The Worst Motorcycle of the 1980s - Honda Ascot Review 

What's this? F9 uploading more than one video in less than a week? This isn't even Christmas yet

"If you've never experienced the jacking of your shaft maybe one day you'll meet the right girl and all that will change.". The fact he can say such a line with a straight face and go right back on topic is amazing

Having owned over 100 motorcycles ( I’m 70, spent 1/3 of my life working in motorcycle service departments) my VT500 was one of my favorite commuter bikes.

The VT 500 was one of my favourite bikes. Used one as a London despatch rider in the 80s. It was great. Very nimble in traffic. Quick away from the lights. And well behaved on wet roads. The CX500 was heavy and cumbersome in comparison. I had one of them too.

Honestly, I love the looks of the Ascot. There is just something about the looks that make me want it

I had one of these VT500's as a first street bike when I was 16. It was real sluggish for me until I discovered it was dual ignition and half the spark plugs weren't firing correctly (no, not the ones you can see). A full plug and wire job really brought it back to life, and seeing how much soot yours is blowing on acceleration I would recommend you look into that. It doesn't make it fast, but getting the full 50 horsepower out of the engine really helps it perk up.

Like many others that posted - the VT500 Ascot was my first street bike. Added a MAC 2/2 exhaust, rejetted, a rifel mini faring and metzlers. Learned alot on that bike! I had far more frustrations with the 1982 CX500 Turbo... - take that far a spin and re-evaluate your decision!

I had an Ascot in 1989, when I was 18. I loved it, but only because it was my first bike, and I didn't know any better. Eventually I borrowed a friends Shadow 750, and I was like "Oh, THIS is what a good bike feels like!". I sold the Ascot and bought my own Shadow the next week.

This was my second bike coming off of 12 years with a SR500 single. Needed to experience more types of rides. Absolutely loved the styling. I keep my bikes mostly as they were designed. I was the third owner. I still remember the Ascot fondly and took it on two week long tours while I had it. Very reliable and because of it's "flaws" kept me humble and out of trouble and still riding at 69. May have been technically bad, but treated me well. Maybe not a looker to many, but it was obtainable and I had a great time with it.

My very first motorcycle that I bought in 1987 (aged 24)! I loved it because I didn't know how shitty it was. I learned to ride it on the streets of Toronto, and toured it several times to the east coast. Never a mechanical problem. I can't argue with Ryans's assessment of the VT500, so it is a true example of "ignorance is bliss". Thanks for the warm shot of nostalgia mixed with the cold, hard truth. Current bike is a 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada (821cc V-Twin, do-it-all), so except for the shaft drive, not much has changed.

In my defense, my choice was this as my first bike or no bike. I chose this. It was an absolute perfect first bike and I loved it to death.

My wife followed me for 7 years and 20 000 kms on her first bike, an FT500 Ascot. She liked it because it was narrow and light, but powerful enough to keep up with traffic. She would have liked the VT because of the shaft drive and liquid cooling for touring. Power isn't everything when touring but reliability and ease of maintenance is. Jack shaft effect was no worse than my 1986 K100RS at the time. I feel the VT500 was under-rated, especially for new riders and/or short riders.

Funny how vastly different our opinions can be. I agree the the VT Ascot had some limitations. But looking back at the 50 or so bikes that have passed through my garage during my lifetime, I must say that my Ascot was most certainly one of my favorites. In stock trim, the Ascot engine was a bit of a pooch. But the addition of a K&N Filter, proper carb tune and a Mac megaphone header that my neighbors surely hated … that little engine delivered a solid punch! Being my only street bike at the time, I rode the wheels off that bike. I racked up thousands of touring miles, straphed a lot of apexes, rode a lot of wheelies, and even won a few drag races on that sweet little machine. While it was no dirt tracker, it never stopped me from sliding the corners any time I wandered down a dirt road. Yep… that weird, quirky little bike was a gas! :)

I had one for a while. Very easy to maintain with shaft drive. Thread and lock-nut valves. Got along well on gravel roads. A do-it-all, inexpesive bike you could take from the dealer and never dirty their showroom floor again if you wanted to self maintain. I guess I was not sophisticated enough to despise it.

Sadly hilarious, accurate and absolutely true. I had a VT500 back in the day, paid about $500 for one with only 1,500 miles around 1986. Never could figure out why they named it the Ascot. It should have been named the Commuter Scooter or something that would prepare the rider for reasonable expectations. It really was a great commuter bike for newbs and smaller riders. It was low maintenance, reliable, tractable in traffic, and pleasant for longer weekend rides after I replaced the swept handlebars with flat bars and a minimalist windscreen to divert some wind without dragging down another 50% of the meager power. Only problems I can remember was that one plastic side panel wanted to pop off once in awhile, forcing me to circle around and grab it again. And it shorted out once or twice in rain. Wish I still had it. But TBH, the Yamaha SRX 600 thumper was more fun and better looking. Also more of a retro but not quite authentic bike, but good despite itself.

Everything you did not like about the VT500 was exactly why I opted for the FT500 while I was in school. Loved that bike. Fun video as always! You guys are the B roll kings!!

I owned one of these darlings back in the day 1992-1995, it was my first motorcycle and to be honest it was perfect for me. I'm a short rider and it just fit me perfectly. Economical to ride, I'd spend all day, every weekend, riding that Shetland pony all over the Midwest. I agree it isn't the master of anything, not even good at most things but for a beginner I was glad they built it. Thanks for reviewing this, brought back some good memories.

I have one! In red. Agree with everything you said, but somehow, it has grown on me. The fact that I can fire up a 40 year old bike with minimal cranking and only change the oil once in a while, makes it a great commuter option.

Nothing wrong with these bikes! I once experienced a flat tyre, and unfortunately in a rather fast bend... The bike tried to depart and I was being dragged behind it, crossing the street since my army boot shoestring happened to get snagged by the fuel cock. Very little damage ensued and some time after when I wanted to sell it, there was plenty enthousiasm for it, sold in an hour! Overhere in The Netherlands they're very rare indeed.

There was a VT250 as well which was actually a great little bike. 35bhp from a four stroke 250 twin in the early 90's was impressive.

I think it actually looks pretty good styling wise, especially when you look at some of the monstrosities being made today.

My buddy had the FT500 single back in college. That was a fun run around bike. It's what got me into motorcycles.

I remember riding my first shaft drive motorcycle in the 1970's. Getting used to the bite back from the driveshaft when cornering must be a learned riding skill I guess. Great review!

The camera transitions in this video are awesome, starting with the one over the handle bars and continuing for the rest of the video. Nice work.

I really enjoy your reviews of older bikes. Being from India it’s amazing to see how even the ‘worst’ or lower end 30-40 year old bikes have more engine displacement than 90% of Indian bikes in 2023. Im really hoping that one day you review the Yamaha RX-100, a measly 98cc bike that captured the hearts of millions of Indians. I still use my dad’s 33 year old stock RX-100 as my daily rider, it’s an amazing little thing.

FT500 was my 1st bike. Only 4 years ago and im over 30. I absolutely loved it except for the fact that parts are getting exceptionally hard to find. Still managed to rebuild it and ride the shit out of it.

If the BC Dept of Tourism doesn't sponsor your channel, they're nuts. That scenery is breathtaking.

Great video Ryan thanks for sharing. I remember back in the 80s here in Australia Honda released the FT500 Ascot so I found your video interesting. The Ascot we got was powered by a retuned XL500 single with a chain drive. It’s funny the body work was much the same and your colour choices were red or black. They really weren’t a bad little bike.

The VT500 was ahead of it's time, V twin, liquid cooled, shaft drive, screw and lock nut valve adjustments instead of shim and bucket with no need to spend 8 hours removing and reinstalling plastic to get access. The Ascot did not come with fork boots and the mirrors on your bike are not original other than those items that is a very nice unmolested example. You nailed it on two items the pegs are high I have a 34" inseam and my knees were never happy and the stock seat is good for about 25 to 30 mins on a good day, at one time I had both the VT and the FT Ascot in the garage, I sold the VT and still have the FT. I'm in White Rock if you want a nice FT Ascot to poke fun at let me know.

Well, one good thing about a shaft drive that doesn't have an anti-torque arm is that it teaches you to be smooth on the throttle. A valuable lesson, indeed.

The song which begins at 6:34 is "Window with a View", by Sleepaway Camp.

Wow I won the lightweight class at Daytona in 1986 on one and the # 1 plate in District 7 on one. All I did to it was put a honda 750 front end on it for dual disk brakes and made my own exhaust pipe for it. I thought it handled well for a shaft drive. I loved it. Super dependable.

Ah the Ascot VT. My first bike. Very easy to be mean to it if you've been on better and newer bikes, but it was a nearly PERFECT first bike. Not too powerful. Quirky, so I had to get my hands a bit dirty. And fun... This bike is/was seriously fun. Sure a CB650 or CB700 of that vintage would have been "better" bikes, but probably a bit much for a 19 year old who really just wanted to see what mountain roads were like on two wheels. I love you Ascot VT. You were the high school girlfriend who helped me learn to be a better partner to my later and more serious girlfriends.

I own an Ascot presently. Low miles. Extremely reliable. Not sure why… but I’m obsessed with its uniqueness, build quality and ride experience. The combination of v-twin thump and shaft drive whine in this skinny package… idk I love it.

My first bike was a red FT500 (the other Ascot). I went with dad went he bought it back in ‘83 (was an ‘82). It had flaws, but I sure enjoyed it.

I've own street and dirt bikes since the early 70s. My '84 Ascot was easily my favorite motorcycle that I've ever owned. Very responsive, you could REALLY lay it down and it would top 110mph on flat roads. And of course you can feel the bike lift up a little during acceleration. So what. They are great bikes! I took it to Sturgis numerous years. (about 400 miles each way) It a great bike bike to explore the Black Hills.

Always loved the styling of the v-twin ascot, and considered it in 1984 as a first street bike when i turned 16. Went with the CX650e instead; another beautifully styled bike. The hondaguzzi stayed with me for over 100,000km until replaced with a VFR. Miss those days when there was so much variety within every manufacturer's lineup.

I rode one for 7 years , it was fun. I had a custom exhaust and rejet. I'm 5'8" , it fit me perfectly.

I don't normally give a negative review on what somebody else has posted, and this is a pretty slick and professional review, but I feel compelled to respond and justify why I "dislike" this, as I have owned, restored and ridden 2 of these models... Just to summarize some of the Specs: This bike weighed in at around 450 lbs., has a 6-speed gearbox and a (claimed) top speed of 120 mph (more likely to be around 105 mph...) This is one of many shaft drive models that Honda provided in the 1970/80's (and still does), such as the GL1000, CX500/GL500, CB550/650/700 Nighthawk SC, Sabre's, and Magna's, all of which means not worrying about lubricating, adjusting and replacing a chain final drive. The review has a title that certainly grabs the readers/viewers attention. But IMHO is overall unfair, and even with the analysis on this - somewhat imbalanced and biased (for example, I'm not sure about the point being made when FortNine is trying to put the bike on a center stand from the right side of the bike, and not the left?). Scroll through the responses here of riders who actually owned (for a while) the VT500 Ascot or other VT500 models (and not to be confused with the single cylinder, SOHC FT500 Ascot)... Read the reviews below from those who have had one, have used it and learned a lot on it and then maybe had other motorcycles (that might have been larger capacity or just because...) all seem to have left fairly positive responses about the bike. To categorize this as the "worst" is purely subjective based solely on the bikes appearance and style, beauty (as they say) is in the eye of the beholder. The seat height is fairly low on this and even lower on the VT500C, which appeals to some riders. A well-maintained version of these bikes can provide an owner with a ride that is safe, stable and fun to ride. Like all bikes (not just Japanese), as they get progressively older, then it can become harder to find parts and do cost effective repairs. Honda in the late 1970's and 1980's continued to follow a path of innovation and experimentation with vehicles they brought to market, which is alluded to and briefly covered here, other manufacturers did the same too - it's a boom to bust mentality that allows R&D departments to be funded and explore what a market might be able to support. Many examples (not just this one) are now regarded as "classics", and collectible as previous owners re-live their youth or just want a vehicle for investment purposes. With all that said, having restored and rebuilt this model, I will say that the maintenance, repair and restoration on this bike is a challenge. For example: - as this V-twin has 4 spark plugs, possibly for emissions or reliability purposes. But to change 2 of them is an almost impossible task, and made easier by removing the cylinder head cover... As with any older carbureted vehicle, if not looked after the carbs will need to be rebuilt or replaced. getting parts for that is easy - but the installation of them on this bike, with a very confined space and a "chamber" that connects the air filter to the carbs makes the overall task very, very time-consuming and frustrating. One particular item that I replaced, and which required a lot of work after having and losing spark on one cylinder was the Pulse Generator, which is the core of the electronic ignition timing. To replace this requires the exhaust to be removed, as well as the right engine crankcase cover. The engine is an integral part of, and connected to, the frame, so access to replace the Pulse Generator also requires the engine to be supported/jacked up. All very time consuming... The bike is also liquid cooled, so long term there is a possibility of contamination of engine oil as gaskets or the water pump might break... Bottom Line: Overall, a very nice, affordable, reliable bike that can - if well maintained, provide many years of great, fun riding. Most parts for this are available, either as New Old Stock (NOS), used, or after-market replacements. I would rate the bike with an Overall Grade of maybe a "7 out of 10", or a B+. There are better bikes, this is almost definitely not the worst...

I had one for a couple of years and I loved it. It was light, zippy and I could carve through the hills endlessly. I had no problem with the key. I didn't like the look of the square headlight so I switched it out to a round one. It got a lot of attention at the biker cafes. I never had a problem with it, tires, oil changes and once I had the forks repacked. I thought it was a great little bike until I upgraded to a Hornet. Then I sold it for what I had paid for it. I like the smoothness of Hondas and the fact that stock you don't need earplugs.

My heart dropped when I saw the notification haha. My first bike was an 84 vt500 ascot i got when i turned 18 a few years ago. I sold it and eventually tracked it down a year and a half later and got it back. 20k miles and 38 years old and still runs and looks immaculate.. they are definitely not the worst of the 80s

The VT500 bike was divided into THREE versions! The Ascot (sold only in North America), the VT500 Shadow and the European and Japanese "Eurosport"! (VT500E) I had the latter in the 1990's as a touring bike and courier workhorse! BLOODY BRILLIANT! Would do 2000 miles per week and allowed me to sleep/party at weekends as the maintenance was minimal. I STILL have one rotting in the backyard and WAS converting it to a cafe racer style weekend toy, when health caught up with me and ended that! The VT500 was an innovative motor, that spawned an entire range of bikes from the VT125 Shadow, all the way up to the original XRV 750 Africa Twin! Honda LOVED the V-Twin! The shaft drive was to allow COMMUTERS to experience motorcycling without the greasy and dirty job of chain maintenance! ...and it worked! ....Check out the CX500/650 history! The VT500 was the successor, but not as popular as the CX! (due to the inboard front disk, which again was meant to hide the "dirty bits"!) I liked the "Ascot"! It was an unusual "flat track" take on the commuter, but VERY rare here in the UK! Sorry Ryan, but you showed a lot of "Murican" bias here! There is MUCH MORE to the VT500 range than you showed here! ....and a lot of it was very good!

I love the laugh at 3:22, the laugh showing how much fun you can still have just revving the thing they made. It's good to know what to avoid, and I really appreciate how you break down and connected the ideas over the years. Edit: After seeing all the nostalgia others have offered up, the engineers were on to something, maybe not something great for the company overall, but for those who had one and loved it, something worth having despite its flaws.

Great channel, you have fans here in Brazil. Quality editing, amazing camera views, in such a beautiful country, always with interesting bikes on road. Ah, and the "funny" coeficient is pretty high. Congrats!

Ah, the Ascot, the name Honda loved so much they used it twice! I loved my FT, had it for twenty five years.

I've always heard good things about the Ascot. It's one some people would like to add to the stable if you keep more than one scooter around the house.

This is a very well shot video. Repeatable to watch, and I loved the shots, some great views and scenes. Made a bike I normally would pass over, one of my favorite videos I have watched from you guys, Keep it up!!

I love these videos you guys make about the obscure and bizarre bikes of yester year!

I own one of these, a bone stock version. It’s a great bike to ride. 500cc 6 speed transmission, fairly nimble and nice and quiet so when you zip down the road, unlike my 883c, nobody is the wiser. I followed a coworker who was riding a Gold Wing to Unadilla NY. to spectate the Motocross National one year. Brooklyn CT. To Unadilla and straight back after the race ended. One of my favorite riding memories for sure. We were techs(I was also the service manager) at Burt Ives Honda in Columbia CT.

If you read the review in Cycle World from August of 1983 the last paragraph says " But the handling is crisp, the controls delightful and the engine responsive beyond it's numbers. The Ascot is quick and sure and rewarding. The hype and compromises somehow fade away. The Ascot is fun." The bike and it's technology is almost 40 years old. It's not a modern sport bike. I have fun every time I ride mine.

Toured Europe 2-up for 2 months in 1985 on a UK spec, rented VT500 with dual pipes and a headlight fairing. While it was nothing special on the looks, power or handling fronts, it was extremely reliable and worry free for the entire 6,500 kms through England, Scotland, Belgium, Germany, France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Maneuvering through small village lanes and parking anywhere made this the perfect mid-80s europe-touring bike and it also got about 60 mpg with 400 lbs of load. It may have been a dog of a bike, however it allowed us to create some amazing memories.

This was really nostalgic for me. 35 years ago when I wanted to get back into street riding there was one of these babes for sale at a great price at the repair shop within a dog walk of my home. Went over there quite a bit and was so close to pulling the trigger. However, what I really wanted was a Moto Guzzi, and now I am so glad I did.

Personally, I think that unless you've got a small displacement bike that needs all the efficiency it can get, belts are the way to go. You lose only a little bit of efficiency, but the reduction in maintenance is significant.

Great as always.Please make a video for the new single cam Honda Transalp 750,i would love to see an interview for this engine from you!

My wife said I can't get a motorcyle, but I can still enjoy these videos because your humor is the best.

One of the best bikes made. I had an 84 and I drove it for 5 YEARS with BOTH HEAD GASKETS BLOWN AND A CRACKED HEAD. never left me stranded. I once even hauled a massive hay bail home from the farm shop bungee corded to the back of the bike. Its a real workhorse

My first bike was a brand new 1985 Honda Shadow 500 in Cherry Red, same engine. I loved that bike, shaft drive was the best feature. I remember this bike and thinking it was blah compared to the Shadow.

Honda certainly got their fill from this engine, I believe it was re-bored and re-headed several times; I was told that the shaft-driven NT650 and 700 Deauville's which make great commuter/tourers used engines that were derived/developed from the VT500. I've owned or ridden both models and they are great bikes, the lack of chain maintenance is something I'm ever-grateful for, and if longetivity is a any kind of indication, it was a stereo-typical Honda engine in that they could get decades of reliable use from it.

I lived in the UK then and enjoyed reading some of the US mags to see what was going on over there. I seen an ad for a red 500 Ascot and loved the thing. Fast forward 10 years and I was staying with friends in Florida for an extended vacation and noticed a neighbour had one, looking a bit unloved in his garage. A bit of a chat and some money changed hands and I was the new owner. I never left the city limits with it and as a general bike just for zipping around the city it was absolutely perfect. I never once regretted buying it and still remember it as a favourite. I was a superbike rider/racer back then and enjoyed the big fast bikes and associated action. The VT500 Ascot delivered exactly what I expected - motorcycling enjoyment!

Thanks again for another great production. I feel that a lot of time you're catering to us 60 year old riders. Remembering a lot of these bikes. Back in late seventies and early 80s oval racing and MX were king. Heroes I.E. Penhall, Hana ruled. Living in So Cal had great venues as of Cost Mesa fair ground Oval, Carlsbad and Saddle Back MX racetrack and riding parks. I owned a 1981 Honda xl500s with works performance rear shocks and extended front shocks street legal and could make it around the Saddleback mx coarse and ride to school and back. As I remember Honda made an Ascot 500 single cylinder with the same engine as the Xl 500s.

At 18, I had a Red 81' Ascot picked out at my local Honda dealer, when I took my day to the shop to see it. We quickly changed our minds to purchase a Honda CX650Custom. That too at 18 my first real bike was great. Still see the ascots on marketplace at times. Always think of the one I almost bought. Great video.

I completely agree with every statement you have made about the Ascot. But like many older models Honda produced, they now have a cult like following. I bought a non-runner FT500 a few years ago for $700.00 Cleaned up the carb, new battery, fork oil, clutch cable and chain. Many times while out on this bike someone, somewhere along my route I am asked if I want to sell it! Just like my CT90

Camera work, editing, writing and monologue are all on point for this video. Awesome work!

Fortnine on a roll. I love it

I've got a massive soft spot for weird '80s Honda bikes, especially one-year-wonders, and this one is no exception. I love the goofy styling on this one. Would fit in the garage great with my '88 Shadow 800 and my '83 Nighthawk 550. That shaft drive takes a bit of getting used to, but I love not having to deal with chains. Great video as usual!

Had a 500 Shadow version in the 80's and used it as a daily driver commuter (in the military) to the base and back home. That's probably where this engine fits well; not cruising, not in the twisties, not sporty, just get me there and back with just enough power to get the heck out of the way of the blind 4 wheelers. In the meantime I've lived a bunch of years in Germany, put thousands of kilometers on a GS1100, then a GS1150 including curving the Alps, a probably illegal level of fun on a bike like that. Now I've traded in the 2 wheelers for a 2 stroke 200 propeller thingy and a fitted sheet. Paramotoring is probably the most fun possible at 25 mph; you get to make your own curves and the views are always stunning. Plus, it's safer than biking because there's basically almost zero obstacles in the air. And the Inst360s? I'm all in on those. It's a game changer. (See my channel.)

Just love the scene where he parks in front of No Parking sign. Slides to a stop to do a review on the seat with sign over the shoulder. Every aspect of F9 videos are just so entertaining!

I owned an 86 Honda KnightHawk. I definietly experienced "Shaft Jack." That said, I was in college and I otherwise loved the bike! It saw 100mph+ every day that I owned it- and I never had to clean or adjust the chain! That was huge, 30 years ago, when a lot of chains were not O ring chains and had to be constatnly maintainted.

Even Honda can't be all things to all people. I purchased my first bike, a 1983 Nighthawk 650 (old school? new school?), and one of the promo give-aways was a deck of 52 playing cards. Honda had a different model depicted on every suit & rank. The two cards I can recall these forty years later was the my own Nighthawk was the King-of-Diamonds and the Ace-of-Spades was the V-65 (diffidently new school!) Magna. So the local "You Meet the Nicest People" Honda dealer would be more than happy to sell any number of the 52 different Honda models to meet your needs . And if you were looking for a bargain Honda had you covered because in a few years time they would over generous dealer rebates for left-over through 1987 and beyond. Thanks for posting and Awesome camera work!

I have never heard of "shaft jacking" as a problem before on shaft drive bikes. Never even thought about it. I am now further educated. Thanks F9!

I had one of these back in the day, my first bike. It was utterly buttetproof and would have been a great beginner bike if not for the deeply strange handling. I got used to its quirks that the cost of being by far the slowest rider our little group. I never had any accidents on that bike, but again I was always too wary to really push it.

Nice one Ryan F9! I recently bought my first ever motorcycle and I've been watching through all the fortnine videos for tips and tricks on staying safe out on the road and keeping my bike in good nick. You guys rock!

Interested, but the "Worst of the 1980s" , come on. This was peak AMF Harley Davidson era. They were turning out absolute garbage.

This is a video beautifully written enough to rival the Alaskan CTXP episode, or the KLR 650 Torture Test. The most carefully written, best line in there is something that makes me a little teary; "Honda famously confronts the old engineers, and says 'Your motorcycle is bad at everything!' To which they reply 'Yes. That's what it's meant to be.'"

I was in love with the Ascot, it looked the perfect motorcycle; small, light, easy maintenance, high revving, stylish. Then it was gone before I could get my license. Thanks for eliminating my 40+ year dream of the perfect motorcycle. Still riding, still looking for the unicorn of motorcycles.

I had an Ascot years ago. First bike I ever crashed. Hit the ground because of sand at about 50mph. Still got the scars. I have learned a lot about riding since then. That was a cool bike for 16 year old me. Glad I didn't break anything. Thanks for making a fun video about this wacky bike!

The funniest and most fun moto channel around. Thanks, Ryan & F9

I'm glad that you are honest enough to be willing to point out some of Honda's bad points. which are not that many. since other people seem to have a hard time saying anything bad about Honda. probably because they are biased because they own a Honda. I especially liked the phrase about shaft jacking that was hilarious. I owned a 1980 CB 750 K with a Vetter full fairing with lowers. and I thought it would be a good touring bike. that is until I took it for a 30 mile ride. and when I got to the destination. and took my hands off the bars and they stung so bad. I had to wait thirty minutes before I could ride it again. and I knew that I was going to experience this again. on the return trip because of the chain drive. but besides that I loved that bike. but I eventually sold it.

Hey !! Now you crossed the line . I owned 1 for a while and even did some production racing w/some upgrades and had fun and some decent results .But just about all you said is true😂😂

It may be a terrible motorcycle but it is the best looking motorcycle I have seen in my entire life.

At the time I thought the Ascot would be a great around town bike, and I liked clean & lean styling. Every motorcycle of the 80's had big square headlights, it was new halogen technology. Now that fuse box location is hilarious! I didn't know it was shaft drive, that makes NO sense on a bike this size! 🙃

Whoever snuck in the almost-indiscernible Wilhelm Scream when he turns the key at 1:25 deserves a raise.

From 2 videos a month to 2 videos a week, some substantial increase in tempo, I hope it isn't possible for an entire company to get burnout

Ascots and the 500 Shadow (same motor and chassis) are both fun little bikes. And they absolutely can corner well, it just takes a slightly different technique compared to chain drive bikes.

I had the Shadow 500 (same engine) and i was waiting for comments on the motor. Hands-down my favorite engine of any bike I've ever had, though the rest of the bike wasn't my favorite. I would have liked the Ascot but I guess now I'm glad I didn't have one. Maybe someday I'll pick up another Shadow or Ascot and swap the engine and driveline into another bike.

Great video!! My dad has an Ascot and doesn’t ever ride it for all the reasons you just talked about but he’s too stubborn to admit it! Can’t wait to show him this video! Haha

I’ve been enjoying seeing the 80’s cruiser videos recently. You should make one about the magna line up.

Since you're revisiting old motorcycles, consider doing a review of the FZS 600. I own one and the more I ride it the more impressed I am with how they made that Frankenstein's monster and it somehow turned out good.

This was my first bike and I'm getting ready to sell it. As quirky and weird as it is I think this is a truly amazing motorcycle. Light, small, cheap, remarkably reliable, just great. For a 40 year old bike I love it.

I have an 86 shadow 500. It was my first bike! I still have it. It’s had its issues.. honestly put a jet kit in it, lil valve adjustment recently. Thing runs perfect still puts a smile on my face. I’ve had mine up to 115 just about bangin off the limiter. Fun times ;)

The reversed image of the kickstand is freaking me out.

The VT500C (Shadow) was a better use of that drivetrain. 1983-86. Also used the same hilarious toolbox. OE toolkit came with about 20 items, 15 could be jammed into the box on a good day.

Can we top for a moment and appreciate Camera operator, thank you for these incredible shots!

Easily one of the most professionally delivered YT channels and wonderfully watchable at the same time.

Hey Ryan, is it possible that the ascot you rode was fairly poorly maintained? I never had an Ascot, but I had a vt500 shadow for a short bit and I loved it, I really didn't have any of the problems you mentioned, but the bike had been really well taken care of by it's previous owner. TBH, some big alarm bells went off for me on the "turn right rev out" thing, since that's a common problem with 80s hondas that've had their throttle cables improperly replaced. Then bigger alarm bells when you said you were having trouble revving it out to past 5k, bc my bike revved like crazy to the moon, and had a respectable power surge ~8k. But I think you wouldn't get that with a bike that had low compression or a not so in tune valve train. Just something maybe worth thinking about when you do reviews on older bikes.

My first bike was an 84 VT500 Ascot with 3000 miles on. I rode it for years. Doesn’t even hold a candle to my current bike and I don’t miss it

It’s raining this week on Nepal and Ryan uploads two videos in this week. Huge shout out 🇳🇵

Aahaah, that shaft joke caught me off-guard. Another great video in a long string (and history) of greatness. Thank you AGAIN all at F9!

My first street motorcycle was a Ascot single cylinder. Racing muffler, leaked oil always, but man what a fun bike! Fast for a 500cc. Loved that bike.

I had the Australian version VT500ES with the fully enclosed front disk brake. I remember it being a fun little bike, even managed to overtake harleys on mountain roads.