1987 Suzuki RG500 Skoal Bandit

Born from decades of fiercely competitive 500cc Grand Prix racing, the 1986-87 Suzuki RG500 was the most sought after and feared road-going 2-stroke replica racers of the era, and this 1987 Skoal Bandit edition is among the rarest of the limited-production road burner. Along with the Yamaha RZ500 and Honda NS400, the Suzuki RG500 Gamma brought epic battles from glory days of 2-stroke Grand Prix competition from the racetrack onto the street.

The 1987 RG500 Skoal Bandit was a factory production tribute to the carbon-fiber framed Heron Suzuki team racers and shared its famously powerful Square-4 engine. Each cylinder and piston used a dedicated crankshaft, and the fiery spawn of Frankenstein assembly worked like a pair of 180-degree twins that fired diagonally across the square to minimize vibrations.

Four side-mounted flat slide carburetors with CCI oil injection and rotary valve induction fed the fire, and AEC variable valve automatic exhaust control kept the expansion chambers in optimal tune. The compact 498cc engine and 6-speed gearbox package produced 95 HP at 9500 RRM, and the RG500 scaled in at just 340 lbs dry.

Four multistage expansion chambers shrieked out the signature Suzuki Square-4 sound. Power is nothing without handling, and the aluminum alloy box section frame incorporated high-strength headstock and rear swingarm castings. Suzuki Posi-Damp anti-dive front forks and Full Floater rear suspension worked with a dual disc front and single disc rear brake setup for precision road control.

Emissions regulations choked American road-going 2-stroke motorcycle sales in the early ‘80s, and the Suzuki RG500 Gamma, unfortunately, never made it the US market for sale in its time.