The time Yamaha made a V4 Two Stroke Racebike for the street 

Yamaha RZ500. I bought one new in 1985 and still have it today. It's in excellent condition. It's also one crazy bike.

I rebuilt a Yamaha RZ-500, customer got it back and it scared the crap out of him. The bike was mental and a gem of engineering.

I was in the Navy (Canadian Forces) and living in Halifax when I bought my first real performance bike - a 1984 FJ1100. Always a Yamaha man, I went out to sea for a few months and came back and stopped in at the dealer not really expecting to do anything stupid. But that all changed when I saw the brochure for the 1985 RZ500. It was going to be arriving sometime in the spring of '85 and I put my $500 deposit for one expecting to trade in my FJ for the $5200 RZ. In April 1985 I made the deal and when the snow melted shortly after, I kicked over the RZ500 for the first time. It was hard to start, hard to get going and hard to hang on to. First thing I noticed was how small the throttle was and how much harder it was to twist compared to the FJ. First time driving it, I stalled it 3 times before finally figuring out it needed about 3500rpm just to pull away from a stop sign. The vibrations, the smoke, the sound was so much different from the FJ too. I remember opening up the throttle for the first time from about 4000rpm. At first it did absolutely nothing but belch out smoke. But then as the rpm started to climb somewhere around 6500rpm, it made the most unusual sound, sort of like a barking duck and then all I saw was blue sky followed by the fuel tank hitting me in the chin. Still can't believe it didn't come right over on me. After the nose wheel came back down to earth, I looked around and all I could see was blue smoke in the side mirrors and some dude in his car giving me a huge thumbs up. That's also when I noticed my ass starting to fry. The two rear cylinder exhaust pipes go right under your seat. My time with the bike didn't last long - I only got a year out of it and Canada only imported them for 1985/86. Like so many others, I crashed mine for simple reason most others did - it was just too much bike. You can spit out all the numbers you want - 88 hp on a 400lb bike doesn't mean a thing unless you experienced just how violent that power came on. Back in those days, it was pretty much the only motorcycle that could wheelie without popping the clutch. All you had to do was open the throttle and wait.

I had an RG500 Gamma in 1986, was a most awesome bike, the kick in the pants when it hit the powerband was just brilliant :-) 3 months later I'd crashed it and couldn't afford to repair it, but that was probably the best 3 months of my riding life! At least until I bought a CBR600RR in 2008 LOL

We had 350LC's, then one of the guys bought the 500LC- it was exotica for sure :-) The RD500\ RG500 were the pinnacle of the 2-strokes.

In 1985 (when I was 18) a local dealer took delivery of a brand new RG500 AND an RD500 the same day, when I happened to be there. They were both in their classic colours, respectively. It was a gorgeous summer day, and both bikes were parked outside the shop, side by side, as if for a photoshoot, with the sun glinting of them. This was over 38 years ago, and I remember it clearly! I wish I'd had a camera on me then! I drooled over them then, and still do today. The Gamma had the higher specs but, although I think it looked amazing, I prefer the lines of the RD. Both stunning machines, in so many ways, and minters command prices of up to £20k (or more) in the UK today.

I sold my 84 RZV500R a few years back... the cool thing about it was that you could bolt on awesome bits... R1 suspension, marchesini wheels, YZR bodywork, it used R1 sprockets and clutch goodies... mine was 110 RWHP and 320 LBS wet, 28 flat slides, carbon fiber reeds, ported, shaved and resquished heads, lighter flywheel, custom back cut transmission with alternate close ratio first gear and stronger mainshaft, cursom ignition and YPVS controller jolly moto GP pipes... never failed to put a smile on your face in any gear.... i know where the CNC case halves are to fit 3MA TZ cylinders.... should net 160+ RWHP with only one set of transmission losses.... These days while I want a Souter 500MMX I am happy with my 83 XR1000 Street tracker... my bones dont heal as fast as they used to... i have the Sport Rider Mag test around here some place... i just saw pics of it as it sold again this summer detuned for the street and in Wayne Rainey trim...

My cousins friend had one of these in the late 80s. He wrecked it, then sold it to my cousin who had a bad wreck on it...slid 150m. Then before he could get out of the hospital my other friend drove over it in his truck so it couldnt be fixed again. These bikes were no joke back in the day.

I'm glad you metion the RG at the end lol. It's real sad that only few country outside of japan can actually experience the sports bike craze of the 80's and 90's specially for 2 stroke racer. and it's a shame that I'm not born early enought to witness that golden era, tho the 90's sport bike craze in my country are mostly illegal Japanese import under the name of scrap or part due to the 150cc restriction at the time.

Even the startup process was pure theater. I hopped off an RZ350 and onto the 500 and almost had an orgasm from the experience. So much fun. Nothing has ever thrilled me like it. So cool looking too.

In the UK the Yamaha importer sent 100 standard RD500s to a paint company called Dream Machine to paint them in Marlboro colors so they looked even more like the racing bikes. I had one of these for 23 years from 1989 to 2012. There were many other companies that offered riders a Marlboro paint job so some versions are different to others. I also had it Stan Stephens mild road tuned to make about 15% more power than standard. This was remarkable in that it produced more power lower in the rev range as well as at the top end. I did everything on this bike. It was used for my daily commute at various times. I did a track day at Snetterton circuit, rode to Assen to watch Grand Prix and WSBK races on 5 or 6 occasions and many UK race circuits, introduced several girlfriends to the joys of motorcycling with them as a pillion, hard ride outs with the bike club and it even worked as a touring bike, it was a truly remarkable all rounder

I young man in my neighborhood got ahold of one this past summer. It's so cool when he rides past the house.

Had a RG250 it was mental ,had a RD350 mental. Loved and missed.

I had a 1984 RZ350 with Toomey expansion chambers. I loved that bike and wish I still had it. It was incredibly quick. It was about as fast as my 1983 Honda CB1100F up to about 80 MPH.

I had a 1988 Yamaha RZ 350, a quick little motorcycle!!✌

Great video! I own an 85 RZ 500 at 8000 you think your on a GP Bike! Simply awesome!

Owned 3 of these still own a race RZ500m made street legal. Fun bike.

We had the RG and RD in Canada. The RG was crazy with a narrow and explosive power band. A friend raced it and won a number of races as an amateur. The RD was fairly tame.

Both the Yamaha & Suzuki 500's only had a 2 year live, but the 250's were available for a lot longer, especially the Suzuki. The Suzuki RG250 Gamma was the only choice if you were a learner in Australia in the 80's & early 90's & wanted the most powerful bike you could legally ride. And we all had that 1 friend that we were jealous of, who was on an unrestricted license & rode the RGV250. Their popularity waned once the 250 inline 4's started arriving en mass, with 4 stroke bikes are much easier to ride & maintain, but there's something special about a little bike that will rip your arms off at 7,000 rpm.

Client of mine has two of them for sale. He said I’m welcome to ride them any time! Scared and excited at the same time 😂

I had a couple of RDs back in the 80s they were absolute rocket ships. Nothing like it, the power the noise and that smell lol the good old days

I have an RD500 in my garage that a friend and I ran in a 1985 WERA 6hr race at Pocono racecourse. Also competing was a young John Kosinski on a Canadian GSXR750. I don’t remember the Yamaha being especially quick but it handled fairly well. I think the top speed was only around 130 and it certainly didn’t perform as you might expect from a V4 2stroke. A set of expansion chambers from Erv Kanemoto would probably do it a lot of good!

I had the pleasure of riding the RZ500 at Chatham Yamaha in Chatham, Ontario. It was an incredibly smooth, easy to ride bike. I was impressed. I tried to ride an RG500 but the nearest Suzuki dealer in Leamington did not have one available to ride and I did not have time to seek out another dealership to see if they had one available. I sure would have liked to have been able to ride one though.

I had the Australian version , an 85 I think, but got it in the 90s new condition as it had been in a crate for a few years. Ripping up the Victorian roads the actual roads from Mad Max. That power band at high revs was an awesome kick in the pants.

I've been waiting for this one, hoping you'd cover it. Thank you so much you've made me smile today

Hopefully you’ll make a video about the rise of the 400cc inline four-stroke four cylinder sportbikes, that started here in the USA with Yamaha’s FZR400.

I owned both the RD and RG500's, the Yamaha's engine was very tractable and sedate for a two stroke. It was much heavier than the RG. The RG was mental, manic and a drug on two wheels.. In the U.K. the RD sold out on pre-order (before they got into the country), people were selling them at twice the retail price once they arrived.

Ah man, I had two of these! Obviously before my arm fell off. Anyway, I tuned the life out of them both, they're pretty tame standard (at least they were here in Australia). Even made my own expansion chambers, ported them myself after many months of research. Good times. Sold them for far less than they were worth, much regret as in their "tuned" state they were quick (for the day). I had the powervalve die on me one day and the ride home was fekin INTENSE.

I really enjoyed this blast from the past. Oh how the world changes. Idk where I'd be or what my hobbies would be without Japanese Racebikes and the groundbreaking achievements in performance all throughout the 80's and 90's. Thank you for putting this together ❤️

God, how I wanted it. I was 16, riding a tiny RD 80 LC II, and falling every week. When I turned 18, I almost got (pestered my dad) an RD 350 YPVS. It's probably a better bike than the 500. But someone - actually the guy at the Yamaha - told my father: buy him that and he'll be dead within a week. Ended up up with a GPz 750 Unitrak. I still live.

YAMAHA..Touching your heart ❤️

first time i saw one it was passing me and my new honda vf750s sabre leaned way over on a country road. always wanted one

I watched a few production racers here in Canada consistently pitch those Yamaha RZ500s into the weeds back in the '80s. Whether the bikes didn't handle, or the sponsored riders couldn't ride them, I can't say, but they didn't win many races.

I miss my 85 RZ500, guys on 1000's would shy away from the sheer power it possessed. The smell of the exhaust and the sound it made was intoxicating! 👏

i owned an RZ500 and it was THE most turn-resistant-at-speed bike i've ever ridden. Despite the front wheel size.(!) The RG500 was much more agile, and my RZ350 was by far the most fun in all situations, save for flat-out on a straight

Having owned a brand new '84 RZ350 when I was 24 years old, I lusted after the RZ500 once I started to read about it being sold just to the north of me in Canada. Alas, college tuition and life in general didn't allow for finding and buying one at the time. This summer though, at 62 years old...I finally pulled the trigger. I found a beautiful '85 RZV500R at Iconic Motorbikes and made the winning bid. It's probably better that I waited the 38 years between then and now, as I have two things today that I didn't have an abundance of at 24 years of age; knowledge and fear of this bike. I honestly wonder if I would have survived owning it back then...lol. Riding the restricted RZV, I'm having a hard time imagining what the extra 23HP of the unrestricted RZ or RDLC would feel like. Then again, during the years I owned my RZ350, I could never fully imagine the power of this 500 either. Anyway, I can now check riding this rocket off my bucket list...and I'm smiling ear to ear every day that I do so.

In 1987 Parker Brothers dealership in Windsor Ontario still had one in the crate. I should have purchased it.

7:23 - Yes, some of them found their way south of the border, and boy, was that bike FUN! The only handling issue with the 500 was a tendency to fall to the inside in low speed turns (turning from a stop sign - took a bit of throttle). Beyond that, in spite of the short wheel-base it was stable. Lived at the end of a dead-end freeway at the time, and (converting from Km/H to MPH) 150MPH was perfectly comfortable. There was more left on the clock, but splitting two cars to find out was not of interest. If you ever rode a Kawasaki 750 triple, got anywhere close to that speed and lived through it, you are fortunate indeed. At ~80 MPH I was tank-slapping back to ' how can I sell this thing?' Owned an equally illegal LC350 at the time. It was the most forgiving bike I ever owned; doubt the 500 could take it on timed sections, but the 500's explosive power would have made the difference in all but the shortest tracks. Wonderful bikes, all of the Yams. Never owned a bike with an electric start.

Awesome to learn of this bike. I want one. YAMAHA!!

Owned one and put about 20,000km on it in Canada.. installed steering damper, shorted the sprockets 1 tooth (better wheelies) and cleaned up the super rich factory jetting, all done by Rocket motorcycles here in Toronto. Robbie said don't flip it over on the way home... almost :)

Great video! I think the fuel injected 500cc two-stroke Bimota would be worth a video, too.

This is another new one for me as I never knew of this bikes existence until watching this video. Beautiful Video!

So many comparisons made, yet not one mention of the NSR500. For shame. lol

The two stroke power valve technology that Yamaha developed transitioned into all modern 2 stroke dirt bikes and revolutionized that industry, stricter emissions standards killed the 2 stroke street bikes, it's 2 completely different worlds when developing a full production street bike from a race bike platform as there are so many more variables to consider when it comes to full scale production.

I was so lucky to have rode many miles on one of these, it was so cool

I had a 1978 RD400 (Yamaha) for a while. It had larger pipes (exp chambers) and built power higher in the rpm range. Scary fast but there is nothing like the hit of a 2-stroke power band 😊

After 30 years of buying reincarnations of my 67 Triumph Bonneville I bought my first ADV. A 2009 BMW F650GS (twin) and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. I can ride longer, further and enjoy it so much. I love the format.

My RG is lovely. I am lucky to have one.

Excellent video of one of my favourite bikes! Inspires me to do an homage build to the RD500.

I am a native Floridian, and started riding my CB360 to school a bit my sophomore year. I had a GT550 a neighbor give me that sat around for about 10 yrs. I'd planned to get going but when Mom opted to go in 1/2 on a Nighthawk 700SC, I was keen on that just for reliability sake. We(my friends and I) grew up riding ATC's, dirtbikes, etc. so street riding was an easy transition. A guy that worked in a cycle parts shop in Lake Park, Fl. had the RG500 Gamma in the late 80's- it was INSANE to us back then. We all rode 2-stroke MX bikes so we KNEW it must be fast, and the fella that owned it assured us. I ended up later on with several H1's, 1 H2, R5 350, a GT550(piggy out of the lot), which were fun but here in the States the 'real' sportsbike 2-strokes are STILL obscure and I'll likely never own an RD500 or the RG at this point, but the legends of them are alive! Jealous of you Canadian fellas for certain. Ride safe

Great video. I had the RD 350cc LC in the 80s and I loved it got home from work in the shower and out on my bike to meet up with the boys all on there bikes many RD eeeeezzzzz we would ride and race from town to town all the see front roads. I did have a go on a RD 500 brand new and it shore did go it was in red and white very nice and the bloke who I new well was selling it he offered it to me for two grand but never had that sort of money back then and I really really wanted it but it sold. The RD 80s years were the best years of my life are never for get it.

Got an RD500 and a RG500, RD500 is quite civilized in comparison to the Gamma. Gamma is nuts. All the people who say the 750H2 is the most crazy 2 stroke of all time must have never ridden a Gamma.

I already own an Aprilia Futura 2 stroke not sold in America. Next will be one of these.

I had the Suzuki RG500 Gamma!

Have owned one since 1990, called RZ in Canada. Fun bike but head shakes when chopping the throttle.

That reference to mid 70’s ‘power valve’ that was primarily for emissions compliance was not a power valve at all. It was on the 1979 RD400 Daytona Special. It did nothing but interfere with exhaust flow and was quickly removed by anybody in the know. Only the idiots left it in place.

I was 17 years old when this bike came out and i lived ate and breathed bikes, buying every monthly copy of motorcycle magazines i could get my hands on or afford. I do remember Cycle Canada stating that when they quarter mile tested this bike, it was just ready to shift into top gear as it crossed the finish line.

I just loved these bikes back in the day, used to watch them race at Bathurst Australia. Do you have a video on the Suzuki GSX 250f across? I recently got one, revs like crazy, but is a slow bike 😂

I like your style. 'Officer, I was merely performing routine maintenance, not exceeding the speed limit' LMAO

A Moment of Romance

The price sounds cheap but that was big bucks in those days, I drooled over this bike and the 1000R ELR, and I couldn’t afford either.

The RZV4 that was street legal.. And it went through clutchs in no time. But the cast aluminum frame was what made it compact...

The feeling you get when your on a bike, and it's prime rev range is between 8 to 14 thousand is absolutely intoxicating. A little Honda Interceptor 500 was my ticket to the show. It wasn't fast. Compared to the kz1000 I had anyway. But it was way more fun. Stupid light, stupid revs, and a sound that could calm a Banshee. It didn't have an exhaust note. It would just sing.

❤🏍🙏yeah 2 stroke power baby !!!💪😎 Thank you so much Bart!!! YPVS 4 ever❤💪🏍🙏

Had the opportunity to do a few hundred kilometres on the RZ500 (owned by a work associate) back in 1986. Great fun and a very quick bike for that era.

1st it was the rd then it became the rz & it’s final form was the tzr & all were sold in Australia

Still have my first bike, 71 R5 Yammie 350 2 stroke.

I would've loved to own one of these bikes, the Yamaha or Suzuki.

Except it's not actually a V4, it's two completely different parallel-twin 250s jammed together in the one crankcase and offset by 50 degrees.

I was blessed to have a bike crazed dad who in the late 80s had at least 10 bikes of which 90 percent of them where 2 strokers..including the RG500 Gamma square 4 and RZ500 LC V4..So I got to ride them all and maintain them with him..Because im a long distance touring guy the only bike of dads that suited me was the heavy but smooth and torquey GT750 trippple Water Buffalo..all the others had a great thirst for fuel and oil hence very limited range at shall we say FUN but still safe speeds.

Ik heb er nog één. Veel enge momenten op beleefd😀😀

My first bike a 75 RD 350,then bought a new RD 350L in Sharon Ontario and in 84 was going to buy a new RZ 500 but bought a honda 750 interceptor instead then a 85 FJ 1100.I have always kicked my ass that did not buy the RZ 500.

We miss you on Rocket League dude! glad you're still around though!

I laughed, reading and listening to the comments about the YPVS -bike was still flat as a pancake below about five grand a bit Surge from there to six or 6 1/2 and then a rocket ship on the Red Line. Just like most two strokes LOL The other trouble was of course it ran hundred horsepower 140 mile an hour gearing, which was a bit hard on two-stroke bottom end power with maybe 20 or 25 hp up to 5000 RPM!

I raced against a pair of these back in 1985. The team was from Winnipeg “The Eh Team” and they’d come down to race with us at Brainerd international. They were cool, but not competitive with my FZ750.

Some really great motorcycle crap would be the Honda ST1100.... I'm kind of surprised you haven't covered it yet, it's not a race bike, but what a defining ride it was.

I was lucky enough to have both the RG500 and RD500. The RD really looked the part but it couldn't match the fun of the RG. It was just too heavy.

I’ve had my rd500 for 10 years now and it’s not a Gp race bike and it’s not as quick as the rg , the rear brake is useless the bike is way too heavy but every time I ride it the fun factor is off the scale and that’s what motorcycle riding to me is all about and it will still show a clean pair of heels to many newer more powerful bikes .

A third bike that I'd put into this general class of early to mid 1980's mid size two stroke roadbikes is the Honda NS400R (a 400cc V-3 engine). Japan has a highly tiered motorbike licence system where riders are restricted on the engine displacement they can legally ride based on the tier level of their licence. A lot of Japanese riders stop at the licence tier that has a limit of 400cc, which is why Japan gets 400cc versions of the bigger bikes we see outside Japan, there is a ready market inside Japan for 400cc sportbikes.

The RZ500 was a street bike that looked like the racer. The RG500 was a race bike detuned slightly and made street legal.

Most people on a MotoGP bike would be like George Formby at the TT.....😂

Had one of the most agressive tank slappers ive ever experienced on an RZ 500. Sort of taints my opinion of them.

A Tuner in the Frankfurt area had a 190 hp package for sale, back in 1988.

awesome. will you ever cover the fzr600? love the videos.

Had 2 IT's 175 & 200 Enduros

I rode one of the few in 85-86..

A few bikes we got in Canada you can't get stateside.

Sadly in our country if you are looking for a 2 stroke bike, you can only see rare 150cc 2stroke sporksbike like kawasaki kr150, I've always wanted to witness proper 2 stroke bike.

I'd do a lot of things to own this bike.

My handle tells my story,lol. It's a red, white, and blue one heavily modified. Along with my other trophy bike in my profile pic. 04 zx10-r

maan i was just riding this in ride 4 i was surprised i ddnt knew about this one

As a twostrokeaholic. I am jonesing for some pre-mix fun. (60 yrs.old now, but still riding wheelies!!) Not really a true V-4, since it had two crankshafts. The rear Bank of cylinders suffered from poor intake, roughting. The RG-500, had rotory valves, sticking out of the sides of the crankcase.( A really bad place to put your smooth bores, protruding outward) The RZ, had 'case-reed induction. Both were bitch to port!!! The square four just a little bit easier. Japanese 'only' market had the 'real' aluminum chassis, but only 88 hp. The Canadian RZ, had 112 hp. But a painted 'look like aluminum' steel chassis. Where the RG, were all aluminum.( Still being bent by the kick stand. Back then.) But it was the"GSX-R 750's", that killed the replica two-strokes.. Where the GSX-Rs came too, with a replica. The GSX-R LTD, had stuff like a dry-plate racing clutch! Aluminum tank, smooth -bores, a close ratio gearbox, blah, blah, blah! (Still a oversexed lawnmower engine!) " You smell that smell!? Nothing else, in the world smells like it!! That gasoline and oil smell, it smelled like victory...............) Wow, look at all those likes!!! 👍

Unbelievable that you go through this whole video without mentioning the Suzukis RG 500 production bike, that was much closer to the actual RG500 GP bike than the RD500 ever was. Much lighter more power and a much more exhilarating ride, the RG 500 was the true ultimate 2 stroke production bike ever made.

While there is no question the RG500 Gamma was a better bike and closer to the race bike, here in Australia in '84-'85 where production racing was big news it barely won a race. One very young Michael Doohan happened to ride a privateer RZ500 and blew them all into the dust. Those were the days.

If I'm following correctly... the RD500 LC sold 10k units? That is damn good! Would like to hear more about that- Euro, NA, Japan. And it was expensive, but not crazy expensive, right? 10 thousand pounds in today's money?

The Desmo Sedici was a racer too!

Wish I never sold mine in ‘90

Between this and the rd350 I prefer the raw kick that the Rd350 has in comparison to the more linear power curve of the 500 though I still find both bikes awesome just prefer the 350

two stroke , the best one ever

V4 ? A V4 has got one crank , in my book at least. Nevertheless a really awesome machine.