PROVING that good news never grows old, this little gem of a bike has been doing the rounds on social media, with thousands of people sharing the news as if this jewel-like bike has just been found. Hate to break it to you, it hasn't, it was unearthed back in 2014. Here's the full story from when this news actually unfolded!
This brand new, unregistered, never-even-been-fired-up Yamaha RZ500N has been revealed in the warehouse of a motorcycle dealer in Australia.
We know it was the RD500LC but over in Australia (and Canada) it was called the RZ500N and their version came with an aluminium frame. It comes exactly as it arrived from Japan, with two keys, the service manual, mirrors etc.
The RD/RZ500 is a liquid-cooled V4 499cc two-stroke. Now there's a sentence to get the pulse racing.
It's up for $38,490 Aussie dollars, which is roughly £20,000. Considering the price some 'classics' (a lot of which are sheds) go for, that looks like a decent price.
Yamaha RD500 specs
Engine | liquid-cooled 4-cylinder 2-stroke |
Capacity | 499cc |
Bore/stroke | 56.4 x 50mm |
Power | 90bhp @ 8500 rpm |
Torque | 48ft-lb @ 8500rpm |
Carburation | 4 x 26mm |
Transmission | 6-speed wet clutch chain final drive |
Frame | square section steel tube |
Suspension | 37 mm telescopic forks. Rising rate monoshock rear |
Brakes | 270 mm discs 2-piston calipers. 270 mm disc 2-piston caliper |
Wheels | 120/80 x 16 130/80 x 18 |
Weight | 178 kgs |
Top speed | 135 mph |
Wheelbase | 1350 mm |
Fuel capacity | 22 ltrs |
RD500LC Timeline
1984 RD500 LC Mk1
The first of the RD500’s, the 47X model, took Grand Prix tech and performance and gave it to anyone willing to pay.
1985 RD500LC Mk2
For 1985 the balance shaft was recalibrated and was now driven via the rear crankshaft instead of the front one; this was aimed at reducing the high-frequency vibration experienced once the engine was in its powerband, while the upper exhaust pipes grew longer stingers on the silencers. The ignition switch sat within the top yolk casting too, making the later version instantly recognisable from a rider’s eye view.
