52X & 53G RZ500

RZ-RD-RZV.... and everything in between

Moderator: rztom

Message
Author
0094
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:51 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Australian RZ500's - Differances between the MK1, MK2 &

#1 Post by 0094 » Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:38 am

Hi all, I have raised this subject before in another part of this forum, but when you have rebuilt a few different RZ's you see that they are very different in many subtle ways.

Differances between the MK1 & MK2

1. On the MK2 the frame tube that houses the special bolt set up for the hinge attachment for the suspension relay is a full tube on the MK2 and cut out out on the MK1.

2. The top triple clamp on the MK1 does not have a shround for the ignition switch.

3. On the MK1 the top exhaust tips are shorter and the rear seat cowl never came with those special button alloy bolts, only black socket heads bolts.

4. The MK1 frame also has different gusetting at the head stock journal and on the right hand side near the battery where the small polycarbonate exhaust cover bolts to the frame, the MK1 has a nut welded on the other side of the bracket, not a blind spigot.

5. The RZV has a different length swingarm bolt, which is 1" shorter then the RZ, and the mount for the kick stand is different and does not fit the steel frame model RZ's.

6. The air bow elephant ears on the MK1 have 47X clearly moulded into them, while the MK2 has no markings at all.

7. The routing for the coolant over flow from the top of the resviour bottle is completly different between both MK1 and MK2 models and the RZV.

8. The MK1 cam to Australia with a white plastic shroud at the back of the air box and also had heat sheilds above the upper exhausts inside the body work.

9. The MK1 has a different hose guide on the rear swingarm compared to the MK2.

These are the differances I have noticed so far, can any body add anything more.
James Hunter CLUBRZ Australia / Extreme Moto Imports

User avatar
rzatch
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 762
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:23 am
Location: Illinois

#2 Post by rzatch » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:46 am

So it's possible then that the three different models had different handlebars also.

Matty
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:13 am
Location: Melbourne Australia

#3 Post by Matty » Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:11 am

Hey James,
Do you happen to have the manufacture dates for the MK1 & MK2?
I believe my RZ to be MK2 date Dec 84. It has the white shroud behind the airbox and the elephant ears are marked 1GE.

And does anyone know what the purpose of the second oil tank is?
Last edited by Matty on Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

0094
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:51 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Build dates for the RZ500

#4 Post by 0094 » Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:59 am

I think the MK1 came out May 1984 and the MK2 November 1984.
James Hunter CLUBRZ Australia / Extreme Moto Imports

User avatar
rzatch
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 762
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:23 am
Location: Illinois

#5 Post by rzatch » Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:00 pm

Matty my guess would be that it's there sort of as a safety net. To give you a little bit more time to get oil. Not really sure just how far you can go before the pimary tank is empty once the light does come on. I've never let it get that low.

0094
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:51 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Handle bars

#6 Post by 0094 » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:22 pm

To handle RZatch's question about handle bars, The RZ500 replacement handle bars where different to the stock handle bars, and the RZV500 handle bars are alloy and the same as the one's on the FZ750 of 1982 to 1984.
James Hunter CLUBRZ Australia / Extreme Moto Imports

User avatar
rzatch
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 762
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:23 am
Location: Illinois

#7 Post by rzatch » Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:20 pm

0094 so what your saying is the MK1 &2 had the same handle bars but if you were to need a new one then you either had to buy two or had a miss matched one. Hmmmm doesn't sound real good unless your the guy selling them.

jamathi
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:44 am
Location: Australia

#8 Post by jamathi » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:31 am

The 2 I have are 53G 0004628 and 53G 0004629. 12-84
Mark 1's by the info from here.
one is completely rebuild, other one is still as from factory.

Matty
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:13 am
Location: Melbourne Australia

#9 Post by Matty » Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:52 pm

Hi Jamathi,
I would say they're MK2.
I'm really interested to know how you managed to find two RZ's with consecutive numbers, that's cool.

A question about serial numbers, do the last 4 digits indicate its number in order of bikes delivered to that region of the globe
or is it more likely to be the last three digits?

User avatar
rob da nutter
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 81
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:19 am
Location: Mount isa, Australia

#10 Post by rob da nutter » Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:40 am

do the numbers run inline withe the rest of the world, as in was there 47X0000142 then 53G0000143 or did each variant have its own set of numbers? i have 53G0000143 (mk1) and 53G0004400 (mk2).

jamathi
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:44 am
Location: Australia

#11 Post by jamathi » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:46 am

How I managed??
Pure luck!
One was wheeled into a wrecking yard and I got it straight from his van to mine, was locked solid, but it was the clutch basket gear that was broken and jammed.
REBUILD that one,here is is today, lines being projected for the black/white blocked band etc.

Image
the other one came from a dealer, who had it at home for many years waiting for a mechanic who could and wanted to work on it, as it would not start, he paid for 18 years!! registration while sitting in his garage!
I bought it of him and all that as wrong were some fuel lines, never missed a beat since
Here I am roaring arround on the circuit.

Image

User avatar
rztom
Site Admin
Posts: 1328
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:53 am
Location: Temecula, CA - USA

#12 Post by rztom » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:25 pm

As you guys can see, I split this topic off from the RZV one.... :cool:

As this discussion continues, this is what I see developing....

53G RZ500 MK1 = 52X RZ500 N = 47X RD500LC

53G RZ500 MK2 = 52X RZ500 RN = 1GE RD500LC

Of course, subtle differences are found as well between MK1-N-47X and MK2-RN-1GE.

Then we have the mysterious 3rd production run in late '85. For Canadian RZ models that was dubbed as the "S" model... who can tell us what the Aussie 53G was called as well as the Euro RD..?? :-)

Matty
- - - - -
- - - - -
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:13 am
Location: Melbourne Australia

#13 Post by Matty » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:04 pm

Tom,
I don't think Australia got this third production run.

User avatar
rztom
Site Admin
Posts: 1328
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:53 am
Location: Temecula, CA - USA

#14 Post by rztom » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:10 pm

Is that right, Matty? That's the version where Yamaha moved the balance shaft drive to the rear crank and added a flywheel on the left side of that crank too....

User avatar
jackson.40
*****
*****
Posts: 2328
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:01 pm
Location: Cambridge,UK

#15 Post by jackson.40 » Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:24 pm

I have just been looking at the Australia 53g bike numbers again as the letter from Yamaha Japan is missing a production run for the 53g bikes.This is what i think is correct.

53G000101-000600 500 (47X PARTS) MAY 1984
53G004101-004982 882 (1GE PARTS) NOVEMBER 1984

So the total for Australia/New Zealand was 1382 bikes

Post Reply