Yamaha XT500

[TimberlineAdventure]

Anyone here have a XT500? My buddy and I have a few MINT MINT MINT xt500's and are about to switch over to a HUSKY 610TE. Still keeping the XT's, but am wondering if anyone else here has one

[thumperbill]

Love those old Thumpers. Have had a bunch of them with no real problems yet. Got my fist TT back around the mid 80s and have been hooked ever since. Almost always have several in the stable. Great bikes but they dont compare to the newer dual sports but are still quite capeable bikes when ridden within their limits.

Currently building a street legal flat track style bike using bits of a TT500 XT500 and SR500. Here is a pic of my XT and the project bike.

Congrats, nice ones are harder to find every year. Lets see a pic of yours.

[sonic reducer]

the XT and TT aluminum tanks are bar none my favorite factory tank ever.

[scootertrash]

Originally Posted by TimberlineAdventure

Anyone here have a XT500? My buddy and I have a few MINT MINT MINT xt500's and are about to switch over to a HUSKY 610TE. Still keeping the XT's, but am wondering if anyone else here has one

Had three '78's, two XT's and a SR. LOVE that engine! Would love to get another XT 500..

EDIT: Here's my old SR:

[Sycamore]

I also had 2 XT's and an SR, which I modified a bit. Same engine, basically.
The XT was was a great bike, IMO it was a kind of a legend. First Japanese big single, Yamaha took a chance and opened up a whole new market. Stone reliable.

Here's one of my XT's in South Africa at the start of an 800 mile road trip on Christmas day 1980 (girlfriend left me, and I was so pissed I left town for good - true story) and some pics of my modified SR which I still own.







and here's a TT500 (offroad cousin of the XT) I saw yesterday...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326172


and here's the XT again after the first few hundred miles - crazy high handlebars (what the hell was I thinking), army sleeping bag as backrest, seat cut down to an inch or 2 which was also pretty stupid in hindsight.

[Hektoglider]

I picked this one up last fall with 7700km original nice shape..........super low price, had to buy it.

[montesa_vr]

The old fashioned mechanical ignition points didn't have the moisture resistance that new solid state ignitions have. After four days on the ferry back from Alaska, the bike spent the night outside in the foothills of the Cascades, and the next morning I kicked for a long time without gettting a pop. Finally pulled the ignition cover and gave everything a shot of WD-40 and then it started right up.

We take a lot for granted today. The XT valves were very easy to adjust, but they loosened with miles and made a racket to let you know it was time to snug them down a little. Oil changes were a bit of a process with the oil in the frame and various filters. It really preferred premium gas. The starting process was pretty intricate until you learned where the piston was by feel and didn't need to stand on your head to look at the little window in the cam cover any more. No counterbalancer, so you knew what a big single felt like -- more shake than buzz.

I never again owned a bike that was as easy to ride long wheelies as my XT500. I'd own one again just for that.

[Sycamore]

[TimberlineAdventure]

I will post a few pictures this evening of our XT's

[Jolly705]

Here is a pic of my XT500, if I could get it to run right that would be amazing!!

[TimberlineAdventure]

Originally Posted by Jolly705

Here is a pic of my XT500, if I could get it to run right that would be amazing!!

What is the problem with her running ?

[TimberlineAdventure]

Originally Posted by montesa_vr

The old fashioned mechanical ignition points didn't have the moisture resistance that new solid state ignitions have. After four days on the ferry back from Alaska, the bike spent the night outside in the foothills of the Cascades, and the next morning I kicked for a long time without gettting a pop. Finally pulled the ignition cover and gave everything a shot of WD-40 and then it started right up.

We take a lot for granted today. The XT valves were very easy to adjust, but they loosened with miles and made a racket to let you know it was time to snug them down a little. Oil changes were a bit of a process with the oil in the frame and various filters. It really preferred premium gas. The starting process was pretty intricate until you learned where the piston was by feel and didn't need to stand on your head to look at the little window in the cam cover any more. No counterbalancer, so you knew what a big single felt like -- more shake than buzz.



I never again owned a bike that was as easy to ride long wheelies as my XT500. I'd own one again just for that.

I must be inept at pulling wheelies, even with you are saying is the best Wheelie machine around... What is your method, I have ridden for twenty years, have a modified bike, but certainly suck at the wheelies...

[Jolly705]

It starts when it feels like it and cuts out when it does run. The carb was pulled apart and cleaned, points in spec, the whole bike has been through but still won't run right, it is driving me or shall I say my father crazy. He has the bike in his garage now and have been messing with it for months now. It has us stumped!

Originally Posted by TimberlineAdventure

What is the problem with her running ?

[Rusty Rocket]

Originally Posted by TimberlineAdventure

I must be inept at pulling wheelies,What is your method,

Practice practice practice.... go to a sloping grassy area and practice. By learning on a hill, you get help from gravity when you have to back off. Also you don't have to get the front end as high to ride a wheely for a distance. Riding a wheely for a long distance is a thrill everyone should experience. It's like a video game, put in enough quarters, (buy enough rear fenders ) and you'll get good at it.

[TimberlineAdventure]

Originally Posted by Jolly705

It starts when it feels like it and cuts out when it does run. The carb was pulled apart and cleaned, points in spec, the whole bike has been through but still won't run right, it is driving me or shall I say my father crazy. He has the bike in his garage now and have been messing with it for months now. It has us stumped!

I am no mechanic, but I have one that is a surgeon on these bikes. I will speak to him, and worst case scenario, bring it to Portland, Maine and I will have Lou fix it in a weekend, no matter what the problem is.... Have a few Lobstah's, and go home with a perfectly running bike.