In the later 80's and then in all the 90's era, the 500cc FIM World Motorcycling Championship shows the best "dogfights" of its history: Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Randy Mamola, Wayne Gardner, Kevin Schwantz, John Kocinsky, Michael Doohan was the Pilots.YZR, NSR, RGV was their weapons...

The YAMAHA RD500 was a unique bike: presented in 1983 at Paris motorshow as "Roberts Replica", this bike surprised the world, but was in fact a "Roberts style" because if its line and part of engine remind the famous YZR500 used by the yankee marsian , the overall performances was "tamed" by YAMAHA's project staff for street use.

Basically, this history starts at early 90's, when I started to update my '85 YAMAHA RD500 in accord to get "more" ! At the time I didn't have an end target in mind. The sportbikes available in the market at that time were big, heavy, ugly and "four-stroke." I was looking for something "special," a 500GP replica two-stroke!

After tons of early modifications, three years ago I finally understood (better late than never) the best way to build up my RD500 was to have a clear target in mind. The RD500's engine is not an easy unit to modified: 90° intake manifolds, cylinders with different ports from bottom to upper, and the crankshaft not so strong. So the target was: just enough engine power to not compromise reliability but still have plenty of bottom and middle rpm thrust. Ultimate handling, and lightness, lightness, lightness as much as possible !!! And I did...

Now I use my RD on racetracks only. Everyone who has tried their street motorcycle on a racetrack knows that's a hard test for a bike. Everything must work at 100% - engine, carburetion, gears and suspension and I can say only one thing about this bike - this machine is absolutely wonderful!.

After finishing my project, I've also decided to change the name of this bike. This because I think that I've changed so many things in this bike, that it's not right to maintain the original name, that should be for original RD's only. It's name now is YZR500 RD4-V.

For sure, actual sportbikes like R6, R1, CBR's and so on, are powerful, lighter, and really faster, and their performances can't be compared. But are all "commercial bike". To understand this, try to think about to an '98 CBR600 or a '99 R6: still good bike but yet considered old by most of the motorcyclists ! In other words, my YZR500 RD4V or RD500's are not better or worse of actual sportbikes: are different !

A difference that is for many but not for all.