shopping in Japan

[skunkworks]

hey guys how ya doing? so I'm likely going to Japan in July . can any one point me to a bike shop or other resource in Japan that would be a good place to start looking for an rz500 ?
thanks guys.

[busa1300]

Here are a few for sale....but not cheap.
Try to see if you can get into the dealer auctions and find one cheaper.

https://www.goobike.com/maker-yamaha/ca ... index.html

[skunkworks]

thanks busa1300 that's a good start.

[skunkworks]

how much would you guys pay for a whole rz500 in parts. motor needs a rebuild?

[JonW]

'As little as possible, especially in these times...' has to be the answer surely? You pay as little as you can even in good times, the seller tries to get the most and you meet in the middle or close to.

Re today's market: While as an owner id like my pile of bits (and other bikes) to be worth good money it has to be said that right now toys are of 'uncertain value'. With a global recession already started you dont want to be over capitalised on any purchase, even if the seller is still clinging to the view of pricing from Jan 2020.

However, anyone who can hold onto their bike(s) should do so, the market will bounce back after all this is done.

Its the same with cars and Ive noticed here in Aus that some of the rarer models of the cars I like (I am a late '90s Homologation Rally car fan) where i watch the sales posts there has been an increased frequency in listings as guys try to 'get out' of their cars for what seem like 'good prices' (compared to the normal market) before buyers realise the market is on soft ground.

Any serious reduction in the price of the good examples of any model means that the examples at the low end become essentially worthless (or at least 'worth-a-lot-less'), that same low end example in a rising market is only worth money at all as the good examples become unobtainable for the guys with small budgets etc. Those examples get restored and more are on the road, but in a recession they languish and maybe just get sold as parts etc. That cull means that when the market comes back the good stuff is generally worth even more than it was though as in all less examples exist in the world.

This is what happened in the late 80s in cars/bikes which were very much overvalued and being used by the pension funds to make money, same with art previously etc.

[skunkworks]

dude was looking for around 8k Canadian. seems about 4k overpriced to me.

[JonW]

If that was in Australia in January this year that C$8k would have been a reasonable asking price with some wiggle room for negotiation. Today, who knows? What I do know is that if it was my bike, I'd not take C$4k unless I had lost my job and was in danger of losing my house and not feeding my kids. You never know what the situation is of the seller and its up to the buyer to decide how much advantage of that they take. Either way, C$8k seems a tough sell right now.

[silverstrom]

dude was looking for around 8k Canadian. seems about 4k overpriced to me.

$4K Cdn buys you very little these days. A complete engine in pieces can cost you that much. Price parts individually and try to build a bike. The cost is eye watering.

That bike in Alberta this week wasn't very pretty, but it sold for $8500 in 1 day. I think it was too cheap. They aren't making more of them and if you want to get into the game you're going to have to pay for it. If you buy a cheap mess and have to restore it you won't be saving any money compared to buying a nice example. In the end the cost will be the same. That's why we tend to say spend the money now and buy the best you can find. You'll save yourself the grief and time it takes to hunt down parts that don't exist in a market that's getting tighter.

I've been thinking about prices in this "new" economy. I don't think well heeled collectors will change the way they do things. Prices will stay robust and sales will carry on as per normal. The one issue I do see, though, is the closed or severely restricted borders. That may make travelling to pick up or deliver a bike challenging to do personally. Shippers should be exempt from border issues. The Canada-US border is restricted to essential travel only.

If anyone wants to sell me a complete RZ500, in pieces or otherwise, for $4K Cdn, let me know.

[skunkworks]

how much is an average engine rebuild?
parts $
labour $

[Speed Freak]

how much is an average engine rebuild?
parts $
labour $

More like
parts $$$$$$$$$$
labour $$$



But the good thing: Parts for the RZ/RD500 are still available (crankshafts, conrods, piston)
The problem of the 500 is that you have to count every part x4 or x2 for the crankshaft or expensive head gaskets.

[JonW]

cranks circa C$1000, pistons OEM circa C$1000 with gaskets. Add seals and other bits at a few hundred. if not doing yourself you will need to pay whatever the hourly rate is... then do carb overhaul etc etc.

[busa1300]

If you are ultimately trying to get a good running RZV/RZ/RD500 at a cheap total cost.....it is not now, nor will it probably ever be again possible.
I had been searching for almost 20 years for a good, yet under market value 500....
After looking for 20 years, I realized if I was really going to get one, I just had to find the cleanest one I could afford and bite the bullet.
Prepared myself to spend at least another $4000 or more to get it running again, and then make sure I hang onto it for another 10-15 years before I sell.....just to break even.
I think to most of us here the 500 is like a love affair....the desire to own one takes over common sense..... You really need to be committed to the dream.

[JonW]

I think to most of us here the 500 is like a love affair....the desire to own one takes over common sense..... You really need to be committed to the dream.

So true!

[RZVTokyo]

The prices for RZVs on the GooBike site have been increasing dramatically recently.

If you're lucky, some occasionally come up for auction on Yahoo Japan Auctions. There was a nice one which sold for about 10K USD a month ago.

It's mid-July and the entry ban for most countries is still in effect.

[busa1300]

Wow...15 RZV's for sale at the moment on GooBike....glad I got mine when I did (still 20 years too late, but...)
Looks like they are getting up into RG500 territory
TZR/SPR's are going through the roof too the way it looks....or at least what they are wanting for them.