THE WORLD’S GREATEST BIKES #15 YAMAHA RD500LC
The rise, fall and rise again of the most eagerly awaited bike of the 1980s…
No bike of modern times has been as eagerly awaited, stoked up such a storm nor been as short-lived as Yamaha’s 1984 RD500LC.
The first of a trio of mid-’80s 500GP replicas (the others being 1985’s Honda NS400R and Suzuki RG500), the two-stroke V4 seemingly had it all. And yet, within three years it had been discontinued, used prices had crashed and it wasn’t until recently that it’s been recognised as one of the greatest modern classics.
The 500LC was arguably the most extreme product of a golden age of Japanese development. From 1980 to 1984 Honda went from unfaired, air-cooled, tubular steel framed, twin shock CB900FA to fully faired, liquid-cooled, alloy framed, monoshock VF1000R. Kawasaki similarly went from the Z1000H to GPz900R, plus there were radical two-strokes and turbos.
But Yamaha, hell-bent on usurping Honda as No1, were most ambitious of all. Models like the 1981 TR-1 and 1982 XZ550 signalled their intent, then, in 1982, rumours of a 500GP replica had fans frothing.
With hindsight, it made sense. Yamaha had a long history of performance strokers, the RD250/ 350LC duo were best-sellers and the 1982 V4 OW61 500 GP bike had just been debuted by Kenny Roberts.
Inspired by that bike, the RD500LC was unveiled at the Paris Show in October 1983. On looks alone it was a doppelganger for King Kenny’s succeeding V4, the OW70, right down to the twin exhausts exiting its seat.
Under the fairing, like both racers, it wasn’t a true 50-degree V4, instead having twin cranks meaning it worked as a pair of 180° parallel twins geared together.
With a claimed 90bhp and 180kg (dry), although short of the racer’s 120bhp and 131kg, the 500LC had enough to be on par with the GPz900R’s 108bhp and 228kg.
Initial race results heightened the anticipation. Bikes arrived in Australia first, in April ’84, with Michael Dowson winning the Hub 300 at Lakeside, Queensland. So, by the time it arrived in Britain in June, prompting Bike magazine’s cover: ‘Take a good look – there ain’t no way you’ll get this close again’, expectations were unprecedented. The first shipment was a sellout with some even selling their queue spots for a premium.
Sadly, that was also as good as it got. Although evocative and fine handling, the performance was actually a little underwhelming. The claimed 90bhp translated to a real 80 at the wheel, so although quick, it wasn’t earth-shattering. Yamaha had also arguably gone too far in sanitising their 500 with a comfy riding position at odds with its ‘razor’s edge’ image.
Racers also struggled. With Yamaha failing to build the 1000 required in time, the 500LC didn’t qualify for 1984 FIM events while plans for the following year’s F1 series also stalled.
And that was because in 1985 the world changed again… and the moment was lost. Suzuki came out with the more powerful, lighter and edgier RG500 and 100bhp GSX-R750, the latter the far better ‘racer straight out of the crate’. Yamaha debuted the new FZ750, a bike that was far more significant for the future, and Kawasaki their first GPZ600R, a bike with pretty much all the performance of the RD500 but with added practicality for £200 less. Very quickly it was clear it was the start of a new Supersports 600 era. By 1987 the 500LC had been canned.
Today, however, the 500LC is recognised as one of the greatest modern classics. The first ‘500GP rep’ it was also arguably the most sophisticated of the breed. It’s also symbolic of a golden era of biking excess which is why it’ll cost almost £20K to bag a good one.