1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma Red/White/Black aka Ol'Yeller

[skyline]

In the fall of 2022, after a great deliberation me & my brother went to have a see on couple Gammas offered on sale about 100 miles from my abode. Looking at the pictures, I wasn't particularly drawn to either one of them condition-wise (but hey it's still a unicorn - Gamma!!!). I figured with cold season and nothing better to do, there's no harm in checking out the bike and test waters plus you don't get to see these everyday and I've never seen one in person. The nicer ones that once in a while come for sale as we all know go for a fortune so this I suppose was an opportunity to fiddle around and build as-you-go (budget permitting).

I confess to be a Yamaha guy all my life but this thing made me convert I should say. There's the RD/RZ 500 but the Gamma ....... is it's own league as many say so I'm on the journey to find out myself.

So there they were two of them. First one required a full motor rebuild, in non-running state though it did come with a TON of parts but for a guy with limited skill, I backed out right away. I still to this day kick myself and will continue to do so until I get my hands on another.

The second, an interesting one (you'll know soon the why part), was something we zeroed on. Plan was - my brother would buy it and I'll be working to get it fixed. With a R1 and a Warrior XV1700 between us it would be more of a 'just for grins' addition. And here it is, ...

[kpke]

Great find. The use of the yellow paint is quite...interesting.

[skyline]

Great find. The use of the yellow paint is quite...interesting.

Thanks. I reckon yellow was the kool color scheme back in the day as in to stand out in crowd/make a statement. Too bad it didn't age well. At least not for me.

[85RZwade]

I take it those are stock Suzuki pipes (who has ever seen those on a Gamma?!)...do they have this stamped on them?

[m in sc]

very cool. IF i were to ever go w a 4cyl, it would deg be a suzuki over a yamaha. I'll be honest, haven't really desired either and have ridden both, but for sure, the gamma is the better of the 2. Have fun w that one!

[skyline]

I take it those are stock Suzuki pipes (who has ever seen those on a Gamma?!)...do they have this stamped on them?

Well, that's what the bike came with and it's got the number stamped but I've since changed them to a different ones (possibly Toomey's) from what I was told at - https://www.2strokeworld.net/forum/index.php?topic=177.75

[skyline]

very cool. IF i were to ever go w a 4cyl, it would deg be a suzuki over a yamaha. I'll be honest, haven't really desired either and have ridden both, but for sure, the gamma is the better of the 2. Have fun w that one!

Sure, that's what the consensus are with RD/RZ being more road-oriented race replica but RG being track-oriented.

[m in sc]

i found the rg easier to ride overall. more useable power.

[dgorms]

If you've ever seen the gear clusters side by side you would realize the gamma is based on a race bike, the Yamaha more of a street bike.

[Evans Ward]

Nice score!    Wonder how hard it might be to strip the paint off the frame back to bare metal? That's what I'd do if mine and would look at clear or powdercoating. Yes, I know it would be a lot of work! 

[skyline]

Nice score!    Wonder how hard it might be to strip the paint off the frame back to bare metal? That's what I'd do if mine and would look at clear or powdercoating. Yes, I know it would be a lot of work! 

Exactly! how hard it might be to strip the paint off the frame back to bare metal? But if you're a newbie into this as I am it's as if reaching Everest but can be done.

[m in sc]

needs to be torn all the way down then blasted. id def take it to a shop and have a pro do that. wotn be cheap but def worth it, and then you can go thru everything to make sure its right (or at least safe).

[skyline]

It was leaking gas and was barely running. It only required to have float valve replaced on one of the 4 carbs (bottom-right as I recall) and possibly a thorough check to be road worthy. It was dirty, yellow, ugliest thing you would even consider but that sweet square four motor was something worth attention. The seller was honest in full-disclosure of the bike and it came with few extra parts (goodies). Later on you'll see how he came of help and we got to be good friends (Thanks Eric! I'm sure you'll find this an interesting read). We figured that it was reasonable price with condition and we'll have a beater just because again it's a freakin' Gamma and if anyone has had a itch for 2-stroke we all know that scratching with a 500 is the pinnacle to shoot for(I know the mighty TZ750 is the holy grail but let's just stay 'street legal' for now).

We looked thru and figured how hard can it be but decided to think about it a bit more. Upon leaving the seller (who's needless to say a thru-and-thru Gamma guy), handed us a poster of 1993 world champion - Kevin Shwantz on his RGV500 as token of appreciation since we came ALL the way. I was much impressed by his friendly gesture and little did I know that this will be instrumental in decision making in next week or so.

So I got home and hung this poster in my garage. For the rest of the all next week I would go to garage and stare at the poster and debate if I should get my hands dirty. This was a childhood dream come true of getting near those GP machines in my mind. It's kool to have one in stable but is it worth the effort (there have been numerous horror stories of projects that never took off that we  hear so many times). I don't need per say another one but we all end up with wants more than the needs (the full cycle of economics). I finally gave my brother a go at it. What's the worse that's gonna happen? It'll just sit there? ..... fine.

So I had friend of mine help me in transporting it. It was snowing and bitterly awful weather by the time we reached but it was quite a trip to look back at.

[skyline]

needs to be torn all the way down then blasted. id def take it to a shop and have a pro do that. wotn be cheap but def worth it, and then you can go thru everything to make sure its right (or at least safe).

If Rick Lance was still alive, I would have taken it to him, none better than the Gamma Guru himself but I was bit late since he passed few years ago (RIP). You won't imagine but the few shops that we have in this part of the country were either ignorant of this or just flatly denied to work as it's older than 2000 

So I took it upon myself.

[skyline]

For rest of year thru the beginning of next (2023), I was not sure what to do with it .... just get the valves from https://www.lancegamma.com and give it a go? But that yellow .... (Or Ol'Yeller for those of who know it thru the Gammalist)? I just couldn't stand it. Then again, with aluminum chassis, there's no sand blasting to be done in fear on cracking-up the light-weight frame or so I read. Too many folks have reported it. Then there's parts availability if restoring it to it's former glory. And then you got, as one of the youtube reviewers puts it - a spaghetti of wires running thru which needs some serious skills.

So in doing some research I figured there's no battery box and hence had my brother inquire about it. During the course of conversation, the seller not only had it but also agreed to help us by providing his services for a fee. I agreed to it as I couldn't foresee any SME better than him. So he would come in a consultant and I would happily play the second fiddle. To me it was great idea to learn the bike.

And the stripping starts ..... Notice the same poster in the picture.

And in matter of 6 or so hours, we got down to bare bones. Of course with Eric, guiding each part was pictured,  bagged and tagged. This was so very crucial and made job seamless when putting back.