Well, last week’s seemingly ham-fisted resto-mod Gamma went over like a lead balloon, so let’s see how this one flies: a very bright and shiny Yamaha RZ500 fitted with some FZR bits! Built from 1984 to 1986, the RZ500 was also known as the RD500LC in some markets. It was Yamaha’s entry into the Moto…
From a styling standpoint, motorcycles of the 1980’s were going through a bit of an awkward, adolescent phase… But continuing with that analogy, major growth and changes were occurring under the skin, and Japanese race replicas like this Yamaha RZV500 featured all sorts of wild, innovative technology. Yamaha’s GP bike for the road pulled out…
A wild race-replica from the era of two-stroke Moto GP machines, Yamaha’s RZ500/RD500LC was a direct competitor to Suzuki’s RG500 Gamma. Never officially imported to the US because of emissions laws, many have found their way south across the Canadian border. The bike was powered by a liquid-cooled 50° two-stroke V4 with twin cranks. Midrange…
This beautiful RZV500R tops off a trifecta of RZ500 goodness this week. Unlike the previous two examples which were offered up as stock examples, this bike has been carefully worked over in a way that makes grown men weak in the knees. Starting with a Japanese spec RZV aluminum chassis, this RZ has been de-restricted…
It looks like the melting snow in much of the country is uncovering rare gems that are begging to be ridden. While the last RZV we posted probably didn’t have to live indoors due to the snow, today’s bike has low-ish miles, some thoughtful mods, and enough spares to put it back into OEM condition.…
The RZV500 is one of the most popular bikes we post on RSBFS and this is one of the more unique examples I’ve seen. At a glance it is absolutely spotless and obvious that it was a labor of love. Look closer and you start to notice deviations from stock around and behind the bodywork.…
We’ve all been there, the motorcycle is the first thing she thinks needs to be sold when there is a project that needs funding. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to deal in reality and bite the bullet like this seller. I hope the kitchen looks nice because this is a sharp looking RZ. The depressing story:…
A perennial fan favorite, the RZ500 is one of those bucket list bikes. Never officially imported into the US (but widely avaiable north of the border), the big RZ was touted as a GP replica bike with headlight and turn signals. In truth the bike has often been depicted as a bit more pedestrian than…
