Yamaha XS500 -1980 Restored Motorcycle

Yamaha XS500 -1980

Year:  1980
Gears:  Five-speed manual
Manufacturer:  Yamaha
Start Type:  Combo
Drive Type:  Chain
Colour:  Red
Date of 1st Registration:  01/09/1980
Mileage:  21,700
Engine Size:  498cc

This complex restoration started with dismantling in 1998 was finally finished some 10 years later in 2008.

The frame was refinished in twin-pack black and has a better-than-new glossy finish.

All bearings were replaced, including steering-head and swinging-arm.

The red paintwork was a bit’ below-par’ and after finding an unused new fuel tank in blue, It was decided to have it all refinished by a professional classic car specialist, the results were better than new!

The unavailable decals for tailpiece, side panels and tank were specially commissioned to the original design.

An aftermarket powerful Cibie headlamp was fitted by the first owner from new, although the original Stanley unit is still with the bike.

The engine as some will know, is a most complex double-overhead- camshaft,8-valve twin cylinder with anti-vibration balancer shafts, so tends to be ‘noisy ‘ at speed.This did not realise any major performance advantages over the more conventional and contemporary V-twin Honda CX500, which sold in far greater numbers.The XS500 sold quite well overseas especially in earlier TX500 form but was never a big seller in the UK, hence prices were discounted heavily.

The engine was entirely rebuilt after the crankcases were vapour-blasted clean and then painted where necessary in silver.

All major bearings and piston- rings were replaced as a matter of course as it was convenient to do so although nothing major was in need of doing.

This is the last incarnation of this model with the prefix 1H2 and differs slightly to the more common earlier( pre-1979 ) models usually in plum red, gravity-feed fuel taps ( these are vacuum types like the XS750 ) and the later instruments similar to the SR500 / 2- stroke RD’s

A very comprehensive restoration on a rare surviving example.