SELLER SAYS: Yamaha’s first big single, designed by Shiro Nakamura, is a 499cc 4-stroke enduro bike and a descendant of the TT500. This model became the pioneer of the big single off/on road genre, now grown into adventure bikes. The XT500 first saw the light of day in 1975, it was launched at a dealer’s exposition in the US to rave reviews and was released as a road going version of the excellent TT500. Production continued right up until 1990 which is testament to the longevity of the design. The summer of 1976 saw the bike compete in the Paris-Adidjan-Nice rally, also known as the CoteD’Ivorie-Cote D’Azur rally. Four XTs finished the event almost bog standard apart from a 25L fuel tank, a luggage rack for tools and two 5L fuel cans. Later it truly made its mark in competition when Sonauto Yamaha team’s Cyril Neveu won the motorcycle division of the first Paris Dakar Rally in 1979. This particular bike has been completely restored by its owner and we think it’s a fitting tribute to one of Yamaha’s legendary motorcycles. The bike is a stunning example and priced very competitively! Photos of the build are available for serious buyers. Contact 08 9xxx xxxx SOLD. (Fremantle WA).
