1979 Yamaha XT500
Frame no. 3109777 Engine no. 1E6-310977

Collectors' Motorcycles and Motorcars at the Barber Museum|10 October 2020, 13:00 CDT|Birmingham, Barber Motorsports Museum

1979 Yamaha XT500
Frame no. 3109777
Engine no. 1E6-310977

Previewing in Toronto, Ontario by Appointment. Please contact [email protected] for scheduling.

Introduced for 1976 and sold only in the US market at first, the Yamaha XT500 single-handedly made singles cool again thanks to its smart, functional styling and bullet-proof engine. An 'adventure bike' before the term was coined, the XT was soon proving its reliability and speed in desert races in North America and the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally. Although marketed as a dirt bike, the XT500 was equally capable as an urban commuter, its upright riding position, wide handlebars and responsive engine making an ideal combination for carving through city traffic. Dispatchers loved them. Today the XT500 enjoys a cult following and original early models are highly prized.

The XT500 presented here belongs to a large collection of motorcycles located in the surrounds of Toronto. It shows about 14.5k km (9k miles) and appears to have the right amount of patina to make it usable as-is or to be a great candidate for restoration, even more considering that the aluminum tank is probably the most sought after version of the XT500.

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