Kawasaki Concours Forum
Riding => It's not a Concours - other Bikes => Topic started by: ZG on December 16, 2011, 05:15:41 PM
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This rare bird just popped up for sale this week local to me, I went and looked at it today, time to start figuring out a way to possibly move some money around... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/crazy1.gif)
Here's some pics I took of it, overall decent condition but does have some marks here and there but is original, only mod is foam filters but he also has the stock airbox too, everything is stock, it's more of a rider than mint. It's been sitting a couple years and we couldn't get it to start but it did sound like it wanted to, seller is gonna pull the carbs to clean them out and call me back... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/wait.gif)
It's an 85 RG500 for those of you who are too young to know this bike, it's 2 stroke square 4 that wasn't sold in the US, this one was imported from Canada but is now registered here and street legal, can you say roll-on wheelies in 3rd gear?? :P ;D
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00748-20111216-1416.jpg)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00747-20111216-1416.jpg)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00746-20111216-1415.jpg)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00745-20111216-1415.jpg)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00744-20111216-1414.jpg)
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Absolutely.
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The eternal question: Need or Want?
Answer: You go man!!!!!
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The eternal question: Need or Want?
Answer: You go man!!!!!
It's definately "want" RD...
This is one of my bucket list bikes, I troll them all the time, but never seen one pop up local to me for sale... :-\
Big dough though for a Sunday bike... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif)
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I think you HAVE to buy it. Even at big money, I'll bet it doubles again in 5 years. Plus, even at big bucks, its 1/4 of what it will cost if you dont buy it. How so? The next one you see will have generations rats in he airbox and need 30k of restoration work.
I've ridden Yamaha's version and it was amazing, but the Suzuki is better. If storage is a problem, I'll make space available in my living room.
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I think you HAVE to buy it. Even at big money, I'll bet it doubles again in 5 years.
I know, I know, trust me I'm making the $ case for it in my head... :-\
Any of you smokers out there know what these went for say 5 & 10 years ago?? I know there's always a low/high, just looking for mid price, as I said prior this is a rider not a museum piece. I think the smoker's do hold and even gain values as they get older, the tree hugger rules now days and limited production numbers back in the 80's also help drive that. I saw an 87 Wolf model go for almost $30k just about 6 months ago, it was pretty mint though.
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You can't smoke meat with that!!!!!!
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You can't smoke meat with that!!!!!!
You sure? I've already told my wife tonight it can do anything and everything and be worth a million dollars in 20 years... ;)
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I've followed two strokes for well over 5 years. This is one bike I never bothered to follow. Reason being there were too few bought and sold. Reserved for the few die hards who brought them in from Canada. This one is amazing due to the original condition and no mods. I have a friend who paid 12.5k for a Yamaha, in 2003, and it was not as nice as this one.
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Two-stroke street bikes are a lot of fun, mine were Bridgestone 350GTR, Yamaha R5 and RD350 air cooled, all 350 cc. Not quite as exotic as the 500.
In those days, I only had one bike at a time, so they were pressed into service for both zipping to the corner store and long-distance touring.
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Great bike, I love the old 2 strokes, I had RD250, RD350, RD400 and H2-750.
I've still got a RD400 race motor sitting on the shelf along with the MotoPlatt ignition and expansion chambers.
I would like to have a RZ350 but they sell for more than I am willing to pay.
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I've followed two strokes for well over 5 years. This is one bike I never bothered to follow. Reason being there were too few bought and sold. Reserved for the few die hards who brought them in from Canada. This one is amazing due to the original condition and no mods. I have a friend who paid 12.5k for a Yamaha, in 2003, and it was not as nice as this one.
He's asking $15.5 for this one RC... :-\
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Not a bad deal, really. I dont see it dropping below that price ever. Not a lot more than buying a new liter bike.
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I just had a crazy thought. Imagine I had bought a few of these instead of investing in a stupid 401k.............The 401k lost value faster than a new motorcycle.
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I just had a crazy thought. Imagine I had bought a few of these instead of investing in a stupid 401k.............The 401k lost value faster than a new motorcycle.
Indeed RC, I've thought the same! ;D :chugbeer:
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The Gamma500 is an awesome beast, but it has one seriously viscious power band step.
Yes it's flickable, but compared to todays 600 sportsbikes feels like a plank.
Appreciating classic? Definately, especially in a country where Strokers are now banned from being sold.
Fun to ride? If you enjoy adrenaline hits and the occasional trip to the bathroom to scrape your shorts then yes.
Worth it? Depends how much he wants for it.
Here they go for up to £25,000 for a pristine low miler (below 1000 miles)
Personally I wouldn't pay that for one motorcycle.
I could get a C14 AND a ZX14 for that. 8) ;D
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The Gamma500 is an awesome beast, but it has one seriously viscious power band step.
Yes it's flickable, but compared to todays 600 sportsbikes feels like a plank.
Appreciating classic? Definately, especially in a country where Strokers are now banned from being sold.
Fun to ride? If you enjoy adrenaline hits and the occasional trip to the bathroom to scrape your shorts then yes.
Worth it? Depends how much he wants for it.
Here they go for up to £25,000 for a pristine low miler (below 1000 miles)
Personally I wouldn't pay that for one motorcycle.
I could get a C14 AND a ZX14 for that. 8) ;D
He's asking $15k (USD) for it Boomer, it's not mint, more of a rider than a museum piece, body looks nice from about 5 feet, but up close shows it's 26 years... Mileage is about 11k miles (converted from km's). What do you think??
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Sounds about right. There are a couple over here for about the same money with 20k and 30k miles on them.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/bikes/suzuki/rg/postcode/ss129fa/radius/1500/cc-from/400cc/quicksearch/true/cc-to/600cc (http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/bikes/suzuki/rg/postcode/ss129fa/radius/1500/cc-from/400cc/quicksearch/true/cc-to/600cc)
I guess it depends on what you want.
If it's an occasional rider and you keep it original it will appreciate.
That said, they may soon ban you from riding it as I know the "authorities" have a hard-on about 2 strokes.
The ones I rode were a hoot but after only a few minutes my butt was begging me to stop and my wrists were screaming in agony. Then again I'm not designed for small bikes, and the RG is tiny.
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Thanks Boom, I'm kind of a "tiny" guy myself, only 5'8" and a buck sixty, so the size of the RG actually fits me nicely... ;D
I would keep it stock, it would just be a Sunday bike for me.
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This was a rare bike when new, so it's even rarer now. I've seen them for sale is so-so condition at Mid Ohio in the $15K range.
I don't know that it's really worth that . . . or worth much more. It is, however, one of the rarest street bikes of all times.
Don't buy it as an investment; buy it to enjoy the hell out of it. And when it comes time to sell it, be pleasantly surprised at the price it commands.
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Here is one for 24k that does not look much better than yours. http://raresportbikesforsale.com/ (http://raresportbikesforsale.com/) Was sellign for 39k...
I dont know who Walter Wolf is, but man....I cannot see myself paying 39k for the Walter Cronkite edition.
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Well the seller pulled the carbs and cleaned them out, put them back on and it fired right up. I just got back home from hearing it run, I made him a cash offer of $12k tonight and he declined, said he would come down $500 but that's it... At $15k even not sure I can justify doing it... :-\
Time to ponder... :'(
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Talking out loud, rather than giving advice:
If you're taking care of your obligations, and it doesn't cause your loved ones undue stress or concern, buying a "dream toy" now and then may not be a bad thing. Especially one that has the "potential" for appreciation.
My "motorcyle money" has been going lately to filling up the garage with old, cheap, orphaned bikes, and each has been a pleasure in its own way. You could do the same thing in one fell swoop, and it won't take up as much space. :) As for me, the RG500 is "cool", and I pretty much like all motorcycles, but it doesn't do anything for me. In my case, since I don't "like" two-strokes, it would be as an investment or nothing.
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Here is one for 24k that does not look much better than yours. http://raresportbikesforsale.com/ (http://raresportbikesforsale.com/) Was sellign for 39k...
I dont know who Walter Wolf is, but man....I cannot see myself paying 39k for the Walter Cronkite edition.
RC,
If you go to the previous page on rsbfs you'll see the one that I'm looking at and made an offer on tonight. It is litteraly located within a mile of my house, which make it's a much easier transaction for me and a little more piece of mind seeing, touching, and hearing it in person. Unfortunatley the seller appears to not want to budge much on his $15.5 price, I was hoping for at least a counter offer of $13k, but no dice... :(
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Wow! So these really are that rare. Amazing.
I did not notice as I was busy doign math from five years ago. Wishing I would have bought six of these 500cc two-stroke race replicas instead of investing in a 401k, or house.