In the mid-80s, Honda was enjoying lots of commercial success in the dual-sport world with their XL600R. The other Big 4 companies had their competitors, like Yamaha’s XT600 and Kawasaki’s KL600, but they weren’t nearly as successful. Suzuki threw their hat in the ring a few years prior with the SP500, but when it came to the 600 class they only had an offering for one year in the US – the SP600.
40+ years later, that limited production means it’s hard to find these, not to mention find parts when you want to service them. For more on the SP, check out this period review on Cycle World. I enjoyed the conclusion: “for some, the SP will just be another middle-of-the-road motorcycle be cause it excels in no single category. Other dual-purpose bikes are faster and lighter, and that alone will be enough to make the fact-watchers condemn the SP600 as hopelessly mediocre. But they’ll be wrong. Because, while the Suzuki isn’t excellent at anything, it’s very good at everything. That means the SP600 scores high marks when the standard is versatility, which, in turn, means the bike also scores high in freedom. For dual-purpose motorcycles, that’s the highest standard of all.”
The seller of this example says that Suzuki only made about 1,000 of these and that it is in “like new condition.” It has 5,132 miles and I hope the next owner adds to that!
Find this SP600 for sale in Ventura, California for $5,999 here on Craigslist.