Well priced RG500 & NS400R for someone?

[Richie Rich]

RG500 on bikesales HERE

Says it has GSXR forks but they aren't Suzuki. Given the blue-spot calipers my guess is YZF(FZR)600.

NS400R on bikesales HERE

Looks to be in good nick with lots of history - seems to be very good value.

[Evil Dwarf]

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[aaronmvrider]

i knew you would be on the hunt... is the 350 gone to its new home ???

whats going on with the mito

[Evil Dwarf]

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[oiler]

Good tip guys - i picked up the NS400R late today after reading this thread - Aus compliance bike and 1 owner from new... little bit of tidy up work and she is in very good condition.

Cheers

Brian

[Jetflyer]

Hi guys,
I bought the RG and just after some help regarding wheel colours.
A set of stock wheels comes with the bike in either black or white...which colour was stock?
My looking around the net seems to show both.
Cheers
Tom

[Evil Dwarf]

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[Richie Rich]

Good tip guys - i picked up the NS400R late today after reading this thread - Aus compliance bike and 1 owner from new... little bit of tidy up work and she is in very good condition.

Cheers

Brian

Nice work Brian! I reckon you got a bargain - especially seeing the bike is Aus. delivered and 1 owner, good on you. I'm glad too becuase at that price was sorely tempted to go have a look myself.... but there'd be no way I could explain the appearance of another bike in the garage to the wife...

I'm glad someone on this forum got this bike.

[Richie Rich]

Hi guys,
I bought the RG and just after some help regarding wheel colours.
A set of stock wheels comes with the bike in either black or white...which colour was stock?
My looking around the net seems to show both.
Cheers
Tom

Nice purchase Tom - looks like you've got yourself a nice RG there - welcome to the forum.

I think that ad said the bike came with std forks etc. but if not there's a couple of fork sets on ebay for RG500's now + this complete front end with forks, wheel, triple clamps, front guard, clip-ons, calipers etc. - check it out HERE

[robwilliams]

As a long-time RG owner, I can tell you that mine came with the black rims. Mine is a '85 model. But I like the clean look of the white rims. So I bought a second set and modified them to fit modern rubber and had them powdercoated white! I originally purchased a set of CBR 600 F2 rims to go on (still have them) and had these powdercoated white as well.

[fredie]

very nice finds an deal
what did u do to the wheels

[Jetflyer]

Black is the standard wheel color on all RG 500s that came into Australia...

Nice bike by the way....!

There are plenty of RG nuts on P.S.B.
thay will be willing to help ya...

Welcome to P.S.B. too...!

Thanks for the prompt information and the welcome to PSB, I really appreciate it. I am sure that I will need the brains trust down the track.
Cheers
Tom

[Jetflyer]

Nice purchase Tom - looks like you've got yourself a nice RG there - welcome to the forum.

I think that ad said the bike came with std forks etc. but if not there's a couple of fork sets on ebay for RG500's now + this complete front end with forks, wheel, triple clamps, front guard, clip-ons, calipers etc. - check it out HERE

Thanks Richie,
It's a pretty clean machine just needs a tidy up from sitting around and some good runs to clean it out. Might give the carbs a clean out depending on how this goes.
The bike came with all the stock front end, wheels, brakes etc so all good there.

Will probably be after some guidance in the future as its my first RG.

Cheers
Tom

[Jetflyer]

As a long-time RG owner, I can tell you that mine came with the black rims. Mine is a '85 model. But I like the clean look of the white rims. So I bought a second set and modified them to fit modern rubber and had them powdercoated white! I originally purchased a set of CBR 600 F2 rims to go on (still have them) and had these powdercoated white as well.

Thanks Rob, nice to know that black was the colour stock. I too am torn about the nice look of the white rims....might steal your idea...

Cheers
Tom

[Jetflyer]

very nice finds an deal
what did u do to the wheels

Thanks Freddie...pretty pumped to be 2 stroking again.

Tom

[robwilliams]

You guys ready to hear my story?
I sent the second set of RG rims to Kosman Engineering in the States and had them modify the rims. Basically they cut the flanges off the rear rim and welded on two wider flanges to make the rim a 5"x17". I'm running a 170/60/17 on the back. The front I had them cut the flanges off, increase the diameter to 17" instead of 16" and widen to 3.5", to give me a 3.5"x17" and allowing me to run a 120/70/17. They have done these mods many times and others have done the same mod. It's made a diffrence to the handling, in a nice way.
By the way, the rear ride height needs to be adjusted to compensate. I had the rear cushion rod replaced by a heim-jointed opposing thread, knurled bar, so I could adjust the ride height and also put in a modified 1990 GSXR WP rear shock. By luck the shock came with the near perfect spring ratio (weight) at 6.5 kg ( I weigh about 74kgs). I had to get the lower end changed to replace the horse-shoe coupling that the shock uses for the GSXR, and after trashing the original WP remote reservoir (don't ask), I replaced it with a GSXR 750 Showa unit. I had to mount the WP shock upsidedown to clear the linkages and get a longer braided hose to compensate. The fork internals have been modified to take Race Tech Gold valve emulators and Race Tech straight rate springs. So the damper rod had to have it's compression holes widened and extra holes drilled in. Radar, who used to run Kev Curtain in his Superbike Yamaha squad did the fork work for me. But these now need their teflon bushes and seals replaced. They leak a bit. I made a replacement fork brace / mudguard mount out of 12mm thick ally, using the stock one as a template.
As with a lot of home grown work, nothing goes smoothly. The original swingarm was twisted, so when I took the CBR600 rims to Gav at Forbs and Mills engineering to have spacers etc made up, we discovered the swinger was ever so slightly twisted. So a second hand swingarm was bought from ebay. The place where all of my stuff has been purchased, except for the WP shock. I've spent years researching what works and what doesn't. The CBR rims were purchased because they gave the multi spoke look of std, but were the right sizes. People like Rick Lance in the States advocates a 4.5"x17" rear rim to run a 160 tyre. My 170 on a 5" just fits, witToodyay 164.jpgh about 4mm clearance between the rear brake stay arm and the rubber edge! I aksed Kosman to make th rear a 5" on purpose. It gives the 160 tyre a wider sToodyay 306.jpgpread or can take a 170. You could fit a 180 in but this may be over-tired! My bike is STD in motor dept and more than enough fun in this format. No need Toodyay 032.jpgto get silly on the rubber.
The CBR rims have all the setup neccesary to fit onto an RG, except for the spacers and caliper brackets.
Some images below:
Toodyay 100.jpg

[Richie Rich]

Very very impressive Mr. Williams! I wasn't aware you could have rims not only widened but increased in diamater as well - amazing stuff - dare I ask how much that would cost? (I guess the shipping alone wouldn't have been cheap).

Your RG looks great - and I'm afan of the white wheels!

Actually, while I have you - care to comment on WP as a rear shock? I just picked up one from ebay for my '85 GSXR 750 - I don't really know too much about them (compared to ohlins / fox / penske etc.) - seems to be well made.

[Benno #03]

Niiiiice, Very Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.
I'm a huge fan of a white wheel also and the extra width looks great.
Great Job and interesting read.

[robwilliams]

Thank you Mr Rich. The initial rim purchase price each was about f20 from eBay UK. Got a mate there. I got him to send the wheels one at a time to Kosman in the States. Can't recall what the parcel shipping cost. Before he sent them, he did me a favour of blasting the rims clean. He's the kind of mate I'd donate my right arm and left testicle to. Wheel widening etc cost around $500 each plus the shipping back here. If I can find it, I'll try dig out any info I have on the costs. I was very impressed with their work quality, speed of turnaround and how quickly the rims were despatched to me. I then had them powdercoated here, got new bearings pushed in and mounted them up.
On a side note, If I knew that I could get premium rubber here for a 16" front, then I would have just widened it and not gone up in diameter. Saving a little bit in weight. I know that the older CBR900 ran a 16"x3.5" front, but it used a 130 section tyre, not a 120.

WP have been around for years and a good competitor to Ohlins and the like. They are a Dutch company and were initially known as White Power, but chose to go forward with WP (I speak under correction here). Not sure if it ws a racsit connotation thing or not! Anyway, I spotted this example for sale in the Ossie Park bike wreckers store as a second hand item. At the time, I bargained for it and got it. I was a bit more skint in those days. I took it to a bloke in Willetton I think (cant remember his name), who used to do WP suspension. He went to the States, brought back the bits needed to convert my shock and then revalved it and set it up for the RG. I had him incorporate a ride height adjuster in it, but it turned out too long.
So I cut it down...sacriledge I know. The spring rate was already fine.The shock performs well and I've had no handling dramas with it. But I don't race either, so don't even know if I'm using it to it's full potential. It does feel better than the standard shock though. More compliant and seems to handle the bumps better. The only downside I've found re my WP shock was in trying to locate a replacement reservoir like it originally came with. So be careful not to damage your original.

[fredie]

very nice .
here is the info
Motorcycle Specifications