Yamaha XT500

[scootertrash]

Originally Posted by TimberlineAdventure

I am doing everything I can to hold on to my XT while buying a Husky 610 in the next month or so... My friend is holding my bike hostage so that I wont sell it, and by the sound of everyone here wishing they hadn't, I better not. Certainly, the XT|TT|SR is one of the great bikes of all time. How many other bikes will break your leg if you start it incorrectly, or hell.... even look at it the wrong way. We need to keep this thread going with maintenance tips, starting tips for the weak, etc. Has anyone ever talked to Mark Apland at www.Thumperstuff.com --> Great guy, great parts for these old bikes.

If it's the same outfit that Denny Berg used to own, then I have bought from him in the 90's. I have a neat trick for a penny tech oil temp gauge from the FSSNOC magazine:
Remove the stock plastic oil filler cap and clip of the stick. Drill a small hole in the center on the underside where it comes through the center of the handle. Now drill out the handle with a 1/2" hole saw. Purchase a cheap oven temp probe with a round dial and epoxy it in the hole, making sure to tighten the cover and clocking the dial before the epoxy cures. Scratch a few marks on the probe for oil levels. You now have a cheap temp gauge at eye level.

[TimberlineAdventure]

Here is a picture of my bike, I will post a few more later this evening. She has about 7,500 miles, is basically MINT. 38mm Flat Side Mikuni, Torque Tube, Full Flow Header w/Super Trap Muff, MT21's Front and Rear. Nothing better than an XT500!!

[TimberlineAdventure]

Here are all the XT500's & a DT250

[TimberlineAdventure]

Any XT|TT or SR Riders up here in New England?

[TimberlineAdventure]

Are there any XT|TT or SR riders up here in New England?

[BIG ED XT FAN]

Hi, I live down here in western New York and ride a SR 500 on the street. Is that close to you? BIG ED SR 500 FAN!!

[TimberlineAdventure]

Originally Posted by BIG ED XT FAN

Hi, I live down here in western New York and ride a SR 500 on the street. Is that close to you? BIG ED SR 500 FAN!!

Probably pretty far from me.... West, as near the lakes? I used to have an SR500.... really want another one someday. There is a company in Australia that does some really great stuff to the old Thumpas. IF you google Deus (or Dues) Motorcycles, you will get a link... By far, the best looking SR's I have ever seen. If you have troubles finding the site, let me know and I will hunt them down for you.

Show us a picture of your bike, any comments or suggestions about tune-ups, maintenance, etc would be great.. I want to try to keep this thread alive and make it a place for the XT, TT & SR people to refer to.. Thanks

[Sycamore]

Originally Posted by scootertrash

One of my XT's did that, would quit on the highway with semi's breathing down your back! Turned out to be a bad coil, the vibes killed it where it would only work intermittantly. Worth checking out... remember, it's a 6v coil in the XT.

A coil also blew on my high-mileage XT.
Symptoms - was on a very long highway ride (2 full days riding), motor started cutting out / misfiring intermittently, but the bike was still running.
Got to a gas station, switched off, and it wouldn't start again.
Got a new coil, ran like new.

[Sycamore]

Posted this pic on another thread but it's worth a repeat.

Saw this bike for sale recently - it's a '76 TT500, raced flat-track for a few years, then dismatled and crated for about 25 years (no kidding).

Recently uncrated & rebuilt (seat and exhaust not original) so it's a VERY low mileage 1976 TT. Apparently runs perfectly. I like the look of the low exhaust on a TT.

Another cool thing abt XT / TT / SR was that big fat header pipe....

[TimberlineAdventure]

Wierd Seat, great bike though....

[NamibFox]

Hi guys. I'm new here and have just spent the best half an hour in a long time reading through all your posts in this thread. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful photographs and comments on these truly amazing classic bikes. Just last week I acquired a fully restored '78 XT500 and I am absolutely thrilled to bits with her.
I stopped biking 15 years ago after a major accident on one of my road bikes. Peer pressure forced me to sell and get myself a car. Shortly thereafter, I got myself a 4x4 and this was the start of a love affair for all things offroad. My thoughts have often returned to biking, but not the road bikes that I used to ride, but something that would be more at home in the offroad environment. The XT500 was always in the back of my mind, it was my dream bike as a young teenager in the mid 70's. I've always wanted one, and now at last I have my very own to love and cherish! I'll be posting one or two pics just as soon as I get around to taking them. In the meantime, please keep the awesome posts coming. I agree that this thread should be kept alive! Thanks again!

Best regards

Chris
South Africa

[Hektoglider]

I am wondering if anyone knows the correct# for low speed jet.Mine has a 25 in it. Also looking for info on float height.Mine has the tang even with the rest of the metal on the float. It runs way rich at low throttle, even with the air filter removed.The choke/enrichener is functioning ok and not giving extra fuel when not "on". I wonder if someone hogged out the lowspeed jet trying to clean it, or maybe the float height is incorrect.Maybe one of you FF'ers has a carb laying on your workbench and can have a look? a shot.....

[sjc56]

My SR500 used to wet sump, never could get an answer as to why and yes I replaced the check valve and spring. Fun bike, except when it was August 90 out and humid and it would not start.
The kid I sold it to called me a week after he took it home and he still was unable to kick it over and start.

[McB]

Originally Posted by scootertrash

I have a neat trick for a penny tech oil temp gauge from the FSSNOC magazine:
Remove the stock plastic oil filler cap and clip of the stick. Drill a small hole in the center on the underside where it comes through the center of the handle. Now drill out the handle with a 1/2" hole saw. Purchase a cheap oven temp probe with a round dial and epoxy it in the hole, making sure to tighten the cover and clocking the dial before the epoxy cures. Scratch a few marks on the probe for oil levels. You now have a cheap temp gauge at eye level.

White Bros. used to sell a temp gauge that was basically what you describe, and screwed in place of the plastic filler cap. I had one on my SR.

[jgas]

My step father had a little bike shop when I was a kid. Unfortunately for me, he went out of buisness when I was 7. His favorite bike was always a TT 500, but he never rode or raced one because he was a really short guy, and he had problems starting them so he rode a Yamaha 360 2 stroke.

Even after he went out of buisness, he would tune bikes for racers on occasion, and for awhile he sponsored a guy on a TT. He had a TT motor in a flattrack frame that had crazy compression. It would blow the head gasket every 200 miles or so, but it ran like hell. People were always asking if they could ride it because they heard how fast it was. He always said "Go ahead, if you can start it". Did I mention he was a bit sadistic? He would set the timing off just a tad, which would cause it to backfire and the kickstarter would kick back. It would break a foot if you didn't have a riding boot on or didn't know the right starting drill. He got so much fun letting people try to start that bike. When they would fail and get hurt, he'd walk over, put a milk crate next to it, and since he knew the right drill, he'd start it with ease even with the timing off.

I'm looking for a really cheap XT or TT to do some AHRMA races on if any comes around, let me know by PM. I already have 4 bikes, so I need a cheap one. I don't mind working on one, as long as it runs I don't care about appearance or any of that stuff.