It is not often you come across a one owner bike pushing 30 years of age. That is loyalty my friends. And it is equally rare to come across a wonderful gray-market two stroke like an RZ500 with clean CA title.
1984 Yamaha RZ500 in California for sale on eBay
This bike is ticking all of the right boxes. It is a great model to own. This bike has been in the same hands for longer than some readers have been alive, much less riding. And it appears to be very, very sano. Clean bikes show well. Bikes that show well generally sell well. And interest in this auction is proving that point. The seller has provide a ton of detail and some great pictures.
From the seller:
This is the one you’ve been waiting for, a bike with a very unique history. I have been the sole owner for the last 29 years so there are no unknowns here. Here it is:The cylinders have bee bored, honed and fitted with new pistons and rings. Brand new Carbon Tech carbon fiber reed valves installed. All fuel and coolant hoses,fuel filter and fuel cock assembly replaced. Lots of stainless steel hardware. Front forks rebuilt by Racetech, rear shock new by Penske with a one of a kind aerospace manufactured expansion chamber bracket. New MetalGear brake discs with sintered brake pads and Probrake lines, front and rear. New front brake master cylinder. Brand new drive chain. All body parts in perfect condition without cracks or tabs missing. OEM Headlight membrane and all rubber grommets replaced. . Body and faring are custom painted to match original design with ultra smooth clear coat applied as well. Many of them new. Brand new OEM Seat, Blinkers, Mirrors, Tail light, and Wind Screen. New OEM left and right handlebar switch clusters, grips and levers. New super lightweight Shorai lithium battery. New factory tool kit. Both wheels were professionally widened over stock with all new bearings and seals. Front to 3.5″ wide and rear to 4.5″ to accept newer generation tires for outstanding cornering. Tires are brand new Bridgestone Battlax with basically zero miles on them. Front is a 130/70ZR 16 and the rear is a 160/60ZR 18. No cost or craftsmanship was spared in process. Best of all this bike runs and handles fantastic with all the right improvements to make it superior to the original. Last but not least, this bike has a current California title that can be yours. This is not easy to get.
Also in the deal all OEM one set of gold colored wheels ,brake discs and one rear fender uncut. This bike is really ready for another twenty plus years!
How about a video of the bike in question? All you need to do is ask, my friends!
This auction has only a short amount of time left. The bike is based in California, and the current bid is only up to $9,400 with reserve still in place. We have seen good examples of this model in the $12-15k range, so this one might need a few more bumps before that reserve comes off. Check it all out here. Good luck!
MI
Not impressed with owners who repeatedly free rev their engines to redline- your lack of mechanical sympathy is hardly a selling point.
+1 Mike the Bike
I’m just the opposite… I hate it when someone starts a bike only to let it just idle…also, this is definitely “different strokes” people….
Sounds too shady for me. In one paragraph the seller says all these things about the bike, (e.g. how he cylinders have been honed, etc etc) and then the next paragraph he says disregard because it was an “editing error?” Suuure!
can’t see the diff between the “red” and the original text? is there any?
Gotta be new RZ500 price record!!! $16999! Too bad about the zero feedbacker
Hey RogerLodge you have been standing behind and inhaling two-stroke fumes for too long ! Where does it say disregard the honing ?? Looks to me like the seller is the original owner and redid the motor like anyone would do after almost 30 years of ownership .
Methinks the only one high on Klotz and Castrol R is the fool willing to pay 17 grand for this high mileage model with many non OEM mods.
I wouldn’t pay 17K for a two-stroke anyways . They belong in chainsaws and lawnmowers period ! They are like an unobtainable super-model . Nice to look at , but you don’t want the maintence bill !
Very true!
The seller killed the auction! I’m smellin’ some funny business . Bet you’ll see this bike listed again,soon!
I told y’all I smelled a rat!
Dear Jim and Roger. Thank you for your comments. This beautiful machine will be shipped to sunnySouth Africa soon. 17000 was a bargain for a piece of history. And this RZ will be the latest addition to an already awesome collection of Italian and race legend superbikes. Have a nice day !
Nice try, but not really buying any of that. Why would a seller end an auction early for 17 grand, when the bidding was already up to 17 grand the day before yesterday with something like 4 or 5 days left and the bids still climbing? Something shady for sure. I’m tellin ya!
Dear Roger ! I was the only bidder from 10K to 17K and kept on betting until I reached the reserve. I don’t understand the reason for your snotty remarks other then a poor sad guy who can only dream of spending that kind of money for a bike like that . But you know what ? I did it because I can . So stop worrying about this deal . its done . No go and have yourself a coke and a smile !
It’s okay edmmeister, no need to try and explain your actions. Trust me, spending 17 grand on a bike is nothing, provided said bike is worth 17 grand to me. I live in a 6,000 sq foot house and have done quite well for myself, thank you.
Dear Roger . If you follow the posts you will see that my name is Rudi and not edmmeister. Anyway , thank you for understanding why I bought this bike .( because it’s worth 17K to me ). Well done on your 6000 sq house …… The thing of it is , that my garage for all my toys is much bigger then that ….. Soooo no I would not be as proud of your achievements as you are . Sorry ?
Suuuure Ed! We all believe you! Like I said, no need to come pose as a South African to defend your shady eBay practices.
Hi Rudi – welcome to RSBFS and congratulations on your new purchase! I must admit to be slightly saddened to see a CA registered smoker go out of country, but happy to see it go to an owner who is obviously an enthusiast. Be sure and check back in once it has (finally) arrived and share your thoughts!
-Mike
Dear Roger . Now why would I not be from SA ? There are other countries besides the USA you know . And I am from one of them. You are also more then welcome to contact eBay to confirm this sale. Now go and have yourself a nice day !
Hi Mike ! . Thank you ! I am busy sorting out the transport . Hopefully the shipping co can collect before the weekend. I will most certainly share my first riding experience with you guys once she has arrived in SA.
Ed, did you forget to take your Aricept today? You are from CA, not the turd world hellhole known as South Africa. And as a successful white male, I wouldn’t live anywhere else but this great nation known as the US. There is a reason why everyone has dreams of becoming a US citizen and not a South African citizen. S.A. (the home of reverse racism) would be on the very bottom of my list of places to live.
Guys, please. Let’s keep it friendly and focused on the bikes.
doesn’t matter that much on a two stroke. Yes, technically it CAN cold-seize. But if there’s premix flowing or mixed gas, the wear should be minimal. Never on a four stroke!
Lets put the facts straight, the bike was prepared restored by a old world craftsman with pride and passion and had the privilege to smoke just about anybody on the road during the eighty’s. I have a verbal agreement with Rudi after inspecting if its not to his liking the bike will stay, and just maybe somebody like you can bid on it.
By the way my ebay name is EDMMeister stands for electric discharge machine Meister in German for Master in english, some of my parts manufactured are on mars and still moving….who can say that? Therefore I like to rest my case for some of the sceptics on this blog.
I had a chance to talk to Rudi let me tell you, it was jaw dropping what he represents.
Thanks for making this happen,this is what we are all about!
Hey Danny – welcome to Rare. That is one awesome bike, and to think it was registered in CA really puts the cherry on top! If it looks as good in person as the pics you provided then I’m sure that Rudi is in for a real treat! Making these connections is what RSBFS is all about.
-Mike
Thanks Mike, you are a professional!
Well whaddya know, a bike sold to someone full of himself BY someone full of himself. Opposites attract my arse!
Never a truer example of money never equating to class. A beautiful bike tarnished by both bystanders and buyer. Disgusting. A perfect example of why I sold my last two stroke and never, ever looked back. Sadly most of the people you have to deal with are the problem, not the bikes.
All I can say is WOW!!! I see a guy from South Africa buy a great bike for his collection and then he is attacked on the very website that help lead him to it. People need to realize that their “hunchs” may not always be correct. I see no reason to doubt or attack Rudy. I see the EDM-Meister as one of the few left in this world who says what he does and does what he says. People like these are the true spirit and backbone of motorcycle riding and restoration. As for rodgerlodge, I think you need to exercise a little more class and a lot less skepticism.
Quite the entertaining thread this has turned into. In one corner, you have the ever competent instigator, Roger Lodge (love the show you host, by the way). In the other, you have an arrogant buyer that gets into a pissing contest with Lodge about bank account size and relevance of his nation of origin. And then you have the seller, who is resting on his laurels about how fast he was in the eighties and some lug nuts he made for the Mars rover. I highly doubt Edmmeister’s real name is Kenny Roberts or Freddie Spencer, so dude, you more than likely weren’t that fast. Get over yourselves, all three of you.. And the funny part of all this, is that we’re only talking about a $17,000 bike. I know someone who lives in a single wide trailer, yet owns a $17,000 Street Glide. Not exactly high roller status. Come back and see us when you’re buying or selling an Enzo. Then, I might be impressed.
Now if y’all will excuse me, my wife and I need to get to the dealership to check out a $20,000 Hyundai. How ya like them apples, boys?
Hello Joe, If you need a job come and see me!
Hello Mister High,
If you go on my website you will see things ( for you ) ,parts but no lug nuts,you see your going to the Hyundai dealer and me to Porsche dealer not because you speak English and me speak German I let YOU figure that out!
Have a nice evening,
To All ….. This was one of the most entertaining experiences if have had in a while ! Not only did I buy a great piece of history to add to my already impressive collection ( bikes , planes, super cars ) , but I have also met an amazing ( like minded ) friend. If was quite amazing to discover that there are still people in a first world country that are uneducated . As far as buying an Enzo ….. They were only made as a LHD ( left hand drive roger ) and SA laws does not allow LHD cars to be imported. Vey sad but true.
Anyway it looks like this has turned out in to some sort of a jerry … Jerry ….jerry ….show. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Have a nice day !
This whole thing has now seriously piqued my interest. For a collector of “bikes, planes, and super cars” to state that a few dozen comments made on an obscure website “was one of the most entertaining experiences I’VE had in a while” is total BS. I would think flying a plane and driving a super car would be far more gratifying than anything posted in this thread. Note the horrible grammar and especially the juvenile punctuation of this highly successful SA buyer. Unless the SA buyer’s wealth was obtained via blood diamonds, his intelligence, arrogance and class are not indicative of his self proclaimed success. Isn’t it amazing that he even seems to pinpoint the very dead end of Western television and use it for his ad hominem closing argument? Do you get Springer over there?!? I don’t think so. Even if you did, you have planes (plural) and super cars (plural). What the hell are you doing watching dreary reruns of US daytime TV?!?
If the whole thing wasn’t a disgrace enough, the seller finally chimes in with the same arrogance, grammar and atrocious punctuation style. Even the odd spacing between parenthesis and encapsulated words is the same between buyer and seller. I’ve had the privilege of buying and selling a few vintage and rare vehicles in my life, and I’ll tell you…stay away from this bike WHEN/IF it is relisted. I also find it funny that the nationalistic German seller (who lives in CA, not Berlin) and the SA buyer both hint at superiority over their US counterparts and share their same iconoclastic mantra in their posts…hmmm. Maybe they are one and the same. As the saying goes, “Yesterday I couldn’t spell ‘engineer’ and now I are one.”
The paint is absolutely beautiful on the RZ and that’s why I come to this site – to look at and appreciate great bikes. However this guy probably works in the marketing department.. This is a bike you’d have to see and check out very carefully in person. Old-world craftsmanship indeed. Every time I have bought into a description like this on ebay I have been absolutely torpedoed – U Boat style. Bring More Wrenches, boys. You’re gonna need them. Seller-restored bikes are a virtual D-Day, no matter if the seller used 99 or perhaps even 100 luftballons to land the Mars rover. The seller’s response here eschews any interest one should have in the bike.
The buyer and seller have zero class. Hell, maybe I don’t either. The difference is I don’t try to convey class to our little world through the use of rover parts or Porsches, garage space, or a collection of super planes (top THAT Rudi.) Old “successful” guys who made money and nothing else along the way. Beating their chests and flaunting their wealth in an attempt to desperately win friends over because anyone that knows them can’t stand them. Buy something made of unobtanium; show it off to everyone at Starbucks and get the respect and friendship you crave. You can barely start it, much less ride it out of the parking lot. We’re all admiring the bike but laughing at you. We don’t care about your money, egos, 1984 lap times on tracks that don’t exist anymore, and 6000sq/ft homes. Keep beating your chests, olden-boys…just don’t break a rib. Please just stay away from bike nights! Seriously your glory days are long gone and money will never buy any of it back, no matter how fast you were in the era of time-travelling DeLoreans and actors-turned-president.
I think no_class just blew your cover, Mr “Minikus”. I have a friend in the insurance industry with access to databases that will tell the bike’s future registration and title history, so it will be interesting to see if this truly shows up out of the country or not. (My bets are it will show up on eBay again with a sob story in the description of how Mr. “Marx” was a non paying bidder). Those of us familiar with eBay have all seen the same routine ad nauseum.
“I have a 6,000 sq ft house!”…”well that’s the size of my garage!…”well I built a space ship!”…clowns.
Oh yeah, well I have both of ya beat! I was a semi-fast street rider at Palomar Mountain from 1983-1987. I can recall taking my RZ to track days at Laguna in 1986 and turning faster lap times than King Kenny did at race pace on his GP prepped machine! Now THAT was fast!