From 1982 - 1985 I worked at a Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki dealership, and my main job was putting together bikes packed just like this. Brings back a lot of memories.
I was 15 years earlier assembling Yamaha, BSA and Hodakas. We also put together Harleys. But where the other machines had been tested in the factory the Harleys were completely unadjusted and it was a devil of a time getting them to fire up initially.
Sweet find. I was working in a Honda dealership 20yrs ago when a guy rode in on a shockingly immaculate 60s Hawk or Super Hawk. I goggled gaped and gasped. Guy said it was found in a wooden crate in a relative's basement. She looked and ran like new. Just sitting in a crate for decades. Rich black paint, gleaming chrome, gauges perfect. Even the rubber looked good. I'm still in awe.
im a brit ride a vtr firestorm still rapid fer a 22 year old bike dont like going slow paid a grand 32 thou om clock eaz better than the ducati it waz copying
There must be hundreds or more of these new old stock bikes scattered across the country at dealerships. That’d be a fantastic series! I purchased a ‘00 ZX-12R from a dealer in Texarkana some years back that was still in the crate. Good times.
I'm thinking the same thing. Here in Ontario Canada I KNOW the bike dealers always had left over stock. Saw them stacked up at the two local shops I used to frequent. They still have listed 2 years previous models. The thing is? They always wanted all the money for 2 yr old bikes. Why would I pay $4500 for a 2yr old bike when a brand new current year was $4600?
A dealer friend of mine bought 10 brand new 06 banshees still in the crate a few years ago from a dealer in Wisconsin that went out of business , best part was he was selling them still with the factory warranty
I had that exact bike when I lived in Arizona in the early 90's. Unfortunately it was stolen and never recovered. I miss it dearly and all of the memories that were made with it. If you ever sell it let me know. Enjoy it.
This was my first *real* motorcycle! 17 years ago... Wish I still had it. Same year, color, decals etc! My first wreck (hopefully last) occured on it...afterwards I repaired it and turned mine into a dual sport.. lol a bit heavy, and all we had to ride where I grew up (eastern nc, coastal areas) was in sand, the forests around there was basically beach sand, but I could manage it...I'm glad I did, although knda crazy realized it had its benefits Since I put up with wrestling that thing through sand dunes as a teenager it made it to where I had no issues in sand when I switched to a lighter, better suited machine.
@Memer Dreamer According to some info I found about this bike it says the FT500 is supposedly rated for 33hp at 6500rpm. My fathers' 1980 Honda CX500 was rated for 45-50hp when the model came to the market in 1978. Not the most powerful things on two wheels but by no means as weak as you think. Of course they are also two totally different styles of bike. :)
@Memer Dreamer those exact bikes are still raced today! Look it up. The FT stood for Flat Track. And the Ascot was named after Ascot Park raceway. I believe its in California. I had one of those bikes. It handled corners like it was on rails, with wider tires of course. I wish I still had that old thumper! Kick my own ass almost daily for selling it. My buddy had one and he says the same thing. Don't knock those thumpers till you try one. They're a blast!
I'm old enough to remember these bikes. This is a major score!...back in the 80's Honda dealers were stuck with too much inventory & they were offering deep, deep discounts! I purchased a Nighthawk 650 in the crate, dealer assembled for $1395 out the door!
Same in Scotland where the Honda CX500B were normally on sale at £1,100 before reductions in England had me travel 150 miles to Newcastle to pick one up, brand new for £750. Brilliant solid bikes and well up for courier punishment!
Yup, mine was an '82 V-45 Magna that I bought brand new in the Winter of 1983 as a leftover with some extras thrown in for $1500. I had a lot of fun with that bike...
Thank you for bringing back some incredible memories. My first street bike was a 1982 Honda Ascot FT500, exactly like this one. I bought it in March of '83 from the Honda dealer in Shawnee, OK. Unfortunately, I totaled it the summer of '85. I was on my way to work and broadsided a young Limousine bull that spooked and ran out an open gate and into the road. The bull wasn't hurt, and I just had minor scrapes, but my Ascot's frame was bent beyond repair.
I've been working at a body shop for a bit now and extra tips I learned was if you're painting the door, it's better to take off the mirror and belt molding (the trim at the bottom of the window) for a better paint job in the end. The mirror can get in the way, and if you're unlucky, the clear coat could stick in that gap between the door and the belt molding.
I am a Beemer fan but I also have a 50 year old Honda CT90 that we stored in a shed for 22 years, without any prep. Last week I decided to get it running for the cottage and after two cranks with the kick starter it fired up. Honda does make some of the best motorcycles in the world.
This is unbelievable! I've been hunting for a classic motorbike for months. I finally decided on the Honda ft500 and bought it 12 hours before this video was released. Mind blown! Love the content. Chur the lads
I got one, and it's the greatest little bike ever! Groms, Monkeys, Benelli 135s are gobbled up easily. I'm late to the party on this but the pictures of the ascot at 1:55 is the twin that came out in 1983. The 1982-83 FT500 was/is a single cylinder. Also the single was chain driven and the twin was a shaft drive. I love old 70s,80s Hondas. It takes an in the know guy not to mess up the starter. Don't grind it! It will run highway well but realize it's a 500 single. When I ride it , it always delivers and old guys love seeing it. It should do that 350 miles back to Lancaster easily. The gas mileage is exceptional. And it wheelies so easily !
I am so glad I clicked on this video! I had a 1984 Honda Ascot as my very first bike at 16 years old! Looked exactly like this. Really cool to see one come right out of the crate!
I was a salesman at a motorsports company in 1993 and a similar thing happened to us. One of the employees found two, brand-new mid-1980's on-road/off-road motorcycles in unopened crates in the warehouse. We put them out on the floor and they sold almost immediately.
Nice, I often fancy buying an old new model, a Honda cg125 , I bought new in 2002, stupidly sold it, now they do little similar, they tend to hype new ones up with plastic and over price them
I bought my '97 CBR1100XX new in the spring of 1998. I was in the market for one and the dealer checked their computer and it said they had 1 new one left. I remember being back in the warehouse and it was buried behind 3 or 4 other bikes in boxes. They finally got it out and opened up the box. It was packaged very similar to the FT in the video- steel frame with cardboard around it and some assembly required. The windshield and upper fairing were not attached and the clip-on bars were folded back. It was really neat to see it "from birth". I still have the bike.
I'm so happy I found this channel, I have worked on project cars for 19 years, I've only recently bought a 125cc, and I'm learning so much from this channel, one thing I have noticed is the bike community is so much nicer than the car community, keep up the great content
My first bike was an FT500. One mistake you guys made though - the FT was a 500 SINGLE, not a parallel twin. On mine I had a White Bros. pipe, raised the needle, and went up 2 teeth on the front sprocket. It also had rear shocks from an RD400 and I made brackets to use an upper fairing from an early Seca. That bike was an AWESOME wheelie machine! I'd love to buy this one form you guys!
Yep, had one new and it was the most fun I have ever had on a motorcycle. Nimble and still handled very well in its day. Yes, the White Bros. set was outstanding... but you couldn't keep the front wheel down.
I was an owner of a new FT500 back in the day. Saw it on the showroom floor and had to have it. Item of note: You will have electric starter issues as this was Honda’s very first LARGE single cylinder motorcycle WITH AN ELECTRIC STARTER. Not only was it lacking a compression release system (for starting) but was under durable (mechanical) as well. Later Honda issued stronger starter replacement components which helped but was never perfect regardless. By the time the XR650L (dirt single) came out they figured out the starter problem. No fun as Honda decided NOT to include a kick starter on the FT to boot! Best of luck!
Weird Tip: Keep your old toothbrushes instead of pitching them, toss them in a jar of isopropyl or ethyl alcohol and label them "cleaning brushes" and keep them in the garage. Then when you have situations like that brake "dust" you can get in there and scrub it nice and clean without jacking up a good knife or cutting yourself. The alcohol keeps them clean but will evaporate from any surface so there's no residue. They've been super useful in my little shop.
The Ascott may be my favourite Honda of all time. I was in high school when it was relased and have wanted one my entire life. It amazes me that there are still boxed bikes just sitting around.
It's amazing to think that theirs still stuff out there laying dormant for as long as I have been alive and longer. It always blows my mind how people just leave them sitting for so long. And thank God that they do so people can discover thease treasures
Wow! I had a CB360T going through High School and then bought a 1982 CB450 “Nighthawk” after joining the Navy and being stationed out in CA. A few years later (1986, I believe), the Honda dealership was practically giving away a “NOS” 1982 CB900F! I think I could have picked it up for around $1,300!
My dad had a smaller displacement version of this bike which looked very similar. I live in the US now and I'm 28 but I grew up in a country in South Asia called Bangladesh. He was a police officer and he used to ride it everyday going to and coming home from the police station. I have some vivid memories of how the bike looked , sounded and how the guage cluster lit up. As I was watching the video without knowing what bike it is and then all of a sudden seeing the gas tank, the classic wing Honda logo, the way the gauge cluster lit up, it just triggered a part of my brain that had been forgotten for 2 decades. It popped up so many old memories, nostalgia and emotions and made me feel like I went back in a time machine. I was obsessed with bikes and cars as a kid so I don't think most people wouldn't experience the same as me. This is the very first bike that I have memories of growing up. I had to mute the video so I could just look at it without all the talking. Just appreciate this piece of art Japan has given to the world and revolutionized the motorcycling industry especially in Asia. "Honda" in my country is a synonym for "motorcycle" and that particular bike is one of the very first to introduce us to the motorcycling culture.
I daydream of all the times I want to have a vehicle from the past that is all original straight from the factory. Then I come to the reality I will never be able to have one. Then I see this video in my feed. I wonder how rare this opportunity is to find something like this. I was 20 when this bike was born.
In the 80's, when I lived in San Antonio, I had a little Honda Rebel 250cc and loved that thing...Honda knows how to build motorcycles and I hope they see this video!
For some reason, your video reminded me of a widowed friend of my wife's who had an estate sale 2 years ago. I went to help get things in order. In one of the barns, under a tarp, of course, was a 50-year-old, 1970, Honda Trail 90 (CT90) with just under 50 miles on the odometer...pretty much in mint condition. I tried to convince her to let me find someplace to list the bike to make good money as nobody in these parts would pay what it was worth. However, she was insistent that she wanted everything to sell, garage sale style, in two weekends. She put a price of $2000 on it and ended up selling it for $500. Sheez! But I didn't give her any grief, as she sold me many older, but in new condition, power tools (i.e., cordless reciprocating saw, cordless blower, router, compound miter saw with a portable stand, portable generator, etc.) for pennies on the dollar, (not to mention that the year before, she sold me an RV trailer for about $5000 less than she could have gotten if she had advertised). Thanks for your video!
In 1983, I took my motorcycle license test on the FT500. I loved that bike! I owned an ATC250R and borrowed the Ascot for a day from a friend and regularly we would swap bikes for a few days at a time. I have a 2006 XR650L now with a big bore 675 103mm Weisco and cam kit.
I took my test on a 93' XR250L, that's when I turned 18. By then, I was a very experienced rider (MX) Another person was taking the test on his dad's Harley. They looked down their noses at me like I was a loser. The guy ended up dropping the hog on it's side. Instant fail, I later saw them in the parking lot and he was crying (for real) getting yelled at by his dad. (Haha) During the stop test, I stopped before any of the graduated lines. The examiner had to get his supervisor because no one had ever stopped in such a short distance before. He didn't know how to score me. Yep, I remember it like it was yesterday. I have to look for a nice XR 650. I miss having a thumper...
@@TheBandit7613 I did my 1st DMV drive test for motorcycle in 1973 on a Honda CT70H, piece of cake! All that was required back then was that the bike used had to have a hand clutch, no displacement limits or any of that BS. I had a '03 XR650R watercooled (animal)thumper with rare CA street plates on it, made one heckuva motard bike with 17" wheels, billet hubs and 300mm front rotor! Went to a 16/39 sprocket gearing and bike would do an honest 110 mph, and get there pretty darn quick. Baja Designs light kit rounded out the package. Sold it 2 yrs. later for what I had in it, miss the bike as it was fun waxing sportbikes on tight roads!
@@MM_in_Havasu I eventually moved to an XR650. Living in the foothills of Colorado, that XR was a part of me. I spent most nice weekends exploring Colorado. I'd find old ghost towns. Still pretty complete. I never has the liquid cooled version but I can imagine how much torque that thing has. I'd still like to find an unmolested one. My XR would whoop Harleys like nothing. A biker wanted to beat me up once because my XR embarrassed his odd-firing antique.
Super interesting episode! It’s like opening a time capsule. It would be cool to have one still in the crate in a museum with a photo in front of it showing what it would look like assembled. It would drive folks nuts knowing it’s still in there!
This is what this idiot should have done....good job destroying history. There is a time when any product passes from its designed purpose and moves to artifact. The putz with the bike ruined an artifact.
Good to see Honda still uses the same kind of crates on some of their bikes. Got my start building bike out of the crate years ago. Bikes 6 years older than me but I got way more miles!
As an old parts salesman I appreciate your patience with that man, it's a hassle nobody wants but corporate is always pushing to get your names and info. It's just part of the script.
Being an older person I used to go to Ascot to watch flat track and cars. One of my buddies took a 1972 Honda xl250 and removed everything he didn't need and replaced metal parts to plastic (tank and fenders). He caused quite a commotion racing against 2 strokes and placing 3rd. Alot of people came over to us asking questions.
I feel like I am hanging out with good friends when I am watching your channel guys ! It can’t get better than this ! Thank you for being good to each other . Like brothers should be . It is to talk about bikes , or to emphasized the importance of good brotherhood, Or both ! Thank you for allowed me in your channel .
cannot describe how envious i am that you found a complete NOS bike, like regardless of what it is, to find something like that is a dream, arguable the closest i think you can get to time traveling, because you get to experience something which is in fact old, but in its most newest condition
One of my favorite Honda's of all time.A buddy bought one brand new back in '82.Currently,another friend,owns two of them.They're very similar to the XR500 of 1982.Very cool find boys!
The VT500 and FT500 have different engines. The FT is a single cylinder radial valve head which is why it has separate exhaust ports and two head pipes. Both great bikes. Nice find!
I'm saddened he's the one who got it. These nos bikes need to be gone through and replace every seal so it doesn't cause more damage then needed. And just adding an in line filter is not the proper way. There's a decent collectors market for these ascots I know I managed to pick up a low mileage one
I agree but the head was a 4 valve head with two exhaust ports and a compression release tied into the starting gears. It was basically the XL500 engine with electric start. You can even adapt the electric start to the XL500. The only real problem I've seen with those engines is oil seepage at the rocker box.
When I was a young fella in the Aussie racing scene, an old bloke I knew had one of these FTs fitted with a little sidecar. His race bike's front wheel fitted into the sidecar and he essentially towed it around to the various racetracks, along with his clothes, race gear, and camping gear. Very cool.
As a Western NY resident I grinned a big grin when you mentioned this was filmed at Bob Weaver Motorsports. I grew up hearing their radio and tv ads with the "You've Got Weaver Fever!" jingle and the "Your Wife Called And Said It's Ok!" tagline.
My first job was building bikes like this back through the 90's at my dad's dealership. I'd have that thing unboxed and on the road in just over an hour (the battery was always the killer as you needed to fill it with acid and give it a good charge), of course that's if it was new. They did away with crates like that in the late 90's, those side pieces were always an annoyance but you quickly found out to always peel them out before removing the top. All the manufacturers used similar crates. Nowadays they come almost completely built and after only a few parts installed they're ready to go.
I'm curious how a 40 year old crated Harley would turn out. The difference between Japanese made vehicles and US made can been seen in the oil dipstick. Japanese has a FULL line, US gives you an OK area of about an inch. Japan builds things like the US used to, with precision.
I'm not a big harley fan but the simplicity of their design might actually be a benefit in a case like this. Less to go wrong. Or maybe I'm way off lol.
@@codycummings6054 True, they are a pain to work in a lot of ways. But on the other hand, hand, have you ever done a valve adjustment on a Honda v4 bike? Not fun. Or adjust/balance the 4 carbs on some metric bikes.
I bought one of these back in the day for $1500. Never gave me any trouble at all. A great commuter bike because you sit nice and high above the traffic. The only thing I ever replaced were the bearings in the steering head which got pounded into little D tents so it became hard to steer.
And the engine fired up just like a Honda should, even after 40 years amazing! 😍 Funny to see that some parts are exactly the same as on my Honda MT-8, wish i found a Honda MBX 125F or MB-8 like this 😎
When my friend helped me retrieve my fathers 1980 CX500 from my fathers small out building the first thing he did after checking the oil was remove the carbs, sprayed some 2-stroke mix into the intakes and bumped it over with a portable jumper pack and it fired right up. The bike was sitting since 2004 which is when my step-sister was born. I'll be buying the bike off my father eventually but he hasn't given me a price yet. He wants me to get it running first before worrying about any money. It's in decent shape but it is going to need some new tires and some new carbs. The stock carbs are seized with corrosion so they're not worth saving.
@@Davido50 had a Honda 4 wheeler that would start first crank on a below zero morning.. any other brand would take 10 minutes or longer to start and they would still act funny till it warmed up.. but not Honda.. keep hating but Honda guys know what I'm talking about.. most dependable no questions about it
This is interesting to me because I owned one of these in the early 80s, bought new (in black), and I loved it. This is definitely a nostalgic blast from the past for me.
The summer of 82 I was 16 and in summer school. Right after school on RT 59 Nyack New York was a Honda Motorcycle Shop called The House of Power. Long long gone now. I saw that beautiful bike in the showroom. So old school now but back then it was the bomb.
Back in the late 1980's a guy I knew was able to buy a brand new Mark Four Ford Zodiac bodyshell more than twenty years after they stopped making them. He transferred all the parts from his older model onto it, renewing any as needed, and ended up with a 'brand new' car more than 20 years after the last one rolled off the production line. Nice
I have to admit I spent way more time thinking about how something like brake fluid can go from liquid to powder especially as it would absorb moisture over time. Also the condition of that seat is insane.
it crystalises and degrades, its loses all its hydrophobic properties arfter a while with each moisture cycle. and salt gets in, which corrodes the aluminiums.
I worked at a Honda dealership in 1983/4. We bought every one of these that were in the warehouses on the east coast. Sold them as fast as we could build them at $1,198 plus $200 shipping. We got black ones and red ones. Which ever was on the floor is the color that sold. Fun bikes.
I thought I was the only one who had a thing for Ascots. They were never fast, but they sure do look cool. Riveted to this episode. Thanks for posting this!
I know someone who has not one but two BSA Lightnings still in the crate. Never opened. For those that don't know, often BSA ran out of parts and would steal them from Triumph. Because these crates have never been opened and that lot of assembly was expected of the dealer, the crates are fairly small for the size of the bike. I LOVED my '69 Candy Red/chrome Lightning. Not as much fun as my Honda 305 Scrambler but a whole lot more power, especially when you ditched those honk'n mufflers. I was able to actually be the TT's all my friends had bought.
I don't think that there was any brake fluid in the resovour. It is made of an aluminium alloy. And as such it corrodes with the air making it into aluminium oxide. Just dry corrosion.. so clean up and fill. Just oxydized alloy.
Loved them, still do. My first street ride was on a new Ascot FT in the summer of 1982, a friend’s new purchase. A whopping 6, maybe 8 miles, but it was still very memorable. I bought my first new street bike in April 1986, a Honda VF500 Interceptor, but I convinced my best buddy to buy a used Ascot FT so we could ride together. I did some rudimentary hop-up mods to his bike, jet kit, F1 slip-on, even a mild cam, and I would eventually eventually talk him into loaning it to me so I could take my road racing new rider’s school on that bike. I wired it up and prepped it for the track, and scooted around the track in October 1987, successfully getting my race license. I’ve been road racing ever since, and I still have a soft spot for the FT, such a classic design, even if America didn’t get the little thumper. I have raced and ridden a metric ton of bikes since then, but oddly, to the best of my recollection, I don’t think I have ever ridden a VT… 🤔
my first and only brand new motorcycle purchase was a FT Ascot way back in the 80's so as you might guess I really enjoyed this video! Same color, same starter motor sound, and same putt-putt exhaust. It was not a good highway bike but it was ok for zipping around town. I bought it at St Johns Honda in Portland then later when it was time for it's first maintenance the Honda shop in Bend Oregon screwed up and had to order a new head from Honda
Wow. Nice to see what it looks like new. Mine’s just been sitting in a shed till I work up the courage to get the rust out of the tank and try to get it road worthy again.
@@lotus64ftw the XL is a great bike too. Perfect for bombing around town on and you can use it on the trails too. That was going to be my next bike after my MT125.
One guy who actually knows what he's doing and works at putting the thing together and one guy who gets in the other's way and talks and talks about how little time is left.
lol that's how TH-camrs are sometimes, they worry more about the content and getting things filmed while still...'helping' and theyll call their specialist friends who are an integral part of the channel for their skills....but the way you put it is funnier👍🏾😂
So stoked y'all ended up with this treasure! I was watching this auction from a distance on Bring-a-trailer and saw y'all won, congrats! I had a chance to ride one about 12 years ago or so that had less than 100 miles on it and was hoping to get it. It was being restored after the owner got spooked going over a bridge and got a strong crosswind, so he let it sit in his garage. I didn't have the funds on hand before it was restored, then a collector grabbed it before I could get to it. The one I rode was a single cylinder thumper, I thought the early ones were single cylinder, looks like yours is to, correct? I thought the twins were later. Regardless, I couldn't be happier that y'all ended up with this never ridden beauty, lemme know if you need anyone to give it a test ride! heh!
Yeah, the FT500 was a single. Many who had ridden the CB250RS were hoping that it would be an upturned RS. Unfortunately, it was nothing of the sort. The FT was hardly any faster than the RS. I think it only had about 6bhp more, but weighed a fair bit more, and had a much more upright riding position, along with skinny forks. It didn't even have much bottom end, and the engine really wasn't as frugal as it should have been. Honda would have done much better to use the XR500 engine and just tried to keep the weight down, but they didn't and the FT really didn't sell. BTW, those lumps weren't exactly the most reliable. They were known to burn oil and had the virtually typical cam chain and cam follower problems that affected so many Hondas of the time. I think the FT500 would be precisely the kind of bike that, when people talk about "The good old days" I think "They really weren't that good at all".
This is awesome!! Like a time capsule for me. I worked as a mechanic at Honda of Salt Lake from 1976-1984. I was paid a flat rate of around $75 to assemble that very bike, among others , out of the crate. The faster I worked the more I made. Loved watching this!!
They were not black(theVT twins), they were a very dark metallic blue. They were quick. With a change of tires they handled well. They made very good fuel mileage.
I worked in parts at a Honda dealership in the 80s and rode both the FT & the VT many times plus many others. These bikes were a blast to ride. I would like o find one. We used tp . pick our bikes up at GN Gonzales in Baton Rouge. He was a distributor. He had bunches of bikes in crates. Thanks for the video I always wondered if the bikes would run after all those years.
Hi, I have Honda Magna 700C from 1986 like new, amazing bike, works like Switzerland watch, every season positive emotions. Like to ride together with my son on Yamaha Buldog.
My 1st bike I put on the road in the UK was an air cooled CR250 with no front brake & a flat front wheel, but the front wheel was hardly ever in contact with the road much anyway. The red rocket was a beast of a bike & my only bike I regret selling.
I had one of these brand new as a 1983 model ($1100 brand new). My first “street” bike because my parents got tired of what seemed like the nearly daily ticket I got for riding my CR and RM on the street. I wanted something easy and simple since I was going to maintain it. The FT WAS NOT a twin nor was it a radial head. It was nothing more than a holdover XR 500 engine. Dual exhaust at the head so some people thought it was a twin. The same year the XR itself (if you were a factory rider) got the RFVC (Radial Four Valve Combustion) head…the FT never got this motor. It was a fun bike, slow but fun. I put 8000 miles on mine riding all over the west at 17 in one summer. If you owned one, you just had to be a XR guy to work on it. I upgraded mine to a 10.5:1 Wiesco piston for like an extra maybe 5hp. Top speed on this bike was 90 on a VERY good day stock and at the time I weighed a whopping 107lbs. I got stopped heading home to Reno, NV after riding all night from Cody, WY. HP pulled me over and asked me if I knew how fast I was going and my response was “No sir, the speedometer only goes to 85 and I had it on the pin wide-open on my throttle lock”. Turns out with the new piston I actually was running 107. $50 ticket and a stern slow it down. It was fun but for the time though and I rode the hell out of it before I figured planes go faster and moved on. But this does bring back memories!
I’ve built two Honda CB250RS’s, one with an FT500C motor in it, the other with an XL500S motor installed. Wiseco high-comp pistons, 10.8:1, pod filters, upjetted, loud exhausts, XBR500 gearing. Good for 110mph!
The Ascot and V Twin where huge flops for Honda when they first came out. I was working in sales at a large volume Honda dealer in Southwest PA a year or so later. Evidently Honda decided to almost give these bikes away. I sold a bunch of these for $500 and the V Twin maybe $200 more! That was a steal even back then! Thanks for your videos. Brings back great memories.
This brings back memories! What a gem! I used to have a FT500. Great bike. It doesn’t have a twin cylinder motor but a big thumper, basicly the same engine as the XL500 but with an electric starter. It’s a bullet proof motor but the start engine is this bikes biggest flaw. I guess Honda hadn’t figured out a good way to start up that big thumper cause it’s notoriously unreliable. There are some tricks to it, there’s some maintenance that needs to be done regularly. Also, the carb is kinda jetted wrong from the factory to save emissions.. there are some performance mods that brings these to life, I would go up a tooth on the front sprocket and change out the jets for bigger sizes, kits are available on eBay. There are also quite a large community with enthusiasts for these bikes where you can get a lot of info on good maintenance tips for the starter and some essential mods. I’ve got a big file of documents saved on my computer from those groups if you’re interested.
Mine had a kick-start conversion. No decompression valve connected either... It could get lively if it didn't want to start. You couldn't even hold the throttle on startup, I used to hold the middle of the bars with my right hand otherwise it threatened to flood or kick you back!!
Mine was the first big bike after passing my test, very disappointed, wasn't much quicker than the lc125 I passed my test on. Had it about a week when I traded in for a VF500F. Awful bikes
I love how they had some late 60's early 70's Seadoo's stacked on the shelves so cool. My uncle left a Honda 450 in a crate when he had to bail Vietnam in may of 1975.
The excitement outweighs the clock anxiety 😆 I bought 85’ Honda Fourtrax 250 off showroom floor. My twin sons have it now! Still going strong! I have 87’ 250X I am 2nd owner . Love them all !
Love the channel, and love the way you guys are always able to find beautiful old-school bikes & even if they aren't the prettiest you guys can always bring them back to life. I was wondering if you guys have ever come across the monster 6 cylinder Honda cbx 1050 that is one of my all time favorite bikes for so many reasons, that bike would fit perfectly in you're channel/collection. Anyways may your team stay blessed and keep making amazing content
I had an FT500 in the mid eightes, pulled like a train, I loved it. But the brake calipers needed regular stripping down cos they were prone to seizing up due to the alloy callipers riding on steel pins. Stainless steel might have helped. I think we used Copperslip grease. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenace. I recall it made a dub dub dub kind of sound, nice machine. Fond memories and lots of heat resistant aerosol black paint on the exhaust downpipes. Best regards, dub dub dub ROAR ! 😃
First bike I learned to ride was a 84 nighthawk 650 blue. It was one my older brothers first bike. He spent half the year with his mom in Florida. Years later as I got older we laugh about how I thought I was getting away riding his bike and he would say you think I left keys there for our dad to ride it, he knew lol. Man we both had a thing for bikes from about 1980 and on. Remember all these bikes sitting In our local Honda dealership. Once we seen our first F-1 or the hurricane 600 we were both hooked. Got mine if memory serves me for just short of 3k. More like $2400. Good times!
Oh, so that is what a FT500 should look like :) Actually I have the engine out of one in my 1982 CB250RS. It is built for local street race series a lot of fun. I love the shocked look when it fired up, I had no doubts, it is a Honda after all. Waiting for part 2
I was working Honda Parts and always wondered where the unsold crated bikes went. My part’s guy job spanned near 4 years in early seventies at 2 separate dealerships. My new 2022 Goldwing will be delivered tomorrow. Any tips on finding these unsold crated great bikes?
When you went in for the fluids and told the clerk your first name I was totally on board. It's a special moment when I encounter another person that spells Sean the right way!
Great video! So cool to unbox a brand new Honda from the 80’s! I’m pretty sure that it’s a 500 single and not a parallel twin though. The two exhaust pipes are deceiving because it’s a four valve head, thus two exhaust ports and two pipes.
Bob weaver is 30 minutes from my house. Gotta let fans know you’re close! I would’ve definitely come and bothered you guys. Keep up the great content guys. Nurse Eric approved! 😂👍🏼🇺🇸
Bless your hearts - I got one of them - the Vee Twin/shaft drive - same way. In a box NOS. (thank you, Olympia Honda) I LOVED that simple bike and rode it through the late 80s and into late 90s, until somebody crushed me as I was trying to get into my driveway. (sad face and scars)
Very interesting to see an untouched bike being uncrated for the first time after so many years. Must be many a bikers fantasy to buy a bike that's still in its original packing crate decades after it was manufactured, whatever the model of bike might be. The FT500 was a bit of a disappointment when it was released here in the UK, it was not called the Ascot here, just FT500. Riders here, like myself, who rode and loved the superb CB250RS were hoping Honda would give us a 500cc version of the 250RS, especially as Honda already produced the 500cc version of the 250 engine, which was used in the XL500s and the XR500. But unfortunately Honda gave us the Flat Track style FT500, a nice enough bike in itself, but definitely not what we really wanted, and the Flat Track styling was somewhat lost on us in the UK. It was a CB500RS that we yearned for. The FT500 engine has a single cylinder using a four valve head with twin exhaust ports. It uses twin balance shafts driven by a chain, and a single overhead cam running directly in the Alluminium alloy head with an automatic cam chain tensioner. The camshaft has two lobes that operate the four valves via forked rockers. The crankases are split horizontally, which is very unusual for single cylinder motorcycle engines. There is no replaceable paper oil filter fitted, instead it uses just a mesh gauze filter. The engine design of the 500cc FT/XL is the same as the engines used in the XL250 and CB250RS, with their short stroke and balance shafts they are all quite smooth, and they last quite well with regular oil changes.
Agree. I had a 250 rs and it was fantastic, as you say the ft500 was hugely disappointing for us in the uk. Having owned all sorts from full spec Harris Magnum to 1100 suzuki Katana, Bm's, the list goes on but the 250 rs really made an impression. We;re lucky to have these memories I think.
Whilst despatch riding dropping a package off near Wimbledon, I saw a 250RS with an XL500 engine fitted. The engine was too tall to use the top end head steady but did look very good. It was raw as the guy hadn't finished it but boy did it go. I think he'd fitted 400 Superdream forks to it so he had twin discs up front. I've got a 250RS in my garage I'm contemplating putting back on the road.
@@morri03You were a lucky man indeed to buy a new CB250RS. We did get the Honda XBR500 here in the UK, and that was the only bike I ever bought new, way back in 1989, I actually part exchanged my beautiful blue CB250RS for it. The XBR had a wonderful engine, but slightly odd styling I thought, but felt and performed great. But the Honda GB500 was never officially imported into the UK by Honda, any that made it here were usually grey imports. That was a real shame as the GB500 was spot on for the UK. The single cylinder Honda CB400SS was another great bike that was just right for us here, but Honda never gave us that bike either.....Bloody hell!! However in more resent years we did get the Chinese made Mash 400, which is really just the Honda CB400SS, the main difference being the exhaust pipes and silencers, plus fuel injection.
@@billbonu1639 and to further clarify, a lot of 4 strokes have a very short "Head Pipe" bolted to the head and the main exhaust slips over it and is held on with springs
Had one just like it. Bought it new in 84, Hit a horse on it. Some kids cut the fence. Horse was ok after stiches on it's shoulder. I was knocked out and my foot went through the back wheel. Broke some toes and had one that needed to be stitched back on. My helmet was crushed, I thank God for my recovery and the fact that it wasn't worse.
From 1982 - 1985 I worked at a Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki dealership, and my main job was putting together bikes packed just like this. Brings back a lot of memories.
You were probably like “the handle bar clamps are on the forks!” when they were trying to find it
OG
I was 15 years earlier assembling Yamaha, BSA and Hodakas. We also put together Harleys. But where the other machines had been tested in the factory the Harleys were completely unadjusted and it was a devil of a time getting them to fire up initially.
Honda c50 or c70 round lamp.. now the price market was like 100 times than before .where can I find that?
Didn't they ship dry?
Sweet find. I was working in a Honda dealership 20yrs ago when a guy rode in on a shockingly immaculate 60s Hawk or Super Hawk. I goggled gaped and gasped. Guy said it was found in a wooden crate in a relative's basement. She looked and ran like new. Just sitting in a crate for decades. Rich black paint, gleaming chrome, gauges perfect. Even the rubber looked good. I'm still in awe.
Gaped
Love how the guys are so reverent. My husband had one, nostalgic.
@@michelleobamasthicccocc822 How'd you know!
im a brit ride a vtr firestorm still rapid fer a 22 year old bike dont like going slow paid a grand 32 thou om clock eaz better than the ducati it waz copying
@@gruffrossi5420 really? I got to ride a vtr once back in the day. Awesome bike. Would love to scrounge one up again. Or maybe a Suzuki TL...
There must be hundreds or more of these new old stock bikes scattered across the country at dealerships. That’d be a fantastic series! I purchased a ‘00 ZX-12R from a dealer in Texarkana some years back that was still in the crate. Good times.
I'm thinking the same thing. Here in Ontario Canada I KNOW the bike dealers always had left over stock. Saw them stacked up at the two local shops I used to frequent. They still have listed 2 years previous models. The thing is? They always wanted all the money for 2 yr old bikes. Why would I pay $4500 for a 2yr old bike when a brand new current year was $4600?
Was it up on the self with a zx10 I think? I offered 15 and nope.
A dealer friend of mine bought 10 brand new 06 banshees still in the crate a few years ago from a dealer in Wisconsin that went out of business , best part was he was selling them still with the factory warranty
My dad works at a dump Honda usually just dumps the bikes and destroys them there
Yes omg they should have a website just for these! I would love a brand new older bike
I had that exact bike when I lived in Arizona in the early 90's. Unfortunately it was stolen and never recovered. I miss it dearly and all of the memories that were made with it. If you ever sell it let me know. Enjoy it.
This was my first *real* motorcycle! 17 years ago... Wish I still had it. Same year, color, decals etc! My first wreck (hopefully last) occured on it...afterwards I repaired it and turned mine into a dual sport.. lol a bit heavy, and all we had to ride where I grew up (eastern nc, coastal areas) was in sand, the forests around there was basically beach sand, but I could manage it...I'm glad I did, although knda crazy realized it had its benefits Since I put up with wrestling that thing through sand dunes as a teenager it made it to where I had no issues in sand when I switched to a lighter, better suited machine.
Curious where did you go to off-road? I’ve been looking for a good spot on this side of the state
@Memer DreamerI hope this is sarcasm.
@Memer Dreamer I mean 20 hp is still 20 hp. But I think not calling it a real bike is little ignorant
@Memer Dreamer According to some info I found about this bike it says the FT500 is supposedly rated for 33hp at 6500rpm. My fathers' 1980 Honda CX500 was rated for 45-50hp when the model came to the market in 1978. Not the most powerful things on two wheels but by no means as weak as you think. Of course they are also two totally different styles of bike. :)
@Memer Dreamer those exact bikes are still raced today! Look it up. The FT stood for Flat Track. And the Ascot was named after Ascot Park raceway. I believe its in California.
I had one of those bikes. It handled corners like it was on rails, with wider tires of course. I wish I still had that old thumper! Kick my own ass almost daily for selling it. My buddy had one and he says the same thing. Don't knock those thumpers till you try one. They're a blast!
I'm old enough to remember these bikes. This is a major score!...back in the 80's Honda dealers were stuck with too much inventory & they were offering deep, deep discounts! I purchased a Nighthawk 650 in the crate, dealer assembled for $1395 out the door!
Same in Scotland where the Honda CX500B were normally on sale at £1,100 before reductions in England had me travel 150 miles to Newcastle to pick one up, brand new for £750.
Brilliant solid bikes and well up for courier punishment!
Yup, mine was an '82 V-45 Magna that I bought brand new in the Winter of 1983 as a leftover with some extras thrown in for $1500. I had a lot of fun with that bike...
Had a 1985 Honda 450 Nighthawk.
@@dalegillett8171
I remember the Nighthawk television commercials. Do you remember what you paid for it?
Yes
Thank you for bringing back some incredible memories. My first street bike was a 1982 Honda Ascot FT500, exactly like this one. I bought it in March of '83 from the Honda dealer in Shawnee, OK.
Unfortunately, I totaled it the summer of '85. I was on my way to work and broadsided a young Limousine bull that spooked and ran out an open gate and into the road. The bull wasn't hurt, and I just had minor scrapes, but my Ascot's frame was bent beyond repair.
I've been working at a body shop for a bit now and extra tips I learned was if you're painting the door, it's better to take off the mirror and belt molding (the trim at the bottom of the window) for a better paint job in the end. The mirror can get in the way, and if you're unlucky, the clear coat could stick in that gap between the door and the belt molding.
I am a Beemer fan but I also have a 50 year old Honda CT90 that we stored in a shed for 22 years, without any prep. Last week I decided to get it running for the cottage and after two cranks with the kick starter it fired up. Honda does make some of the best motorcycles in the world.
Ha glorious!
This is unbelievable! I've been hunting for a classic motorbike for months. I finally decided on the Honda ft500 and bought it 12 hours before this video was released. Mind blown! Love the content. Chur the lads
Ohhhhhhh dang that’s crazy
I got one, and it's the greatest little bike ever! Groms, Monkeys, Benelli 135s are gobbled up easily. I'm late to the party on this but the pictures of the ascot at 1:55 is the twin that came out in 1983. The 1982-83 FT500 was/is a single cylinder. Also the single was chain driven and the twin was a shaft drive. I love old 70s,80s Hondas. It takes an in the know guy not to mess up the starter. Don't grind it! It will run highway well but realize it's a 500 single. When I ride it , it always delivers and old guys love seeing it. It should do that 350 miles back to Lancaster easily. The gas mileage is exceptional. And it wheelies so easily !
I am so glad I clicked on this video! I had a 1984 Honda Ascot as my very first bike at 16 years old! Looked exactly like this. Really cool to see one come right out of the crate!
I was a salesman at a motorsports company in 1993 and a similar thing happened to us. One of the employees found two, brand-new mid-1980's on-road/off-road motorcycles in unopened crates in the warehouse. We put them out on the floor and they sold almost immediately.
Nice, I often fancy buying an old new model, a Honda cg125 , I bought new in 2002, stupidly sold it, now they do little similar, they tend to hype new ones up with plastic and over price them
Well, classics often become collectibles because of rarity, then they will be become sought after..
Surprised that they hit the floor at all
@@rocketguy748 Brother CG125 still is offered in Pakistan Brand New
@@jimmymac4559 right they'd hit the back of my Trucks
I bought my '97 CBR1100XX new in the spring of 1998. I was in the market for one and the dealer checked their computer and it said they had 1 new one left. I remember being back in the warehouse and it was buried behind 3 or 4 other bikes in boxes. They finally got it out and opened up the box. It was packaged very similar to the FT in the video- steel frame with cardboard around it and some assembly required. The windshield and upper fairing were not attached and the clip-on bars were folded back. It was really neat to see it "from birth". I still have the bike.
I'm so happy I found this channel, I have worked on project cars for 19 years, I've only recently bought a 125cc, and I'm learning so much from this channel, one thing I have noticed is the bike community is so much nicer than the car community, keep up the great content
Less egomaniacs but more hooligans.
初めまして、日本の人ですが、40年前とは思えない、美しくカッコいいです。🦆
My first bike was an FT500. One mistake you guys made though - the FT was a 500 SINGLE, not a parallel twin. On mine I had a White Bros. pipe, raised the needle, and went up 2 teeth on the front sprocket. It also had rear shocks from an RD400 and I made brackets to use an upper fairing from an early Seca. That bike was an AWESOME wheelie machine! I'd love to buy this one form you guys!
I also owned an Ascot also the SR500 thumper from Yamaha.
Yeah I realized that I was wrong about it being a twin
Sorry, but if you want to purchase a motorcycle, please don't mention wheelie. LOL
@@JerryWasARaceCarDriver say wut?
Yep, had one new and it was the most fun I have ever had on a motorcycle. Nimble and still handled very well in its day. Yes, the White Bros. set was outstanding... but you couldn't keep the front wheel down.
I love vintage Hondas! I'm all about it for sure. Just redid the fork seals and new tires on my '87 Shadow VT700C.
I was an owner of a new FT500 back in the day. Saw it on the showroom floor and had to have it. Item of note: You will have electric starter issues as this was Honda’s very first LARGE single cylinder motorcycle WITH AN ELECTRIC STARTER. Not only was it lacking a compression release system (for starting) but was under durable (mechanical) as well. Later Honda issued stronger starter replacement components which helped but was never perfect regardless. By the time the XR650L (dirt single) came out they figured out the starter problem. No fun as Honda decided NOT to include a kick starter on the FT to boot! Best of luck!
Weird Tip: Keep your old toothbrushes instead of pitching them, toss them in a jar of isopropyl or ethyl alcohol and label them "cleaning brushes" and keep them in the garage. Then when you have situations like that brake "dust" you can get in there and scrub it nice and clean without jacking up a good knife or cutting yourself. The alcohol keeps them clean but will evaporate from any surface so there's no residue. They've been super useful in my little shop.
The Ascott may be my favourite Honda of all time. I was in high school when it was relased and have wanted one my entire life. It amazes me that there are still boxed bikes just sitting around.
I bought a left over in 1984 in the crate for $1000. see the story above.
You meant there are still boxed bikes sitting around? :-)
It's amazing to think that theirs still stuff out there laying dormant for as long as I have been alive and longer. It always blows my mind how people just leave them sitting for so long. And thank God that they do so people can discover thease treasures
Grew up on a 1982 CB 450. Seeing you put that time machine back together damn near brought a tear to my eye. Beautiful find, excellent bike.
Had one, (1982 Honda CB450 and a 1984 Yamaha 400 Seca 8Z. Both were great bikes. I wish I still had that 450. It's a collector in good condition.
I had the CB360 Honda 1978...👍
@@jamesbarry6979 me too, i was poor 18 year old kid and that damn thing got great gas mileage!!!
Wow! I had a CB360T going through High School and then bought a 1982 CB450 “Nighthawk” after joining the Navy and being stationed out in CA. A few years later (1986, I believe), the Honda dealership was practically giving away a “NOS” 1982 CB900F! I think I could have picked it up for around $1,300!
My dad had a smaller displacement version of this bike which looked very similar. I live in the US now and I'm 28 but I grew up in a country in South Asia called Bangladesh. He was a police officer and he used to ride it everyday going to and coming home from the police station. I have some vivid memories of how the bike looked , sounded and how the guage cluster lit up.
As I was watching the video without knowing what bike it is and then all of a sudden seeing the gas tank, the classic wing Honda logo, the way the gauge cluster lit up, it just triggered a part of my brain that had been forgotten for 2 decades. It popped up so many old memories, nostalgia and emotions and made me feel like I went back in a time machine. I was obsessed with bikes and cars as a kid so I don't think most people wouldn't experience the same as me. This is the very first bike that I have memories of growing up.
I had to mute the video so I could just look at it without all the talking. Just appreciate this piece of art Japan has given to the world and revolutionized the motorcycling industry especially in Asia. "Honda" in my country is a synonym for "motorcycle" and that particular bike is one of the very first to introduce us to the motorcycling culture.
I daydream of all the times I want to have a vehicle from the past that is all original straight from the factory. Then I come to the reality I will never be able to have one. Then I see this video in my feed. I wonder how rare this opportunity is to find something like this. I was 20 when this bike was born.
In the 80's, when I lived in San Antonio, I had a little Honda Rebel 250cc and loved that thing...Honda knows how to build motorcycles and I hope they see this video!
Wow how cool to find a 40 year old Honda still boxed up. Would love to know how much you paid for it! Amazing find! 👍👍🔥🔥🔥
this is just how everyone with a vintage honda feels when they do a full carb clean and valve/timing job for the year. "IT RUNS PERFECT LIKE NEW"
For some reason, your video reminded me of a widowed friend of my wife's who had an estate sale 2 years ago. I went to help get things in order. In one of the barns, under a tarp, of course, was a 50-year-old, 1970, Honda Trail 90 (CT90) with just under 50 miles on the odometer...pretty much in mint condition. I tried to convince her to let me find someplace to list the bike to make good money as nobody in these parts would pay what it was worth. However, she was insistent that she wanted everything to sell, garage sale style, in two weekends. She put a price of $2000 on it and ended up selling it for $500. Sheez! But I didn't give her any grief, as she sold me many older, but in new condition, power tools (i.e., cordless reciprocating saw, cordless blower, router, compound miter saw with a portable stand, portable generator, etc.) for pennies on the dollar, (not to mention that the year before, she sold me an RV trailer for about $5000 less than she could have gotten if she had advertised). Thanks for your video!
In 1983, I took my motorcycle license test on the FT500. I loved that bike! I owned an ATC250R and borrowed the Ascot for a day from a friend and regularly we would swap bikes for a few days at a time. I have a 2006 XR650L now with a big bore 675 103mm Weisco and cam kit.
I took my test on a 93' XR250L, that's when I turned 18.
By then, I was a very experienced rider (MX)
Another person was taking the test on his dad's Harley. They looked down their noses at me like I was a loser.
The guy ended up dropping the hog on it's side. Instant fail, I later saw them in the parking lot and he was crying (for real) getting yelled at by his dad. (Haha)
During the stop test, I stopped before any of the graduated lines. The examiner had to get his supervisor because no one had ever stopped in such a short distance before. He didn't know how to score me.
Yep, I remember it like it was yesterday.
I have to look for a nice XR 650. I miss having a thumper...
@@TheBandit7613 I did my 1st DMV drive test for motorcycle in 1973 on a Honda CT70H, piece of cake! All that was required back then was that the bike used had to have a hand clutch, no displacement limits or any of that BS.
I had a '03 XR650R watercooled (animal)thumper with rare CA street plates on it, made one heckuva motard bike with 17" wheels, billet hubs and 300mm front rotor! Went to a 16/39 sprocket gearing and bike would do an honest 110 mph, and get there pretty darn quick. Baja Designs light kit rounded out the package. Sold it 2 yrs. later for what I had in it, miss the bike as it was fun waxing sportbikes on tight roads!
@@MM_in_Havasu I eventually moved to an XR650. Living in the foothills of Colorado, that XR was a part of me. I spent most nice weekends exploring Colorado. I'd find old ghost towns. Still pretty complete.
I never has the liquid cooled version but I can imagine how much torque that thing has. I'd still like to find an unmolested one.
My XR would whoop Harleys like nothing. A biker wanted to beat me up once because my XR embarrassed his odd-firing antique.
Super interesting episode! It’s like opening a time capsule. It would be cool to have one still in the crate in a museum with a photo in front of it showing what it would look like assembled. It would drive folks nuts knowing it’s still in there!
lol that would be hillarious!
Empty crate……
This is what this idiot should have done....good job destroying history. There is a time when any product passes from its designed purpose and moves to artifact. The putz with the bike ruined an artifact.
Good to see Honda still uses the same kind of crates on some of their bikes. Got my start building bike out of the crate years ago. Bikes 6 years older than me but I got way more miles!
As an old parts salesman I appreciate your patience with that man, it's a hassle nobody wants but corporate is always pushing to get your names and info. It's just part of the script.
Why do they need it? Sound like cops
Thank for this video clip. You are fortunate to have someone like Craig with you. His dedication and love for motorcycles are really impressive!
Being an older person I used to go to Ascot to watch flat track and cars. One of my buddies took a 1972 Honda xl250 and removed everything he didn't need and replaced metal parts to plastic (tank and fenders). He caused quite a commotion racing against 2 strokes and placing 3rd. Alot of people came over to us asking questions.
That was my second bike, 72 XL 250. Probably still running somewhere.
I feel like I am hanging out with good friends when I am watching your channel guys !
It can’t get better than this !
Thank you for being good to each other . Like brothers should be . It is to talk about bikes , or to emphasized the importance of good brotherhood, Or both !
Thank you for allowed me in your channel .
I am proud of Honda's technological capabilities in Japan. Thank you for the video.
cannot describe how envious i am that you found a complete NOS bike, like regardless of what it is, to find something like that is a dream, arguable the closest i think you can get to time traveling, because you get to experience something which is in fact old, but in its most newest condition
One of my favorite Honda's of all time.A buddy bought one brand new back in '82.Currently,another friend,owns two of them.They're very similar to the XR500 of 1982.Very cool find boys!
The VT500 and FT500 have different engines. The FT is a single cylinder radial valve head which is why it has separate exhaust ports and two head pipes. Both great bikes. Nice find!
I'm saddened he's the one who got it. These nos bikes need to be gone through and replace every seal so it doesn't cause more damage then needed. And just adding an in line filter is not the proper way. There's a decent collectors market for these ascots I know I managed to pick up a low mileage one
the FT didn't have the radial head however it was a four valve head.
@@ryanmg02 I'm pretty sure they were replacing the seals at the end of the video. They aren't finished yet.
@@Squidgy55 they wanted to drive it home the put an in line filter instead of cleaning the tank.
I agree but the head was a 4 valve head with two exhaust ports and a compression release tied into the starting gears. It was basically the XL500 engine with electric start. You can even adapt the electric start to the XL500. The only real problem I've seen with those engines is oil seepage at the rocker box.
When I was a young fella in the Aussie racing scene, an old bloke I knew had one of these FTs fitted with a little sidecar. His race bike's front wheel fitted into the sidecar and he essentially towed it around to the various racetracks, along with his clothes, race gear, and camping gear. Very cool.
As a Western NY resident I grinned a big grin when you mentioned this was filmed at Bob Weaver Motorsports. I grew up hearing their radio and tv ads with the "You've Got Weaver Fever!" jingle and the "Your Wife Called And Said It's Ok!" tagline.
My first job was building bikes like this back through the 90's at my dad's dealership. I'd have that thing unboxed and on the road in just over an hour (the battery was always the killer as you needed to fill it with acid and give it a good charge), of course that's if it was new. They did away with crates like that in the late 90's, those side pieces were always an annoyance but you quickly found out to always peel them out before removing the top. All the manufacturers used similar crates. Nowadays they come almost completely built and after only a few parts installed they're ready to go.
Didn't they ship without fluids?
Always the least paid position at a stealership. Have a kid do it for free?
Brilliant.
That's not building but assembling.
I'm curious how a 40 year old crated Harley would turn out. The difference between Japanese made vehicles and US made can been seen in the oil dipstick. Japanese has a FULL line, US gives you an OK area of about an inch. Japan builds things like the US used to, with precision.
Japan built thing like America did before 'Murica existed bro
I'm not a big harley fan but the simplicity of their design might actually be a benefit in a case like this. Less to go wrong. Or maybe I'm way off lol.
It's actually opposite. Harleys are overly complicated, 3 oils to change, pushrods outside the engine, tons of extra seals etc.
I’m amazed at the lack of knowledge from people that watch Sean’s videos. Ignorance is not bliss. Just hateful.
@@codycummings6054 True, they are a pain to work in a lot of ways. But on the other hand, hand, have you ever done a valve adjustment on a Honda v4 bike? Not fun. Or adjust/balance the 4 carbs on some metric bikes.
I bought one of these back in the day for $1500. Never gave me any trouble at all. A great commuter bike because you sit nice and high above the traffic. The only thing I ever replaced were the bearings in the steering head which got pounded into little D tents so it became hard to steer.
The only problem I had with mine was the starter failing. I think this was fairly common on them.
And the engine fired up just like a Honda should, even after 40 years amazing! 😍
Funny to see that some parts are exactly the same as on my Honda MT-8, wish i found a Honda MBX 125F or MB-8 like this 😎
When my friend helped me retrieve my fathers 1980 CX500 from my fathers small out building the first thing he did after checking the oil was remove the carbs, sprayed some 2-stroke mix into the intakes and bumped it over with a portable jumper pack and it fired right up. The bike was sitting since 2004 which is when my step-sister was born. I'll be buying the bike off my father eventually but he hasn't given me a price yet. He wants me to get it running first before worrying about any money. It's in decent shape but it is going to need some new tires and some new carbs. The stock carbs are seized with corrosion so they're not worth saving.
Most any new machine new in a box etc would fire up bro. With fresh fluids/new battery etc. Calm dwn w/the Honda BS
@@Davido50 sounds like you know nothing about Honda.. stay salty
@@Davido50 had a Honda 4 wheeler that would start first crank on a below zero morning.. any other brand would take 10 minutes or longer to start and they would still act funny till it warmed up.. but not Honda.. keep hating but Honda guys know what I'm talking about.. most dependable no questions about it
40 year old Honda fires right up you can’t beat that kind of reliability
This is interesting to me because I owned one of these in the early 80s, bought new (in black), and I loved it. This is definitely a nostalgic blast from the past for me.
The summer of 82 I was 16 and in summer school. Right after school on RT 59 Nyack New York was a Honda Motorcycle Shop called The House of Power. Long long gone now. I saw that beautiful bike in the showroom. So old school now but back then it was the bomb.
“I was worried about being bit by a 40 year old super mouse that lived off eating motorcycle parts” 😂😂😂
Back in the late 1980's a guy I knew was able to buy a brand new Mark Four Ford Zodiac bodyshell more than twenty years after they stopped making them. He transferred all the parts from his older model onto it, renewing any as needed, and ended up with a 'brand new' car more than 20 years after the last one rolled off the production line. Nice
I have to admit I spent way more time thinking about how something like brake fluid can go from liquid to powder especially as it would absorb moisture over time. Also the condition of that seat is insane.
it crystalises and degrades, its loses all its hydrophobic properties arfter a while with each moisture cycle.
and salt gets in, which corrodes the aluminiums.
ikr? INSANE
thanks for that....I was incredulous.
I worked at a Honda dealership in 1983/4. We bought every one of these that were in the warehouses on the east coast. Sold them as fast as we could build them at $1,198 plus $200 shipping. We got black ones and red ones. Which ever was on the floor is the color that sold. Fun bikes.
Question for you: why did Honda ship the bikes with brake fluid already added? I though all bikes left factory fully dry
I thought I was the only one who had a thing for Ascots. They were never fast, but they sure do look cool. Riveted to this episode. Thanks for posting this!
My first bike was a black 83 FT500. SO MUCH FUN!
Thumpers are just great, NGL.
I wanted one so bad in the day. Fast forward to 2022 I bought a Svartpilen 401 and I am satisfied but man that Ascot;
Friend of mine had the VT version. He put a wind screen and saddle bags and he used it to tour with. He rode it for 10+ years. He loved it.
Nope, not the only one. I LOVED this bike when it came out. It has it...simple, elegant, no doo dads and go gaws and air cooled beauty.
@@muskokamike127 Simple is right. I could swap the carb jets in about 10 minutes while I was tuning mine up.
Awesome! My family owned a Honda dealership and I remember when this bike came out. One of the mechanics had one and he was a fanatic.
That front brake reservoir was nasty! Hopefully you guys can get the brakes fixed up for the ride back!
Brakes are overrated.
@@calholli they really are, all they do is slow you down anyway... 🏍💨
Don't need brakes!
I know how this works out. I have a feeling you make a debut in the next episode??? Lol
Who needs breaks..
I know someone who has not one but two BSA Lightnings still in the crate. Never opened. For those that don't know, often BSA ran out of parts and would steal them from Triumph. Because these crates have never been opened and that lot of assembly was expected of the dealer, the crates are fairly small for the size of the bike. I LOVED my '69 Candy Red/chrome Lightning. Not as much fun as my Honda 305 Scrambler but a whole lot more power, especially when you ditched those honk'n mufflers. I was able to actually be the TT's all my friends had bought.
Very cool to see an nos honda still in the crate! Never have I seen brake fluid turn into powder, crazy! Thanks for sharing!
doubt its brake fluid, surely bike has no fluids at all in the crate. just alumin. oxide possibly.
Not brake fluid, metal corrosion powder
@@joebarber4030 Yeah, being new it never had fluid in it to begin with I would think. My mistake! Thanks!
I don't think that there was any brake fluid in the resovour. It is made of an aluminium alloy. And as such it corrodes with the air making it into aluminium oxide. Just dry corrosion.. so clean up and fill. Just oxydized alloy.
This is why people trust japanese products.. although it was stucked 40 yrs, it still works.. and so awesome
I love how I always see something new on this channel.
Keep up the Good Work Gentlemen.😎
Loved them, still do. My first street ride was on a new Ascot FT in the summer of 1982, a friend’s new purchase. A whopping 6, maybe 8 miles, but it was still very memorable. I bought my first new street bike in April 1986, a Honda VF500 Interceptor, but I convinced my best buddy to buy a used Ascot FT so we could ride together. I did some rudimentary hop-up mods to his bike, jet kit, F1 slip-on, even a mild cam, and I would eventually eventually talk him into loaning it to me so I could take my road racing new rider’s school on that bike. I wired it up and prepped it for the track, and scooted around the track in October 1987, successfully getting my race license. I’ve been road racing ever since, and I still have a soft spot for the FT, such a classic design, even if America didn’t get the little thumper. I have raced and ridden a metric ton of bikes since then, but oddly, to the best of my recollection, I don’t think I have ever ridden a VT… 🤔
my first and only brand new motorcycle purchase was a FT Ascot way back in the 80's so as you might guess I really enjoyed this video! Same color, same starter motor sound, and same putt-putt exhaust. It was not a good highway bike but it was ok for zipping around town. I bought it at St Johns Honda in Portland then later when it was time for it's first maintenance the Honda shop in Bend Oregon screwed up and had to order a new head from Honda
I loved the shaft drive...dislikes were the front pressurized air forks
Wow. Nice to see what it looks like new. Mine’s just been sitting in a shed till I work up the courage to get the rust out of the tank and try to get it road worthy again.
DO it...they are so worth it. They don't build them like this anymore.
@@muskokamike127 I really should! I had bought it so I had a bigger bike than my ‘83 XL250R but now it’s just been sitting for almost a year.
@@lotus64ftw the XL is a great bike too. Perfect for bombing around town on and you can use it on the trails too. That was going to be my next bike after my MT125.
@@muskokamike127 I honestly love my 250. It’s been super thrashed but still runs like a champ for the most part. It got me hooked on 80’s Hondas.
@@lotus64ftw Yup, gotta love 70's and 80's hondas...bullet proof.
One guy who actually knows what he's doing and works at putting the thing together and one guy who gets in the other's way and talks and talks about how little time is left.
I agree
All of his vids are pretty much useless
But makes for amusing viewing in my opinion.
lol that's how TH-camrs are sometimes, they worry more about the content and getting things filmed while still...'helping' and theyll call their specialist friends who are an integral part of the channel for their skills....but the way you put it is funnier👍🏾😂
This is not the time to put fictitious time frame on anything you want done right, But he's not a mechanic. Feeble attempt at video production.
That's crazy!
Have any us brands ever started after 40 years like this? Amazing!
So stoked y'all ended up with this treasure! I was watching this auction from a distance on Bring-a-trailer and saw y'all won, congrats! I had a chance to ride one about 12 years ago or so that had less than 100 miles on it and was hoping to get it. It was being restored after the owner got spooked going over a bridge and got a strong crosswind, so he let it sit in his garage. I didn't have the funds on hand before it was restored, then a collector grabbed it before I could get to it. The one I rode was a single cylinder thumper, I thought the early ones were single cylinder, looks like yours is to, correct? I thought the twins were later. Regardless, I couldn't be happier that y'all ended up with this never ridden beauty, lemme know if you need anyone to give it a test ride! heh!
Yeah, the FT500 was a single. Many who had ridden the CB250RS were hoping that it would be an upturned RS. Unfortunately, it was nothing of the sort. The FT was hardly any faster than the RS. I think it only had about 6bhp more, but weighed a fair bit more, and had a much more upright riding position, along with skinny forks. It didn't even have much bottom end, and the engine really wasn't as frugal as it should have been.
Honda would have done much better to use the XR500 engine and just tried to keep the weight down, but they didn't and the FT really didn't sell.
BTW, those lumps weren't exactly the most reliable. They were known to burn oil and had the virtually typical cam chain and cam follower problems that affected so many Hondas of the time.
I think the FT500 would be precisely the kind of bike that, when people talk about "The good old days" I think "They really weren't that good at all".
This is awesome!! Like a time capsule for me. I worked as a mechanic at Honda of Salt Lake from 1976-1984. I was paid a flat rate of around $75 to assemble that very bike, among others , out of the crate. The faster I worked the more I made. Loved watching this!!
They were not black(theVT twins), they were a very dark metallic blue. They were quick. With a change of tires they handled well. They made very good fuel mileage.
I used to work in a Honda shop back in the late 70's early 80's, putting Honda's together. Thanks for the memories.
I worked in parts at a Honda dealership in the 80s and rode both the FT & the VT many times plus many others. These bikes were a blast to ride. I would like o find one. We used tp . pick our bikes up at GN Gonzales in Baton Rouge. He was a distributor. He had bunches of bikes in crates. Thanks for the video I always wondered if the bikes would run after all those years.
Hi, I have Honda Magna 700C from 1986 like new, amazing bike, works like Switzerland watch, every season positive emotions. Like to ride together with my son on Yamaha Buldog.
Legend has it that his old warehouse still has bikes in and that he actually lived in the warehouse.
My 1st bike I put on the road in the UK was an air cooled CR250 with no front brake & a flat front wheel, but the front wheel was hardly ever in contact with the road much anyway.
The red rocket was a beast of a bike & my only bike I regret selling.
I had one of these brand new as a 1983 model ($1100 brand new). My first “street” bike because my parents got tired of what seemed like the nearly daily ticket I got for riding my CR and RM on the street. I wanted something easy and simple since I was going to maintain it. The FT WAS NOT a twin nor was it a radial head. It was nothing more than a holdover XR 500 engine. Dual exhaust at the head so some people thought it was a twin. The same year the XR itself (if you were a factory rider) got the RFVC (Radial Four Valve Combustion) head…the FT never got this motor. It was a fun bike, slow but fun. I put 8000 miles on mine riding all over the west at 17 in one summer. If you owned one, you just had to be a XR guy to work on it. I upgraded mine to a 10.5:1 Wiesco piston for like an extra maybe 5hp. Top speed on this bike was 90 on a VERY good day stock and at the time I weighed a whopping 107lbs.
I got stopped heading home to Reno, NV after riding all night from Cody, WY. HP pulled me over and asked me if I knew how fast I was going and my response was “No sir, the speedometer only goes to 85 and I had it on the pin wide-open on my throttle lock”. Turns out with the new piston I actually was running 107. $50 ticket and a stern slow it down.
It was fun but for the time though and I rode the hell out of it before I figured planes go faster and moved on. But this does bring back memories!
I’ve built two Honda CB250RS’s, one with an FT500C motor in it, the other with an XL500S motor installed. Wiseco high-comp pistons, 10.8:1, pod filters, upjetted, loud exhausts, XBR500 gearing. Good for 110mph!
The Ascot and V Twin where huge flops for Honda when they first came out. I was working in sales at a large volume Honda dealer in Southwest PA a year or so later. Evidently Honda decided to almost give these bikes away. I sold a bunch of these for $500 and the V Twin maybe $200 more! That was a steal even back then!
Thanks for your videos. Brings back great memories.
sean "bikes and berard we're all about safety here"
A few minutes later "brakes are a luxury... this is America" 🤣🤣🤣
This brings back memories! What a gem! I used to have a FT500. Great bike. It doesn’t have a twin cylinder motor but a big thumper, basicly the same engine as the XL500 but with an electric starter. It’s a bullet proof motor but the start engine is this bikes biggest flaw. I guess Honda hadn’t figured out a good way to start up that big thumper cause it’s notoriously unreliable. There are some tricks to it, there’s some maintenance that needs to be done regularly. Also, the carb is kinda jetted wrong from the factory to save emissions.. there are some performance mods that brings these to life, I would go up a tooth on the front sprocket and change out the jets for bigger sizes, kits are available on eBay. There are also quite a large community with enthusiasts for these bikes where you can get a lot of info on good maintenance tips for the starter and some essential mods. I’ve got a big file of documents saved on my computer from those groups if you’re interested.
When I heard twin cylinder I too thought that's not right, they must have been fooled by the twin header pipes.
Interested in sharing that file
My Ft 500 would eat electric starters
Mine had a kick-start conversion. No decompression valve connected either... It could get lively if it didn't want to start. You couldn't even hold the throttle on startup, I used to hold the middle of the bars with my right hand otherwise it threatened to flood or kick you back!!
Mine was the first big bike after passing my test, very disappointed, wasn't much quicker than the lc125 I passed my test on. Had it about a week when I traded in for a VF500F. Awful bikes
I love how they had some late 60's early 70's Seadoo's stacked on the shelves so cool. My uncle left a Honda 450 in a crate when he had to bail Vietnam in may of 1975.
Wtf was he going to Vietnam for in 1975, vacation?
@@billbonu1639 he was there from 66-75 running a communication base
The excitement outweighs the clock anxiety 😆 I bought 85’ Honda Fourtrax 250 off showroom floor. My twin sons have it now! Still going strong! I have 87’ 250X I am 2nd owner . Love them all !
I bought one these new 40 years ago and had a blast on it. Thanks for the memories!
Love the channel, and love the way you guys are always able to find beautiful old-school bikes & even if they aren't the prettiest you guys can always bring them back to life.
I was wondering if you guys have ever come across the monster 6 cylinder Honda cbx 1050 that is one of my all time favorite bikes for so many reasons, that bike would fit perfectly in you're channel/collection.
Anyways may your team stay blessed and keep making amazing content
I had an FT500 in the mid eightes, pulled like a train, I loved it. But the brake calipers needed regular stripping down cos they were prone to seizing up due to the alloy callipers riding on steel pins. Stainless steel might have helped. I think we used Copperslip grease. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenace. I recall it made a dub dub dub kind of sound, nice machine. Fond memories and lots of heat resistant aerosol black paint on the exhaust downpipes. Best regards, dub dub dub ROAR ! 😃
@hueo far Eh, Lancaster, miles back? No comprehendi. You got one of these machines then? 🤔
On my vt500 i loved the shaft drive and that engine sounded sweet
50 mpg for vt500 if i recall
Great to see more of these old bikes in boxes around the country.
First bike I learned to ride was a 84 nighthawk 650 blue. It was one my older brothers first bike. He spent half the year with his mom in Florida. Years later as I got older we laugh about how I thought I was getting away riding his bike and he would say you think I left keys there for our dad to ride it, he knew lol. Man we both had a thing for bikes from about 1980 and on. Remember all these bikes sitting In our local Honda dealership. Once we seen our first F-1 or the hurricane 600 we were both hooked. Got mine if memory serves me for just short of 3k. More like $2400. Good times!
40yr old tires? No frickin way man, i would be spending extra time to switch out tires. Pretty excited to see the voyage back to Penn!
Those tyres were lethal when they were new. Just about OK on a dry road but awful in the wet.
It's a honda...we knew it would run. Great content.
Bought this same bike in Fall 1984 with 800 miles on it. My first bike. I really liked riding it. Not a race bike but good handling and reliable.
Oh, so that is what a FT500 should look like :) Actually I have the engine out of one in my 1982 CB250RS. It is built for local street race series a lot of fun.
I love the shocked look when it fired up, I had no doubts, it is a Honda after all. Waiting for part 2
I was working Honda Parts and always wondered where the unsold crated bikes went. My part’s guy job spanned near 4 years in early seventies at 2 separate dealerships. My new 2022 Goldwing will be delivered tomorrow. Any tips on finding these unsold crated great bikes?
When you went in for the fluids and told the clerk your first name I was totally on board. It's a special moment when I encounter another person that spells Sean the right way!
Great video! So cool to unbox a brand new Honda from the 80’s! I’m pretty sure that it’s a 500 single and not a parallel twin though. The two exhaust pipes are deceiving because it’s a four valve head, thus two exhaust ports and two pipes.
Sweet bike. The bodywork reminds me of the Nighthawks.
I'd never ride on 40 year-old tires though no matter how good they appear.
Bob weaver is 30 minutes from my house. Gotta let fans know you’re close! I would’ve definitely come and bothered you guys. Keep up the great content guys. Nurse Eric approved! 😂👍🏼🇺🇸
That's why they don't lol
I had a VT 500, back in 1990 to 1992. It was a really nice bike. It was a little cold blooded at startup but it ran good once you got it started.
Bless your hearts - I got one of them - the Vee Twin/shaft drive - same way. In a box NOS. (thank you, Olympia Honda)
I LOVED that simple bike and rode it through the late 80s and into late 90s, until somebody crushed me as I was trying to get into my driveway. (sad face and scars)
Just as I would expect from a Honda! Good times. I was JUST getting into motos at that time.
Very interesting to see an untouched bike being uncrated for the first time after so many years. Must be many a bikers fantasy to buy a bike that's still in its original packing crate decades after it was manufactured, whatever the model of bike might be.
The FT500 was a bit of a disappointment when it was released here in the UK, it was not called the Ascot here, just FT500. Riders here, like myself, who rode and loved the superb CB250RS were hoping Honda would give us a 500cc version of the 250RS, especially as Honda already produced the 500cc version of the 250 engine, which was used in the XL500s and the XR500.
But unfortunately Honda gave us the Flat Track style FT500, a nice enough bike in itself, but definitely not what we really wanted, and the Flat Track styling was somewhat lost on us in the UK. It was a CB500RS that we yearned for.
The FT500 engine has a single cylinder using a four valve head with twin exhaust ports. It uses twin balance shafts driven by a chain, and a single overhead cam running directly in the Alluminium alloy head with an automatic cam chain tensioner. The camshaft has two lobes that operate the four valves via forked rockers.
The crankases are split horizontally, which is very unusual for single cylinder motorcycle engines. There is no replaceable paper oil filter fitted, instead it uses just a mesh gauze filter. The engine design of the 500cc FT/XL is the same as the engines used in the XL250 and CB250RS, with their short stroke and balance shafts they are all quite smooth, and they last quite well with regular oil changes.
Agree. I had a 250 rs and it was fantastic, as you say the ft500 was hugely disappointing for us in the uk. Having owned all sorts from full spec Harris Magnum to 1100 suzuki Katana, Bm's, the list goes on but the 250 rs really made an impression. We;re lucky to have these memories I think.
Whilst despatch riding dropping a package off near Wimbledon, I saw a 250RS with an XL500 engine fitted. The engine was too tall to use the top end head steady but did look very good. It was raw as the guy hadn't finished it but boy did it go. I think he'd fitted 400 Superdream forks to it so he had twin discs up front. I've got a 250RS in my garage I'm contemplating putting back on the road.
Yes I bought a new CB250RS in 1985. Great little bike. In the uk you had the XBR500 and GB500 too
@@morri03You were a lucky man indeed to buy a new CB250RS.
We did get the Honda XBR500 here in the UK, and that was the only bike I ever bought new, way back in 1989, I actually part exchanged my beautiful blue CB250RS for it. The XBR had a wonderful engine, but slightly odd styling I thought, but felt and performed great.
But the Honda GB500 was never officially imported into the UK by Honda, any that made it here were usually grey imports. That was a real shame as the GB500 was spot on for the UK.
The single cylinder Honda CB400SS was another great bike that was just right for us here, but Honda never gave us that bike either.....Bloody hell!!
However in more resent years we did get the Chinese made Mash 400, which is really just the Honda CB400SS, the main difference being the exhaust pipes and silencers, plus fuel injection.
So
So cool to see a time capsule like this!!!!!! Thanks for sharing this with us!!! :)
I love Hondas from those years. I had a 1983 vt 750 Shadow from 2001 to 2018, sold it and it's still running.
Congrats to the bike.
Never too late bro😅Even after 40 years, don't give up
Not a parallel twin, one was a V twin, the other was a 500 single based on the XR500 engine, 4 valve head and dual head pipes.
Glad you said it, I got in two minutes and I was ready to scream. The single was so much better than the twin.
Wtf is a headpipe?
@@billbonu1639 section of exhaust where it leaves the head. That what I've always known it as.
@@billbonu1639 and to further clarify, a lot of 4 strokes have a very short "Head Pipe" bolted to the head and the main exhaust slips over it and is held on with springs
Had one just like it. Bought it new in 84, Hit a horse on it. Some kids cut the fence. Horse was ok after stiches on it's shoulder. I was knocked out and my foot went through the back wheel. Broke some toes and had one that needed to be stitched back on. My helmet was crushed, I thank God for my recovery and the fact that it wasn't worse.
Nice to see that they're still crated the exact same way in 2022 lmao
I noticed that too 👍 pretty cool