Opinions Please - What's the most collectible CR500

[Hoony]

I probably should delete this tread before my Yamaha compatriots tar and feather me (or worse)  

No, we'll just make you suffer the indignity and the humiliation of thinking about owning a Honduh.
(Says the may who owns... let me see... four of the bluddy things). 

Let's see what the Nancy Boys have to add to this:

81 = 450 = pooh.
82 = 480 = much better.
83 = 480 = much refined (particularly suspension and 5-speed).
84 = 500 = better again, still air-cooled.
85, first of the water cooled. Bulk HP by most claims.
86, I believe just an update of the 85, power spread widened.
87, gets rear disc and (more importantly) cartridge forks.
88, just refinements.
89, crappy USD forks, and  think the crappy delta-link rear end.

On the money from my perspective Nathan, Well done  and a good summary

[YZ250H]

I told you they'd be onto me 

Are you Honda blokes on something .  That Yamaha bloke reckon the 84 is air cooled - is that right or not ??  Was it a transition year ?

[Hoony]

I told you they'd be onto me 

Are you Honda blokes on something .  That Yamaha bloke reckon the 84 is air cooled - is that right or not ??  Was it a transition year ?

1984 CR500RE is AIRCOOLED next model was the first water cooled CR500

[suzuki43]

In all honesty who cares! they are all dirty Red Lemons!

[YZ250H]

Thanks Honda boys - My mind is made up.

I'm sensin' a bit of sour grapes (lemons) there zuk man - surely the legend cannot be untrue 

[motomaniac]

1984 CR500RE as its a  pre85 bike with a front disc
1985 CR500RF the one that's claimed to have the most horsepower, but a nice ride all the same.

Agreed!

going against the concensus here - 83/84 for great (aircooled)pre 85 bikes

I didnt like the 85 . Alot of power but harder to ride than the 86/87 plus the 85 had none cartridge forks and a whimpy shock. 86/87 had cartridge forks and half decent (tunable) rear shocks.

[Hoony]

wow 1000th Post by you moto!

take a spin on mine Moto at HBBB at easter mate. its not a stocker in suspension ( cartridge forks and WP shock).

[TT]

I don't know anything about them.......... and I can't recall ever riding one............. but for me the coolest looking big CR was the '83 480.  

With the '84 500 a close second if it weren't for the "cooling wings".  

[holeshot buddy]

none of them are any good
but if i had to choose
it would be 1985 RF 500
or 1983 480 RD

1984 had shit suspension and weird powerband and poxy kickstarter
1987 had desert tank as standard and shit shock :'(

ha ha get a kx500 they were all good

[YZ250H]

OK, so everyone head over to the very rarely hit Kawasaki room where I shall ask which KX500 was the best 

[mainline]

I dunno Rusty, looks like Bailey has the lead here


I don't own one, probably never will, but I'd go the '86 model...


[imghttp://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn38/mainline_bucket/johnson.jpg][/img]

[mainline]

[YZ250H]

Uh Oh - I sense a fellow piano tuner getting a taste for the red ones.  What's going on here ? 

[mainline]

mate, nothing new, i'd kill for anything red from '86

[holeshot buddy]

wardy was just lappin baily
and all the other shots the kx has checked out and gone

anyway they are works bikes they dont count