12.13.2017: Bob has decided to upgrade to a Featured Listing after we first posted this bike on November 30th. Links updated to latest auction. Good luck to buyers and seller! -dc When Yamaha and Suzuki dropped their 500cc two-stroke race replicas in the middle of the 1980s, the bikes effectively stopped the oil-burning horsepower wars…
The Japanese home market for sport motorcycles is the stuff of dreams for those of us based in the US. Some of the best and most extreme examples of high-tech performance sadly never makes it out of the country of origin when it comes to the Big Four. Take the V4 two-stroke RZ500 from Yamaha.…
Yamaha’s two-stroke Grand Prix replica went by a few different names, depending on where it was sold: RD500LC in Europe, RZV500R for the Japanese market, and RZ500 in Canada and Australia. You’ll note that nowhere do we mention which version we got here in the USA. The reason? We didn’t: this wild, two-stroke four-cylinder was…
RSBFS is all about the rare machine in exceptional condition. This is NOT that kind of post. This is, shall we say, an experiment. As many of our readers exhibit extensive mechanical knowledge, how about a rare and desirable bike that requires a little bit of work? Put on your rose-colored “I can see the…
I will freely admit – having been born and bred in SoCal – that I have absolutely no idea what a New York state of mind might be. However I imagine it a series of dichotomies; hot and humid summers, cold and snowy winters, and the world’s most crowded (and motorized unfriendly) city. That pretty…
There is no doubt that RSBFS show the love for the big RZ. One of the most popular bikes searched for on the site, the Yamaha RZ500 combines race-boy naughty looks with a twin-crank V4 two-stroke, enough pipes sticking out the back to warn off possible tailgaters, and a GP-inspired 16″ front wheel to reduce…
In many parts of the country, it would appear that a wet winter has relented to an early summer. Warmer temperatures seem to prevail, which leads to more riding, sooner in the year. This particular RZ500 – the model a shoe-in for top 10 bikes searched by RSBFS readers – was a Canadian import now…
Perennial fan favorite, the RZ500 ranks among the top bikes viewed, watched, clicked on or lusted after on the pages of RSBFS. And it’s no wonder why: with GP-inspired good looks, twin-crank V-4 two stroke power and a racing pedigree, the big RZ was all that riders could want from a sport bike in the…