XT 500. The Bike that Started it All.

[Ian Bungy]

The Classic Yamaha XT 500 !!! This is the Bike that Started everything and Still Looks Good today in My Eyes 8) I had the Privilege of Buying a Brand New One in New Zealand, 1978 when I was 16 Years Old. I Have Many Great Memories of it. One Not so Pleasant was Sliding off it at 120kmh on the Way home from Work once :shock: Bugger all Damage, Picked it up and Continued Home :wink: A Tough Great Sounding Bike!
My one was exactly This Colour and at 16 I was Pretty Proud to have a Bike of This Calibre back then, Over 30 Years ago, Showing My Age now!

I think if it was Possible to Buy a New One Today there would Still Be a lot of Takers Both New and Old Riders!
The recent News that Yamaha may Start Selling the XT660 here in Thailand brought all this back to My memory and as I happened to Find an Article in a Magazine here on it I thought I would Share the Photos.
Hope You enjoy the Trip down Memory Lane!
I may even Start reliving My Youth and Get one of the New XT 660 :wink:

 

[siinthai]

On Horizons Unlimited , there's an older guy, 60+ riding one up through Africa on his own...now there's some of that intestinal fortitude !
I'll try find the link

 

[ron]

Hi Ian ,

interesting subject , i always liked the old thumpers , and the classic XT500 is still popular , one of the best & simple engines ever made probably

20 XT riders this year started at " heroes legend " , the real amateur race from Paris to Dakar , must be great fun







i don ' t think there many around in thailand , compared to the (no plate ) SR400


keep on thumping

ron

 

[Ian Bungy]

Hi Captain,
I had brought a New Red XT550 about the same time 82? It was an OK Bike but not of the Same Quality as the Older 500 I thought? I later Brought a New XT600 when it came Out which was more in Line with the Quality and Performance of the Old XT's. Just after the release of the XT550 They brought out the XT400 which was almost Identical except the Smaller capacity engine! It was a DUD which No one wanted and they eventually Imported Loads of them to New Zealand to get Rid of. Really Cheap but Shitty Bike!!! Be interesting to See How the 660 compares???

 

[penetrator]

I was only a kid when the XT500 was out but it was 1 of the 2 bikes I dreamed of owning back then, the other being the 81 Maico 490. There used to be a guy called Craig Mills round my way who was the local wheelie king on his XT500, he was my hero back then. I dare say the stock XT would be a bit of a let down to experience now, I raced 1 on my KMX125 20 years ago and beat it, but I still have a urge to have an XT that's period
uprated with longer travel suspension, maybe a YZ400/465/490 front end and some of the engine mods regularly used on the SR500.

 

[monsterman]

strange how the big Yammy single has variable build quality from model to model even though the basic design is virtually unchanged ,, some model years had a perchant for lunching camshaft support bearings eventually destroying the head.whilst the same model next year would be bulletproof.was it because some were made in Italy and others in Japan?