Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “V4”

Rare Zoot -1985 Yamaha RZ500

Mike 3

Originally available in Canada as one of those morsels of forbidden sport fruit taunting US riders from just over the border, this 1985 Yamaha RZ500 now resides in the US of A down Florida way and is looking for a new home. Sporting updated expansion chamber pipes, a steering damper and a few more stickers than your average display queen, this RZ looks to be largely uncut and in good shape for the approximately 18,600 miles shown on the all KM clocks. The big V4 RZ two-stroke is getting more and more rare as the years go by, so finding one to love and to hold can be a daunting task.

1985 Yamaha RZ500 for sale on eBay

From the seller:
Rare Canada model rz500 ,not rz350 rzv500 rd500 , clear title in my name ready for transfer , runs rides shift as it should has performance pipes and air filters , see stock components in pictures , comes with support products see pictures also a new body in box that i got out of florida / not china . it does have new tires ,brakes and fully serviced ready to ride . I did not think i would ever sell this bike as it always was a dream bike but ordered a new dodge demon 170

The seller has posted a video of the bike showing its condition in a walkaround format. You can watch the video on YouTube HERE

From a pricing perspective the big RZ is an ever-appreciating asset. The market has yet to top out on these, and we have seen them hovering just under – as well as over – the $20k mark for some time. This particular example is being offered in a Buy It Now only format, with the price set at $25,150. The seller is open to offers, however, so there may be room to move if you are looking to move one of these smokers into your stable. You can check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

Find cool RZ500 parts and spares on eBay!


3 Responses. Join the Discussion!

Rules Do Not Apply: 2023 Ducati V4 SP2

William 0

One could be forgiven for rolling their eyes at another ultra desirable, rare, and insanely fast motorcycle coming from Ducati.  Those that are close to the motorcycle industry know there is no shortage of dream worthy machines coming out of Italy.  But that should not diminish the raw performance, engineering excellence and marketing genius that goes into each and every one of these offerings.

For decades the cream of the crop from Ducati wore the R badge.  The “racing” logo was meant to signify that this bike was to homologate the race versions.  Not to be only confined to selling machines to people that wanted as close to a world superbike experience as possible, Ducati started the SP line of Panigale V4.  It was a no holds bar performance machine.  Lighter, more powerful and a larger displacement than what would be allowed to race.  The better part of 230hp, carbon wheels, dry clutch and the best braking parts available mean this is sure to excite.

From The Seller’s eBay Listing:

The Panigale V4 SP2 is the top-of-the-range model for Ducati super sports bikes: a special, exciting version for track riding, even more intuitive and less strenuous for riders of all levels.The Panigale V4 SP2 is characterized by the special “Winter Test” livery, in which the matt black of the fairings is combined with the matt carbon finish of the rims and wings, contrasting with the bright red accents and the brilliance of the exposed brushed aluminum tank. 1,103 cc Desmosedici Stradale of MotoGP origin, carbon fibre rims, Brembo Stylema R® brake calipers, MCS radial master cylinder, dry clutch, 520 chain, billet footpegs and a specific kit for track use: the “SP” technical specifications push to the maximum the racing characteristics of the Panigale V4 and accompany all the improvements made on the latest version.

Listing is devoid of any details and leave buyers to wonder a lot of things.  Odd that they make no mention of the massively expensive exhaust that has been added.  Pricing will be interesting to follow.  These come to dealers with an MSRP of $37,000.  There were some that were trying charge “market adjustments”, but the market has moved on from that.   These have a numbered triple clamp, but it is unclear if these were actually a limited production for Ducati.

On one hand the idea of $40,000 for a motorcycle will knock some people’s socks off.  But that is only the price of the average new car in the USA, and this is anything but average in the motorcycle world.

Zero Hour: NEW 1984 Yamaha RZV500R!

Mike 12

When the mind turns to imported motorcycles, the smell of castor oil wafts in the air. Such is the case in the United States at least, as most smokers were phased out of EPA nomenclature by the end of the 1970s. Two strokes were still being built and sold elsewhere however, and among the Holy Grail of the ring-a-ding set were the 500cc big boys – the Suzuki Gamma and the Yamaha RZ. In the 1980s this was as close to a GP racing machine for the street that you could buy. But with the end of the 1980s came the end of new smokers, leaving dreamers and collectors without the ability to purchase a new bike. Enter the wild world of collecting, providing us with this beautiful example of an essentially NEW 1984 Yamaha RZV500R – zero hours on engine, and just 2-ish kilometers on the odometer (likely from initially delivery plus some pushing around). What an amazing time capsule this is!

1984 Yamaha RZV500R for sale on eBay

Sporting largely similar livery as its rest-of-world RZ cousin, the RZV was a Japanese home market only model that had all the good stuff: aluminum frame instead of the mild steel unit on the RZ, some additional aluminum ancillary bits with some magnesium tossed in for good measure, a cool fuel level gauge built into the temp gauge circuitry, and adjustable suspension. That is all upside. Besides losing about 9 or 10 Kilos of weight (20 lbs give or take in decidedly non-metric U.S. of A), the RZV is missing a few other things – like horsepowers. The RZV is restricted to a federally mandated power level of approximately 65 HP to meet Japanese home market requirements. The bike also incorporates a red light when 55 MPH is exceeded (this light also doubles as the low oil light – so beware of speeding when your two-stroke oil tank is low!). But NONE of these downsides likely impact this machine, as it is very, very unlike to ever be ridden in anger.

From the seller:
New 1984 Yamaha RZV500R 51X museum piece

The rarest of 500cc two strokes the 1984 Yamaha RZV500R of which only 1600 were built. Not to be confused with the RZ500 or RD500 which had steel frames. This Japanese only model 51X featured a custom alloy frame and many trick features to lower its weight by 20lbs. This is the most collectible 500 two stroke production model from the 80s.

This 2 push kilometer – zero hour example spent its life in a Japanese collection until it was sold to RDM motors in Japan in 2016. The current owner purchase it from RDM and airfreighted it to California at considerable expense with the help of Moto2GP. The factory anti scuff plastic stickers are still on the frame and the mirrors and manual still vacuum sealed in original factory delivery bag. The tool kit is under the seat and it has two Factory keys plus a Yamaha factory spare windscreen. This example has never been titled or registered. Sold with a Bill of Sale only.

More from the seller:
It’s sitting on Dunlop original date coded tires from 1984. The bike is very clean with no repairs or scratches. The paint on the tank has developed small crazing that’s barely noticeable on the thin white inbetween the red and blue divide. The windscreens black paint accent is peeling off but has a factory replacement windscreen still in box. Nothing else is noted. It comes with a copy of the factory build sheet in Japanese with VIN. The fairings have never been removed.

While never run this bike could be restored or kept as a museum piece. This bike has been followed by many in Yamaha forums since it’s discovery in 2015. It’s believed to be one of two or three New RZV500R’s left in existence worldwide.

This bike comes with a Bill of Sale and is a CASH sale only. It must be picked up as I do not ship.

The Yamaha RZ500 was always a coveted example of forbidden fruit in the US. But the RZV was ever more so rare, offering the RZ experience with less weight and more exotic components. The RZV is restricted in power to satisfy Japanese DOT laws, but as the restriction is exhaust-based (i.e. not computer electronics), this is easily defeated: non-restrictive chambers and appropriate re-jetting and the RZV will scream at full song like the rest of world models. But again, I don’t foresee anyone purchasing such a bike as this and turning around and putting miles on it. It is a shame in some ways, but at least there exist like new examples that we can all drool over.

This is an auction with a Buy It Now option. For either you’d better bring your wallet. While extremely clean RZ500s have topped $20k in the past, this never-been-ridden rarer RZV is looking to bring in a high 5 figure price – very high 5 figures, as in a $95,000 BIN. Bidding is already at the $70k mark, with reserve still in place. Check out all of the details – and the action – here. Good Luck!!

MI


12 Responses.

Detail Oriented – 1992 Honda VFR400R / NC30

Donn 13

From down the block the VFR400R looks every bit an RC30, and though disappointment might flash when you see it’s the 400, the careful way it’s put together is a joy.  Today’s NC30 is an Ontario resident and in super nice original shape.

1992 Honda VFR400R / NC30 for sale on eBay

Honda had several years of VFR construction in their memory banks, and gave buyers just what they needed.  The four gear-driven cams sing their song, and 59 hp are delivered smoothly with the power band beginning at 7,000 revs.  TRAC anti-dive was on earlier VFR400’s, but less unsprung weight was more desirable.  Likewise a hydraulic clutch was saved for another bike – can’t beat a cable for feel or simplicity.  The full but diminutive fairing with twin headlights had the RC30’s likeable expression.  Honda deemed race-bike geometry really wasn’t in their customers’ best interest and the NC30 reviewed as the most approachable of the class.  To show off the ELF designed single-sided swingarm with its 18-inch wheel, the single muffler was moved to the near side.

For 30 years and 20.5K miles, this VFR is a special survivor.  Seeming to be a UK transplant, it has an MPH speedo ( with a rogue scrape on the bezel ) and the ginormous blinkers.  But that’s the only mark to be found, even the heel guards look like they haven’t seen a boot.  Workshop photos from a valve adjustment show the beauty is more than skin deep.  Comments from the eBay auction:

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES IT HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND RUNS EXCELLENT. 
NO EXPENSES SPARED, IF IT NEEDED SERVICE OR REPLACEMENT IT HAS BEEN DONE.
ALL ORIGINAL EXCEPT FOR THE SCORPION EXHAUST SYSTEM – THAT SOUNDS AMAZING WITH THE COMBINED GEAR DRIVEN CAMS. 
GENUINE HONDA FAIRINGS STILL INTACT AND IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. 
COMES WITH ORIGINAL OWNERS MANUAL AND SERVICE MANUAL. THESE BIKES ARE SUPER RARE IN THIS CONDITION AND ARE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CATEGORY COMPARED TO THE GREY IMPORTS.

Rare to see any street bike in this kind of shape after 30 years, and extraordinary considering it was intended for more junior riders.  Still no free lunch, and the heady starting bid might be keeping those mouse buttons from clicking.  European models were spared the speed governor, though it’s unclear how far past 110 mph a NC30 might go in real life.  Too rare for a steady series of comparable sales, this owner seems to have picked a good year and even time of year make a move.

-donn 


13 Responses.

Feature Listing- 1990 Honda VFR750R RC30 For Sale!

Doug 0

Update 4.1.2022: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc

1990 Honda VFR 750R RC30 For Sale!

Location: Seattle, WA
Make: Honda
Model: VFR750R RC30
Mileage: 15,228
Price: $45,000
Contact: Dave at (206) 535-6812 or dave@SeattleUsedBikes.com

We always enjoy a solid homologation superbike and this one is no exception!
This one is being offered by our good friends at Seattle Used Bikes and comes with storied past.

Read on-

When the current owner, who is the third owner, first purchased it in January of 1999 with 13168 miles showing. We are told that it was eventually handed over to his friend, world famous Honda tuner Mike Velasco; who is a PNW resident. Mike went over it, jetted the carbs for the aftermarket (Tyga?) exhaust, performed a valve clearance check and other basics, there was no documentation provided but its clear it has been looked after.

Knowing Mike Velasco tuned this RC30 is something special and should help ease any concerns of prospective buyers. If you’re not familiar with Mike Velasco, I suggest you allow some time for quick web search. You’ll quickly find his name along side Pops Yoshimura, Two Brothers Racing, Freddie Spencer, Fred Merkel and Bubba Shobert.

It has had roughly 2000 miles added since purchase, it did sit for the last few years in controlled environment. We needed to give the carbs a light clean, replace various rubber bits inside, new OEM carb bowl o-rings and intake manifolds were all sourced. We then moved on to the fluids, fresh oil and Honda filter, flushed/refilled coolant along with all the hydraulics, we use all Motul products. We took our time and looked for any other items needing attention, the small details. Last, we installed a set of new Avon Spirit ST tires in the proper OEM size and gave it a professional detail.

All of the bodywork is in good condition, we did spot some damage on the right side on the seat section from stress, fairly common on the RC30. The foam inside the upper fairing panels is in good condition but like most of these, the belly pan sustained heat damage at some point and was repaired. We are told it was not uncommon to spot a slight variance in the red color from upper to lower but the white paint is not original. We are finishing up lining the common hot spots with moose racing heat shields to protect it. We did notice the aftermarket exhaust vs stock, is not touching anywhere inside the belly pan. We also spotted a dent in the radiator on the right side, no leaks or fitment issues, no information on what or when it happened, mount on the frame sustained no damage. We have a included pictures of the blemishes found, everything lined up right upon reassembly after servicing.



The original owner of this particular RC30 has made contact with SUB and offered a few stories along with some of his memories. My favorite? He used it as a “grocery getter”

Recently the original RC30 owner reached out to us! Check out the picture!! He is still an avid enthusiast and said he has always had his eye out for #236. While not in the cards to bring it back home he did share a few stories and more details along with some original photos. There were only a small handful of RC30’s sold here in the PNW when new, this one was purchased brand new from our friends at Everett Powersports as a 3 year old non current in 1993, We were told the dealer had just moved it off the sales floor into an upstairs storage area. They allowed a young kinda broke moto dreamer to sit up there and fall in love, he found a way. He had the joy of putting the around 10,000 or so miles on it over the next few years,.it was often used as a daily commuter and occasional grocery getter! It was parked the final year of ownership in his dining room before deciding to move on. During the years of ownership he kept it in virtually bone stock condition, taking proper care along the way following the Honda recommendations, he told us he truly “babied it”

This is a really nice RC30 that has been enjoyed and taken care of along the way. It presents very well and has been tuned by one of the great tuners of the homologation era.

Enjoy the video and make sure you click the link below for the “Under the Skin” photos.

Click here for extensive “Under the Skin” photos


.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

Give Dave a call at (206) 535-6812 or reach out via email at dave@SeattleUsedBikes.com if you’d like more information on this amazing Honda VFR750R RC30.

Featured Listing – 1992 Honda VFR400 NC30 For Sale!

Doug 0

Update 1.18.2022: SOLD to an RSBFS reader in less than a day! Congratulations to buyer and seller!

Contact us to see if your bike qualifies for a Featured Listing! -dc

Make: Honda
Year: 1992
Model: VFR400 NC30
Location: Dover, Delaware
Mileage: 11,782
Price: $12,000
Contact: Steve at 302-672-7223 or steve@speedwerks.com

Steve Says:
This Honda NC30 is from our clients estate collection. We took care of the more modern machines and are very familiar with this bike in particular.
Imported recently, he had us install the Tyga exhaust and jetting work. We also upgraded the radiators and cooling lines. New Chain and sprockets along with a complete service and detailing. This NC has steel braided brake lines front and rear.
This is one of the nicest looking and running NC’s we have had come through here.
Legally imported with all documentation,this machine was not registered before he passed. At 25 years old and with all import documentation, it is ready to be titled in the new owners state and name.


Tyga states their full exhaust system coupled with their Maggot silencer adds 7hp bumping it to 59hp and reduces weight by 50% over the stock exhaust. If 59hp isn’t enough for you, I’m quite certain the boys have a few gallons of leaded Power Mist Fuel to help you reach 60hp. 🙂
As mentioned, you can see the new sprocket, chain and braided rear brake line.


This one hasn’t been out much and only showing 18,962km or 11,782 miles on the odometer.


Dressed in Honda Ruby Red, an 18″ rear wheel takes care of the party end while the 17″ front paired with 296mm dual discs handles the business end.

As you can see by all of the high-res images- this little VFR is in excellent condition and the boys at the shop have it ready to roll. As a matter of fact, this one is so nice it may be better served posted up on a race stand in the toy room.

FREE nationwide shipping is included in the $12,000 price.

Reach out to Steve at 302-672-7223 or steve@speedwerks.com if you’re interested.

Later-

Doug

1994 Honda RVF 400 For Sale!

Doug 2

Stumbled across this Racing Vee Four 400 while eating my crappy rice and beans lunch. It looked a little lonely so, I thought “Why not show it some RSBFS.com love!”
These are always well received on the site and this one looks to be in pretty good shape with less than 8,000 miles showing.

From the seller
One of a handful in existence in the United States! Get in on this opportunity to own something extremely rare!

Pretty impressive description and pictures eh? I know, I think the pics leave a little to be desired too. But, the upside is this mighty machine is it’s located in eastern PA sort of between Scranton, Allentown and near the little town of Nazareth. We could stop in Allentown and say “Hey!” to Billy then head up to Scranton to see Dwight and then back down to Nazareth to visit my buddy Michael and pick up a hand crafted 6 string. Road trip anyone?


This picture gives me the best insight into the condition of this machine. You can see it has not be restored and does have some of the typical JDM corrosion. It also looks to be bone stock!

Check it out here!

Anyone seen this machine in person? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

I took some liberty and searched the site for past Racing Vee Four posts. If you’d like to compare this one to a few others feel free to check them out here!

Cheers!

Doug


2 Responses.

1990 Honda RC30 with only 2,048 miles!

Doug 25

1990 Honda RC30 For Sale on eBay!

After 2 days of mental Tug-O-War- here it is. I say “here it is” because I know some of you have been reckless eyeballing it on eBay and likely saying “Why haven’t those slugs over at RSBFS.com presented this?”
Well, rest assured, I’ve been pouring over the pictures and researching a few things because lets face it- some of you are RC30 Guru’s and would call me out for getting it wrong 😉

We all know they’re rare, expensive, have fiberglass bodywork, came stock with funky wheels sizes, aluminum tanks and a sexy Elf/Honda single sided swing arm. Nothing really new there so, lets dive in.

What I like:
-Low Mileage
-It’s a RC30 (duh!)
-The sweet Termi exhaust
-HRC 17″ x 6″ rear wheel- The Holy Grail of RC30 parts
-Seller has the stock exhaust
-Seller has the original 18″ wheel

 

Honda rc30
This bike has only 2000 miles. I’m the second owner. I Purchased this bike in 1991 and I kept the bike in my living room For all these years. It’s in excellent shape except the body has some damage from storage- it can be easily fixed because the faring is made of fiberglass from the factory. The bike was never raced or abused.
The paint has some bubbles. Mechanically the bike runs great. Currently, the bike has a termignoni carbon fiber exhaust and a 17×6 HRC rear wheel. I will include the original 18×5.5 original wheel, the original exhaust, the race stand, manual and tools. I will not ship the bike- local pickup only

 


 
What I’m not so sure about:
-The seller states “It’s in excellent shape”
-The paint is a mess
-The lower fairings and tail section are less than desirable condition
-Aftermarket front turn signals
-The HRC sticker on the upper fairing
-What’s behind the Michelin Man sticker and 3 layers of white duct tape
-An aftermarket rear sprocket on a bike with so few miles
-A $45,000 motorcycle being presented without being detailed
 

History tells us that RC30’s did have an issue with the lower header coming in contact with the lower right side fairing. We know it caused some discoloration and in some extreme cases even distorting the fiberglass. The Michelin Man sticker seems to be in that location.
The very nice HRC Honda sticker on the tail section is obviously covering some damage, but I’m curious as to how there is (what appears to be) red vinyl over the sticker? Perhaps the tail section has damage over a larger area than what the HRC sticker is covering?

I’m in no way a paint & body expert, but one has to believe it wouldn’t be a cheap process to bring the body panels back to museum quality. I know the factory fiberglass wasn’t super smooth and the finish wasn’t the best, but that’s part of the RC30 nostalgia- right?

For me, this one is stuck in a “grey” area- It’s priced too high not to be near perfect, but it does have the extremely desirable HRC 17″ x 6″ rear wheel, Termi, low miles and the OEM spares. If you put the money into repairing the body work, you’d have an extremely expensive well equipped RC30 with repaired body work.

Would you pay $45,000, call it a 15 footer and ride it or does the low mileage warrant a full blown resto?

Let’s discuss the current RC30 market and figure it out- Keeping it civil of course 🙂

Check out this low mileage RC30 here!

Cheers!

dd


25 Responses.