Two RZ500

[PowerDubs_imp]

Any of you young enough to appreciate these?

 

[peterbaron]

These were called the real motorcycles =

 

[Vic_imp]

in 1979 i bought new RD 400 Daytona Special rode it on cross country trips, then in 1985 bought new RZ 350, the red/white/blue with the gold wheels. loved those bikes. rode year round in Longmont, Colorado where i commuted on them and rode through the Colorado Rockies year after year. Never did ride the V4 500 model but remember them being a thing back then. :biker:

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I owned a '76 RD400, a predecessor of the RZ series. I remember when the RZ500 came out. It was a hot ticket.

 

[jimgl3_imp]

my first street bike was RZ350! one of these days I'm going to find my photos...

btw, did you notice he said 50 ft/lbs torque? I seem to recall a spirited debate on here some years ago about 2 strokes being big torque motors... hard to call 50 ft/lbs "big"...

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

my first street bike was RZ350! one of these days I'm going to find my photos...

btw, did you notice he said 50 ft/lbs torque? I seem to recall a spirited debate on here some years ago about 2 strokes being big torque motors... hard to call 50 ft/lbs "big"...

I have the original Yamaha brochure around here somewhere (for both RZ350 and 500). I'll break it out. However, the internet should have the same info.
49.9 ft-lbs of pure torque for the factory OEM RZ500N.

32.6 ft-lbs for the RZ350RN.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

they aren't torquey per-say, they make higher rpm HP, but for a 350 or even a 500 2 stroke those arent bad numbers.

I believe the comment being referred to was about my t500 being torquey. and for a 2 stroke of the era (deigned in the 60's) being a piston port.. it is.. for what it is. 37 TQ/46 HP. keep in mind.. a t120 bonneville put down the same numbers 46hp and 37.8 torque. that's what they were competing with at the time. Remember to think of it all in context of the time.

Although, these RZ350/500 seem sooooo long ago too. :-/ (some 35 years ago?)

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

50lb/ft out of 500cc IS good.

That would be like the CB1140 we ride making 114lb/ft

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

50lb/ft out of 500cc IS good.

That would be like the CB1140 we ride making 114lb/ft

 

[mvk24_imp]

I was born in 93 but I appreciate classic bikes. My first bike was a 93 yamaha XJ600 Seca (Diversion in Europe) - i still have it and also a 94 now. And my second bike was an 81 KZ440 LTD. (Still have that one too).

I love working and maintaining older bikes. Most guys my age have no idea how to work on a carburetor let alone the rest of the bike. I love how those bike have no computers and much less wires

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I was born in 93 but I appreciate classic bikes. My first bike was a 93 yamaha XJ600 Seca (Diversion in Europe) - i still have it and also a 94 now. And my second bike was an 81 KZ440 LTD. (Still have that one too).

I love working and maintaining older bikes. Most guys my age have no idea how to work on a carburetor let alone the rest of the bike. I love how those bike have no computers and much less wires

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

That is pretty awesome to read mvk24.

In '93 I was riding on top of elevators at 1800 meters per minute engineering a pre-torque sensor for the motor controller. Yamaha was the my preferred brand of bike of the day. I once had an '82 Seca 550.

 

[mvk24_imp]

I was born in 93 but I appreciate classic bikes. My first bike was a 93 yamaha XJ600 Seca (Diversion in Europe) - i still have it and also a 94 now. And my second bike was an 81 KZ440 LTD. (Still have that one too).

I love working and maintaining older bikes. Most guys my age have no idea how to work on a carburetor let alone the rest of the bike. I love how those bike have no computers and much less wires

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

That is pretty awesome to read mvk24.

In '93 I was riding on top of elevators at 1800 meters per minute engineering a pre-torque sensor for the motor controller. Yamaha was the my preferred brand of bike of the day. I once had an '82 Seca 550.

That is pretty awesome to read mvk24.

In '93 I was riding on top of elevators at 1800 meters per minute engineering a pre-torque sensor for the motor controller. Yamaha was the my preferred brand of bike of the day. I once had an '82 Seca 550. Sounds like a gun job! Yes that was the generation before mine, I believe the seca later turned into the Fazer

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[jimgl3_imp]

Goldie, stop telling how old we are! LOL! I miss that little RZ350 so bad! there's nothing like a street bike you have to kick start! *big grin*

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Goldie, stop telling how old we are! LOL! I miss that little RZ350 so bad! there's nothing like a street bike you have to kick start! *big grin*

My brain is sending me 30 year-old-like messages. I am so happy I can vividly still remember these.

I was born in 93 but I appreciate classic bikes. My first bike was a 93 yamaha XJ600 Seca (Diversion in Europe) - i still have it and also a 94 now. And my second bike was an 81 KZ440 LTD. (Still have that one too).

I love working and maintaining older bikes. Most guys my age have no idea how to work on a carburetor let alone the rest of the bike. I love how those bike have no computers and much less wires

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

That is pretty awesome to read mvk24.

In '93 I was riding on top of elevators at 1800 meters per minute engineering a pre-torque sensor for the motor controller. Yamaha was the my preferred brand of bike of the day. I once had an '82 Seca 550.

That is pretty awesome to read mvk24.

In '93 I was riding on top of elevators at 1800 meters per minute engineering a pre-torque sensor for the motor controller. Yamaha was the my preferred brand of bike of the day. I once had an '82 Seca 550. Sounds like a gun job! Yes that was the generation before mine, I believe the seca later turned into the Fazer

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Not sure about the Seca-to-Fazer relationship, but one thing for sure was the 1986 Yamaha Fazer had the same engine as the then coveted Yamaha FZ750. Inline-4 20 valve purebred lump-o-fun. At the time, it beat pretty well all other production 750s.



I don't recall the Seca line being able to do stuff like that, unless one is talking about the short-fated Yamaha Seca 650 Turbo.

 

[jimgl3_imp]

I was just about to say the VMax was a beast when it came out in the 80's... they still make it! though it looks quite different...

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I was just about to say the VMax was a beast when it came out in the 80's... they still make it! though it looks quite different...

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:

(click)


The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast.

 

[mvk24_imp]

I was just about to say the VMax was a beast when it came out in the 80's... they still make it! though it looks quite different...

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:

(click)


The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast.

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:



The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast. Magna was a nice bike, I was looking around for one a few years ago but never found the right one

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I was just about to say the VMax was a beast when it came out in the 80's... they still make it! though it looks quite different...

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:

(click)


The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast.

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:



The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast. Magna was a nice bike, I was looking around for one a few years ago but never found the right one

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

Ditto.

Never owned one. Always yearned for one. It just exudes raw, beautiful, sexy power.

That said, the beast drinks deeply, had some cam issues, and isn't a great handler - not that many were of this class during that era (V-Max included).

 

[mvk24_imp]

I was just about to say the VMax was a beast when it came out in the 80's... they still make it! though it looks quite different...

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:

(click)


The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast.

Hear, hear to the original V-Max!

Lest not forget the predecessor who briefly reigned prior to the V-Max:



The 1982 Honda V65 Magna.

Such a gorgeous beast. Magna was a nice bike, I was looking around for one a few years ago but never found the right one

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

Ditto.

Never owned one. Always yearned for one. It just exudes raw, beautiful, sexy power.

That said, the beast drinks deeply, had some cam issues, and isn't a great handler - not that many were of this class during that era (V-Max included).

Ditto.

Never owned one. Always yearned for one. It just exudes raw, beautiful, sexy power.

That said, the beast drinks deeply, had some cam issues, and isn't a great handler - not that many were of this class during that era (V-Max included). I would LOVE if honda brought back the Magna for us taller guys to have another cruiser option over the rebel . Retire the Valkeri and bring back the Magna V65 muscle cruiser for us young guys that enjoy the past!

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

vmaxes are very cool, i've ridden a few. 2 friends of mine still have 1st gen ones. did the carbs on one of them last year, not nearly as bad as people make out to do.

you put a vance and hines 4-into one on one and jet it, and it almost sounds like a little grand national car. just awesome.

Goodbye to a lot of models