FOUND IT !!!!!!!

[cruzerlou]

I've been looking for an older big bore thumper( that would be a four stroke for the non bike folks out there) Enduro well here it is. It's a completely restored 1981 Yamaha
TT 500 . it's been bored .20 over ,has lots of goodies in the engine, upgraded cams, you name it ,it's been done. Everything that was painted had been powder coated, all the bare aluminum had been metaplated , has GPS, rolling map holder, digital speedometer/ tripomiter, for Enduro competition, YZ490 front forks with custom springs and set up for big guys so there's lots of travel but the damping is just right, upgraded coil over oil rear shocks with lots more travel and all this was done by the guy who did the bikes for the show The Walking Dead.
She is one nice BEAST of a on/ off road bike, now I just gotta sell mine .
This thing will EAT a modern Susuki DRZ 450, the only modern Bike that even comes close are the big bore KTM's but not many folks spend $8_000.00 on a dirt bike.
This one's under $4,000.00 and its worth around $6_000.00/in the shape it's in and with all the upgraded parts it has on it.
Back in their day they were the king of the big bore thumpers and won many Enduro and S.C.O.R.E . off road racing titles .
As I said even today 45 years later there aren't many bikes that can run with this nasty girl.
Here's a couple pics.

 

[Jim Puke]

Nice looking bike.

BUT...1981...that thing will handle like herding cats.

Lots of better designed bigbore bikes around, that can be bought very reasonably.

 

[cruzerlou]

It handles just fine, as I said it has upgraded suspension on it it handles better than any DZR I've ever ridden and has twice the torque and power. And besides it's what IWANT
Old school looks, modern performance, what could be better?
Lou

 

[gtxmonte]

Nice looking bike.

BUT...1981...that thing will handle like herding cats.

Lots of better designed bigbore bikes around, that can be bought very reasonably.

The only thing that makes new bikes "better" is power, weight and newer suspension. But that doesn't mean you can't make an older bike nearly as "good". A few engine upgrades and better suspension, all you are giving up to a new bike is a little weight and maybe some suspension travel.

I have an 81 model Honda XR 500 with a pretty hot motor, upgraded forks and a better rear shock. It will run with ANY new 500 thumper and it handles just fine

 

[cruzerlou]

Nice looking bike.

BUT...1981...that thing will handle like herding cats.

Lots of better designed bigbore bikes around, that can be bought very reasonably.

The only thing that makes new bikes "better" is power, weight and newer suspension. But that doesn't mean you can't make an older bike nearly as "good". A few engine upgrades and better suspension, all you are giving up to a new bike is a little weight and maybe some suspension travel.

I have an 81 model Honda XR 500 with a pretty hot motor, upgraded forks and a better rear shock. It will run with ANY new 500 thumper and it handles just fine[/quote

EXACTLY, this bike has a good 12" of travel front and rear, lots of internal motor upgraded, simplified wiring harness battery Eliminator GPS Enduro map roller upgraded levers and mounts
And it's bored 20-over this thing has gobs of power and as I said it will eat a DRZ 450 it handles as well as any DRZ 450 of ever ridden and it looks ten times better too and for what I'm paying for it you can't touch a DRZ if you find one used the DRZ that is there's nothing left of them this bike has been completely restored and upgraded it's like new and performs better then a brand new bike you can buy today.
BTW, I had a chance to race one of these back in the early eighties in a four-day Enduro event held here in Virginia I smoked most of the other guys on this big Thumper yeah it's heavy it's about 300 pounds so it's not real good in the tight Woods but you get to an open spot that's where you make up your time and if you're strong enough you can muscle through the tight stuff I'm strong enough if I do decide to compete on this bike it will be in the over-50 class and in the classic machine class so this bike will do everything I wanted to do mostly I just want to cruise trails and maybe run back and forth to town once in awhile why spend all that money on a bike that I don't really like when I found something I absolutely love that's even better than what you can buy today.
If I'm able to get it and get enough pratice in I just might run in the Shenandoah 500 this summer

Lou

 

[sfhogman]

Beautiful machine, Lou. The tank alone warms the cockles of me heart. Wear it in good health!

Jeff

 

[Sin6Sec63451022]

"If you have to ask, you just don't understand." Who cares if you win or lose, it's COOL!!!

 

[FastEd]

I could live with that.

 

[Bull Barrel]

I rode one back in 77, they were pretty hot.
BTW, TTs don't need a battery eliminator as they didn't have lights. XTs had lights and lower compression.
Do you remember the proper starting drill?

BTW, IIRC in 77 the were $1400.

I believe that is actually a XT as evidenced by the side cover reading ENDURO and XT and the aforementioned battery eliminator.

 

[Scout943]

Nice bike enjoy it !

 

[2Late45]

I borrowed the picture Lou, going to tease a buddy that is looking for one. He rode one back in the day and thinks he wants another one. He's puttin' around on a DR-650 now, and wants to find a "Way-Back" machine to recapture that by-gone era... :lol:

 

[Dave P.]

How does it start when it's hot?
Dave

 

[Bull Barrel]

It shouldn't be a problem.
Both the XT and TT have a compression release and it you perform the starting ritual properly they fire first kick.
If you don't you will walk with a lip and the bike doesn't start.

 

[BucolicBuffalo]

4 stroke, good choice. A great looking bike for it's age.

 

[cruzerlou]

Your right bull barrel its an XT wareing a TT aluminum tank and the lights,that's why it's Street legal .
It's been striped down to basically a TT so it's a great old farts Enduro bike .
As I said the motor has been gone through, bored. 20 over so she's a real beast!!!!
Light for what it is ,just under 300 pounds and with the suspension upgrades handles great..
This bike was done to right .
And yes I remember the starting drill and if do it right she'll fire right up if you stall her when she's hot.
Like any good women she's fininkey, but worth the extra effort lol

 

[32shooter]

Nice bike. I like the looks of those older bikes. That thing would defiantly THUMP my little XT and probably me along with it. They don't look quite the same now.

 

[gtxmonte]

Thumper 1 o 1............learn how to manipulate the compression release, or it hurts, throws you off, or BOTH............LOL!!!

 

[cruzerlou]

Yep I learned that early on, I've seen big bore thumpers break legs and ankles when guys don't know the drill !!!!!
Lou

 

[WendyZXZ]

That is a fine looking bike, Lou!

 

[cruzerlou]

Good Lord willin I can sell my bike FAST before someone snatches this one out from under me ,fingers crossed sayin prayers!!!!

 

[Mega Twin]

I was looking at one on E-Bay the other day,neat bikes.
Hard to beat old school low down torque.

 

[Bull Barrel]

There is a work around to the starting drill. Pull the comp release and kick. As the kicker reaches the bottom, release the comp release.

We used to bet people we could start a TT with our hand after they tried with their leg.
They didn't know the drill, we did.

We made the TT street legal with a Preston Petty light kit.
With full knobs it could get to be a handful at highway speeds.
Ah to be young and fearless again...

 

[cruzerlou]

Yep do the drill right and they fire right up!

 

[radicalrod]

My son has a TT that he vintage flat tracks....save that tank...buy a junker to use....

Lou, not wanting to start an arguement BUT the new 450's RULE....

I have an old KX500 which is fast BUT once I rode a new 450 4 stroke I was rethinking my idea of FAST....old school is KOOL but time marches on....RR

 

[Jim Puke]

old school is KOOL but time marches on....RR

BINGO!


And, it marches on in motorcycles as much as anything. Most any new bike is faster than the old school junk...and much easier to ride.

 

[cruzerlou]

Again , this bike has had the motor worked, bored .20 over, bigger valves, cams trust me it will eat a new 450.
I'm gonna buy a larger plastic tank ,won't mess this one up and gives me more range between fillups.

 

[cruzerlou]

Jim just why is it that about half the time when I post something, you seam to want to down me? Have I ever done anything to you?
I rode this bike Sunday and I know bikes it WILL compete with any 450 and the only thing that tops it in power and torque would be the 500 KTM's butmi don't have eight grand to spend on a bike AND this classic bike is WHAT I WANT if that's O.K. with you!
BTW THID BIKE IS NOT JUNK ITS COMPLETELY RESTORED EVERY NUT, BOLT SPOKES , A YZ490 TRIPLE TREES AND FORKS, OLINS REAR COIL OVER OIL SHOCKS, MORE TRAVEL FRONT AND BACK, STEEPER STERING GEOMETRY, WHICH MEANS QUICKER HANDLING AND MORE GROUND CLEARANCE, ,THE MOTOR GONE THROUGH AND BORED, BIGGER VALVES , BIGGER JETS IN THE CARB,RACING EXUAST, UPGRADED TO BETTER THAN IT WAS NEW AND ON PAR WITH ANYTHING YOU CAN BUY NEW TODAY

 

[exavid]

Lovely machine Lou! Jealous I am. Airplanes, motorcycles and sailboats. It's a great life... I wish I had them now. Currently limited to a BMW C650GT scooter. But it's a scooter that checks out on my GPS at 114mph. I hope when I get new knees I can get my hands on another machine like the BMW K1100LT I sold recently.

Ride safe my friend.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Nice looking bike.

BUT...1981...that thing will handle like herding cats.

Lots of better designed bigbore bikes around, that can be bought very reasonably.

Herding cats? You sound like a pro... lol. You do that often? Maybe if you knew how to actually ride a motorcycle you would have better luck in the handling dept? Still struggling with a tricycle? You got the balls to jump on anything bigger?? lol go chase down some cats on your tricycle!

Lots of better designed bikes? Possibly... that's relative, but this post is about HIS bike. The bike he enjoys and rides!

Why is it that every post I ever read from you is a post bashing someone else? There, I said it, what everybody else has been thinking for a while now! You never contribute anything worth while! Your posts are mainly just to bash others choices in guns, calibers, cars on and on and on! AND it's not even accurate information! You think you know what's best for everyone else and somehow feel that anyone gives two shits about what you think!

I've let it slide for so often, I just don't care anymore, there, you have it...

Good evening gentlemen.

 

[6gun]

Lou that's a really cool bike I love old Yamaha's, I have a old 1973 Enduro I bought a couple years ago to restore cause it was just like the one I had when I was a kid that I use to ride around to get the cops to chase me :lol:

Sad thing is I'm not much of a motorcycle engine mechanic, got it started a few times but haven't got it running, it's bring back the old days for me I just love the sound of a two stoke engine, it's even better with the sounds of cops sirens and squealing tires mixed in. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Enjoy that old bike I'd take it over a brand new bike any day.