Restored by Owen Bishop of Moto41 Restorations, this is one of the nicest XT500s I’ve ever seen. I first saw it in person at this year’s Quail Motorcycle Gathering where it won 1st Place in the Japanese category (beating out an awesome Honda CB750 Police Bike that I thought was more interesting), and it’s also won 1st Place at the Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance, 1st Place in the Classic Japanese category at the Hanford Vintage Motorcycle Rally, and the Yamaha USA Choice Award at the Japanese Classic Car & Motorcycle Show. Now this multiple award-winner can be yours.
Simply put, it’s hard to find fault with this. Here’s a picture I took of the bike as it was coming up to the podium at this year’s Quail:
I know a lot of you love the XT500, so this example (VIN: 005462) should be exciting. It started as a running but not perfect bike that was restored to a standard such that Tom White (RIP) called it the best ’76 XT he had ever seen. The sale includes all of the receipts, packaging for NOS parts acquired, an OEM assembly manual, and an OEM supplementary service manual. For a whole bunch of photos of the restoration process, head on over to the Moto41 site.
Lastly, here’s a picture Aaron Schasse took as this bike won 1st Place in the Japanese category at the Quail:
Find this XT for sale in Laguna Beach, California with bidding up to $7,900 and the reserve not yet met
Feature photo from Moto41 Restorations