Master
Magnesium Rear Brake Master

More from the seller:
All parts are genuine Suzuki race parts.
Most are new parts.
It was assembled with new parts in the picture.
Except for genuine aluminum bolts, they are all titanium bolts.
A very rare RGB500 Racer!!

There is not a tremendous amount of info on this one, but the pictures show a clean and well preserved racer commensurate with the 1980s, in various stages of restoration. The market for these bikes appears to be all over the place, as we do not see these B model customer bikes very often. But imagine the jealousy thrown your way when you show up at a local track day event on this bad boy! Popcorn noises and dry clutch rattle only enhance the experience! This particular bike has a starting bid of $90,000 USD – which is likely scaring away potential bidders as there are zero bids offered at this time. You can check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

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Portuguese Perfection: 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

Published April 29, 2022 by Mike

I’m not sure exactly what is going on in the sun-drenched land of fine port wines, but some amazing motorcycles are being cleared out of a collection and all are RSBFS worthy. In today’s case, just on the off chance that you were in the market for a pristine RG500 Gamma with low miles, let us share some of the details.

1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma for sale on eBay!

The Suzuki RG500 should need little introduction on these pages, but if you Rip Van Winkled your way through the 1980s then a brief refresh might be in order. Designed to be a 500cc GP racer for the street, the big Gamma was of two-stroke configuration and utilized a square four engine arrangement (think of it as a siamesed pair of parallel twins connected at the crank). This was very much in line with the race bike, which was long before the four-stroke days of the current MotoGP. Intake and breathing was via 4 carbs synchronized through disk valves. And since two-strokes are very sensitive to exhaust pressure, the Gamma had four independent chambers; one for each cylinder. The frame of the Gamma was box-sectioned aluminum with castings for the headstock welded on. Front forks were high-tech air-adjustable with anti-dive, while the Full Floater rear suspension made due with preload only. As was in vogue in the day, the front hoop was a diminutive 16 incher, with a standard 17 inch wheel in the rear. Figure 95 HP pushing a 340 pound (dry) package; when the tach swings above 6,500 RPM, you’d better be holding on.

From the seller:
Suzuki RG500 GAMMA, mint condition.
With only 1060 Miles or 1700 KM and year production 1985, this is a very rare bike.
Complete JollyMoto Exhausts, make an astonishing sound.
Gsxr Wheels and front brake spacer to use original caliper.
Portuguese documents.
You can see by the photos, there in not even one single scratch or dent.
Original painting and decals all over the bike.
It has 2 keys.
Feel free to ask more pictures.
Bike is located in Portugal – Lisbon, but we work with Chas Mortimer Ltd to ship bikes to UK. You can also call them and ask for a feedback – shipping price is included.

This particular example has a popular mod that does away with the dreaded 16″ front rubber. It also sports some of the ultimate two-stroke pipe porn in the form of Jolly Moto chambers. Not only do the Jolly Motos weigh less than the stock pipes, they flow much better as well. That adds a power gain to the HP column, and an additional smile factor inside the helmet. They also make a fabulous sound at full song. The rest of the bike looks to be in pretty good condition overall (based on the photographs). Asking price is $32,500 US, with the seller open to offers. These are reasonably rare bikes that do not come up for sale all that often, although we do see Canadian bikes more frequently imported in the US. Given that this eclipses the 25 year mark for used bikes, importation into many States might be easier. Check out all of the details and photos here, and Good Luck!!

Nobody Puts Baby In a Corner: 1986 Suzuki RG500 Walter Wolf

Published March 23, 2022 by Mike

Of all of the fun, cool and very rare motorcycles we post here on RSBFS every day, few bikes get me as excited as a Walter Wolf edition of the mighty Suzuki RG500 Gamma. Festooned with the livery of Canadian businessman, motorsports enthusiast and general all around very rich guy, the Walter Wolf livery was available in both 250cc and 500cc Gamma variants, and was largely a cosmetic affair. Sporting what looks like black or dark blue – but in sunlight is actually a deep purple – the WW models came with livery-specific bodywork and instrumentation.

1986 Suzuki RG500 Walter Wolf for sale on eBay

The 500cc Gamma is no stranger to these pages, and enthusiasts everywhere have been viewing these brutal, square-four two strokes as road going GP bikes. In truth, these were more potent than the RZ500 competition, and sharper than most sport bikes of the era. They also held in reserve a lot of potential which could be coaxed out by clever and respected tuners, making them a bit of the holy grail for those seeking the combo of rarity, smokiness and outright speed.

From the seller:
Been sitting for years , ridden once and put into storage serious offers around $50.000, plastic needs repair , but not paint

To be honest, there is not much to go on with this one, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort. The seller claims it is in excellent shape, but also notes the plastics are in need of repair – but not paint. That could mean something non-visible, such as mounting tabs on the back being broken off (not uncommon). Zooming in on the photos show some minor scuff and wear, but I imagine this would clean up nicely. There appears to be a “ran when I parked it” vibe going on here, so it is not obvious if it currently runs. But if it’s been sitting I would recommend a leak down test to ensure the crank seals are still tight; nobody here wants to see this beauty seize. There is no detail in the ad on the total number of miles (kilometers) travelled, however a close up of the speedo shows 13,098 KMs, which equates to just over 8,100 US miles.

This is both an auction as well as a Buy It Now, however the starting bid and the BIN number are one and the same – just under $48k USD, or 60K in Canadian dollars. That is big money for a lot of (unclean) unknowns, but those unknowns need not be bad. There might be a real gem here – after all, it’s a freaking RG500 Walter Wolf Gamma! Check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

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Canadian Delicacy: 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

Published May 26, 2021 by Mike

The mighty Suzuki RG500 is well known on the pages of RSBFS. Derived as an homage to the RG500 GP racers developed in the 1970s, the Gamma is probably as close to the GP bike as you can get when comparing it across the other big factory two strokes. Utilizing the same twin crank, square four configuration as the racer, the street going Gamma was big, powerful and menacing. It was also fast and quite exclusive – especially if you lived in one of the 50 states that did not officially import this smoker across their borders. Enter the Canadian connection. Our closest border to the north, most of the forbidden fruit known as grey-market bikes came this route. Today’s example is a step further removed, in that it still resides in its native Canada.

1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma for sale on eBay

From the seller:
1986 RG 500 4 cylinders- THE MOST POWERFUL of the ORIGINAL 2 stroke Motorcycles! and 90lbs lighter than a std RZ 500.. Include current Canada, Quebec Clean title/ownership in my name with SAAQ/CarProof vehicle history and odometer reports from new. + r.d.p.r.m. no liens Certificate

And I can include a Quebec saaq inspection sticker to be road legal here (if sold in my province)…easy to pass the inspection because the bike is run &drive and everything work great

Immaculate condition and excellent example of a 35 years old collectable bike ( one similar in perfect condition like this one…just sold for $ 34000 in Canada!) .*** very good compression steady on all 4 cylinders!

More from the seller:
Only imperfections I could see are inside the OEM front right middle fairing with 2 smalls cracks but PROFESSIONALLY repaired (please look these repairs at the 2 last pictures..the exterior fairing is PERFECT). And I can’t see any aftermarket parts(except top forks valves caps and fuel hoses..that are brand new …with new battery and new carbs kit). ***previously, gas tank always drained + a thin layer of oil inside for no rust spot…please see the picture

The (mostly low-res) photos show a clean and well sorted RG500 that appears to be stone stock. There was some minor bodywork repair that is evident from the back side of the panel, but the outward facing paintwork and graphics appear to be good. There is no service history noted beyond general condition, and it would be interesting to know if the crank seals have been replaced. Two strokes are notorious for seizing (usually at the worst possible moment), and the most common reason for that failure is a lean fuel mixture due to an air leak in the bottom end. The lean condition is doubly catastrophic as the air:fuel ration creates a tremendous amount of heat AND since two strokes mix oil in the fuel to lube bearings, etc, the high temp situation is exacerbated. That is why a leak-down test is paramount before wringing the neck of a 35 year old bike in anger.

Bidding has been pretty constant on this one, and while the bidding is in Canadian dollars, the US equivalent is sitting just below $20,000 USD with reserve still in place. There are still days left to go for this low-mileage wonder bike, which should give you plenty of time to arrange for transport over the border. Bikes this old can skate under DMV restrictions in some states, so best do your homework. Check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

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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: 1983 Suzuki RGB500 Gamma Racer

Published May 15, 2019 by Mike

8.28.2019: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc

In our efforts to bring you, the reader, the very best of the best, RSBFS humbly offers you an honest-to-god, fire-breathing privateer Suzuki RGB500 GP bike! This is no ordinary Gamma converted for track usage. This is a bespoke racer – originally offered by the factory to independent racers of means – now available to allow interested parties to play out their Randy Mamola fantasies. When new, prospective buyers needed to provide significant backing and a racer’s resume in order to qualify for the relatively few bikes on offer – making this a rare and unique prospect for collectors.

Featured Listing: 1983 Suzuki RGB500 Gamma Racer

The resemblance of the RGB to the street-going Gamma is strictly intentional; the road bike was based on the successful GP racer. The racer was based on the desire to win GP events and provided Suzuki with invaluable marketing clout and the kind of credentials that only competition can bring. Thus the RGB was designed with a now ubiquitous square four, 500cc two stroke power plant. Consisting of two parallel twins mated together, the twin-crank engine utilized disk induction (as opposed to reed valves) on each bank of cylinders. And while the earliest engines resembled a cube, the more evolved editions featured stepped cylinders, with the rear bank elevated over the forward block. This presents a visually unique mechanical view, while offering cooling, weight placement and packaging enhancements. Liquid cooling was standard to minimize tolerances and maximize horsepower. The steel chassis offered a trick anti-dive front fork, Full Floater single shock rear suspension and a (very) necessary steering damper.

From the seller:
1983-1984 RGB 500 GAMMA – Extremely Rare Collector Racing Bike
A quick note before presenting its history: this Suzuki RG 500 Gamma is a “competition client” racing bike. This means that every year the manufacturer (Suzuki) offered private race teams a simpler version of their factory world winning bike used in the 500cc World Championship by its factory team. This version did not have all of the latest evolutions that the factory team had, but it was close enough to be used by private teams in World, European and National championships.

This is a NON STREET LEGAL bike. This “competition client” therefore DOES NOT HAVE A TITLE and NEVER DID. Of course a complete and detailed bill of sale / invoice will be provided to the buyer as proof of ownership.

More from the seller:
THE HISTORY
ONLY A FEW SOLD- TO PRIVATE TEAMS

In fact the chassis was not raced in 1983- Claude Fior who made (another) revolutionary bike/frame for the 1982-83 500cc European Championship – bought new this “competition client” racer only to use its 4 cylinder 500cc engine since he needed a motor. French Endurance World Champion racer Jean Laffond went onto winning the 500cc European Championship race at Le Castellet / Paul Ricard with this Fior/Suzuki this year.

At the end of the season they sold the bike (new chassis with the winning engine) to Franck Freon who had won several races in the 1983 French 500cc Promosport Championship and the Yamaha 350 RDLC Cup. Freon only raced a few times in 1984/85 with his RG 500 Gamma finishing 3rd at the Carole track in the 500cc French Open and 2nd at the same track in the 500cc French Championship sharing the podium with Christian Sarron and Thierry Espie.

Freon was on his way to move from 2 wheels to 4 wheels by wininning the Magny-Cours ELF Winfield Racing School at the end of 1985. He raced cars on 3 continents the next 18 years winning races in Formula Renault in France, Firestone Indy Lights Series in the US also winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, twice the GTS class at Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta and competing 10 years in a row at the 24 Hours of Le Mans climbing 5 times on the podium among others.

More from the seller:
The bike is located in Paris, France at Franck Freon’s father’s motorcycle store where it has been displayed in the showroom since being retired in 1985. It was started regularly in the 90s’ and 2000’s but never rode or raced again. It’s complete, the engine is free and it was 100% running when it was used last. Of course it’s in need of a restoration since it’s now a 35 year old racing bike. We took many photos so you can see for yourself. Matching engine/chassis numbers. Simple history since brand new.

This is a collector racing bike – no real title exists. A certified invoice with the chassis number and engine number will be provided.

Asking price: $39,000

This is a very interesting offering with known provenance. Claude Fior is well known in chassis design circles and for the use of the Hossack-style front suspension (see pic below), and while this is not a Fior frame his connection with this bike is historically significant. And Franck Freon – while not necessarily a household name – is a successful racer both in the US as well as Europe. These facts make this a significant offering – not to mention that the bike is coming from The Man himself. There is provenance, and then there is proof. This offering seems to provide for both. In terms of rarity, “B” model Gammas certainly rank up there, with an estimated 25 or fewer units offered per type/year. Pricing is right in line of the few examples we have seen recently. Some recommissioning will be necessary for those intending to run the bike in anger, but a solid go-through should be considered mandatory for any track-bound weapon. Good Luck, and unleash your inner Mamola!

Canadian Stroker: 1986 Suzuki RG500Γ for Sale

Published May 31, 2018 by Tad Diemer

Suzuki’s RG500Γ “Gamma” didn’t actually use a detuned version of the racing RGB500’s engine, but at least shared that machine’s square four two-stroke configuration, so it looked and felt like it could have been developed from the real thing. The specifications were certainly unlike anything else on the road: twin cranks, disc valves, four cylinders and 498cc, surrounded by a lightweight aluminum frame.

A quartet of very compact Mikuni flat-slide carburetors tucked in on the sides of the engine and fed the liquid-cooled two-stroke, a six-speed cassette gearbox kept the engine on the boil, and Suzuki’s “Full-Floater” suspension system and anti-dive forks helped put the power to the ground.

That square four turns fuel and air into a combination of power and heavy smoke that dribbles out of the four separate exhausts at idle. Once “on the pipe,” it puts a claimed 95hp through the impossibly skinny 120-section tire, enough to easily motivate the 340lb dry weight. Handling and braking were both exemplary in 1986, but have obviously been far surpassed.

The feeling is still there though and, in spite of Suzuki’ Automatic Exhaust Control power valve that helped give the lightweight machine a more manageable powerband, the bike was still a very raw experience. Which is exactly what makes it such a desirable bike today: it’s a race-replica that does more than just look the part.

From the original eBay listing: 1986 Suzuki RG500Γ for Sale

The bike has never been plated or crashed. Have owned it since 1990. Very low mileage, very fast and reliable, 1 -2 kick starts (usually 1). The only mar on the cosmetics is 4 small dimples , the result of a board sliding over and contacting the tank while in storage. Can put the winning bidder in touch with the shop that did the engine work. The shop owner races a gamma in vintage Class, he is the predominate specialist in Eastern Canada. The entire engine, including the crankshafts and powertrain have been rebuilt and/or inspected, the invoices exceeded $6,000 US and can be emailed to the winning bidder. My storage people can also do crating, export documents and shipping (Div. of Tippet Richardson Int.) Shipping are dependent on destination, an advanced quote can be provided.

There hasn’t been much activity so far, but the opening bid was set at $18,000 and the seller is in Canada, which may be limiting interest in the bike. While I think this color and graphics scheme is very flattering, it may also be that purists prefer the classic blue-and-white Suzuki scheme. Hopefully, we’ll see some interest over the next couple of days!

-tad

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