Honda RS500 / RS500R (1983–1988)
The Honda RS500 is the customer version of the NS500, the 112-degree V3 two-stroke that won Honda its first 500cc world title in 1983. HRC sold a few dozen to importers and privateers from 1983 to 1988. Today it is a rare, high-value classic GP machine for demonstration laps and collections.
History
Honda returned to Grand Prix racing with the four-stroke NR500, which never won a race. For 1982 HRC built a lighter two-stroke, the NS500, with three cylinders instead of the four used by Yamaha and Suzuki 11. Freddie Spencer won the 1983 500cc title on it. The NS500 gained Nikasil-plated cylinders in mid-1982 after chrome bores kept seizing, and ATAC exhaust valves in 1983 3.
A production version was planned from the start of the NS500 project 4. HRC released the RS500R in January 1983 and privateers took it up worldwide. About two thirds of 500cc entrants in those years were privateers 4. The RS500 kept the NS500 layout but lacked the works exhaust system 5. It used aluminium engine cases instead of magnesium, and alloy composite wheels instead of carbon-fibre ones. The result was about 120 hp and 125 kg dry, roughly 5 hp down and 17 kg up on the works bike 1. A Dutch account puts the price at around 100,000 guilders per bike in 1983 6.
Few were built. RM Sotheby's describes a handful sold to privateers in 1984 7. The Classic GP Assen organisers say about 25 bikes reached non-factory riders between 1984 and 1988, among them Wayne Gardner and Raymond Roche 6. Changes came each year. Cylindrical silencers replaced the oval type in 1985. In 1986 came an aluminium beam frame plus ATAC on the two upper cylinders 1. The last factory version was the 1988 RS500 W with a perimeter frame 15.
Privateers also built their own chassis. German tuner Juchem made two perimeter frames for the Hein Gericke team in 1987 16. One 1984 bike now carries a Bakker frame, bigger wheels and upside-down forks 7. In 1990 Verona Racing Products in Italy built three VRP-RS500s around factory engines. They had a hand-made twin-spar frame, 38 mm Dell'Orto carburettors and about 130 bhp 11. Honda's own 500cc effort moved to the NSR500 V4 in 1984. The RS500 was then obsolete at the front, but it kept privateers in the points to the end of the decade 111.
Palmarès
Wayne Gardner won the 1984 British 500cc championship on a Honda Britain RS500. He then scored points in all five GPs he entered that year, with third in Sweden and seventh overall 17. Raymond Roche finished third in the 1984 world rankings on an RS500 18. Jack Middelburg took sixth at the 1983 Dutch TT on the Dutch Racing Team bike 6. Manfred Fischer won the 1987 500cc European Championship on a Juchem-framed RS500 16. Andrew Johnson won the 500cc GP race at Bathurst in 1983 on the model's Australian debut. He cut the class lap record by 4.79 seconds 1. Simon Buckmaster's second place in the wet 1989 Italian GP is the model's best world championship race result 1.
What to check before you buy
Read the frame and engine numbers and compare them with the claimed year: Frame numbers seen: RS500RF 5104 and 5105 on 1985 bikes, RS500RF-8107 on a 1988 bike. A 1985 bike carried engine RS500RE 4103, so engines moved between seasons. Establish whose frame it is: Honda box-section (to 1985), Honda beam (1986-on), Juchem, Bakker and VRP frames all exist. Price and originality differ a lot. Match the livery to documents, not the other way round: Restorations in Honda Britain, NW200 or Rothmans colours are common. Ask for period photos, entry lists or team letters that name the frame number. Confirm the engine is complete and runs: One auction bike was missing its balance shaft. Ask for a video of a cold start and a compression check on all three cylinders. Inspect cylinders, plating and ATAC parts: Original ATAC barrels have cracked; replacement Hummel barrels exist. Nikasil bores need checking for scoring after any seizure. List the non-standard parts: 38 mm carburettors, ISR brake calipers, bigger wheels and USD forks were period upgrades. They affect originality and parade eligibility. Ask for the maintenance log and hours since crank and piston work: A recent crankshaft is worth money on this engine. Without a log, budget for a full strip before running it hard. Expect bill-of-sale paperwork only: These bikes are unregistered race machines. RM Sotheby's and Iconic both sold them on a bill of sale with no registration or papers.
Versions and evolutions
| Version | Years | What changed | How to identify |
|---|---|---|---|
| RS500R (1983–1984) | 1983–1984 | First customer version released by HRC in January 1983. Aluminium box-section frame, reed-valve V3, oval silencers, 34 mm carburettors, no ATAC. 1 | Square-tube aluminium frame; oval silencer cans; no ATAC chambers on the cylinders. Jack Middelburg's 1983 bike is the best-known example. |
| RS500R (1985) | 1985 | Cylindrical silencers replaced the oval ones. Frame and engine otherwise as before. 1 | Frame numbers seen on 1985 bikes: RS500RF 5104 and RS500RF 5105 (Honda Britain, Roger Marshall). |
| RS500 RF (1986–1987) | 1986–1987 | Aluminium beam frame. ATAC exhaust valves added to the two upper cylinders; the lower expansion chamber was re-routed and resized. 1 | Twin-spar aluminium frame; ATAC sub-chambers on cylinders 1 and 3. Fabio Biliotti's 1987 Team Servisco bike is one of this type. |
| RS500 W (1988) | 1988 | Last factory version, with a perimeter frame. Frame RS500RF-8107 was ordered by Honda Germany for rider Jung. 15 | Seller descriptions use the suffix W; frame numbers start with 8. |
| Special-frame bikes (Juchem, Bakker, VRP) | 1986–1990 | Juchem made two perimeter frames for the Hein Gericke team in 1987. One 1984 bike runs a Bakker frame. VRP in Italy built three bikes in 1990 with a twin-spar frame, AP brakes, USD forks and 38 mm Dell'Ortos. 11 | Non-Honda frame numbers or no Honda frame number at all; AP Racing calipers; upside-down forks. |
Known issues
- Cracked ATAC cylinders — Original ATAC barrels on 1986-on engines can crack. One 1988 bike now runs Hans Hummel replacement barrels for that reason. Ask who made the cylinders fitted today. 1
- Bore plating and seizure — The V3 seized its chrome-plated bores in 1982 until Honda moved to Nikasil. Check bore plating condition and ask whether cylinders have been replated. 3
- Incomplete engines, missing balance shaft — A c.1983 bike went to auction in May 2025 complete in looks but missing its balance shaft and not running. Static restorations can hide missing internals. 12
- Crankshaft life — Sellers note new crankshafts as a selling point. HRC schedules for its RS125R and RS250R customer bikes call for a crank every 2,000 km; no RS500 schedule was found. 23
- Non-original frames — Many survivors sit in Bakker, Juchem or VRP frames rather than the Honda item. The bike may be fast, but it is not an original RS500 chassis. 7
- Liveries that suggest a history the bike does not have — Bikes are sold in Haslam, Dunlop or Spencer colours with a signed tank. The Biliotti bike was sold in Spencer colours with its real Servisco bodywork in a box. 9
- Spares scarcity — About 25 bikes reached privateers. No current HRC parts supply was found. Pistons, cylinders and chambers come from specialists or donor engines. 6
Checklist before you buy
- Read the frame and engine numbers and compare them with the claimed year — Frame numbers seen: RS500RF 5104 and 5105 on 1985 bikes, RS500RF-8107 on a 1988 bike. A 1985 bike carried engine RS500RE 4103, so engines moved between seasons. 14
- Establish whose frame it is — Honda box-section (to 1985), Honda beam (1986-on), Juchem, Bakker and VRP frames all exist. Price and originality differ a lot. 11
- Match the livery to documents, not the other way round — Restorations in Honda Britain, NW200 or Rothmans colours are common. Ask for period photos, entry lists or team letters that name the frame number. 12
- Confirm the engine is complete and runs — One auction bike was missing its balance shaft. Ask for a video of a cold start and a compression check on all three cylinders. 12
- Inspect cylinders, plating and ATAC parts — Original ATAC barrels have cracked; replacement Hummel barrels exist. Nikasil bores need checking for scoring after any seizure. 1
- List the non-standard parts — 38 mm carburettors, ISR brake calipers, bigger wheels and USD forks were period upgrades. They affect originality and parade eligibility. 1
- Ask for the maintenance log and hours since crank and piston work — A recent crankshaft is worth money on this engine. Without a log, budget for a full strip before running it hard. 16
- Expect bill-of-sale paperwork only — These bikes are unregistered race machines. RM Sotheby's and Iconic both sold them on a bill of sale with no registration or papers. 7
Running costs 23
| Rebuild interval | No published RS500 schedule was found. HRC's schedule for its RS125R/RS250R customer racers lists pistons, rings and small-end bearings every 500 km and crankshaft and cylinder every 2,000 km; owners of the 500 treat it as a similar short-life engine 23. |
|---|---|
| Typical rebuild cost | unknown; no owner-reported figures found |
| Consumables | Pistons and rings, small-end bearings, reed petals, clutch plates, two-stroke oil, spark plugs; slick or treaded race tyres for a 16-inch front and 18- or 16-inch rear 3 |
| Spares availability | Scarce. Roughly 25 customer bikes went out, so most parts come from specialists, pattern makers (Hummel cylinders) or donor engines 61 |
Where it races today
- Classic GP Assen, Motorcycle Legends demonstration · Demonstration, 500cc GP machines — Kees van der Endt runs the ex-Middelburg 1983 RS500 in the Motorcycle Legends demonstration at the TABAC Classic GP, Assen (28–30 August 2026 edition). 6
- Goodwood Festival of Speed · Motorcycle demonstration runs — An RS500 in Spencer colours ran at the 2014 Festival of Speed; Spencer himself has ridden a 1987 RS500 V3 there. 21
Market prices
- 1984 Honda RS500R, frame NB04, Bakker frame, ex-Haslam/Roth/Truchsess, RM Sotheby's Las Vegas, estimate: 79,500–87,500 (not sold) USD (2012-01) 8
- Same 1984 RS500R, RM Sotheby's Hershey, sold: 38,500 USD (2012-10) 7
- 1990 VRP-RS500 (one of three), Bonhams Autumn Stafford, sold: 32,200 GBP (2017-10) 11
- 1987 Honda RS500 beam-frame, ex-Team Servisco/Biliotti, Bonhams Spring Stafford, sold: 73,600 GBP (2024-04) 9
- 1985 Honda RS500R, frame RS500RF 5104, restored in Dunlop NW200 colours, Iconic Auctioneers Shuttleworth lot 416, estimate: 65,000–75,000 GBP (2025-05) 12
- c.1983 Honda RS500R in Haslam colours, missing balance shaft, Iconic Auctioneers lot 417, estimate: 55,000–65,000 GBP (2025-05) 12
- 1984 Honda RS500R restored to original specification, George Beale dealer asking price: 55,000 GBP (2026-11) 13
- racingcarnetwork.com: no Honda RS500 motorcycle listed at time of writing (search returned only Ford Sierra RS500 engines): n/a EUR (2026-11) 24
Sold prices rose from USD 38,500 (2012) and GBP 32,200 for a VRP special (2017) to GBP 73,600 in April 2024. Auction estimates in May 2025 sat at GBP 55,000–75,000, and the Dunlop-livery 1985 bike went on to H&H Classics in October 2025.
Reference prices are dated and sourced; live asking prices are in the listings above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an NS500 and an RS500?
How many Honda RS500s were built?
Which year is the best to own?
Can I race it, or only parade it?
What does it cost to keep one running?
Is it hard to ride?
Yes at low speed. A track test reported rough clutch work to get off the line and very tall gearing. It also found sharp steering and a sudden powerband on a bike of just over 250 lb. Riders with modern four-stroke habits should expect a learning curve 20.
Sources
- Honda RS500 (Phil Aynsley), MCNews.com.au (2023-05) — specs, materials, year-by-year changes, ATAC 1986, Hummel barrels, Bathurst 1983, Buckmaster 1989
- NS500: Technical Data, Honda (RACERS) (2015) — capacity, bore and stroke, 112-degree V3, reed valve
- NS500: ATAC, Nikasil cylinders, frame, Honda (RACERS) (2015) — ATAC operation, Nikasil plating after seizures, aluminium square-tube frame, wheel sizes
- NS500: privateers and the RS500R, Honda (RACERS) (2015) — RS500R released January 1983, production version planned from the start, two-thirds privateers
- Honda NS500, Wikipedia (citing Motocourse 1983-84) (2024) — RS500 introduced 1983 without works exhaust; NS500 123 hp and 108 kg figures
- 1983 Honda RS 500: Jumping Jack's last dance, Classic GP Assen (2026) — 100,000 guilders price, about 25 bikes 1984-88, Middelburg 1983 results, Motorcycle Legends demonstration
- 1984 Honda RS 500R, Hershey 2012, lot 233, RM Sotheby's (2012-10) — USD 38,500 sold, 125 hp, handful sold in 1984, Bakker frame, bill of sale
- 1984 Honda RS500 R GP, Las Vegas, lot 433, RM Sotheby's (2012-01) — estimate USD 79,500-87,500, not sold, riders Haslam/Roth/Truchsess
- Bonhams|Cars Spring Stafford Motorcycle Sale achieves GBP 3 million, Motorsports NewsWire (Bonhams press release) (2024-04) — 1987 ex-Team Servisco/Biliotti RS500 sold GBP 73,600, 20-21 April 2024
- Bonhams Autumn Stafford sale recap, Rare SportBikes For Sale (2017-10) — 1990 VRP-RS500 sold, one of three built in Italy
- 1990 VRP Honda RS500 sells at Bonhams Stafford, MoreBikes (2017-10) — GBP 32,200, VRP three built 1990, 130 bhp, Dell'Orto 38 mm, AP brakes, NS500 background
- The Iconic Spring Sale at Shuttleworth, 4 May 2025, catalogue lots 416-417, Iconic Auctioneers (2025-05) — 1985 RS500RF 5104 estimate GBP 65-75k; c.1983 estimate GBP 55-65k, missing balance shaft, not running, Haslam colours
- 1984 Honda RS 500R for sale, George Beale Motorcycles (2026-11) — asking GBP 55,000, 125 bhp at 11,500 rpm, built in limited numbers for selected privateers
- 1985 Honda RS 500 R, Honda Britain, Roger Marshall, George Beale Motorcycles (2026-11) — frame RS500R 5105, engine RS500RE 4103, Marshall 1986 British Championship, ex-factory mechanic rebuild
- Honda RS 500 W 1988 (sold), Classic-Motorbikes.com (2025) — RS 500 W 1988 last version with perimeter frame, frame RF-8107 for Honda Germany, Roche 1984 podium
- Honda RS 500 1987, Juchem perimeter frame, Classic-Motorbikes.com (2025-10) — Juchem frames 1987 for Hein Gericke, Manfred Fischer 1987 European champion, new crankshaft fitted
- Wayne Gardner (profile), Cycle World (1986-08) — 1984 British 500cc title on RS500, salary-for-loan deal, 3rd in Sweden, 7th in world championship
- From NS to NSR, MoreBikes (2021-09) — Roche 3rd in 1984 world rankings on RS500, RS500 as less potent NS500, Mamola on leased NS500
- All the highlights from the H&H Classics auction, Visordown (2025-10) — 1985 RS500R in Dunlop NW200 livery offered 29 October 2025, Comstar wheels, 498 cc
- Honda RS500R Track Test, Motorcycle.com (1999) — riding impressions, just over 250 lb, over 100 hp at rear wheel, 16-inch front, clutch and gearing
- File:Freddie Spencer's Honda RS500 (14593902993).jpg, Wikimedia Commons (2014-06) — image; RS500 at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014
- Deal o' Day: Honda RS500 (Bonhams lot 279, Stafford), Motorcycle.com (2017-10) — VRP bike built in Italy, first raced by Dario Marchetti, Bonhams Stafford 15 October 2017
- HRC Setting Data and Maintenance Information, RS125R/RS250R, SP125 Racing (HRC data) (2026) — HRC customer-racer intervals: piston 500 km, crank and cylinder 2,000 km (RS125R/RS250R, not RS500)
- racingcarnetwork.com search for RS500, Racing Car Network (2026-11) — no Honda RS500 motorcycle listed; only Ford Sierra RS500 engines
Did you know
- Wayne Gardner gave part of his 1984 Honda Britain salary back in exchange for the loan of an RS500 17.
- The Dutch federation budgeted 200,000 guilders for two RS500s in 1983. Both went to Jack Middelburg, which caused a public row with Boet van Dulmen 6.
- On its Australian debut at Bathurst in 1983, Andrew Johnson cut the 500cc class lap record by 4.79 seconds on an RS500 1.
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