DIRTHAMMER SAYS

NO RESERVE!

The NO RESERVE sale of this barn find 1979 Yamaha XT500 is bittersweet for me, because this bike and I have history. You see, once upon a time I was a powersports writer and video producer. We picked this bike up non-running from a barn down in Georgia, and I brought it back to life over two videos on Motorcyclist Magazine's YouTube channel. I threw $1,500 or so worth of parts at it from XT500 parts specialist Kedo, and now it runs and rides with no issue. Check out the YouTube links below to see the hilarity in full. Humbly, I think it's worth your time.

Cosmetically, this bike is very in as-found condition. The seat cover is tired, the tank has its share of dents and scratches, and the plastics should be rehabbed. Despite its blemishes, it drips with presence, and the aluminum tank is clean as a whistle inside. The fuel system is brand new. The carburetor, petcock, fuel filter, and fuel lines were all replaced during the build. The fork seals, bushings, and fork oil are new, and we treated the bike to brand-new YSS shocks from Kedo. It has new Dunlop D606 rubber front and rear with new inner tubes and rim tape.

The bike runs a little rich, and could use a valve adjustment, as one valve lifter taps a little. The period-correct SuperTrapp exhaust is in good shape and sounds excellent. The gauges and lights all work, but the bike lacks turn signals and mirrors. It has a clean California title.

The Yamaha XT500 is a legendary off road bike for myriad reasons, including reliability, serviceability, and its outright refusal to quit. But it's best known for winning the inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally in 1979, the year of this bike's birth, and again in 1980. If it's good enough to slog from Paris through the Sahara, it's more than up for the odd fire road or your weekly coffee meetup. With NO RESERVE and presence this cool, we dare you not to bid.