RG500 HMM rebuild? No, but a freshen up, YEP! [Archive]

Arronduke

20th July 2012, 20:57

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Highest 10 post count... RG500 Ok I am looking to make top ten... to me that will be a good result.

Me I like to build bikes... classic bikes... real bikes... yep... I can see you nodding... yep I hear you... 80's bikes. REAL! bikes. Bikes that changed ... well BIKES.

Me I am going to start a rebuild of this bike..... .. bugger to wasted to post a picture.
Until next time

I am back... purchased this un seen fron Nelson.... asked 68yr old that I broubht a machine off... to test ride it. He was the only person that I knew in Nelson. So I rang him and asked him to test ride a bike I wanted to buy. He said its been a while but ok... Cool i said... Can you go to X... and test ride an RG500 please.

Well he went f#ck... NO... NO way... I told him that there was no one else that I know can have a look at it. It was from a collector who had mostly H1 and H2.. he was a piolet. .. ok cant spell ... man that flies.. .. so anyway he went and rode it... then told me that the rev counter did not work... haaa it does not start until about 3-4k.
Yep the RG500 has a rep...bigger than the bike... but its cool. 4 x two stroke exhausts blasting smoke, the scream of 4 squelling roosters.. and the bike hits 6.5K the front wheel starts lift as the power band starts to build. Unreal... unreal... the rush...

OK... I will try.

<a href="http://s982.photobucket.com/albums/ae304/Dukeman2/?action=view&current=DSC04316-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae304/Dukeman2/DSC04316-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

onearmedbandit

20th July 2012, 21:31

Very, very nice.

Arronduke

20th July 2012, 21:49

Thanks... a piss head used to park an RG500 out side the prosepect Howick... I just looked at it and said... one day i will have one.

Fast Eddie

20th July 2012, 22:00

awesome... I'd like to have on one day..

BMWST?

20th July 2012, 22:03

RG 500=riding through Wellington with pillion passenger,wheelies almost unavoidable

Henk

20th July 2012, 22:04

Leave it with me until you get your license back.

gammaguy

20th July 2012, 23:48

GSW

21st July 2012, 07:54

RG 500=riding through Wellington with pillion passenger,wheelies almost unavoidable

That is exactly what my brother used to do every morning with his then girlfriend-now wife... He would drop off his girlfriend off at the old Majestic centre and then wheelie from there to the bottom of Lambton Quay on his one. Though it was Robert Holden’s old RG500 and pretty fast.

Rcktfsh

21st July 2012, 11:07

That is exactly what my brother used to do every morning with his then girlfriend-now wife... He would drop off his gielfriend off at the old Majestic centre and then wheelie from there to the bottom of Lambton Quay on his one. Though it was Robert Holden’s old RG500 and pretty fast.

Could be wrong but can't remember Robert racing a RG, pretty sure he was riding the GSXR in open production.

gammaguy

21st July 2012, 23:27

I was at Manfeild when Robert,Steve Dundon and the WMCC crew were testing a few machines to see what the best set up would be for the coming season

This was 1985

Robert went out on the GSX R 750 F,then came back in after a few laps and went out on the RG500.

After a few more laps he came back in and said he was loving the RG and wanted to sort it for the season ahead.

He was quietly taken aside by Mr.D and informed that the GSXR was the bike he was riding.

I could tell which bike Robert would rather have been on.:cool:

SMOKEU

22nd July 2012, 09:59

What colour power band does it have?

SVboy

22nd July 2012, 11:43

Another Aaronduke rebuild thread-always top value-bring it on!

george formby

22nd July 2012, 11:57

Another Aaronduke rebuild thread-always top value-bring it on!

Yup, my aim is to match him beer for beer on this one.:headbang:

tigertim20

22nd July 2012, 12:06

awesome! id kill to take that thing for a hoon!

DMack

22nd July 2012, 15:19

:niceone: Sweet score, looks in bloody good nick too - if you are going to restore it back to original condition, I have a full set of original 500 pipes I'd swap and run the Jim Lomas on the race bike. Will watch with interest!

dangerous

22nd July 2012, 16:58

Very, very nice.... ya what? fark me man that all ya have to say? damn nab it, check them spannies out, woodies on jelly fish and all that :2thumbsup

avgas

22nd July 2012, 17:20

how the hell does one afford an RG500 nowdays? I thought all the investment bankers got the boot?

onearmedbandit

22nd July 2012, 17:48

... ya what? fark me man that all ya have to say? damn nab it, check them spannies out, woodies on jelly fish and all that :2thumbsup

For a very simple reason bro, words don't do justice for a bike like this. I'm a die-hard Suzuki fan, and an RG500 would be my ultimate toy.

sugilite

22nd July 2012, 18:06

I was at Manfeild when Robert,Steve Dundon and the WMCC crew were testing a few machines to see what the best set up would be for the coming season

This was 1985

Robert went out on the GSX R 750 F,then came back in after a few laps and went out on the RG500.

Yep, back in the day I rode both the RG500 and GSXR750 and told anyone that would listen that the RG was faster, not many believed me. I was racing one of Roberts ex GSXR1100's at Manfield and plowed it in practice, so a mate of mine offered me his RG500 he had ridden up on to watch the racing. We just took the mirrors off, taped the lights and put numbers on it. On the warm up lap I was adjusting the clutch cable on the go, and as it had never had the plugs out in it's life, so I was trying to clear it out at the same time!
I was in the then F1 class and started from the back of the grid. 5 laps later I'd made it to third place and passed one Shaun Harris riding his race prepped GSXR750 down the front straight on a BOG STANDARD RG500 in road trim! I tell you I was the most popular guy with all the RG500 riders watching the racing that day :lol:

In my opinion the RG500 was just a 17 inch front wheel away from absolutely annihilating the GSXR750 in every way. I found it suffered from ground clearance issues when I started levering up the wheels on the pipes, especially in Higgens!
Suzuki were always going to push the GSXR range as there were going to be 250, 400, 600, 750, and 1100's, I believed Suzuki at the time designed the RG500 to fail against the GSXR750 on the race track for that reason.

NAR RG500

22nd July 2012, 18:28

Yep, back in the day I rode both the RG500 and GSXR750 and told anyone that would listen that the RG was faster, not many believed me. I was racing one of Roberts ex GSXR1100's at Manfield and plowed it in practice, so a mate of mine offered me his RG500 he had ridden up on to watch the racing. We just took the mirrors off, taped the lights and put numbers on it. On the warm up lap I was adjusting the clutch cable on the go, and as it had never had the plugs out in it's life, so I was trying to clear it out at the same time!
I was in the then F1 class and started from the back of the grid. 5 laps later I'd made it to third place and passed one Shaun Harris riding his race prepped GSXR750 down the front straight on a BOG STANDARD RG500 in road trim! I tell you I was the most popular guy with all the RG500 riders watching the racing that day :lol:

In my opinion the RG500 was just a 17 inch front wheel away from absolutely annihilating the GSXR750 in every way. I found it suffered from ground clearance issues when I started levering up the wheels on the pipes, especially in Higgens!
Suzuki were always going to push the GSXR range as there were going to be 250, 400, 600, 750, and 1100's, I believed Suzuki at the time designed the RG500 to fail against the GSXR750 on the race track for that reason.

Well this may bring back some memories!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY1KNf5oPdE&feature=channel&list=UL

Yesterday on board an RG500 heading to a race win at Manfeild!!

dangerous

22nd July 2012, 19:07

Well this may bring back some memories!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY1KNf5oPdE&feature=channel&list=UL
Yesterday on board an RG500 heading to a race win at Manfeild!!
nice... farking awesome actually, You I asume? never done manfield or even been there looks like some good shit... so what were the two bikes leadig with you?

NAR RG500

22nd July 2012, 19:15

nice... farking awesome actually, You I asume? never done manfield or even been there looks like some good shit... so what were the two bikes leadig with you?

I built, maintain and spanner. Damian owns and races it

FZR1000 is the one steaming away on the straights, and Chappy's worked CBR600

evilrsvrguy

23rd July 2012, 12:31

must be hard to keep your licence on it ,NO wait its booze not speed that ya lose licence from......:nya:

ducatilover

23rd July 2012, 16:05

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:23

Leave it with me until you get your license back.

No worries henk... NOT... I have seen how you ride a race bike..

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:24

No worries henk... NOT... I have seen how you ride a race bike..

Oh and to add.... who said I have lost my licence?

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:34

from one RG owner to another

RESPECT.

:drool:

BTW they are worth more if they are original,now a very very good investment.If you have the original bits,keep them,if not,try and get them,

Yesterday a used RG500 engiine sold in Japan at auction for $6000NZD.Yes,just the engine.

so look after that gamma,feed it only the best diet and enjoy it.:cool:

True... funny thing is I sold all the original bits to build another bike. And to be honest I am not to worried. A friend had a modified RG500 and we are talking very nice and it went for 12k from memory about 3-5 years ago. I like to build / look / stroke / rub / polish my bikes. Not to interested in a museum piece. Key is... subtle improvements that someone would do to a standard bike... like to personalize it. Fact is... I would never put this back to standard, I like the look of those pipes and marvic rims which by the way were made for the RG for racing...so I am told.

Maybe not such a good idea selling all the origi bits but it was many years ago... brought this bike for $6500 and my mate said...."you paid to much for that!"

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:38

Yup, my aim is to match him beer for beer on this one.:headbang:

Cool... there is a new development..... in the name of saving money to spend on bike.... I have given up beer!

haaaaaa NOT, .... but a new development.... home brew... I can spend the extra cash on the RG... now thats a plan. Any one like small children?

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:45

... ya what? fark me man that all ya have to say? damn nab it, check them spannies out, woodies on jelly fish and all that :2thumbsup

Thats what i think... when i brought this thing... I had to have the pipes. Not to keen on the dangling forskined pipe... the one that leaks... But a stainless pipe with a little fibre ... well that gets the old falla moving....

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:48

Yep, back in the day I rode both the RG500 and GSXR750 and told anyone that would listen that the RG was faster, not many believed me. I was racing one of Roberts ex GSXR1100's at Manfield and plowed it in practice, so a mate of mine offered me his RG500 he had ridden up on to watch the racing. We just took the mirrors off, taped the lights and put numbers on it. On the warm up lap I was adjusting the clutch cable on the go, and as it had never had the plugs out in it's life, so I was trying to clear it out at the same time!
I was in the then F1 class and started from the back of the grid. 5 laps later I'd made it to third place and passed one Shaun Harris riding his race prepped GSXR750 down the front straight on a BOG STANDARD RG500 in road trim! I tell you I was the most popular guy with all the RG500 riders watching the racing that day :lol:

In my opinion the RG500 was just a 17 inch front wheel away from absolutely annihilating the GSXR750 in every way. I found it suffered from ground clearance issues when I started levering up the wheels on the pipes, especially in Higgens!
Suzuki were always going to push the GSXR range as there were going to be 250, 400, 600, 750, and 1100's, I believed Suzuki at the time designed the RG500 to fail against the GSXR750 on the race track for that reason.

WOW ... what a great post... loved it. cheers....
Oh by the way... just sold a GSXR750 87..... replaced it with an 86 1100. much better.

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:51

Well this may bring back some memories!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY1KNf5oPdE&feature=channel&list=UL

Yesterday on board an RG500 heading to a race win at Manfeild!!

Neil R....I assume! great vid.... I am loving your work!

Arronduke

25th July 2012, 22:53

must be hard to keep your licence on it ,NO wait its booze not speed that ya lose licence from......:nya:

Ok... how do i ban this wise ass....

nudemetalz

26th July 2012, 10:19

Nice......but I always thought my old RZ500 looked better, despite actually being rather inferior to the RG..

george formby

26th July 2012, 10:44

.... I have given up beer!:eek5:

home brew...:drinkup: I can spend the extra cash on the RG... now thats a plan. Any one like small children?

Oh, home brew. I put mine into 750 ml bottles, thing is after 4 bottles I end up trying to embed my spanners in the dart board from 30ft while wearing a pair of my G/F's knickers on my head. That's what it looked like in the video anyway, I have no recollection.
Keep the kids, you will need small hands at some point.

dangerous

26th July 2012, 18:09

Nice......but I always thought my old RZ500 looked better, despite actually being rather inferior to the RG..same, but some one tell us why the RG is suposed the beter?

Arronduke

26th July 2012, 19:23

Nice......but I always thought my old RZ500 looked better, despite actually being rather inferior to the RG..

I did to begin with but I had owned heaps of RZ's and LC's... then the RG250WD... that was a cool little bike.

Arronduke

26th July 2012, 19:25

Oh, home brew. I put mine into 750 ml bottles, thing is after 4 bottles I end up trying to embed my spanners in the dart board from 30ft while wearing a pair of my G/F's knickers on my head. That's what it looked like in the video anyway, I have no recollection.
Keep the kids, you will need small hands at some point.

Haa true... I am doing my first all grain beer tomorrow night... only take 4hrs.

I should be pulling the RG apart!...

nudemetalz

27th July 2012, 10:11

same, but some one tell us why the RG is suposed the beter?

Well, a mate had a black / white and red one exactly like this one (but completely stock) when I had my RZ500.

When we used to do the Akaroa GP, I found that the RG used to accelerate harder out of the slower corners (and hoist the front wheel when you weren't expecting it to..) plus it was more stable through bumpy bends. The RZ used to shake the front end quite a bit, esp when under power to the point where you really had to hang onto it. Out of the faster corners wasn't too much in it...and down the straights (on completely closed off to the public, race-track conditions only of course),...the RG had about 10km/h more than the RZ in top-end.
Where the RZ was better I found, was a smoother power delivery which made it more predictable.

I guess the specs speak for themselves:-
RG500 95hp 154kg
RZ500 85hp 173kg (steel frame)
RZV500 64hp but 164kg (the alloy frame shed 9kgs).

imdying

27th July 2012, 10:34

Yeah I found the RZ was easier to ride than the RG, didn't try to kill you as much; it kept the front wheel on the ground where the RG was all hey up she goes! Shit even a tuned RG400 wanted to reach for the stars all the time.

But I thought the RG was a better looking bike, just never liked the RZ upper fairing, and the mirrors were hideous. RZ build quality was higher though, although neither was stellar.

Both made a cool noise though :)

Hummed and harred a lot about it, and nearly bought another, but in the end naaaah, better left as a (very) fond memory.

Klark

3rd April 2013, 15:37

If Im not mistaken, Im sure thats an RG400 chassis if its the one I saw in Wanganui on display. Get the vin checked, 500's were HM31a-******, 400's were HK31a-******

celtickiwi

3rd April 2013, 20:29

same, but some one tell us why the RG is suposed the beter?

basically the rg was the better bike (in my opinion) because when the japs were making 2 stroke race replicas suzuki was the only one that had the balls to do it properly.i.e they took barry's bike put lights on it chucked in a balance shaft and altered a few ports and then put it in the show room.a standard rg engine is THE CLOSEST you will ever get to having a works engine in a road bike.honda ns400 had the engine upside down compared to the race bike(and only 400cc) and the rd500 was nothing like the race bike....v4 with 2 cranks?????? go figure. nope rg500 wins hands down.it was a race bike with lights....the rest were just look a likes

nudemetalz

3rd April 2013, 22:22

..................and the rd500 was nothing like the race bike....v4 with 2 cranks?????? go figure............

errr,..The YZR500..??
http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/race/wgp-50th/race_archive/machines/yzr500_0w81/

But yes you're right, the RZ engine was nothing like the YZR. The fact that they were both V4 twin-crank two-strokes was the only similarity.

gammaguy

4th April 2013, 02:01

Honda thought a single crank was the holy grail for some reason

Most Yam and Suz 2T multi were twin crankers

Ask Barry Sheene what he thought of them though!

dangerous

4th April 2013, 08:45

some interesting info above... GP engines were not what went into the RZ/RD or NS, but ya cant be telling me the RG5 as we had it here in NZ on the road had the same engine casings and frame as the GP bike? surley?

And what was with the twin cranks anyway? how can a twin crank be beter off when it near adds twice the weight to the bottom end and Id expect more friction?
Granted needed with a square4but not a V or like Kawa did with the tandom.

nudemetalz

4th April 2013, 08:48

dangerous

4th April 2013, 15:20

It solved the torque reaction issues by spinning them in opposite directions (geared together). Apparently this was a major issue with the single crank NSR.
Admittedly not an issue on 85/95hp roadies but when you're cranking out 160ish hp in 130kgs.....

understand... but what was this "torque reaction" I mean a spitfire with 2000hp will wana rotate the plane and keep the prop stationay right... but a bike's motor goes up n down, how does this affect the bike??? a rear example is the (dont farking lough) CX or Guzzi engine as it fights sideways through a drive shaft... even the BMW boxer fights its self and equals out... I dont get the inline torque reaction thing???

ducatilover

4th April 2013, 15:37

understand... but what was this "torque reaction" I mean a spitfire with 2000hp will wana rotate the plane and keep the prop stationay right... but a bike's motor goes up n down, how does this affect the bike??? a rear example is the (dont farking lough) CX or Guzzi engine as it fights sideways through a drive shaft... even the BMW boxer fights its self and equals out... I dont get the inline torque reaction thing???

AFAIK (which is fuck all) it's to help turn in and help engine smoothness.
The YZR-M1 uses a reverse rotating crank to supposedly help turn in

Sent from a packet of tasty pills

imdying

4th April 2013, 16:31

It solved the torque reaction issues by spinning them in opposite directions (geared together). Apparently this was a major issue with the single crank NSR.
Admittedly not an issue on 85/95hp roadies but when you're cranking out 160ish hp in 130kgs.....Was it torque reaction, or the roundy roundy bits not wanting to change direction with the rest of the bike being nullified? Along the same lines as wheels not wanting to turn with the rest of the bike (which of course means the bike doesn't turn!). Or is that the same thing? Torque reaction makes me think 'anti-wheelie' is why I ask.

nudemetalz

4th April 2013, 19:25

Was it torque reaction, or the roundy roundy bits not wanting to change direction with the rest of the bike being nullified? Along the same lines as wheels not wanting to turn with the rest of the bike (which of course means the bike doesn't turn!). Or is that the same thing? Torque reaction makes me think 'anti-wheelie' is why I ask.

This link may help explain:-
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/NSR500.htm

"......Just as significantly, they also changed the direction of crankshaft rotation. Ever since '84 there had been dark mutterings about 'single-crank voodoo' and a growing belief that the crank's gyro effect was responsible for the bike's wayward handling. In other words, crankshaft inertia made it hard work to steer the bike from its current course. Yamaha ran contra-rotating cranks, which canceled out any gyro effect, HRC thought that was the reason the Yamaha handled better. Two years later these suspicions would push HRC into testing their own twin-crank motor (not long for life, alas, for the single crank was now The Honda Way) but for now a change of rotation would have to do. Before '87 the NSR crank rotated anti-clockwise, so when the rider opened the throttle, the front would go light, sending the bike disastrously wide on corner exits......"

dangerous

4th April 2013, 19:32

This link may help explain:-
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/NSR500.htm

"......Just as significantly, they also changed the direction of crankshaft rotation. Ever since '84 there had been dark mutterings about 'single-crank voodoo' and a growing belief that the crank's gyro effect was responsible for the bike's wayward handling. In other words, crankshaft inertia made it hard work to steer the bike from its current course. Yamaha ran contra-rotating cranks, which canceled out any gyro effect, HRC thought that was the reason the Yamaha handled better. Two years later these suspicions would push HRC into testing their own twin-crank motor (not long for life, alas, for the single crank was now The Honda Way) but for now a change of rotation would have to do. Before '87 the NSR crank rotated anti-clockwise, so when the rider opened the throttle, the front would go light, sending the bike disastrously wide on corner exits......"

cool... so hows it work wit todays GP bikes, ok eletronics n shit right? what bout the 200hp Vmax? Iv ridden a 180hp MV all in carbon so weighs sfa it dont have twin cranks or balance shafts that I know of...

Kickaha

4th April 2013, 20:04

Nice......but I always thought my old RZ500 looked better
So did I, rode one on a tour through the NI up to Dargaville and back down

sugilite

4th April 2013, 21:52

I had both RZ500 and a RG400 and 5, the RG was the better bike, but I sooo loved the RZ more as it had fantastic character.

gammaguy

5th April 2013, 01:47

I had both RZ500 and a RG400 and 5, the RG was the better bike, but I sooo loved the RZ more as it had fantastic character.

So did mike vash.

Personally I love the RG because it steers superbly and feels just right,the RZ always felt a little more unrefined although yeah it had character how could it not........sigh....those were the days...

But wait....what's this in my garage:cool:

nudemetalz

5th April 2013, 07:38

One thing I remember about the RG5's was the bellypan would get a hard workout through the corners.

....and Gammaguy you luck bassstard....

gammaguy

5th April 2013, 16:56

One thing I remember about the RG5's was the bellypan would get a hard workout through the corners.

....and Gammaguy you luck bassstard....

cheers

the main reason people scraped the bellypans was because of the tyres

too many riders put on low profile rubber which dropped the bike down too far,remember the RG was fitted with 90 aspect ratio tyres

I have fitted a wider rear rim to mine and now run a massive 130/80:lol:

ktm84mxc

6th April 2013, 07:42

Have ridden both the RZ makes a lot more mechanical noise thus it feels more alive, the RG more silky and smooth but with a better ride loved riding them like a big bore mx bike a little clutch abuse and monster power stands . Did it along K rd in Auck on an RG drag racing from light to light nothing compares to a 2smoke at 9g in first and second gear, smoke noise smells .......