One of my dream bikes too. Four YZ 125 motors on two cranks with power valves, what’s not to love

1988 in the UK. I had an F2 YPVS 350. My mate had the RD500 with the steel frame. Both standard condition. I borrowed the 500 a few times and although it was only rated at around 20 hp more than my 350 it felt like double the power. I don't think the 500 handled or braked anywhere near as good as my 350 but it would just pull away on most roads. On the deserted motorway at night it was 30mph faster than my 350. I'm very glad that I had chance as a teenager to ride this iconic motorcycle.

The big difference is that in 1984 nobody could follow the Yamaha 500, today there are several who can go alongside the R1 Great video

@snoopythedog3266

3 жыл бұрын

Love that 500, almost bought the Suzuki version of it, an RG500, but the shop with it closed over Covid and I can't find where the owner of the business is. For me I'd have the 2 stroke, lights fires in my soul.

@disyokerr

3 жыл бұрын

RG did an also passes .NSR 400 Honda also was there

The RZ’s were so versatile, ride around town short shifting and they’re comfortable and quiet but underneath you know there’s a Monster waiting to be unleashed. Politicians be damned for killing 2 strokes.

My friend had a RZ500 in 1985 I drove it a few time, nothing can beat the thrill of a high RMP 2 stroke like that !

That was a great video. I have an R1 and a custom RZV500. Both put a smile on my face with every ride.

Smaller high revving bikes are more fun on tight public roads. Hyper fast open class bikes can’t truly flex all their muscles on these roads. I’ve got a Honda NSR 250 V twin two stroke in my garage awaiting restoration.

@stustockwell

2 жыл бұрын

check out the video of my old mc16 on my channel.. biggest regret ever selling that thing

I actually dailyd a 87 rz 350 with nitrous . It was terrifying to hit the button then climb over the bars and tank to wrestle the front end down , I'd actually flipped it over twice just by hitting the button. That was my last experiment with 2strokes and nitrous .

Thanks Abhi. Great video. Have owned RZ350's and have always lusted after a 500. Great to hear one on the pipe.

@Bikeurious

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Martin. This one definitely sounds great, the new owner will be very happy!

I've always looked at the RZV as a tease for what could have become if they made another 5 or 10 years later based around the principals of the TZR, RGV etc.

Love your narration 👍

Had one. Sweet ride. Had a 48 tooth sprocket on back.. Lots of fun

I have owned two RZ500s in Australia. Wonderful bikes, nobody on the road could beat me, and I never dropped either of them despite my best efforts, like getting airborne on them!

That RZV is Pretty rad. Aside from modern suspension/brakes and FI, I actually like sportbikes from the 80's and early-mid 90's the best. They look so cool and had actual underseat storage.

@Bikeurious

4 жыл бұрын

I agree with you 100%. They were fast enough to have fun, but still practical enough to live with. The tail of the R1M was so small (and has a GPS tracker in it for data logging) that we couldn't even put a mic in there to record exhaust sounds!

@michaele5173

4 жыл бұрын

@@Bikeurious My first bike was an '89 Yamaha FZR400 that I bought in '91. The 400's back then had around 20hp more than a bike like the modern Ninja 400 and revved way higher. Top speed about 25mph higher. They were street legal race bikes as opposed to beginner bikes with sporty looking fairings like today. And of course you had plenty of storage room under the tail lol

@snoopythedog3266

3 жыл бұрын

@@Bikeurious Guys with these and any of the Kwaka 2 strokes were riding everywhere at 100mph on shite tyres and stuff, only a lack of traffic kept deaths down

@duncandmcgrath6290

2 жыл бұрын

@@michaele5173 The FZR400 was an amazing screamer , that high redline made it fun .

@michaele5173

2 жыл бұрын

@@duncandmcgrath6290 I've been reading about the Ninja ZX4R that Kawasaki is supposed to be coming out with soon. If it gets sold in the US I'll probably buy one, as long as it doesn't cost some insane price. kzread.info/dash/bejne/fX1-vJmyhqjLlM4.html

had four ,two rd500 and two rzv500r,s wish i just had one now just a great bike to ride back then ton of fun!!!

@deborahchesser7375

3 жыл бұрын

Rare as hens teeth and worth a shit ton now

Brilliant! Thanks!

Just hearing the RZV on the pipe gives goosebumps; R1M? Ya hear that any Sunday, does nothing. Actually prefer my 'screamer' inlines. Thought perhaps my YamaTwins spanning from their '67 180 Bonanza to my bought new RZ 350 wouldn't sound that much less 'goosie' than the 500 (two cylinders fire simultaneously), but I was wrong. Especially burbling on corner entry you do hear all four.

Sweet sounds.

As far as the average guy being able to ride the R1 to its full potential, very few can. Even though most think they can.

@dickflinghammer58

3 жыл бұрын

I have no use for it. 600s are perfect for me I'm even looking at the new teal blue r3 to keep the budget low for a brand new bike. I wish they had that new triple motor though but there goes the price point.

This was great. I owned one!!! in the country i live back in the 80's for about 10 years. I luved every minute of riding that bike!!! This article causes me to wonder what it would be like to transplant the RZ500 engine into the frame, brakes, wheels & tech of the R1...?

Rd 500 uk spec was a beast ypvs running full tilt was a beast

i have yamaha rx-135, rd-350 and rx-z proud to have those legends

Frankly more technology and power and efficiency packed into today's modern 600cc 4-stroke than anything those older 2-strokes had to offer. But such is time and development.

think they are the 46x clocks. The red speed light and "fun" button included. It was fitted at the fz400r

That "Kick" is what's known in our world as the Powerband.

I had a KH400 2 stroke triple, drove a few RD's and RZ's . Never an RZ 500 though. I wanted to try the Suzuki RG 500 gamma 2 stroke. Yet his RZ 500 looks fun as heck

After watching this just think what could be available to us oh wait scratch what i just said it truly is a good time for motorcycles and being able to own one and ride one thanks

@Bikeurious

4 жыл бұрын

It truly is. Thanks for watching, and I hope you get to go for a ride or two this weekend!

Would love to see what the RZV would be capable of with some sound mods in a modern frame with modern suspension.

@1998TDM

2 жыл бұрын

It doesn't take much. Quite a few RZ/RD 500's are making silly horsepower and run top line 21st Century suspenders. The Manx Classic, which runs after the TT, has some amazing bikes in the 2t classes. Same for the European hill climb events.

@whosyourdaddy842

2 жыл бұрын

I rode my rz 500 to my aunties wedding in the country. Sat on 245kmh for about 15 minutes straight. Coolest temp the bikes ever run at. Got back home and wanted more grunt. Changed the front sprocket and did flat 10's at the drags. Those things were awesome.

Best vídeo ever. See many times. Where are this RZ now?

@Bikeurious

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! It sold on our auction site, we don't disclose where they go, sorry: iconicmotorbikeauctions.com/auction/1985-yamaha-rzv500r/

Amazing, that’s like finding a unicorn. Awesome bike, my dream bike is a rz350.

@Bikeurious

3 жыл бұрын

I hope you follow us over at Iconic Motorbikes then, because we usually have a RZ350 come by every couple of months or so! iconicmotorbikeauctions.com/

@disyokerr

3 жыл бұрын

I had both RZ350 Kenny Roberts CA model 1985.and RD350LC ....people says RZ is better and faster. I don't think so. RD LC 1982 way faster and handle better. For me

Great video! Missing a top speed of 500, maybe in another one?

One of the best gp500 model road legal bike in the world.

I'm Canadian, I grew up riding the rd350lc then the RZed 350 then this 500 here modified. Then I got the NSR 400 Honda v3 then the Suzuki RG 500 gamma square 4 . The gamma was probably the most docile then erupting into terror the most of all .

@MrGamman3yt

9 ай бұрын

Barely docile, cause they barely ran right at low rpms!

If the RZV500 doesn't test your limits, you're not riding it hard enough.

I love the 2

This and an RG Suz

RGV 500 Gamma was the 500 to have back in the day!

Angeles Forest Highway......Great run, but when cops are out they are brutal.....

bro is that a jheri curl?

Give me the 500 any time. Here in the UK my neighbour had one in Marlboro colours just like KR's. Only had chance to ride the 350 myself but the Suzuki 500 gamma was even better.

I had one of these in the 80s, sold it in the early 90s for peanuts, biggest mistake of my life, the grin factor was off the scale, OK My highly modified zzr1100 would eat it but I'd have the lc everytme, iconic bike, I loved mine.

I've had an Rd500 and it was lovely. Shouldn't have sold it. I sold it for £1500 in 2001, now worth £15k. Got an R1 now and it is just so much better than I am. What a machine on so many levels but very uncomfortable.

Like my friends RD Top de line!

THE DAMN BIKE IS THE FASTER OF BOTH

Dope

Dude! We went to the moon with considerably less computing power than a Commodore VIC20! Most top university research facilities in the early 1980s made do with less computing power than an iPhone 6. My first real job was at a company in the late 1980's that earned $5M a year with a computer which required a room of 256 sq. ft. that couldn't hold a candle to a Raspberry Pi 2 which fits in a shirt pocket and is now "old hat".

I still can't believe Yamaha stopped making them after only 2 years. Bikes that should have died long ago are still being churned out. (TW200 I'm looking at you) but a bike that sold out before any arrived in the country, that was selling second hand for 50% above the new price, because you just couldn't get them... That bike they stop making.

It would be nice if Yamaha used the cylinders off the RZ350 !!!

@ 02:25 - That line of welding from the steering head looks so good - Can anybody confirm if it was welded by a robot?

@gasdive

2 жыл бұрын

One of the magazines at the time said that the alloy frames were all hand welded and that production was limited by the number of craftsmen welders.

R1M OR RZV500? I Wish I Can Get... RZV500 With Racing Pipe..

(Go, Nathan, go! Hahaha!!!)

@Bikeurious

4 жыл бұрын

Poor guy. He's just too fast so we have to saddle him with the slowest option. =)

RZV500R until the sun burns out.....

wanna see the rz vs r6

No one's having to slow down or wait up for the 35 year older RZV

@deborahchesser7375

3 жыл бұрын

With some Jolly Moto pipes and a little tuning that RZ500 would be right there in the twisties

@snoopythedog3266

3 жыл бұрын

forgot how skinny the tyres we rode on were haha

@gasdive

2 жыл бұрын

@@snoopythedog3266 I saw my brother wear a rear from new to cords showing in an afternoon on his RZ500.

Hello Abhi ❤

@Bikeurious

4 ай бұрын

Hello! Who is this, have we met before?

Good job but which is more fun?

@KensGarage1

2 жыл бұрын

I have a custom RZV500, 06 R1LE, and a horde of RZ350. The hot rodded 350's are most fun on mountain roads, the 500 is fun but mine is becoming a show/garage queen, and the R1 is just an absolute thrill to ride. There is nothing like riding the classic 2 strokes. Just puts a grin on my face practically every weekend.

They are cool... but a tuned RZ/RD 350 is actually quicker in real terms.

Rz500 half the engine capacity,! Of the R1M ! Imagine a Rzv1000 2stroke! Shit in your pants! But what awesome bikes from a great manufacturer! Thanks Yamaha 😊

😍

I’ve owned 4 RZ500’s and back in the day they were a standard bike. Suzuki’s version the RG500 was such a better designed bike with so much more power building potential, when compared side by side.. the RZ was a heavy pig with poor handling traits (stock) compared to the RG. They of course were much more rare, and hard to get even back in the day.

@MrGamman3yt

9 ай бұрын

Yep. Friend had the rz5 and I had an rg5, no competition. The rz was great for comfort. The rg was for speed and corners.

He should use the battery on the e-bike ^_^

Well, that's like comparing apples and oranges, don't you think?

Wow

84hp. In race trim that motor makes twice that.

🏍👍👍

Prefer the 500, a raw bike with no onboard computers

we used to ride with an indian guy and he had a honda with HRC stickers on it , i wrote hindu racing corporation on one of the stickers with a sharpie , i still regret it , he was a nice guy but never talked to any of us again

Assalamualaikum buak tuan baru boleh polo datuk seri nak pergi Manar jom khawin puteri

There's no comparison

My rgv250 used to eat rz500s

🤤

The R1M is just like all the other new bikes, fugly as hell and packed with tech. No thanks, I'd take an RZV any day of the week over the new one. Now if only Yamaha would make a run of them again...........

The Rg500 was better

@jgs1703

2 жыл бұрын

The rz500 is still an amazing bike. The suzuki is probably an unreliable piece of shit too

Don't sell it!!

is an absolute hoon

Sweet sounds.