Description
Click here for an CycleVIN Motorcycle History Report on this Suzuki RG500 Gamma. Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
Derived straight from Suzuki’s half-liter RG Gamma XR45 factory Grand Prix racer, the RG500 was a road-legal replica racer produced between 1985 and 1987. From the mid-‘70s to the mid-‘80s, Suzuki was a dominant force in premier class competition. Barry Sheene achieved back-to-back 500cc championship titles in ’76 and ’77 before the Gallina Suzuki team repeated the feat half-a-decade-later with riders Marco Lucchinelli and Franco Uncini in ’81 and ’82. Suzuki also won seven consecutive 500cc Class Constructors’ titles around this same time.
To capitalize on the brand’s reputation for building high-performance race bikes, Suzuki decided to develop a slightly-tamed production version of its competition square-four machine. 7,340 examples were produced in the first year of production (1985), with another 1,412 in 1986 and a final 532 specimens in 1987, making for a total of just 9,284. Due to emissions regulations (among other reasons), Suzuki never officially sold the RG500 Gamma in America, though it was offered in Canada so a few grey market examples have found their way across the border.
Classic Motorbikes described the Gamma’s place among its competitors by stating, “Place the RD500, NS400 and RG500 Gamma side-by-side and you would have three of the top manufacturers attempts at producing a replica of their respective GP racers, however, with all but one of those machines, all you purchased was a mere shadow of the original design. That is not to say the others were rubbish, far from it in fact, but the RG was definitely nearer the mark, and actually far closer to the race machine than you might ever imagine. The Suzuki is almost an exact replica of the race machine.”
This example is VIN: JS1HM31A5G2100832, Engine #: M301105114.
The odometer shows 11,944 miles.
Maintenance:
In preparation for the listing, we cleaned the carbs, replaced the front and rear brake fluid, serviced the chain, and gave the bike a thorough detail. Olly did the work, he notes the following in his condition report:
Tire % Front/ Rear: 50/60
Tire Press Front/ Rear: 36/38
Brake % Front/ Rear: 80/80
Hydraulic: New
Oil: Ok
Coolant: Ok
Low Beam: Ok
High Beam: Ok
Turn: Ok
Tail Light: Ok
Brake Light: Ok
Plate Light: Ok
Kill: Ok
Horn: Ok
Battery: 12.6/13.35
Notes: Test ride ok, 9 miles
Additionally, Olly found that the main petcock is sticky; he recommends using the auxiliary petcocks for fuel shut-off.
Modifications:
LED headlight conversion.
LED taillight conversion.
Top cowl mirror mount reinforcement plates.
Emulator valves in front forks with spacers (air pressure set to 6psi).
Cogent Dynamics shock (old Suzuki shock adjuster is for display).
SBS sintered race/road brake pads.
Aftermarket all-in-one fiberglass bellypan.
Modified plastic air intakes mounted to rear of foam air filters.
The exhaust mufflers have a 6mm hole punched through the baffles for rejetting and carb adjustment.
Battery tender lead.
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Avon Roadrider tires with date codes of 2512 and 0616.
The sale includes one key.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Suzuki is offered on a clean Georgia title with registration current through May 2023.
Have any RG500 Gamma stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
