Up for sale is a 1984 Honda Ascot VT500FT with 8,530 original miles in Candy Bourgogne Red paint. Everything on this bike is almost showroom condition. Seat has a Travelcade recover, new fork seals, fresh 15W fork oil (best suited for this bike), fresh oil and filter, fresh rear drive oil, fresh coolant, valve adjustment, carbs fully serviced, synced and adjusted, new battery, and new tires. This one needs NOTHING until it’s next scheduled maintenance.
These are highly under appreciated bikes. The Ascot VT500FT is light, powerful, nimble, easy to ride, great fuel economy, reliable, and almost zero maintenance. 6 speed, 500cc, v-twin, liquid cooled, shaft drive, twin plug per cylinder. Perfect for the beginning rider or seasoned, experienced enthusiast. Top speed is 122 mph and 0 to 60 in roughly 4.3 seconds.
This bike carries the same name as the Ascot FT500, but the FT500 is completely different. The FT500 is different because it is a single cylinder, air cooled engine, chain link for its drive, and has less power. They are both named the same since they were both used on the Ascot Flat Track in California. The Ascot FT stands for Flat Track in both names. These two bikes may have similar names, but not even the body parts, turn signals, mirrors, fenders, controls, etc. are the same.
This bike can get 50 to 60 mpg depending on the person’s riding habits. The tank and reserve hold 2.5 gallons - just the right amount for driving - right when you are wanting a break. This bike was only made for two years in 1983 and 1984. Recommended weight limit is 384 load capacity.
I stand at 5’11” with a 32” inseam, and it’s comfortable both at a stop sign as well as tooling down the road. At 425 lbs, and a relatively low center of gravity, it’s so easy to ride and maneuver. The seat height is 31.5’ and ground clearance is 7.2”
