Early production changes

[the doctor]

I was cleaning the baffles out on my bike today and had a look ay my spare pipes and found another early numbered bike difference. The silencer tips are a little shorter and the tube was perforated. I thought if there was a thread to compile all the differences like the steeering head gussets, steering lock locater and exhaust flanges and now these tips, someone doing a restoration can be sure they are as correct as possible. Are there any more and is it worth it to find the title on this early number to build it up? Anyway, here is a picture of the change.

[ssmacdon]

I have an early 47X Canadian model. I think has been discussed the shorter tips - they say the made them longer to keep the pipe drool off the tail and rear fender, makes sense I suppose. There is a comparo pic on this site:
http://www.rd500ypvs.co.uk/RD500.htm

I think I had the baffles out of my early pipes but I don't remember the perforations. I'll have to check. Are you sure the factory made the perforations and they haven't been modified. It looks nice like the factory would do.

I noted another difference - the coolant and injection oil tank (main tank) on my early bike are black plastic and the later models have a semitransparent plastic that you can see the fluid level through. Look at the back of the coolant bottle and you will see a large groove. The early bikes had a piece of clear plastic tubing plumbed in that ran up the channel - you used this tube as a sight to determine the level in the overflow tank. It was quite cumbersome. They changed the plastic and discontined the tube, but the channel is still there - too much to change the mould I suspect.

Scott

[jackson.40]

Lets start a thread on all the different things between a 47x and the latter bikes

[rztom]

Might as well use this thread - we've already started....

And let's not forget the MAJOR changes to the last production run in Sept. of '85 (the "S" model)....

[0094]

Interesting, in Australia the first models brought into the country were reffered to as MK1's, they had shorter exhausts stubs, no shroud around the ignition, no fancy alooy bobbins holding the rear seat cowl on etc. I think the first models were the RZ500L and the next batch were the RZ500N, I could be wrong.
I have a couple of both, and I have just bought my fifth bike on the weekend, its a bloody disease.
Was also riding on the weekend with a bunch of mates in the hinterland of the Gold Coast, made a 916 look a bit silly, love my RZ's, 23 years old and still kicking but, yes you know who you are Mr. Ducati man, ha ha. Rz's rule.