DIRTHAMMER SAYS

The 1980 Yamaha XT500 is from one of Yamaha's golden ages. This is the bike that won the first two Paris-Dakar rallies, and helped cement Yamaha's legendary status in off-road racing circles. Without the XT500, there would be no Tenere. I have a special place in my heart for these beasts, as I revived one from barn find status in my past life as a moto journo. They're simple, easy to work on, fun, and they look absolutely fantastic.

This 1980 Yamaha XT500 is located in Richmond, Virginia and has been restored cosmetically and mechanically and is in spotless cosmetic condition. It has a bunch of restoration and upgrade parts from industry standard suppliers like Kedo and Mikuni. It runs flawlessly, starts easily despite being kick-only, and will cut a wide swath at the coffee shop, bike night, or trailhead.

The engine was rebuilt and treated to a slightly bigger cylinder bore, new piston, and Mikuni TN36-38 carburetor. The carb is paired with a Kedo exhaust, which looks and sounds excellent. It has modern hand guards, grips, mirrors, and handle bars. The aluminum tank is in excellent condition, as are the side plastics and aftermarket brushed aluminum headlight mask. It has new seat upholstery, a rear luggage rack, and an auxiliary fuel bottle.

We're excited to see where bidding on this Dakar legend goes! Sign up today to make it yours.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Clean title
• 13,724 miles
• Clean tank
• Mikuni TM 36-38 carb
• Kedo exhaust
• New piston, cylinder honed