rz500 buying guide help wanted

gman · Post by **gman** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:22 pm

G'day race fans. My addiction to yamaha 2 strokes has led me to needing a rz500 for the collection. I have a 100cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc but no 500. I have been watching rz500"S for sale for the last few years. It seems a good original Australian delivered, registered 500 is going for around the 12k mark. Seen a few under 10k but needing work or modified. I ride my bikes. my rz 350 has done 6000k"s in the last 12 months. I also pull my bikes apart and maintane them.
I'm going to look at a 500 thats for sale later this week. I'm hoping to get some feed back from the forum for things to look for and the cencious on value. The bike in question has 40"000K's. How often does a 500 need an engine rebuiild and at what cost? Alluminium frame or steel frame? Australian delivered v's jap import ? I hope to pick one up for around 10k that may need a tidy up but engine is sound. Any imput would be appreciated? graham.

Post by **hybrid** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:02 am

Only the Japanese RZVs had aluminium frames. All other models delivered around the world were steel frame. Apparently, the engines need looked at every 20,000km or so. With 40,000k I would say that engine has been done at least once. If not, it's a tired old thing.
Cost? You probably don't want to know. I rebuilt mine myself and it would still owe me over $1000 I would say.

jools · Post by **jools** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 3:31 pm

Well. Honest personal opinion:
(Steel frame only in Oz).
I didn't like mine at all. The best thing about it was the sound, but the handling with the 16" front wheel was pretty wierd, ('orrible!) -seemed to want to tuck in all the time. Yes it went reasonably hard. Build quality was rather 'tacky' compared with my other yammies... e.g. brackets mounted on brackets, that kind of stuff. Just didn't seem to be an integrated 'quality' design at all.

BRG1200 · Post by **BRG1200** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:34 pm

Seem to remember various bearings go west after every 20,000 - Stan Stephens comment so no argument from me.

Greasemeup · Post by **Greasemeup** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:27 am

How's about an RG500 or 400 instead?

Wait, I'll just put on a fireproof suit [emoji15]

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Post by **hybrid** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:16 am

Greasemeup wrote:How's about an RG500 or 400 instead?

Wait, I'll just put on a fireproof suit [emoji15]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gman · Post by **gman** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:16 pm

Went and had a look at local bike. I'm not interested with the money been asked. Needs a total paint job. Not running at moment, may just need batterie and fuel to fire it up but would probable need carbs torn down and all the other fluids just to run it up the road to gauge condition of motor. To me I wouldn't be interested above 7g because you'd'e need a total tear down to bring it back to good clean condition.
Funny thing about the price of these bikes now. I wonder how many current owners of rz500"s paid more then ten grand for there bikes???? How many would pay above ten for a second one?? Anyway I'm still keen I just need to to find a good clean example for a fair price. Greaser no suzuki's getting parked in my garage.

Post by **hybrid** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:31 pm

I paid $3k for mine many years ago. I couldn't bring myself to pay $10k for a stock one now.
But then I'm not a "stock" kinda guy with any of my vehicles.

JonW · Post by **JonW** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:54 pm

There was one n ebay that ended last week at 1800:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Yamaha-RZ-50 ... 7675.l2557

wont be cheap in the long run...

BRG1200 · Post by **BRG1200** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:09 pm

They're all crazy money now, compare what else you can get for those figures (like a SET of other bikes).
RG400 might not be a bad idea. A lot cheaper. Can be tuned, and bored out to 470, not a totally impossible job to convert to 500 but the top ends would be very expensive if you could get them. Just chucking some thoughts out there.

JonW · Post by **JonW** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:59 am

What is interesting is there are two sets of guys:

1, guys who own or have owned a 500
2, guys who havent

Set 2 will wax lyrical about the 500 and dream of owning one, set 1 will shrug and say 'er, its ok'.

Most of set1 will tell you that they dont handle that well and are not 'that' fast. That they are complex and expensive to rebuild as there is 4 pistons, carbs etc and 2 cranks. And, if they own an RZ350 it seems you will almost invariably find them riding that instead as these days you can make a 350 perform like a 500 and it handles better, unless theyve radically altered their 500s underpinnings.

But... Ive never owned or even ridden one, so Im in set 2...

Oh and if youve never seen a 500 in the metal it always looks 'heavy' in pics, but IRL it always seems tiny as its smaller than you think. bear in mind the fairing top is the same as the faired RZs with the rectangular headlight, and scale appropriately. LOL!

Post by **hybrid** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:29 pm

I hated the handling of mine. I was very disappointed. It kept wanting to stand up in corners and did not encourage confidence.
Maybe it was set up poorly - I don't know, but it didn't last too long in standard trim after that.

They might look "small", but they are pretty heavy too compared to the smaller capacity bikes. It really is a pretty big lump of an engine afterall.

As for performance - well mine is scary enough now, but considering the general potential of a 500cc stroker, they were fairly lackluster IMO.

EPApolice · Post by **EPApolice** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:17 pm

Well I own one and they are a big pile of poo. They are slow, don't handle, don't stop and are way too heavy. Still its the type of bike you have to own if you like your strokers but as soon as you do own one you wish you didn't. Any 250 built at that time or later is a better bike and really a bike only for investment.
Yes they are expensive to rebuild but easy enough to do but everything is packed in there on top of everything else. Nicer bike to ride than the RG but handles worse and the RG handles badly too. If you really want a big stroker buy the NS400 its far superior in every way.

Post by **hybrid** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 4:25 pm

EPApolice wrote: Still its the type of bike you have to own if you like your strokers but as soon as you do own one you wish you didn't.

That's a big call. I don't know if I'd go that far. You should sell it if you hate it that much

BRG1200 · Post by **BRG1200** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:02 pm

I'll say it before someone else does - I'll give you fifty bucks and a sack of spuds for it! ;-)

2 Strokes Down Under