On the move: the Honda VF 500 F II and Yamaha RD 500 LC

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On the move: the Honda VF 500 F II and Yamaha RD 500 LC

On the move: Honda VF 500 F II and Yamaha RD 500 LC

Extreme athlete

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At the beginning of 1984, the Honda VF 500 F II and Yamaha RD 500 LC sharpened the sharpest blades in the middle class. With their powerful V4 engines and low weight, the two half-liter super athletes even threw the gauntlet on the established big bikes.

Do you remember the 1972 radical decree? Because of this directive from Federal Chancellor Brandt and the state heads of government in the 1970s, any civil servant candidate who waved a red flag was threatened with the end of their career. Fortunately, the motorcycle scene was spared similar endeavors.
Otherwise our two machines would hardly have gone into series production here. Because when they made their debut at the beginning of 1984, the Honda VF 500 F II and Yamaha RD 500 LC were considered ambitious revolutionaries who, with a lot of power and little weight, messed up the usual pecking order in the motorcycle scene. With just over 200 kilograms and liter output of 140 hp (Honda) as well as a fabulous 176 hp for Yamaha’s two-stroke rocket, the then most powerful half-liter machines were a serious threat to big bikes.

Both the Honda VF 500 F II and the Yamaha RD 500 LC made no secret of where they were born: on the racetrack. With its aggressive war paint and sawing two-stroke V4, the Yamaha actually looked like a direct descendant of Kenny Roberts ‘GP racer. An anarchist on two wheels, whose two-stroke flags were a provocation not only for the first soft green of the political landscape, but also for the good bourgeoisie. Sometimes the cold start in the morning was enough to push the tolerance limits of the neighborhood into the red area from a standing start.
I.In this regard, the Honda was much more reserved. Their appearance was also less prone to riot, although the marketing department threw around in the advertising campaigns terms such as racing experience, performance yield or super sports technology. One look at the cockpit was enough to see how the Honda VF 500 F II intended to implement the motto “Technology beats displacement”: with speeds of up to 12,000 rpm, a record in this country for production motorcycles.

The price lists also revealed superlatives: At 11,188 marks, Yamaha’s 500 series not only distanced the Honda VF 500 F II (9618 marks), but also many displacement cars. The most expensive production 500 series tried to justify these proud sums with all the technical gimmicks that were popular at the time: 16-inch front wheels rotated between the fork bars here and there. The latter also had an anti-dive system to minimize the front dipping when braking. The popular fashion was also followed by the chassis with double loop frames made of square steel tubes and two-arm swing arms (cast aluminum for the VF 500 F) with central spring struts. Honda relied on air support for the front and rear suspension elements, while the Yamaha managed without it. With the exception of the working principle of the engines and the packaging, the two V4 half-liter racers had a lot more in common than it looked at first glance.

Despite these similarities, the careers of the two light athletes were contrary. While the Yamaha first found its two-stroke master in the Suzuki RG 500 Gamma, presented a year later and subsequently became a cult bike and sought-after collector’s item, Honda’s former V4 techno motorcycle now ekes out an existence on the edge of perception. Mostly as a cheap means of transport in worn-out condition, good and original VF 500 F / F II are the absolute exception. The fact that the Honda was hardly able to gather enthusiasts is not only due to the somewhat dubious reputation due to broken crankshafts in some early models and the problems of the larger-displacement V4 sisters, but above all to the lack of a nimbus of uniqueness that the RD 500 with its four-cylinder Two-stroke engine since the start.

Stop, objection: a Honda VF 500 F II is also a very special motorcycle! Where, if you go, is there a V4 in the middle class today? High time to break a lance for the VF 500 models with their splendid and characterful drive. Before the last good specimens fall into the hands of bargain hunters and come to an unworthy end as a cheap means of transport. There is no longer any danger with our model, it has recently been in my garage. The liaison is so fresh, however, that my view of the Honda is not yet clouded by the pink glasses – the trip with the Yamaha RD 500 is the first few kilometers with her. As is often the case at the beginning of a new relationship, there is still a feeling of insecurity that makes you search and weigh up whether it can actually be one in the long term.

Manuel Wahl hasn’t been concerned with such thoughts for a long time, he found his Yamaha RD 500 LC a few years ago. It is a US model, in the typical Yamaha racing design, which he has just brought up to date technically and visually. Great, then our journey through time can begin.

Honda VF 500 F with high smoothness

In the autumn of their careers, the once sportiest half-liter machines show what they can do.

One step on the very high mounted kickstarter is enough and the cold Yamaha four-cylinder comes to life. With a lot of noise and even more smoke, the RD coughs its displeasure into the air. In contrast, the Honda V4 starts completely unspectacularly, and immediately pleases with a clean throttle response. While Manuel still has to persuade his fog launcher to go to work with metered thrusts of gas, I can no longer wait, and with my new acquisition I take the first few meters under the newly resoled wheels. Is the Honda finally running smoothly after cleaning it several times and carefully adjusting the carburettors? Yes! I’m relieved. And it is surprising how naturally this sophisticated engine pushes down below. The 500 series pulls off gently but emphatically, and the gears of the extremely smooth shifting six-speed transmission are quickly stepped through. Even at the highest level, the Honda glides quietly, grumbling, with 2000 tours without grumbling or swallowing. What is striking here is the inconspicuousness of the mechanically very quiet and low-vibration four-cylinder engine – it looks like something could happen to both of us.

Waaang, Manuel pulls past, the Yamaha RD 500 LC has now also woken up. However, we treat ourselves and the engines to some closed season, it is cool on this wonderful October morning. The Honda makes it easy to warm up to. You sit comfortably upright on the petite machine, only tall ones have to fold their legs up quite nicely. The playful handling of the Honda VF 500 is already evident in strolling mode. With its narrow tires, it can be steered through the tight curves of the brightly colored vineyards without any effort. No tilting, no sudden righting moment when braking, the Honda drives neutrally and cleanly keeps the targeted line, which is not a matter of course with 16-inch front wheels. Provided that the pilot himself doesn’t bring any hectic into play.

The Honda VF 500 II reacts so sensitively to steering impulses and weight shifts that you think you’re on a much lighter machine. In addition to the targeted line, there still seems to be a second or third line for the Honda that would fit. Once you get used to the super-handy handling, it whizzes through the radii with remarkable stability, and even bumps don’t take it off course. Both the fork and the Prolink central spring strut work perfectly, which is probably also due to the low mileage of the VF of just 3500 kilometers.

The sun climbs higher, as does the cooling water indicator. Now, well warmed up, the V4 can show what it’s made of. Throttle valve on draft, and with an angry “wrooar” from the airbox under the tank, the 500 storms forward. The motor with its low centrifugal mass revs up in a flash, takes another deep breath between 5500 and 6500 tours, and then cheers with a dull rumble, completely uninhibited, into the red area at 12000 rpm. Next gear, same game. What fun to keep the voluminous-sounding V4 hanging on the gas above the 8000 mark and accelerating out of the corners with a bang. Thanks to the pleasantly even and jolt-free power output, you can also pull the cable in a predictable manner in an inclined position.

An engine that wants to be challenged, but never overwhelmed. In combination with the agile chassis and the easily adjustable, amazingly effective brakes, this still results in a strong combination for narrow country lanes, on which the Honda VF 500 F II can even show the taillight to more modern and more powerful bikes. An extreme athlete who is at home in almost all disciplines of everyday motorcycle life and even reveals a sense of the practical with the main stand and storage compartments?

Yamaha RD 500 LC with two faces

Not only from the front does the Yamaha look much bigger than the petite Honda.

You won’t find it in the Yamaha RD 500 LC. Like all attributes that could be significant in everyday life. To a two-stroke newbie like me, the Yamaha RD 500 LC actually looks like a radical extremist, with an almost disturbing uncompromising attitude. Manuel just grins when he puts the key in my hand. I have only once passed, now full concentration is required. My goodness, how the thing grinds and rattles when it is stationary, plus the tinny sawing from the four exhaust pears. Sounds like all the innards of the two-stroke V4 are working more against each other than with each other. At the moment they are no longer working at all. Stupid beginner’s mistake, at 3000 tours nothing works without a slipping clutch. I’m glad I don’t see Manuel‘s face right now, I can already imagine his broad smile. But not what makes a Yamaha RD 500 LC so fascinating. Honestly, the Yamaha is an imposition in the city, it bucks, it smokes and wants to be tormented from traffic light to traffic light with clutch support. Incredible, this long first gear, at 50 km / h the tachometer needle is at 3500 tours – but the comfort zone of the two-stroke only starts at 5000 rpm!

So let’s get out of here before the candles soot and my hands go to sleep. On the RD you sit more gathered and more forward-looking than on the Honda, just like Roberts feels & Co wish. My wish for a free run is finally coming true. Second gear, 4000 revolutions, 5000 and – man, what happens now? Suddenly the Yamaha tightens the reins, changes its tone and shoots forward with a brutal kick that shocked me knocking into the next gear. So, the same game again: clear straight, second gear, let’s go.

And how. As soon as the tachometer needle passes the 6000 mark, the Yamaha RD 500 LC changes its character completely. Suddenly any unwillingness has vanished, if the shafts, gears, servo motor and exhaust rollers work together perfectly, the Yamaha releases its power like an explosion. It bewitches with a soundscape of bassy intake noise and bright exhaust singing that is addicting. In addition, there is a striking smoothness at high speeds, all the mechanical noises and vibrations are magically removed. Likewise, my doubts about the fascination of this two-stroke powerhouse. From an emotional point of view, the RD is really awesome, its driving dynamics downright breathtaking. A heavenly driving experience, which is only rewarded if you are ready to go through hell for it. And the Yamaha RD 500 LC only has a few hundred revolutions between these two extremes.

With its all-or-nothing attitude, the Yamaha RD 500 LC presents a real challenge in everyday life. It is actually not an extreme athlete, but an athlete who only knows extremes. Do you really want to explore them in normal traffic? In any case, long-drawn curves lie in the directionally stable RD more than tight corners, where the narrow rear tire often fights in vain for grip because of the performance that begins like an attack. In addition, the heavier Yamaha drives more wobbly, does not achieve the neutrality of the Honda, although the raised Bridgestone BT 45 – as with the Honda VF 500 – also reduce the tendency of the RD to stand up when braking. Nevertheless, the pilot has to work more on the RD. With the clutch, when turning, when braking. For such a snappy drive, the internally ventilated stoppers also appear quite toothless.
That doesn’t change the extremely high entertainment value of the Yamaha, which is clearly shaped by the engine. With the Honda, on the other hand, it is the extremely wide range of applications that is impressive. Travel or lawn, the VF 500 F II has it all. Just not this kick of the Yamaha RD 500 LC beyond the 5000 mark, which I can’t get out of my head.

In detail: Honda VF 500 F II

Purchase price of the Honda VF 500 F II in 1984: 9,618 marks.

technology
Small displacement, great effort – this was the only way the Honda engineers managed to elicit a peak output of 70 hp from the compact half-liter V4. Back then, in 1984, that was a record for the 500s. It goes without saying that this was only possible at high speeds. In order to achieve this and at the same time minimize the mechanical stress, the developers had to go to the weight limit for all moving parts without sacrificing durability. This was only possible with the help of the computer. The result: extremely slim connecting rods and light cast aluminum pistons with very short shafts and wall thicknesses in the area of ​​the piston skirt of sometimes only 0.8 millimeters. Furthermore, duplex timing chains for the four overhead camshafts promised less friction and more precise timing. These actuate the four valves per cylinder via maintenance-friendly fork rocker arms with two adjusting screws. The structure of the liquid-cooled half-liter engine (compression 11: 1) is largely similar to the other 90-degree V-engines in the VF family. In the 500 series too, a short, stiff crankshaft rotates in plain bearings with two crank pins offset by 360 degrees, each of which is engaged by two connecting rods. Mass forces of the first order cancel each other out. In the cast-in gray cast iron liners, which have no support to the outer cylinder jacket (open deck principle), the pistons (60 millimeter bore) cover a distance of 44 millimeters – resulting in a harmless mean piston speed of not even at the nominal speed of 11500 rpm 17 meters per second. The combustion chambers, each with a central spark plug, are fed by four 29er Keihin slant-flow carburetors, and the power is portioned by a claw-shifted six-speed gearbox. When it comes to the chassis, the Honda VF 500 F II followed the fashion common at the time: square double loop made of steel, 16-inch front wheel, central spring strut and fork with anti-dive system.

Checkpoints
Due to a machining error, the crankshafts could break on early 1984 models (chassis numbers 2001006 to 2001426 and 4000114 to 4000193). If the machine in question is one of these series, check whether it was converted back then. Otherwise, the smallest V4 of the VF family in this country is considered to be quite robust, despite its filigree technology, if it is treated accordingly. This includes in particular the careful warm-up. Rabid cold start heating often takes revenge on the 500 series in the form of outbreaks on the camshafts (pitting), especially since the oil supply to the valve train ex works (long distance, hardly any pressure) is not optimally solved. The small V4 is less thermally sensitive than the 750 and early 1000 variants. In the chassis, in addition to the usual wear parts, the main weakness is the corroded sliding bushings of the floating caliper brakes. Rusted frame beams are also known because drain holes were forgotten in the factory.

market
The cracked reputation of the entire VF series is reflected in dumping prices. Really good and original VF 500 F / F II are the absolute exception today anyway, but even such copies rarely cost more than 2500 euros. Assembling a worn out VF 500 is hardly worthwhile, spare parts are expensive, and many things are no longer available.

Specialists
Alex Nolte in Nuremberg is the only one who still deals intensively with Honda’s VF models. In addition to his conversion kit to improve the oil supply, he has many other parts on location. Information at www.maniacmotors.de

Data (Type PC12)
Engine: water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke V-engine, two overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, operated via rocker arms, displacement 498 cm³, output 51 kW (70 hp) at 11500 rpm
Power transmission: multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, chain drive
Chassis: Double loop frame made of square steel tubes, telescopic fork, Ø 37 mm, twin-arm swing arm made of cast aluminum, central spring strut, Comstar composite wheels, tires 100/90 H 16 at the front, 110/90 H 18 at the rear, double disc brake at the front, Ø 255 mm, disc brake at the rear
Dimensions and weight: wheelbase 1420 mm, weight with a full tank 206 kg
Vmax: 201 km / h

In detail: Yamaha RD 500 LC

Purchase price of the Yamaha RD 500 LC in 1984: 11,188 marks.

technology
It was of course no coincidence that the Yamaha developers based themselves on the image-laden concept of the OW71 GP racing machine, with which Kenny Roberts was able to achieve the vice world championship in 1983. The 65 kilogram two-stroke V4 of the civilian RD 500 LC was not a direct descendant, although the installation position, the cylinder angle of 50 degrees, the six-speed cassette transmission and the external appearance suggest this. In contrast to the OW71, the series engine has a balancer shaft, the timing is much slower, and the engine housing is made of aluminum instead of expensive magnesium alloys. Nevertheless, the housing of the civil RD, which is split at the crankshaft level, houses many highlights. For example, the two coupled crankshafts with four ball bearings, which are also necessary for the V-arrangement due to the two-stroke principle to enable four separate crank chambers. Theoretically, this configuration could also be viewed as a connection between two independent two-cylinder engines. Or, like Yamaha, speak of a V4. The coupling takes place on the right-hand side via straight-toothed spur gears, which are synchronized with the primary gear on the coupling basket in such a way that the crank pins are each offset by 180 degrees, so that the diagonally opposite pistons are in the same cycle.

The balance shaft driven by the lower one rotates between the crankshafts. Because of the narrowness of the Vau, only the upper cylinders take the membrane inserts directly, the lower cylinders are integrated in the motor housing. This requires asymmetrical pistons with upper windows and a closed shaft as well as an adapted channel guide. The cylinders (WxH 56.4 x 50 mm) have thin-walled centrifugally cast sleeves with a split inlet slot (only above), five flushing slots and the outlet slot, the diameter of which is determined by the rollers of the power valve system via the control unit and electric servomotor via desmodromic cables and a synchronous rod be operated. This servo motor, together with the position of the throttle, also regulates the delivery rate of the external oil pump. This sits on the back of the engine and supplies the bearings of the crankshafts and connecting rods as well as the pistons with the lubricant. The oil pump is driven by intermediate gears from the primary drive gear. The lubrication of the gearbox and spur gears under the right engine cover, on the other hand, is carried out by a trochoid pump with its own circuit via the gearbox oil sump. The mixture preparation by the four outwardly turned 26 mm Mikuni jet carburettors is also unusual.

Checkpoints
If you want to buy an RD 500, the support of an experienced specialist is highly recommended. The two-stroke V4 is a sensitive one, whose complex and extremely difficult to tune technology requires an expert hand. Every 1000 to 1500 kilometers, a routine check of the oil and fuel lines and the spark plugs is recommended. The exact interaction of the many cables of the carburettor and exhaust control should also be checked. So hands off the RD 500 with a recognizable maintenance backlog or unclear history, especially since the spare parts situation for some components is now tense.

market
The prices only know one direction: up. Ordinary RD 500 are hardly available for less than 7000 euros, original top copies are in the five-digit range.

Internet
www.rzrd500.com
www.zweitakte.de

Data (Type 47X)
Engine: water-cooled four-cylinder two-stroke 50-degree V-engine, separate lubrication, inlet through diaphragm, outlet controlled by a power valve system, displacement 499 cm³, 65 kW (88 PS) at 9500 / min
Power transmission: multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, chain drive
Chassis: double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork front, Ø 37 mm, two-arm swing arm made of box sections, central spring strut, cast aluminum wheels, tires 120/80 V 16 front, 130/80 V 18 rear, internally ventilated double disc brake front, Ø 267 mm, fixed calliper, disc brake rear
Dimensions and weight: wheelbase 1375 mm, weight with a full tank 216 kg
Vmax: 223 km / h

Strengths and weaknesses at a glance

Which for whom? The strengths and weaknesses at a glance.

Uli Holzwarth, about the Honda VF 500 F II
Many years ago I drove a VF 500 F II – and was thrilled. This has not changed after the first trip with my VF. It’s great how agile the Honda still drives today, with what speed the very independent sounding V4 cranks through the rev range. For me one of the most underrated youngtimers.

Manuel Wahl, about the Yamaha RD 500 LC
The RD 500 is an absolute milestone that should not be missing in any collector’s garage. There will never be a V4 two-stroke again. Every time I get them out of the garage, it’s like traveling back in time. And I remember again the enthusiasm with which the RD was received at the time. Just lovely!

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