1983 Suzuki DR500 For Sale
Peter Holzhausen
I very half-heartedly attempted to sell my DR last year, so the astute ChiVin’ers out there may recognize this bike and my description. But spring is officially here, and now that I’ve accepted that this sale is REALLY going to happen, I’m back…
In review, orders have come down from the top ranks (codeword: the wife) insisting that I thin the herd a bit; and so I am offering for sale my 1983 Suzuki DR500. If at first you say to yourself, "Suzuki didn't make a big bore DR in the early '80s did they?" I don't blame you. But the answer is, yes, indeed they did.
It is a fairly "rare" and obscure bike, and the DR500, as well as its sister bike, the SP500 were only made from 1981-1983. They are big, tall, somewhat heavy, but very fast and stable dirt / dual sport rides. Big, torquey 4-stroke thumpers in the truest sense…
So if you're still reading this and are looking for something kind of quirky, but rock solid and reliable, I doubt you will find a cleaner, better sorted example of this bike than the one I am selling. I've done A LOT of work to it. Definitely as a labor of love and not something I'll ever make back in the selling price.
Rather than ramble any longer, I'll just list everything I've done / replaced / fixed / etc.:
- Bike has a clear, Illinois, street legal title in my name. Although not "officially" street legal, you can get plates for it.
- Professionally painted fuel tank and side panels with brand new, “unobtanium” decals now protected under a layer of clear coat. The tank is also Caswell lined inside to ensure it will last another 32 years without issue. FYI, the pictures do not do the tank and side covers justice - they probably look better than they did when the bike rolled off the showroom floor.
- An original Suzuki shop manual for all 1981-83 DR500 and SP500 motorcycles. This is not a Clymer manual, but an honest to goodness Suzuki shop manual with loose leaf pages in a Suzuki printed three-ring binder.
- The front fork has been completely rebuilt with new seals and fork gators, and filled with correct weight full-synthetic fork oil. I also replaced the top mounted, "air assist" Schrader valves that were unique to the 1983 year.
- I replaced the rear swing arm needle bearings with new, OEM parts. This was an absolute bitc$ of a job as the original bearings had rusted and turned to dust and the steel outer races had seized to the inner aluminum pivot bore. Short story is that the suspension on the bike is now dialed.
- New EBC brake shoes front and rear
- New OEM clutch cable
- New EBC Clutch Kit (friction plates, separator plates, and springs)
- New OEM front wheel bearings
- New aftermarket handlebar
- New OEM (yes, OEM) grips
- New aftermarket seat cover
- New O-Ring chain (the sprockets were changed by the previous owner, but for some reason he was cheap and didn't replace the chain - i.e. sprockets are in excellent, near new condition)
- New aftermarket clutch lever
- New OEM chain rollers
- I completely went through the bike's wire harness and electrical system. I replaced the on/off switch with a new OEM switch and light switch with a used OEM switch. Everything now works as it should. But keep in mind this is a battery-less, 6 volt system – the lights are very dim and little more than a novelty.
- Fresh oil change with new OEM oil filter and full-synthetic Castrol RS 4T 10W-40
- I even have an extra red (in OK condition w/ some dents) fuel tank which I bought to install on really gnarly rides so I don't mess up my pretty, freshly painted white tank.
- Additionally, the sale comes with an extra wheelset (silver OEM front and rear wheels from a 1982 DR500 model) which I originally intended to use for ice tires.
- It should also be noted that the bike is kick start only. So no more skipping leg day at the gym if you plan on easily starting this big boy. (Side note: It does have a very useful compression release if you’re a wimp like me.)
Please see the photos for condition details. The bike is clean and in good condition, but (other than the tank and side covers) not a show bike. It's a rider and not something you should be afraid to get dirty. All fasteners were nice and clean and not rusted when I bought the bike, leading me to believe that it has been stored inside most, if not all of its life. Front tire is a NOS Cheng Shin that barely has the hairs worn off and the rear is an older Dunlop D752 that has plenty of life left.
I think $1,300 is a fair price to ask with the extra wheelset and tank. And I'll extend the requisite VinMoto discount to everyone here and make it a screaming deal at $1,200. If you don’t want some of the extras (tank, wheelset, etc.) I can move lower – but I think you’d be crazy to not want everything.
It's going on Craig's List in the coming weeks if it doesn't sell. I’d definitely like to avoid that so please let me know if you’re interested.
Bike is located in my shared warehouse space at the infamous bunker near Central Park and Armitage in Chicago (Logan Square). I'd be happy to show it to anyone whose interest I've peaked. Evenings are best but weekends also work if we plan ahead. Thanks for everyone's time reading my long, rambling post.
-Pete
