Classified of the Month: 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

You'll be hard pressed to find a cleaner example of Suzuki's RG500, a production model made for just a few short years but which left an indelible mark on the international sportsbike scene. In the mid-'80s, it was about as close to a GP racer for the road as you get.

The Suzuki RG500, or RG500 Gamma as it was formally known, first broke cover at the Cologne Motorcycle Show in what was then West Germany, in 1984.

It capitalised on Suzuki's strong Grand Prix pedigree of the era – Suzuki won the World 500cc Motorcycle Championship with Marco Lucchinelli in 1981 and Franco Uncini in 1982 on RG500s – and the road bike offered many of the same features and components as found in the race bike.

Powered by a 498cc square four-cylinder two-stroke engine, the Suzuki RG500 Gamma featured a box-section aluminium double-cradle frame and 'full floater' rear suspension. The engine developed a claimed 95hp at 9500rpm and 71.3Nm at 8000rpm, in a package weighing in at a svelte 156kg (dry).

Because the bike was only produced from 1985 to 1987, its extreme (for the time) performance and the 'boy racer' buyers it invariably attracted, relatively few examples have survived to this day. Clean, original examples are increasingly hard to find outside of museums and private collections, which makes the bike shown here – currently for sale by a private owner on the New South Wales central coast – all the more special.

Below are all the details in the owner's words – click here to view the listing for yourself.

"Very original Australian delivered RG500, 6/1985. Original bodywork including belly pan; not resprayed aside from some repairs to belly pan. Tank, seat, all original, new MRA screen but comes with OEM screen. Grips original, indicators, mirrors, tool pouch, everything very original.

"I am the third owner; a friend of mine owned it from 1990 to 2017. He was a very meticulous person, bike has a very detailed service history, all dated with km from chain adjusting to engine rebuild. Has had Slick 50 treatment back in 1990s and had Slick 50 added to oil every top-up plus gearbox treatment every oil change also. 104,000km but you would never guess it – loads of compression on all cylinders. Had full engine rebuild top and bottom at 54,000km.

"I bought the bike in 2017 with 103,710km and it had been in storage since Feb 2001. I have done just under 300km since I completely stripped the chassis and partially stripped the engine, then performed a full restoration/rebuild. I am a licensed qualified motorcycle mechanic by trade."

Work carried out:

"This bike is not tidied up cosmetically at all; I wanted it to be 100 per cent original patina, but in saying that it is in really good condition. The belly pan could do with a professional respray or replaced with an aftermarket item and stored, as original examples are hard to come by.

"Comes with a single-seat race cowl.

"Happy to ship it to anywhere – buyer pays. I have a good bike transport company I have used, or I can deliver to the Sydney/Newcastle area.

"Regretful sale. Great bike."

Note: Whilst Bikesales owner, Carsales.com Ltd, takes care to ensure that the Material on the carsales Network is correct, current and free from errors, carsales does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of or the representations made in the Material on the carsales Network or any web site that links from the carsales Network or any information received as a result of using the carsales Network. You are responsible for assessing the accuracy of the Material and rely on it at your own risk.