My bikes, 30 years ago this week. Nice brace of 'strokers?

[CorvetteConvert]

Yamaha RD500LC (second one in UK, registration A500 VUC) and Kawasaki H2 750.

[CorvetteConvert]

StuB said:

Is the KH a 500 or 750?

Bet the 500 Power Valve made it feel like a tractor.

Neither, it was the earlier H2.
It was a little slower than the 500 but had better low down power from the 50% bigger capacity.
Stan Stephens tuned the 500 to around 130 bhp and then it was properly fast.

[CorvetteConvert]

My RG500 'special' was one of the fastest bikes I have ever had. I bought it as a bit of a crashed and bashed basket case and with some help I got the engine put into an immaculate RGV 250 frame. Stan Stephens gave the square four engine a stage 3 tune and we kept the bike as lightweight as the law would allow. Tiny lights, etc. I believe it weighed 130 kgs and had around 140 bhp. That thing flew and would probably give a current litre bike a scare or two.

[CorvetteConvert]

I recall the bike having things like a lighter and smaller chain to save weight, a single disc brake for the same reason, no indicators, tiny mirrors, lightweight sprockets, smaller battery, all manner of stuff to save some kilos! IIRC it was 130 kgs ready to ride.

[CorvetteConvert]

grahamr88 said:

CorvetteConvert said:

I recall the bike having things like a lighter and smaller chain to save weight, a single disc brake for the same reason, no indicators, tiny mirrors, lightweight sprockets, smaller battery, all manner of stuff to save some kilos! IIRC it was 130 kgs ready to ride.

Of all the ways to save weight!

Well, the single disc it had was a Brembo clamped by a Brembo 4-piston calliper, so the set-up was much lighter, yet just as powerful as the standard brakes. The fact the bike was so small and light meant it didn't need 2 discs up front.

[CorvetteConvert]

fleegle said:

My mates non weight saving version

Great looking bike, I will see if I can find the 500 H1F I had this year.

[CorvetteConvert]

I had this until very recently, fully restored H1F from 1974.
Complete with guard cat.

[CorvetteConvert]

My early H1 I had when I lived in California.
Stage 4 tune, Denco expansion chambers, big Lectron carbs and around 110 bhp.
That was a lot for an air cooled triple so occasionally it would get hot under the collar and twice it partly seized the centre pot.

[CorvetteConvert]

Very nice.

[CorvetteConvert]

Better pic of this year's bike.

[CorvetteConvert]

Farlig said:

CorvetteConvert said:

My RG500 'special' was one of the fastest bikes I have ever had. .......... and had around 140 bhp

You sure about that - IIRC, the RD500 was very difficult to extract high power like that from and the RG was the tuneable engine - even that struggles to get the high 130´s... With the RD you had to go to big barrels from the 350 powervalve to get high power... I might be talking total shoite though as I got rid of my 500 LC a looooong time ago in 1991 (unfortunately..!)
Will have to go have a google

Stan Stephens is the man to ask, he tuned both bikes to the highest tune he said would still be ride-able on the street.
Looking back just now through loads of photo albums, the RD500 had 126 bhp and the RG500 138 bhp. My RD350YPVS had 72 bhp.
All 3 were in pretty radical tune with big carbs., race pipes and uprated ignition, etc.

Edited by CorvetteConvert on Wednesday 2nd December 14:54