RD500 LC SPECIAL
We just had to ride this modernised version of the original GP-rep
When it was first revealed to the world in late 1983, Yamaha’s RD500LC was the raciest race replica ever built. Sportsbikes were still a new concept, yet here was a machine with a direct Grand Prix connection. There were no apologies and no half-measures: Yamaha were promising to deliver a road-legal version of the OW70 as raced by Kenny Roberts.
Today, however, the big Elsie feels about as radical as a sportstourer – to sit on, at least. With its handlebars mounted above the top yoke and footrests that don’t require yogic positions, the RD’s
riding position feels a fine place to be. But any notions of sports-touring are shattered by the menacing cackle from the four pipes.
This isn’t just a nicely restored RD500LC, but a thoroughly refurbished, revamped and revitalised special that performs better than new. A stronger motor, more sophisticated suspension, lighter wheels, sticky tyres and sharper brakes. More noise, too. The regular RD’s deep, distinctive rumble – the rhythm section of the bike’s sound – can still be heard, but it’s now accompanied by splinteringly crisp upper notes from its Two Stroke Addicts expansion exhausts. It’s a glorious cacophony that’ll have Extinction Rebellion spitting into their organic mung bean frappuccinos.
Back in the 1980s Yamaha claimed the RD500LC made just shy of 90bhp – but that was optimistic, with rearwheel reality just 76bhp. In standard guise that power is delivered in a slightly disappointing linear fashion, with none of the expected two-stroke kick. Not this one. This 500cc V4 has been pulled apart and put back together again by two-stroke guru Darren ‘Daz’ Wood, who replaced every seal and bearing along the way. To maintain reliability the motor hasn’t been tuned, but those TSA spannies, along with perfectly setup carburation and a programmable Ignitech ignition, have helped tease out the stock motor’s true potential. You’re under no doubt that the powervalves are rotating to fully open once the tacho sweeps past 6000rpm. From there the exhaust note hardens and the motor whips around to 10,500rpm with an enthusiasm that’d leave a stock LC for dead. Peak power – a true dynotested 83.4bhp – is now at 9000rpm, but the motor will happily hold on to the redline 1500rpm further on. That 3500rpm sweet-spot makes the whole rebuild worth it.
The stock gearbox is still a bit of a pain though. First gear is tall and requires a frantic flurry of revs and clutch slip to get the thing off the line with any sense of gusto. But the gap from first to second is like jumping across a chasm that has long since lost its bridge. Trying to change up at anything less than nine grand sees the motor drop out of its usable power completely. From second upwards the gearbox is fine; it’s just a shame the two lowest ratios spoil the show.
But while this RD500LC’s motor has been sympathetically and subtly overhauled, the brakes and handling are from another world. Originally the RD rolled on tyre sizes that read like a misprint today: a 120/80 16in front and a 130/80 18in rear. In their place now sit a pair of 17in custom-made Dymag wheels, made from lightweight forged aluminium, wearing modern-sized Dunlop Sportsmart tyres.
The 37mm right-way-up forks retain the RD’s original look. But inside the stanchions are stiffer springs, heavier oil and a blankedoff anti-dive mechanism, as well as a set of Racetech emulators designed to give damper-rod forks a plush feel close to a quality cartridge fork. And at the back of the bike – or, rather, nestled underneath the bike between the front cylinders’ exhaust pipes – is a fully adjustable Nitron shock. Its horizontal position means it would have been hard to mount a remote reservoir; thankfully, this unit doesn’t have one, so it’s spot-on for the RD. These enormous upgrades have not only dragged the Yamaha forward by several decades, they also highlight just how good the 500LC’s stock geometry and steel box-section perimeter frame really are. Gone is the wallowy, vague ride of the original, and in its place now rides a taut, sharp and accurate chassis that at last delivers a level of feel the bike deserves. Through an 80mph leftright-left switchback in deepest Leicestershire the RD, with its drastically reduced unsprung weight, changes direction with the merest pressure exerted through the pegs and a change in body position. A mid-80s machine shouldn’t be this good, but the lightness of touch required to steer the thing is remarkable. The ride too is a vast improvement over standard: firm enough to keep things taut, yet supple enough to absorb the worst of the road without sacrificing feel. A win-win, I’d say.
And then there are the brakes. Even when new the RD500LC never had the sharpest of stoppers, with its basic dual-piston front calipers and titchy 267mm discs. In fact, the brakes are what proved to be the starting point for the whole project. That’s what gave owner Paul Springthorpe the idea to create a gently modernised RD – but one that still looked standard at a glance. It would have been easy to graft on plenty of aftermarket options, but Paul had two stipulations: firstly, significantly larger 300mm front discs; and secondly, calipers that could be mounted without
‘Yamaha claimed the LC made just shy of 90bhp – but that was optimistic’
‘The lightness of touch required to steer the thing is remarkable’
‘The upgrades have dragged it forward by decades’
resorting to adapter brackets. The first problem was solved fairly easily, thanks to a set of Brembo 298mm discs for an R1, which still used the same disc bolt pattern.
The caliper issue was harder to solve. In the end, engineering firm Pretech machined Paul a fresh pair of four-piston calipers from scratch. They’re a work of art. Along with a full set of Venhill brake lines, it means that the majority of this RD’s unsprung parts are made in Britain. The result of all this work and meticulous care is a stopping setup that needs just a one-digit brush of the front brake lever. There isn’t exactly a lot of weight to stop either – Yamaha originally claimed the RD500 weighed 180kg dry, but between this bike’s new wheels and lighter exhaust pipes it’s probably five to 10 kilos lighter than that. Back in 1984 the RD500LC caused a storm. Demand outstripped supply, and some early owners started selling secondhand bikes privately for more than the £2997 new retail price. A flick through the small ads from the time even shows one 360-mile bike up for £5000. Once the hype had settled, the truth was that the RD wasn’t quite the GP-replica originally promised. After just two production runs, for 1984 and 85, interest fizzled out. But today an RD500LC feels incredibly special, with demand soaring once again and values topping five figures for the best examples. But this bike is better still – all the spine-tingling sounds, sights and smells and of an authentic 1980s stroker, but with a chassis to do it justice in 2020.