Picked up an 86 RZ500S!

[Paul Waterloo]

Pretty much stumbled across this bike, it's a work friend of mine, went to his house to mount some tires on my BMW K Bike and saw that he had this in his garage (never been in the garage before). It was his brother's bike who passed away a few years back. Both my friend and his passed brother have been bike guys their whole life. His brother brought it into Ohio from Canada years ago, it has an Ohio title. Last time it was registered was 1997!

The bike is pretty complete, but the fairings were not on it, nor the windscreen (but I have them, the left side fairing has some damage). It is missing the left hand side "intake silencer" or airbox connector from the air filter to the carbs. So I will need to locate that.

My first bike was an 85 Honda Interceptor 500 when I was in the Navy, bought it new. I now have just got back into riding and have a 2003 BMW K1200GT and a 1993 K1100RT.

I want to clean this bike up, get it running, and will probably sell her. This is how she has been sitting for last 3 or so years, before that, just been sitting in a garage in Ohio.



Brought her home and gave her a quick bath:



Just put some cardboard under the bike to support the lower fairing.







Let me know if anybody has a left side airbox inlet for the carbs.....will buy it from you, I see that it is needed to mount the fairing, choke, etc.

Such a cool machine!!

[jackson.40]

Hi Paul

You have a rare RZ500S 1986 model bike and only 150 were made.

You can read more about this model here................

https://www.rzrd500.com/500phpBB3/viewt ... =14&t=7506

PM Sent

Steve

[tacky1]

Now that is a score!!!’ Nice find.

[JonW]

Great bike, you might well enjoy the ride when its done and keep it. I do hope so.

[Linx]

It's going to be a beaut. Enjoy!

[Paul Waterloo]

Hi Paul

You have a rare RZ500S 1986 model bike and only 150 were made.

You can read more about this model here................

https://www.rzrd500.com/500phpBB3/viewt ... =14&t=7506

PM Sent

Steve

Steve-

Thanks for the info, I will have to edit the title to "Picked up an 86 RZ500".....I just looked at the title and you are right, it's an 86. Sent you the VIN number.

It's a very, very cool bike. Since I've only owned her for 24 hours, I will have to wait to see what I really want to do with the bike. Going on my first motorcycle trip in a long time with my brother and niece next month, I live in the Chicago area and will be going as far as Glacier National Park and back. Just short of two weeks.

[andyagp]

Hi Paul, an amazing story. Your friend owe's it to his late brother to get this bike back on the road with your help. I've just started to recommission a 1985 47X bike. Happy to share experience and any help I can give. Andy, Liverpool UK.

[jackson.40]

Hi Paul

There is a reprint handbook for this bike on Ebay.......................

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985-YAMAHA- ... 1438.l2649

[Paul Waterloo]

Thanks for the info!

I already scored the left side airbox from tacky1, and every time I go to the garage and keep looking at how cool this bike is. I am definitely going to keep her for a while, do some extensive cleaning, evaluation and hopefully starting. I'm in no hurry. Such a cool bike. I will make a thread on her.

Just got done doing that to my K1100LT, basically when I bought my other K bike, the shop manager asked me if I was interested in another bike, so I bought a 40K mile bike.....if anybody wants to see the thread, here it is, lots of pictures:

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,13506.0.html

I have been a long time forum poster, but mostly car forums. Just love taking things apart and putting them back together. And most of all I want to RIDE A 2 STROKE 500 CC 4 CYLINDER bike! Had an old air cooled YZ125 in high school.....can still remember when it would hit the power band to this day.....

[Paul Waterloo]

So I was away on business for 54 days in West Virginia and finally got around to taking the bike apart, started it a few months back. Also have the Indiana title for the bike now from the guy I bought it from, now I just need to title it in my name in IL.

So my question is, how the heck do you get the motor out?

So yesterday I started.....have to include a beauty shot:



So I took everything off according to the workshop manual including taking the frame portion off on the right hand side, then I took the rear shock assembly off (even though it really didn't tell me to) because I just couldn't see how the engine would come out without it being taken out. The bike squatted, don't know if there is some place to wedge something in to keep the frame up or not.

I first jacked up the front of the motor with a standard jack so I could get the shock assembly out, then I put the transmission jack under it. The engine still has the two engine mounts on the left hand side bolted up.

Should it be as easy as unbolting those two, then somehow sliding the engine down and to the right? I am not sure.....let me know how to do this, really appreciate it.

FYI, I did not take the thermostat housing off, do I need to do that for clearance to get it out?







And my son was tracking his car at Autobahn in the Chicago area this weekend, the exhaust broke at the flex joint, so I told him to drive it to my house and take my mini van back to IN. Now I have to fix that and his leaking power steering! LOL!

[phildu31]

You don't need to remove the shock and the radiator.
Once the exhausts are removed, put your jack under the frame and lift it up a bit, it will lower the shock and make place.
Remove the right side of the frame and the three engine mounts.
Engine weights 52 kgs and is removable by hand by one person.

[Paul Waterloo]

Thanks Phil, will probably put the shock back on it then and try again tonight.

[Paul Waterloo]

So in the end, didn't put the shock back on, just unbolted the two remaining bolts and the engine came out quite easily.

Now to start cleaning everything.

I did do a compression test before I started taking the engine out, and I believe these are good results, wasn't going to take the heads off, really just clean everything up and then figure out what requires replacement/overhaul:

Top Right 125 PSI
Top Left 130 PSI
Bottom Right 120 PSI
Bottom Left 120 PSI

[steveho]

You would be wise to strip completely to at least replace the crank seals and have a good look at everything else.
With a bike as rare as this, you don’t want to leave anything to chance.
Just imagine having to strip it again later on if something is amiss.....

[silverstrom]

Are you aware of the rear left crank seal issue with the RZ500S?