Suzuki Rg500 Gamma Review

Used Buyer Review

Let's be straight with you: the RG500 Gamma is a racing motorcycle wearing road bike clothes, and it will remind you of that fact constantly. Those four Mikuni carbs need synchronising religiously, the powervalves seize if ignored, and finding someone who actually knows two-stroke square-fours is increasingly difficult. Budget for a full rebuild before you even think about riding it — gaskets, seals, the lot. Non-negotiable. When it's right, though, nothing from the mid-eighties touches it. That 499cc two-stroke screams to 9,500rpm with a savagery that makes modern sportsbikes feel polite. The chassis is genuinely race-derived — Suzuki didn't dumb it down for road use. It corners with an accuracy that still impresses today. You understand immediately why it dominated production racing. Condition varies wildly in the used market. Most have been thrashed, neglected, or bodged with non-standard exhausts that kill the powerband. Originality commands serious premium now. Walk away from anything with mismatched pipes or mystery wiring. These are appreciating collector machines — buy the best example you can possibly afford.