Honda Ascot (motorcycle)

The Honda Ascot is the name Honda gave to two road motorcycles of the early 1980s, the FT500 and the VT500FT, sold between 1982 and 1984 as part of the VT500 engine series. The 1982 and 1983 FT500 used a 498 cc single-cylinder four-valve engine with a balance shaft, derived from the engine of the Honda XL500 enduro machine but tuned for highway use with a vacuum carburetor, a five-speed gearbox and an electric starter with no kickstart. The VT500FT that followed in 1983 changed to a 491 cc liquid-cooled V-twin with a six-speed gearbox and shaft drive, and a 1984 version continued it. Colours and tank decals changed between model years, and speedometer limits differed by market.