Buying a Yamaha RZR

Life Cars & Motorcycles
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Original Title: Ironman’s RZR for Sale

been shooting questions back and forth with Ironman RE: his RZR, which is for sale…maybe we could open the floor to the resident RZR/NSR/2stroke experts

is the bike modified in any way? has it been crashed? is it the original color scheme? has it ever been stolen from you(is it easy for theives to hotwire?)? do you take extra precaution when parking it, or can you leave it overnight without fear of losing your ride?

is it possible to mod the RZR to a 150cc NSR level, or as others have said before, ‘to high heaven?’ Can the RZR be modded even further(big bore, high compression) Can you give a 2stroke engine a flatside carb like the FCR or TMR? Would it make sense to mod a set of upside down forks/new steering triangles for an RZR? Are there any suggested replacement performance shocks that could replace the original 2 in the rear of the bike? Is the stock frame/swingarm rigid enough to accomodate an 80kg rider safely for long distances?

Is the alternator strong enough to power an HID lamp/ballast?

im trying to see if my bank account will allow for a new toy before Chinese new years. like you, I’d love to get a big bike, however the ‘its just an expensive toy that you can’t park anywhere out of a clear line of sight’-part of big bike ownership is really discouraging.

thank you guys

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In response to your mail…

As far as condition goes, thats up to him to describe, but I will say that yes, the bike is modified and quite fast 160+(I’m discounting what the speedo read, 180kph as unlikely) which I can attest to from first hand experience.

Yes, RZ’s can be nutted to the gills, but will never be as fast as a like-modified NSR.

The question of security is a tough one to answer…Like me, he just leaves his key in the ignition…Our security is that good.

I weigh 95kg and have doubled up everywhere and over everypass on this island including a straightshot from Chungli to Taidong monthly for a period of several years, so weight isn’t an issue. It’s more comfortable and has a larger (but more primitive suspension) frame than an NSR and works much better doubled up. I’ve ridden nothing else since 1990.

Keep in mind that this bike’s last year of manufacture in Taiwan was 1993, so parts can be an issue.

Actually, unless we want to make this an RZ specific thread, the details of the bike in question should continue via PM.

If you do a search, you’ll find bits and peices of RZ information scattered throughout Vroom vroom.

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[quote=“mungacious”]
(is it easy for theives to hotwire?)? do you take extra precaution when parking it, or can you leave it overnight without fear of losing your ride?
[/quote]From my experience, these bikes are still high on the hit list. In Kaohsiung anyways. They are really easy to hot wire, thiefs use a flat screwdriver and hammer it into the ignition. A friend of mine found his ignition busted one morning. Any of his keys would turn it on. We assume that the thief never noticed the disc brake lock before he busted the ignition so the bike wasn’t actually stolen. He had to replaced the ignition socket.

Another guy I know had his RZR going missing two weeks ago. It was old and as beat up as they get. This guy had this bike for like ten years and he never once cleaned it or maintained it. He recently crashed it and he had to replace the front forks and the mirrors so we figure it was stolen just for the forks if anything.

Also, some parts are very hard to find for these bikes. I’m sure some RZR’s enthusiasts would easily come to drastic mesures to get the part they need for their shiny supped up RZR’s.

Pics and description of Ironman’s bike would be nice.

bobepine

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I had my RZ stolen years ago. Yes- easy to steal.

I worked as an adjuster for a repossession company for 4 years stateside. It’s hard to steal shit from me. They did.

Parts are hard to get thus a target for bike thieves.

Thieves here are agressive I had one follow me to steal my customized seat off my FZ. I know who he was because he was an older guy riding an FZ who I saw eyeing my bike.

They are by far the best bike for the money on the island.

Bikefarm Jeremy and I taught a 5 foot nothing Taiwanese girl to ride one in an afternoon.

They are more stable than the NSR which is an even bigger target for bike thieves.

Two people I was close to lost their lives on this bike in Taiwan-(both drinking related accidents.) They are unforgiving little ponies.

I don’t know Ironman but judging from the company he keeps I’m willing to bet it was well maintained.

Buy it, ride it and crash it, you can still sell it for parts if you survive.

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A pic for those unfamiliar with the bike…This is my rock stock RZX 1992 model 135cc two stroke.

Ironmans is an RZR, which has the same frame, seat, motor etc…The only difference is that the RZR has a full fairing and clip ons. The difference in price back in a day was about 8,000NT. I’ve owned both, and can make some observations about the two different models.

The RZR is more stable at speed and in the twisties, and surprisingly you can duck in behind the small fairing when flat out. The bad is it sucks in the dirt, and you get a fair bit of “two stroke buzz” in your wrists after a long ride. You’ve got a fair amount of weight over the front end.

The RZX (as pictured above) is much easier to ride slow paced and is very comfortable. It’s much better on dirt track than the RZR, and is a better daily rider. The down side is it doesn’t handle quite as well, and the wind blast above 120 is huge. You sit very upright on the RZX, and if you have back problems this is the model to get. It also works better doubled up than the RZR.

Both bikes will wheel hop if the rear brake is vigorously applied at speeds above 140kph.

Both models are excellent for long distance road trips.

As Bubba two guns so aptly put, they are the best bike around by far for the money, and if properly maintained the damn things will run forever. Many of the parts on both RZ models come straight from Japan.

There is a dedicated group in Taipei for RZR/RZXs with several hundred members…I don’t have a link, but if these guys (Their bikes are all restored to new condition) have access to parts, then they are indeed still out there. Just hard to find.

Ironman’s bike does need a new home…It’s not getting the riding time it deserves.

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I have a RZR, which when I bought it was in pretty crap condition, but which I am slowly restoring to “good as new” condition, bit by bit. I’ve almost replaced everything mechanical (standard maintenance like changing gear oil, spark plugs, brake pads front and rear, and air filter, as well as a new piston, new ignition coils, new (gear-part thing which i don’t know the name for) new headlight (I got a new fairing too), new rear shocks, changed fork oil, new gas tank hose, performace exhaust (whole pipe, not just can), fixed tacho, fixed oil/neutral light. Next on the list is a new set of footpegs (some nice looking alloy/aluminium ones) as mine are chowed beyond recognition, and a new coat of paint (which might set me back a bit, but it’ll be worth it). Also looking to get a new set of Bridgestone Battlaxe tyres. This is what my bike currently has, and they make it stick to the road like glue. You can hit corners hard with these tyres. They cost more than your average tyre, but are difinitely worth it if you’re upgrading your bike. I’m also gonna get an o-ring chain (expensive too, but worth it IMO) to cope with the extra power from the exhaust. I don’t know if my exhaust is actually street legal (it’s f$$king loud as hell) but it’s given the bike quite a bit more power, and altered the powerband. The powerband, with the stock exhaust, was pretty broad and I guess directed at road riding, whilst it has now become more narrow, and focussed - but when you get into it, the bike SURGES forward with fury. :smiling_imp: I don’t think it has much bearing on the bike’s top speed, but has certainly made it accelerate faster. Yeah, these are absolutely great little bikes, best value for money on the island in temrs of performance for cash. Yeah, a souped-up NSR would probably be faster, but that’s gonna cost you more.

With regard to the seating position, my RZR has clip-on bars, as mentioned, but they are noweher near as uncomfortable as a FZR’s bars. I have a chronic wrist problem with my left wrist (from a motorcycle accident), and I couldn’t handle the forced-forward crouch of a FZR for long peroids of time, but the RZRs postion doesn’t put much strain on my wrists, it’s actually pretty upright and I can sit in the saddle for a long time.

I know you can get mono-shock conversions for RZRs, but I think it may cost a bit more than it’s really worth. If you need parts, look in the auction section of www.yahoo.com.tw. Always a few RZR parts available.

I didn’t know that they were big targets for theft though! Damn! I gotta get more locks for mine. I’d hate to see it disappear after all the work I’ve put into it…

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[quote=“MJB”]
Yes, RZ’s can be nutted to the gills, but will never be as fast as a like-modified NSR. [/quote]Sorry, but I have to disagree with you there. I did once build one that turned out quicker than my own modified NSR. Boy, was that a mistake :laughing:. The downside is that the RZ* engine will never be as reliable as the Honda at that level of tune, so it will need rebuilding much more often. But, you pay to play.

The reasons that the RZ* engine can be tuned further include:

There is room in the cylinder liner for boring out to 142cc. The NSR’s RC valve and the notch cut in the liner for it prevents more than a 1mm overbore.

The RZ* engine was designed from the ground up as a 135cc unit and the transfer ports are designed accordingly. There is still quite a lot of meat in the cylinder to enlarge the ports to meet increased angle/area targets. You can raise the exhaust port considerably, which moves the whole torque curve up the rpm range, then enlarge the transfer ports to support cylinder fill at the raised operating speed. The NSR was however designed as a 125cc unit and Kymco simply bored the same cylinder casting larger and pressed a cast iron liner in there. The original has a plated bore. The transfer ports cannot support high bmep levels at increased rpms, and cannot be enlarged much without breaking out into daylight. This is why the NSR150 makes peak power at around 9,000rpm compared to the 125’s 11,000rpm.

The RZ* has it’s reed valve in the cylinder and there is enough metal in there to allow a combination of grinding and an adapter plate to allow a Honda HX135 six-petal reed block and manifold to be fitted. This in turn makes it worthwhile to fit a larger carb like the NSR’s PE28 or a flat-slide unit like the PWK28. The stock RZ* reed block is so restrictive it’s pointless fitting a larger carb. The NSR meanwhile is a more modern design with the reed valve breathing directly into the crankcase. It’s not possible to open this area up for a larger valve and fitting a carb over about 32mm is pointless.

The RZ* cylinder head is poorly optimized in the squish area and removing about 0.30 to 0.50mm from the gasket face both raises the compression and at the same time actually reduces the likelihood of detonation. The NSR head is already pretty damn good from the factory, but the ignition system prevents any raising of the compression ratio. The CDI unit strives to improve midrange torque by advancing the timing, peaking before the RC valve starts to open, and retarding slowly back to the base setting around 10,000rpm. Even if it were possible to fill the cylinder beyond redline, the timing continues to back off and power drops off with it, and EGTs rise as well. Things start melting. It might be possible to get a 125 CDI box to rectify this but there’s no guarantee it will be compatible.

At the end of the day you will get about the same power output from the RZ* as the NSR, and the bike is much lighter.

Oh, and for the real headbangers it is possible to fit the complete cylinder, piston, reedblock and head from the YFS200 Blaster (quad). With some porting and head skimming you could build a 185cc engine with not stellar top end, but the midrange torque would be very impressive. A nice touring bike.

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[quote=“redwagon”]Sorry, but I have to disagree with you there. I did once build one that turned out quicker than my own modified NSR. Boy, was that a mistake :laughing:. The downside is that the RZ* engine will never be as reliable as the Honda at that level of tune, so it will need rebuilding much more often. But, you pay to play.

SNIP - cutting to the good part SNIP

Oh, and for the real headbangers it is possible to fit the complete cylinder, piston, reedblock and head from the YFS200 Blaster (quad). With some porting and head skimming you could build a 185cc engine with not stellar top end, but the midrange torque would be very impressive. A nice touring bike.[/quote]

:smiling_imp: now this is what im looking for…i don’t think theres much need to go higher than 120-130 under ordinary situations…ideally, im looking for a bike to learn how to REALLY ride on…i’m familar with the basics of riding and such, but there are things u just can’t/shouldn’t do on a scooter that you can do on a motorcycle.

Redwagon: which mechanic in taiwan is able to do such a conversion, the YFS200/RZR hybrid beast u speak of.

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No, I don’t know anyone who has done this. I had a friend in the US measure the cylinder and I pored over piston catalogs until I matched everything up. I know it will bolt together, and I already ran the calculations for the port specs. It all looks good on paper.
I have never seen a Blaster in Taiwan, and I have not yet had any luck sourcing a good used top end in the USA either. New cylinders are so expensive you would go out and buy a big bike first. You would need to find someone scrapping or converting a Blaster and scavenge your parts there. Try the west coast. When you score, get me one too? :wink:

BTW, because of the weight of the piston this conversion would throw the balance of the engine off quite a bit. For my application that would be okay, but you would end up with white hands after an hour or so on the bike.

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[quote=“redwagon”]No, I don’t know anyone who has done this. I had a friend in the US measure the cylinder and I pored over piston catalogs until I matched everything up. I know it will bolt together, and I already ran the calculations for the port specs. It all looks good on paper.
I have never seen a Blaster in Taiwan, and I have not yet had any luck sourcing a good used top end in the USA either. New cylinders are so expensive you would go out and buy a big bike first. You would need to find someone scrapping or converting a Blaster and scavenge your parts there. Try the west coast. When you score, get me one too? :wink:

BTW, because of the weight of the piston this conversion would throw the balance of the engine off quite a bit. For my application that would be okay, but you would end up with white hands after an hour or so on the bike.[/quote]

that would be something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-BLASTER-YFS200-TOP-END-KIT-INCLUD-CYLINDER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43977QQitemZ4602545360QQrdZ1

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-Blaster-4mill-Stroker-Ported-bored-MUST-SEE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43977QQitemZ4603951281QQrdZ1

but at 500 US dollars, it would cost as much as the bike itself(17,000NTD)

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Yes, that’s what you would need. The Wiseco piston is what I would have chosen myself.
The Blaster cylinder needs to be shortened by 3mm because the RZ* connecting rod is shorter. Other than that, it should all bolt up. Let me know by PM if you buy that and I’ll give you the optimized port specs. The Blaster was an entry-level quad designed to be very easy for kids and novices to handle. The power band is very docile, even boring. The cylinder will need to be ported to get the best out of the investment. The math is the hard part, and I already did that.

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I had a kill switch put into my RZR. Underneath where I sit I installed a button that when pushed in would completely disengage the battery. I found my ignition tampered with twice…but with no spark they could kick all they want without getting it to start.

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Mordeth, how did you do that? How much did it cost?

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[quote=“trapjaw”]Mordeth, how did you do that? How much did it cost?[/quote]I did the same thing on my scooter. Costs about 25NT for the switch. Remember when we replace your ignition coil, there was two wires to it. You have to install a switch on one of the wires. One can still start the bike with a disabled battery I think but with a disabled ignition coil, well, there is no ignition. You can buy a switch in most “plastic” stores.

bobepine

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An RZ* will start and run without the battery installed. In fact the only thing that stops it from running is the ignition switch, which grounds the ‘hot’ ignition wire from the CDI unit to the coil. Unplug the ignition switch and the engine will start. :astonished:
You can duplicate what the ignition switch does in a hidden location for better security. Get a single pole double throw switch. Switch closed leaves the ignitor connected to the coil. Switch open shorts the ignitor to earth.