32-year-old motorcycle with just two ‘push miles’ on the clock: rare Suzuki road bike that has never been ridden, tipped to sell for £35,000
- The Suzuki RG500 Gamma is an ultra-rare two-stroke road bike from the 1980s
- It is based at the factory of 500cc Grand Prix racers of the era who won two titles
- This example has never been ridden with its two recorded miles earned while maneuvering in storage.
- Bonhams will put it at auction this weekend for £30k to £35k. will sell with an estimate of
The 1989 Suzuki RG500 motorcycle is set to hit a surprisingly low number of miles in its 32 years this weekend – and none of that has come from driving it.
A two-stroke road-going replica of the factory Grand Prix race machines is already a hugely collectible motorbike today – but this particular example has just two miles on the clock.
Bonhams, which is offering the bikes in its October 9 sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in Stafford, says these are simply ‘push miles’ earned by owners for hand-twisting the bike – which means Meaning it has never actually been ridden.
Collectible sportsbike with two ‘push miles’ on the clock: This 1989 Suzuki RG500 Gama was never ridden – or even registered – during its 32-year life. It will be presented in auction this month
The auction house has estimated that the motorcycle could sell for between £30,000 and £35,000 – although that valuation could easily be assumed when bids begin on Saturday due to its new condition and lack of use.
Bonhams says this represents a ‘possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an unused and unregistered example of this iconic Suzuki model’.
The RG500 ‘Gamma’ was only produced by the Japanese motorcycle brand for two years between 1985 and 1987 and was largely based on a racing machine used by its factory team.
And it was a title-winning package, with Italians Marco Lucinelli and Franco Ancini taking riders’ world championships in back-to-back years, 1981 and 1982.
Bonhams has estimated £30,000 to £35,000 on the bike at its October 9 auction at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in Stafford.
Suzuki’s ad for the motorcycle at launch stated: ‘No one has built a road machine so close to the current GP winner on technical grounds. To be honest, we don’t expect anyone else to ever do it.
This example was first given to GS Motorcycles on 7 February 1989, which is confirmed by the documents being sold with the machine, as well as copies of owner registration cards, warranty cards, dealer records and new vehicle license applications.
However, it was never actually registered, instead the bike was kept in storage and never ridden on the road.
This means that the liquid-cooled, four-cylinder, two-stroke 498cc engine has never tapped its full 95bhp power at 9,500rpm.
The engine used the same class-four engine layout as the Racer, gear-simultaneous crankshaft and disc-valve induction, while the aluminum frame, rear suspension and triple disc brakes were also taken from GP machines.
With a 130mph-plus top speed, 11.5-second quarter-mile time, and incredibly agile handling and brakes, the performance was powerful for the era.
But the peaked two-stroke engine could easily penalize riders who were unable to take advantage of the narrow power band provided by it, developing a boost of acceleration when revs peaked.
It was – at the time – the closest thing to a Grand Prix racer on the road. Suzuki’s ad for the motorcycle at launch stated: ‘No one has built a road machine so close to the current GP winner on technical grounds. To be honest, we don’t expect anyone else to ever do it.
‘Today this legendary model is highly sought after by collectors of modern Japanese classics,’ says Bonhams.
And it won’t be the first time this specific model goes to the block, with it last changing hands at the same Stafford Sale held in October 2017, where it sold for £31,050.
‘The machine has not been used/operated since acquisition and has been kept dry in the garage,’ the lot details.
“Accordingly, it will need to be completely reprogrammed to a greater or lesser extent before use,” it adds.
Other collectible two-wheelers up for grabs this month
X-Barry Sheen 1979 Dunstal Suzuki GS1000 F1 Race Bike
auction: Bonhams The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford – October 9
Assessment: £30,000 – £35,000
This 1979 Suzuki GS1000 is believed to be the only four-stroke race bike to have been ridden by Barry Sheen – the ultimate premier-class British Motorcycle Grand Prix World Champion
The late Barry Sheen is the last Briton to win a Premier Class Motorcycle Grand Prix riders championship, winning the title in 1976 and ’77.
While his 500cc career continued until 1984 (his last win came in 1981), Suzuki GB requested Sheen to ride this GS1000S at a home August Bank Holiday meeting at Alton Park in 1979.
This is despite the Briton – who built his career racing two-stroke machines – famously his dislike for four-stroke racing bikes. He previously referred to him as a ‘nonsense spreader’.
This Dunstall Suzuki is believed to be the only Japanese four-stroke he has ever raced on.
Despite this, Sheen finished second in the event, being badly beaten by fellow GP rider Ron Haslam.
Sheen, who died after suffering from cancer in March 2003, is still considered among the greatest motorcycle racers in the country – so expect this rare model to fetch a high selling price this weekend.
Barn-Find 1964 Lambretta GT200 Scooter
auction: H&H Classics National Motorcycle Museum Sale, Birmingham – 27 October
Assessment: £3,000 – £4,000
This super-rare Lambretta scooter has been hidden for 45 years and was kept in the garage since 1976 only in July. Despite its apparent poor condition, experts expect it to surpass its high estimate of £4,000 later this month.
This ‘extremely rare’ 1964 Lambretta GT 200 Italian has been sitting in a temporary lean-to shed since 1976 and opened in July before being brought to auction later this month.
While it needs a lot of restocking, H&H’s Mike Davis said: ‘There are already a lot of commission bids for upcoming sales after they appear on our website. I wouldn’t be surprised if it exceeds my estimate. This is a great opportunity to restore and ride.
The scooter is mostly complete with original tinware and has been confirmed as a correct number machine.
The engine turns over with compression. It comes with an older RF60 Continuity logbook, but the V5c has to apply. Once restored by its new owner, it will easily become a collector’s item.
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