RD500 -how do they compare with modern bikes?
Discussion
The latest Bike Magazine is the 500th edition and has a load of old articles in it. There is a great road test of the RD500 and it must have been great for its time.
How would the performance, steering and road-holding compare with a modern 600/675 4 stroke as a road bike?
Ps. Was the smaller RD350 as fierce when reaching the powerband as legend would have it?
How would the performance, steering and road-holding compare with a modern 600/675 4 stroke as a road bike?
Ps. Was the smaller RD350 as fierce when reaching the powerband as legend would have it?
Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 20th November 21:14
I was a Yamaha Dealer in 1982 to 1987 so witnessed the launch of RZ350 LC YPVS and RZ500R. We were in SA so got the alloy framed 500
On my demo we ran it on full leaded fuel, we had Gold Palladium spark plugs and ran some Slick 50 through it. It would pull red line in 6th gear at 6000ft above sea level in Jhb. I would not say they were fierce but they were lively. Uphill it was a great tool but fast downhill stuff was scary as they tended to fold the front if you shut the throttle !
They were very thirsty. On our fast roads in Eastern Transvaal my business partner who had a separate shop selling Honda/Kawasaki & BMW only ran his GPZ900R in 5th gear when we went playing as in 6th it just romped away from the little 2 stroke.
They were a nice bike 30 years ago but today a 600 cc four stroke would just run away from it.
A
On my demo we ran it on full leaded fuel, we had Gold Palladium spark plugs and ran some Slick 50 through it. It would pull red line in 6th gear at 6000ft above sea level in Jhb. I would not say they were fierce but they were lively. Uphill it was a great tool but fast downhill stuff was scary as they tended to fold the front if you shut the throttle !
They were very thirsty. On our fast roads in Eastern Transvaal my business partner who had a separate shop selling Honda/Kawasaki & BMW only ran his GPZ900R in 5th gear when we went playing as in 6th it just romped away from the little 2 stroke.
They were a nice bike 30 years ago but today a 600 cc four stroke would just run away from it.
A
RD500's were pretty soft in their power delivery really, compared to an RG, BN had one, I didn't but I've had a go of a couple, a modern 600 would piss all over it, in handling, braking and performance, but I'd rather have the RD.
As for RD350's they felt awesome after riding the wobbly old stuff available at the same time, the power band did come in with a bang, but they only had about 40-45bhp, and went from 15-40bhp in 1000 revs.
As for RD350's they felt awesome after riding the wobbly old stuff available at the same time, the power band did come in with a bang, but they only had about 40-45bhp, and went from 15-40bhp in 1000 revs.
Edited by Jazoli on Friday 21st November 12:37
The RD500 was actually quite soft so you could probably get away with riding it hard. They weren't particularly light either - steel frame, thick body panels with individual mounting brackets, even things the switch gear, bars and mirror stems were steel as opposed to plastic/aluminium - all adds up.
They were wonderful things in their day but wouldn't be a patch on modern sports bikes, I honestly feel they would struggle with a SV650/ER6. A 675 whilst I guess is the modern, slightly left field choice (very slightly compared to a 2 stroke 4) would leave one for dead in all areas - remember these bikes had 120 wide cross ply rear tyres!
They were wonderful things in their day but wouldn't be a patch on modern sports bikes, I honestly feel they would struggle with a SV650/ER6. A 675 whilst I guess is the modern, slightly left field choice (very slightly compared to a 2 stroke 4) would leave one for dead in all areas - remember these bikes had 120 wide cross ply rear tyres!
I have that original magazine and article from Bike in 1984, no doubt the hype around the bike was something else at the time, it was like a desmo for the masses and looked the real deal, bikes with fairings where pretty much BMW tourer types until then, a real sporty bike had a bikini fairing but when the GPZ9 and RD500 where annopunced, it was something special.
I went to view one recently with a mind to buy it, it weighed a ton( I think the UK bikes are over 200kilos wet) with (a fit one) pushing 70ish BHP, they are not going to light much of a fire Vs any modern middle weight.
The expected clean sweep in proddy racing never happened either, the engine was apparently hard to get decent (and reliable) power.
The Suzuki was much nearer the mark, a lot light (IIRC around 150kilos) and made more power...I think engine fragility again was the main reason the Suzuki failed in proddie racing, the gearbox let the side down.
I had an RG500 from 1990 to 1994 and it was as quick as my cousins ZXR750...Never had a problem with it either.
I concluded that the bike I went to view wasnt worth the asking price and wouldnt be as fun as the simple 350 either, funny enough a friend was asked to swap his hybrid 350 for a RD500 a few weeks back and after a ride on the 5, declined, saying teh 350 was as fast, handled better and was much easier/cheaper to maintain and look after.
Id still love either 500 in the garage thou.
I went to view one recently with a mind to buy it, it weighed a ton( I think the UK bikes are over 200kilos wet) with (a fit one) pushing 70ish BHP, they are not going to light much of a fire Vs any modern middle weight.
The expected clean sweep in proddy racing never happened either, the engine was apparently hard to get decent (and reliable) power.
The Suzuki was much nearer the mark, a lot light (IIRC around 150kilos) and made more power...I think engine fragility again was the main reason the Suzuki failed in proddie racing, the gearbox let the side down.
I had an RG500 from 1990 to 1994 and it was as quick as my cousins ZXR750...Never had a problem with it either.
I concluded that the bike I went to view wasnt worth the asking price and wouldnt be as fun as the simple 350 either, funny enough a friend was asked to swap his hybrid 350 for a RD500 a few weeks back and after a ride on the 5, declined, saying teh 350 was as fast, handled better and was much easier/cheaper to maintain and look after.
Id still love either 500 in the garage thou.
In the historical context, the RD was probably quite radical. The articles from the late 70s/early 80s show how ancient and primitive the bikes of those days now appear to modern eyes.
I think that people probably forget that an SV650 or ER6 can actually be ridden quite fast by a decent rider(a bit like 'normal' cars now being quite fast too), given that you can now buy 200bhp bikes.
I think that people probably forget that an SV650 or ER6 can actually be ridden quite fast by a decent rider(a bit like 'normal' cars now being quite fast too), given that you can now buy 200bhp bikes.
podman said:
The Suzuki was much nearer the mark, a lot light (IIRC around 150kilos) and made more power...I think engine fragility again was the main reason the Suzuki failed in proddie racing, the gearbox let the side down.
But the RG was a good base in F1 racing but not much of the original bike would remain. I remember Mark Phillips winning at Thruxton and think he won the championship on a RG500 based racer.
graham22 said:
podman said:
The Suzuki was much nearer the mark, a lot light (IIRC around 150kilos) and made more power...I think engine fragility again was the main reason the Suzuki failed in proddie racing, the gearbox let the side down.
But the RG was a good base in F1 racing but not much of the original bike would remain. I remember Mark Phillips winning at Thruxton and think he won the championship on a RG500 based racer.I also remember is horrific accident on the Loctite Yam.... he was 'kin lucky to survive that.
He's a genuinely lovely bloke too.
I remember being seriously unimpressed by the RD500; it handled like s
t with a big fat front tyre (for those days anyway...) and don't even start me on 16" fronts...
It also didn't deliver on the "screaming two-stroke top end rush" we were all promised and was a wet fart compared to the 1100 four-strokes. The RG was much more exciting as it just suddenly walloped the power on in a flash (all 70 odd bhp...) but even that was pretty gutless.
The RD was also a bd to work on and seemed to be made out of processed cheese; all the fasteners were rubbish and everything bent really easily, especially if you lobbed it down the road...
t with a big fat front tyre (for those days anyway...) and don't even start me on 16" fronts...It also didn't deliver on the "screaming two-stroke top end rush" we were all promised and was a wet fart compared to the 1100 four-strokes. The RG was much more exciting as it just suddenly walloped the power on in a flash (all 70 odd bhp...) but even that was pretty gutless.
The RD was also a b
d to work on and seemed to be made out of processed cheese; all the fasteners were rubbish and everything bent really easily, especially if you lobbed it down the road...Mate of mine had an RD500, another had an import RG400, and my '92 RGV250N would keep up in a straight line easily, and made them look silly in the bends. I rode an RGV a couple of years ago and once I got re-acquainted with the alarming ease it changed direction I couldn't help but think how slow it felt in a straight line, awesome in the bends mind you! 
I loved my RGV at the time but it felt like a healthy 125 in comparison..
I loved my RGV at the time but it felt like a healthy 125 in comparison..I've got a final evolution VDue, it's about 130bhp and 140 Kg, running on carbs. I was offered a track version, so I took my FE to a track day. Bikes have moved on, the Bimota is probably the best road 2 stroke made, but it's history compared to ZX10s, S1000r etc.....
I bought an RSV4 for the track...!!!!
I bought an RSV4 for the track...!!!!
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff