Don't need a front brake with the engine braking 🤣 I had one new in 1978 I loved it, hell of a work out off road 😩, had a Srx600 yamaha what a nightmare it was hard to start high gearing perhaps I had a bad one
I had an 82 XT550 whose electronic ignition module would fail every 8 months or so. I replaced it 3 times at $350 each and finally sold it in frustration. Shop said they were "notorious" for EI failures. But my God, that thing was a torque monster.
They had the XT600? They could put the XT500 tank and seat on that? Not sure why you had the Suzuki 400 in there as I never saw one in 70s, why not have the DT400 a genuinely advanced bike with first monoshock frame
Still got my 79 XL500s, which I've owned since new. While there are much better bikes out there, it's still my favourite bike to ride. So many memories on it.
After giving up moto cross, I still missed off-roading, so bought an XT500. When I and my pal with his 410 AJS motocrosser met up with two other friends of ours with their road bikes on our little practice circuit, they were gobsmacked that I could beat the AJ's lap time with my XT whilst appearing to be just out for a gentle Sunday afternoon plod. I let one of them have a go on the XT, and the following week they both turned up with brand new ones. For a lark, I entered a scramble with the XT in 1978, and it blitzed everything going up the very steep hill at Nancemellin, but going down the hill was a very different kettle of fish as the thing bounced about, only vaguely staying straight.😅However, I still managed to finish mid-field, much to the surprise of many. In 1981 I traded it in against an XT550, which was undoubtedly the most fun bike that I have ever owned.
Very nice video. I had a 78 XL 250 Honda for many years as a local commuter and it served well. Sold it off to a collector in south East GA I’m mid 90s. Now days I have an XR650L and a DR 650 both are great but The XR gets the most attention. Life is short so Get out and ride!
Really enjoyed that, thanks. I'm an ex Suzuki TS 250 owner -- much fun was had on a ten-year-old bike in the early 90s. I sold it to an Irish contractor I worked with for £250 -- he took it home on the back of his pick-up and used it on his farm. Might be still there for all I know ;-)
@@bikerdood1100 Great video bikerdood. Thanks. All nice bikes. But really all not very good "trail bikes". All the 4-strokes are way too heavy. (1974 Ducati R/T 450 excluded!)) The Suzuki's ring dings the closest proper off-road "trail bikes" Not the TM - too wild powerband "motocross" bike! If you took the TS400, and put on knobbies, it was getting there - but still encumbered with too much street paraphernalia. The first mass-produced 1970's real "trail bikes" were the Yamaha IT's. Starting with the IT400C in 1976. and the IT175D in 1977 Here was a proper "trail bike" one could ride in the International ISDT 6-days trails competitively. Off the showroom floor. If you were good enough! But the King Kong IT in the 70's was the IT400F in 1979. We will leave the legendary 1983 IT490K for another discussion - arguable still the best Japanese trail bike ever built! 😄 Thanks for the video - halycon days!
Yep; here in South Africa the XT was a bit of a legend. I loved my TS400 though; it was my daily ride for work in Johannesburg during the week and hit the bush every weekend. Great days.
@@Deontjie I never attended Skipskop, but there were XR's everywhere. If you kept the TS in its power band it was plenty lively enough. If the terrain called for something a bit 'more' though, it was back to the trailer and release the beast. My ex team Maico SA 490, (total rebuild by Maico), gave plenty of XR riders a 'WTF was that?' moment as they were enveloped in a cloud of dust and two stroke oil smoke. The XR was a great bike, my riding buddy had one and I often took it out for a spin. Happy days.
@@cousinjack2841 That Maicos was not great. They were scary. Drum brakes and all. In the same league as the IT490 and the CR500. Didn't the KTM and Husky of those era kicked on the wrong side? Elsinore red rockets... Yes, we are getting old. I still ride my XR650R. The last thumper.
@@Deontjie I'll have to agree; the Maico was a bit of a bitch at times, and quite scary when she was in a bad mood. Brakes...what brakes? It just added to the adrenaline rush. Good fun tough. Yes; the kick start was on the left and I had to replace the stub shaft several times. Enjoy the riding bud.
My first bike in late 1978 was a new Yamaha DT175MX, two weeks before Christmas - I still remember the excitement of getting on it in the morning when it was new, but a year later I’d passed my test and just had to have an XT500, and what a bike that was, it really was unique at the time, and I absolutely loved it … still laugh at the memory of seeing it launch my friend over the saddle when he tried to start it one time, he never asked to ride it again!
My first one (in 1979) was a Suzuki GT 125. The hornet. 1980 I bought a BMW R75/5 (short rear arm!). Yes: the XT was legendary when it came to starting it! Also legendary: the NSU 500 Konsul. The hub of the Kickstarter was matched by the hub of the piston. When that one kicked back: fun guaranteed! Do you know about the "reverse gear" of the Yamaha XS 650? On the center stand, with the motor running: its hopping backwards when you twist the throttle :-)
Great video man! I was 3yrs.old in 1974 when I started riding a Honda Z50 and it was old when I started riding it ..The bike saved my life really, but that's another story lol I remember riding a bunch of 185/175cc bikes that were kinda awesome really! Just a couple of ideas since you asked!
Never seen the BSA before. Good-looking bike. Yamaha XT500: I had the E model.1981, bought secondhand in 1983. Over the ensuing six years, I rode to Portugal return three times from England, and Greece and back once. Brilliant bike. And now, one of my bikes is the Yamaha SCR950. It feels like an XT with a Harley Sportster engine in it. Fascinating video.
The early 70's I had a Triumph Trailblazer 250 I loved that bike and it was my last one, now I'm 71 but having daft thoughts of wanting another bike,, the missus said I'd be better off with a trike as I'd fall off 2 wheels...loving the videos keep them coming
She’s wrong about the trike people just assume they are safer But not so For anyone with restricted mobility for example I always recommend a scooter I know some hate them but they are very good indeed
The XL500 with a lot of weight saver parts, modern flat slide carb, 21 inch front wheel from a late drum motocrosser and longer shocks and forks makes for a hell of a trail bike with a vintage 4S MX vibe. Worth about 5 times more than stock too.
@@bikerdood1100 Absolutely Love them all. As in many cases a British bike showed the way forward and Honda completed it with that Fantastic XL getting right. 👍
You know how to bring back memories. I had a XT500 back in the early '80's. Great bike. A few years later, I bought a XT600 Tenere ( not mentioned here ). It was a beast. I'm 6 foot ( 1.82m ) & could only just touch my toes on each side, so had to be careful when parking up. Yep, dropped it a couple of times when not "thinking"
I grew up on mini bikes, and my first motorcycle was a Harley dual sport, with a ~90cc engine. At twelve my Dad brought me a Yamaha YZ 400. That bike was a beast, that loved to scream! I kept that bike a long time, and only had to replace fork oil seals. I wish I still had it. After that I got a Honda XR 350, and instead screaming it like putting around in the woods, but also could go like hell smoothly, and quietly.
Great video! Thanks. That Suzuki 400 ring ding is awesome! Best 400 single ever made! Powerful and bulletproof😄 TM = motocross version, Cyclone. With knobbies. That thing would eat your lunch! TS = enduro version with dual sport tires, Apache (Universal Tyres if you are a Brit.)
I had a 70 (?) TS185 but the crank seal went away ... Sierra They had the black box POINTLESS spark system ... good on a 2 stroke ...about 225 lbs. ... and the weight was low.
XT 500 # 4 is in my shop and I started on the old 441 Victor and had several of them and the big bores are easy to start if you learn about them right, a 12 year old boy I taught to start the xt and he rode the heck out of it, he is of slight build and the envy of his dirt biking friends at school.
Nice glimpse back to the '70s. I worked as a mechanic for a Suzuki/Kawasaki dealership in NY state and the TS 400 was felt to not be worthwhile as a trail bike. It was heavy, the engine acted constipated. Balance was off front to rear so steered heavy. I owned several TS250s, competed in enduros and it was a true workhorse if set up correctly. Later on, I owned an XT500 which was overall a fine motorcycle with excellent geometry to handle backroad riding. Also owned a XL500 to rebuild, it had a 23" front wheel. Kawasaki had a 350cc off-road machine called the "Big Horn" starting as the F5 in 1969 but was never refined to meet it's potential as a larger bore trail bike, generally in about the same league as the big Suzuki and not a pleasurable ride off road. We sold several early 70s BSAs and they had the footrest bolt carry both footrests and a misadventure with a rock could break the threaded bar and both footrests would fail.
I owned a Kawasaki f9 350cc Big Horn motorcycle and it was a lot of fun to drive. I did a lot of dirt bike riding with it and it was a beast. Had a lot of fun with that big thumper.
@@davidabernathy4553 That was the best version. A good bit of refinement was done to make it more civilized, especially sound deadening dampers in the cylinder fins. Our only F5 rider using his hard on the trails had his front down tubes break coming down from a jump and it launched him over the handlebars! They weren't all bad by any measure, would prefer it over the TS400.
@@davidabernathy4553 . I still own my F9 1973 Kawasaki. Got the bike when I was 13 after moving up from a 125. Could never part with my 350 way to many memories. Someday hope to completely restore it but some parts maybe hard to find.
I had an early XT500 & could start it first time hot or cold no problem & my friend who later had an XL500 could do the same but neither of us could start each other's bikes easily strangely.
I bought a 77 tt500. Never had so much fun with it. Sadly it got stolen a year later. About that time i bought a condo in hawaii so gave up bike riding. Later on i moved to calif and within a few years i found an 80 sr500 at a yard sale. I still have it to this day. I still wished i had also bought the xt 500. The sr500 is a true classic.
@@bikerdood1100 well, I moved there in 1971. Then in 1977 I met my now wife. Then followed a family. Then the condo. Condo back then was $$$$$$$$. So had to give bikes up for awhile for the family. Then moved to the mainland in 86. Shortly after I got the sr. In 96 i bought a bmw r1100gs. Then a few years later i added a ducati monster. Things are not cheap in hawaii so some short term sacrifices had to be made. I was not happy about it but family first. Just want to add that while in hawaii I had other street bikes and dirt bikes also.
@@bikerdood1100 A BSA B50 or Yamaha XT 500 would do very nicely for me 😉. At present I'm have the workshop manuals for both and using my imagination. 👍👍
@@simoncaddick9085 Hello Simon. I have now watched this one a few times more and unless it's the bike he's actually riding 🤔I keep missing the RE? Please to enlighten me. Peter
Currently two BSA B50s reside in my garage. I can vouch that they can be awkward to start, but once going they are a blast. The only thing that stops my B50T from climbing the steepest of slopes is loss of traction. Riding into a foot of liquid mud under six inches of water will stop it too, but that is another story!
One bike to consider is the 1970 Yamaha RT1 360cc Enduro. I had one in black and red pinstriping when I was teen in the mid seventies. It was advertised as the first stock bike to complete the Baja 500. Excellent bike then and now!
I had a 70s model ( can't remember the exact year ) 2 stroke Honda Mr 125 when I lived in the Mojave. Man I loved that bike , I could sling it around as if it were a bicycle . I found a big jump out in the desert and tried my luck at it progressively . 1st run 10 mph , not bad . 2nd run 20 mph , yaaaay . 3rd run 30 mph , both front and back shocks bottomed out and it hurt my wrists , butt , and ankles . I had to take a break after that lol . I remember riding it back home gingerly with a newfound respect for its limitations. Good times . I don't know how I never crashed that bike ? I definitely pushed it to many limits .
Yeah they looked nice real nice but they were like riding a brick in the bush compared to the later XLS The XLS was like laying in a hammock compared to a Motorsport But you're not wrong they had the look
@@bikerdood1100 True but the XT was drum F/R. I had to replace the rockers & cam on one of my XTs. I didn't have the hi volume oil line kit feeding the exhaust rocker. One really cold day while riding to work in Dallas, it felt like the bike heat seized. I got it restarted and after that it clattered like a diesel. Eventually I pulled the head off to discover the rocker faces were galled & worn concave and a good 1/4" was taken off the cam lobes. I replaced the cam with a mild performance cam as well as new rockers and I had a shop lap the valves. It ran like a dream after fighting a no start problem after putting it back together. When I finally realized that the points cam was firing on the exhaust stroke. The marks lined up, but 360° off on the 720° 4 stroke cycle. Learned a lot about working in bikes from that XT. Still miss it big time. The unicorn XT would have the original charm, but modern brakes, 12v electrics, kick and electric start. Personally, I'd prefer a carb.. That's just me. No fuel infection on an offroad machine.
Great video ! All the best big Trailies……..except the ‘Elephant in the Room’………BMW’s. GS 80. This is a bike with real ‘mystique’ and exotic engineering……horizontally opposed cylinders and Dakar Rally cred. A comprehensive history of this model would be a real treat !
I love these 1970's trail/enduro bikes. Had an SP 600 Suzuki thumper & a DT 400 Yammi. I stay off bikes now because I've almost been killed twice. Who wants to live forever right?
I bought the XT new and over the next few years did lots of mods. Back then White Bros. was the place to go. First I did the high compression piston and replaced the troublesome carb with a Mikuni, and oil line kit. Replace header pipe and added a Supretrapp muffler, K& N air filter and re-jetted. I also added White Bros. aluminum swingarm and shocks. Changed gearing and a few other mods this things rode great. This thing loved twisty dirt roads here in NC to hang the back out. One Saturday I had rode it to the nearest Bike shop which was a Honda dealership. The guy inspecting it like the bike and called his buddy over to look at it. He said I have something you might be interested in. We went upstairs to their storage room, he had a practically new XT motor in a wooden crate and wanted to know if I was interested in it. He was going to build a flat track bike around it but didnt have the time. He said he would let me have it for what he paid for it, $40 if I remember right. I could hardly believe this. A few years later, my next top end job I ported and used this head which ran even better. By design, these bikes respond very well to mods. Some bike do not. I Had this bike for about 20 years and sold it, still in excellent shape. I bought a New Honda XR 600 so the XT had to go.
@@DennisMerwood-xk8wp I know. But my remnant of teenage desire still would like to see and hear about them from today’s perspective. How about an AJ…..? They did have a trail bike too.
@@take5th By the 70's the AJS's were anachronisms. Last AJ and Matchless was 1961. Big old heavy underpowered dogs. The 1967 Norton P11 Ranger 750 - really only a desert sled for the Yanks. 1972/3 Triumph Adventurer TR5T - Google it!
@@DennisMerwood-xk8wp thanks. That triumph is awsome, hope they come out with their new version in next 24 months! I forgot the subject was trail bikes, sorry. I did have a Honda CL350 “scrambler” for a couple of years but never even tried to take it off-road (heavy, slow). The AJS to me looked radical, not knowing the history. When you start, everything is new. Those were the days, eh?
I had the 79 Honda XR 500. Yep goofy 23" front wheel. The frame sn swingarm I believe was made of electrical conduit pipe, both cracked regularly. The 79 XR was a light purpose trail bike, meant to use to find your favorite fishing hole.
Well, I've ridden the Japanese bikes in this video, at least, and in the 1970s too. I learned to ride on the farm at age12, on a pair of rotary value Kawasaki G4TR 100's. Pretty mean for 100cc and would keep up with most of the 175s and 185s. Dad later got TS185, TC185 (dual range and electric start), then TF185 "Mud Bug". One of our farm workers has a TS400, which he let me use -- yeah, it was fast and scary for a 13 or 14 year old! A friend had a silver XL250 which he brought out to the farm sometimes. I loved that thing! Once I had my license and some cash I bought a six year old silver 1974 XL350 as my first motorcycle. I late had an XR250, then XR600, and then (after a 20 year gap) got back into trail riding during COVID with a CRF250 Rally. I feel that here in NZ you saw more TTs and XRs than XTs and XLs. They were lighter, more powerful, maybe cheaper (?), and you could easily add a mirror and turn signals and use them on the road.
You overlooked the Honda SL350. I had the privilege to ride one to the top of Pikes Peak back in the day. It wasn’t a big thumper, but rather the venerable Honda 350 twin which loved to rev.
To put this into perspective my bike is a CCM 604e Sport made in 1999 with a tuned Rotax 604 engine (an engine which dates back to the early eighties), the bike weighs 140Kg wet and makes about 70 rear wheel hp on Dynotech's (Basingstoke) rolling road or about 80 bhp at the crank, this engine is 680cc and in road tune, it starts on the button and idles smoothly, max power is at 7.2k rpm and the max torque of 70 Nm is at 5.3k rpm although the torque remains above 60Nm from 2k to 8k rpm, the rev limiter is set to 7.8k revs but the engine is safe to 9k with little reduction in power past the peak at that rpm. This self tuned Rotax engine is a SOHC single cylinder 4 valve unit with 5 gears and has an oversize bore of 103.25mm bore and an 81mm (std) stroke, it has a balancer shaft which really works well and the engine is as smooth as silk at all speeds and is fitted with a big VM44 Mikuni carb, drivability is fantastic with perfect throttle response at all speeds and the ability to drop down to 2.5K in top gear without transmission snatch. A tuned CCM Rotax engined bike like this makes all those 70's, 80's and 90's era big singles whether 2 stroke or 4 stroke with their 30 something hp look pretty pathetic, the legendary Kawasaki H1 500 triple of that era makes less power FFS and it's big brother the 750 H2 only about the same but with less torque and a narrower power band! Roland, HT Racing Ltd
I have a 441 Victor Special and a Triumph Tr5 mx (B 50 mx). Both have such nice quirks to start and ride , it's what makes them so fun. The '70's B 50 mx and Triumph frame and suspension were such a vast improvement over the older Victor Special, just no comparison but both have their charms .
I had an XR 500 for a few years, great bike, bullet proof engine, super reliable and easy to start with the automatic decompressor. Mine was slightly geared up for the road and would do just over 100MPH at which speed the air would get under that big front mudguard and make for a very entertaining ride. Most agreed that the XR 500A was more powerful than the bike that came after it (XR500B?).
Nice video. I had the XT 250. Great fun. Years later when I passed my test & jumped on a Suzuki SV 650 V twin I thought that was fast. Then a couple of years later got my GSXR1000 K8 with twin Arrows now that was fast. But now I can’t ride & everything is fast. 🤣🤣👍
I would like to see a collection of 70s two stroke street machines. Perhaps a bit about the RD350/400s being giant killers or a story on suzukis triples along with Kawasakis triples and their fearsome reputation. Anyway, you asked what we might like to see so...keep the fun stuff coming🍺😃
The Yamaha XT was a bike I always wanted. but they were quite difficult to find. but maybe it worked out for the best. because waiting a while proved that there was an even better big bore bike to choose from. and that's the Suzuki DR 650, it's really the ultimate big bore dual sport bike.
Great list. Saw several of them in Palins in Derby where I bought my only new bike, a very classic blue CD175 - the first retro bike. But Surely the Triumph Adventurer as used by the Royal Signals White Helmets Display Team deserves at least an honourable mention here. It was rather better than the BSA I believe. Have got a CCM 604 frame that looks remarkably similar to the BSA frame. Thank you for sharing.
Think you will find the Royal Signals used Tigers Need to do a few videos on British off roaders Will b3 getting round to it at some point Hence why they are always tittle 5 not top five, gives me options for later
@@bikerdood1100 I think you will find that Wikipedia (and the internet in general) can be a very unreliable and somewhat deficient source for information about a lot of subjects, not least what actually happened only three years ago, never mind 50 plus years ago. I saw the White Helmets perform several times during the early 1970s, probably ‘70, ‘71, ‘72 & maybe‘73. Being bike mad 12-15 year old during this period, I gathered everything bike related I could lay my hands on. I wish I still had them all now. So I naturally grabbed the publicity leaflets from the White Helmets tent. These included the announcement that they were proud to be using the new Triumph Adventurer. But when I asked for more information about the bikes, I was told that they were mostly intended for the US market. For probably 40 years, that exchange (and an article in MCN) was my only knowledge of the Triumph Adventurer. None of my mates at the time were aware of it. It is however highly likely that they only used them for one season. But the image seared on my mind is of those siamese header pipes, and the distinctively shaped alloy tank and decals, and the side panels with the name Adventurer on them. I stood right next to them while they were still steaming! Mandela effect? Possibly, but very unlikely. How else did I learn about its existence in the UK during the early ‘70s?
I had a cd175 that had been nicked and got back without ignition key. I had to twist wires together to start it and it had been hit in the tank with a hammer. A true rat bike but a bike that would survive the apocalypse. It cost me £10 and got me around for a month or so.
Thank you, a great video and lovely bikes. An unusual feature of the XT500 is that magnesium castings were used in the engine in place of aluminium to reduce weight though I do not know how many castings were magnesium. The XT500 had a more off-road brother the TT500. The TT had a lighter and simpler silencer, lighter plastic rear mudguard, smaller front brake and no lighting though an optional kit could be fitted, I believe it had a larger carburetor and there may have been other less obvious tweaks.
You have to be careful with magnesium, if it catches fire it can't be put out. it will even burn under water. it was a fatal end to a large number of VW beetles.
I bought the original Yamaha TT500C (2/76 build) to do enduro's. We needed to get concessional licensing for these as some events included sealed road sections. When I went to licensing the examiner (who believed he knew it all) declared that it was an XT500 that was old stock as it had no compliance plate (Pre 1975 they didn't need them). He promptly fully road licensed the Motocross version (TT) which I'd added the lights, indicators and speedo to. So it had a dry weight of 120Kg's with the unbreakable plastic bits on it. Compared to the milder tuned XT's 155Kg's. I had also put on a much lighter exhaust than the huge monstrosity it came with, an 11.5:1 Piston and 480 flat-track cam from Powroll. Replaced the 34mm Mikuni Carb with a 42mm and a K&N air filter to help it breathe! It was a great street sleeper as the big plastic tank and muddy condition suggested just a trail hack but had mobs of power and would still wheelie in top gear, as well as break traction on gravel at will up to 150+Km/h (rand out of straight road to try for top speed). And if you think the TT500 could kick like a mule, just try it with the 11.5:1 Piston in it. An ankle smasher if you got it wrong! I mainly used it to race enduro's and it would go through a rear tyre in 2 days and a chain in three. Damn near tried to pull my arms out of their sockets. When I sold it they put the original tank back on it as a Commuter in Melbourne, and it surprised many a Honda 750 and occasionally a Kwaka 900 (if you could keep the front wheel down!). In hindsight I wish I had kept the beast but I couldn't justify it when buying a house. Oh, the memories!
@bikerdood1100 It sure was. After I sold it I realised that my sore shoulders were hanging on to it whilst caning it through 80 km enduro loops - 1 morning, 1 afternoon. So 160kms trying to wring it's neck!
Scrouged a knackered road version Suzuki 185 as a kid run for a while over the local fields but it gave up the ghost so i swapped it for a running honda step through. I have just been given a fully restored Honda XL350 from a good friend just got to pick it up.
@@bikerdood1100 anything that we could get our hands on some of which I wish I had now. All sorts, step throughs 50cc to 90cc ohc and push rod versions, a red and chrome tanked honda 65 with gears bit like the ss50, CB and CD 175s, Pouch 250, Ducati 250 bloody fast, 2 Fantic 50cc trails, a few italian scooters, Greaves, Cotton, Sunbeam that smooked worse than any rwo stroke, a few BSA bantams , knackered Motesa 172 trails and the most terrifying of all a Bultaco 350 scrambler that had just about survived a shed fire thanks to the fire brigade an old chap on our estate helped us get it usable the original plastic tank had melted all over the engine
All those Trail bikes are very handsome machines, all the big singles could be challenging to start for the novice, I watched a guy kick a (new) XT500 until he looked like he was about to have a heart attack, he just didn’t have the knack 😂 Love the TS400 looks, aptly named Apache, it does look like it could scalp you 😅
When I was a teenager back in the 1980's, my future stepbrother thought it would be funny to see me try to kick start his Suzuki SP500. NOT FUNNY! 😒 Heck, I didn't know anything anything about starting a big thumper.
Talking about riding an XT500 @14 years of age - I have a very amateurish YT video of my son riding one that I refurbished about 13 years ago. Without wanting to hijack this excellent video by quoting its exact link - it can be found under my name and "My Yamaha XT500 movie".
I owned a Honda XL500, a little big and heavy for dicing and slicing through the woods, but everywhere else was a tractor, so much bottom end torque, it was a great deep woods charger.
I had a Yamaha TT 500 back in the day. I think it was a 1978 model. I also had a 1980 YZ465, Honda CR250 and a Yamaha XS500, all at the same time. They occupied my garage and my Chevy El Camino was relegated to the driveway. Good times indeed!
I owned both a Yamaha XT500 and a 1981 Honda XL 500. I took the Honda on a 3,300 mile trip from Northern Ca to the Canadian border in 1986, way before the term Adventure Bike came to be. I currently own a Norden 901 Expedition. It's like comparing a Model T car to a Tesla.
@@bikerdood1100 It was just a comparison between old and modern technology and wasn't intended as a plug for tesla. My only vehicle (non-bike) is a Duramax diesel truck, about as far away from a tesls as one can get. ; /
@@Graybeard_ I should hope not For the record if offered a drive I’d sooner have a crack at the T But I’d own neither Too many wheels I have to say that as an owner of bikes ranging from 1935 to the present day I don’t think things have really changed so very much Modern bikes are over breaded so need ABS but cruising along the experience is little change. Sure modern bikes have tonnes of completely unnecessary crap with adjustable options you can set on the move but in reality once set people rarely change them and of course there’s the bloody LCD screens which a far harder to see in bright sunlight than a traditional dial So moved forward In someways yes Others not so much
I use to have a 2000 Honda XE650R uncorked with stage 2 HRC motor kit >> anything on that monster 63 HP ...Thumpers owned 2000 XR650R ... !999 Honda XR650L with L.A. Sleave 720cc kit w/ white bros pipe also bike had HRC XR650R upgrade in 2000, ... 1976 Yamaha XT500C W/ Pro Tech 560 cc Kit all bells and whistles ... Yamaha 1977 XT500 stock ... 1982 Yamaha Red XT550 stock ... 1982 Yamaha white XT550 stock ... 1987 Honda XR600R w/pipe ... Those are my thumpers had others under 350cc range. I love my 4 strokes ,,List not included is all 2 strokes and street bikes
Nice one. 👍 . Why are BSA's like that B50 so very beautiful? Maybe it is the clean unfussy engine styling (like all those singles), or that fuel tank shape and paint design. My late 1960's (early 1970?) BSA B25 had a pretty fuel tank, and an unstoppable oil leak. It had the same security feature, and gave the local thugs plenty of exercise pushing it up and down the road at night. Until I brought it into the entrance hall. Never fitted a padlock and chain though.
How very big they seemed, even in the early 80s. It is amusing how British bikes (apart from Norton and Triumph twins) were as good as invisible by then. I recall riding an XL250, which I believe had a 23" (!!) front. The market was much more clearly divided back then. Non-knobblie tyres didn't exist for those tall, narrow wheels. The whole notion of "dual sport" or "adventure" bikes was thankfully several horizons away. Back then, lardy middle-aged men drove Hillmans. One aspect that amazes me now, looking back, is how underbraked these things were. Happily, a big four-stroke single had excellent engine braking, but even on a (fast for its day) XT550, a tiny, narrow, cable TLS drum was not going to do much more than compress the forks. They seemed so huge at the time.... but we were only a few years away from the Ténéré and the early R80 G/S. I will not mention the KLR600 or Dr Big.... Oops. I did! I certainly won't mention the Elefant in the room.
Ii had a SL 125 in 1977 & it was probably the most reliable bikes I've ever owned. Man I gave that bike stick... not the best bike for the dirt but I had HEAPS of fun on it :)
@@bikerdood1100 Sadly my Yamaha SR500 was stolen long before its cam bearings wore out. But, if I remember correctly, they were easily replaceable in that Yamaha engine.
@@derekp2674 I think they had a similar problem but cannot be sure. There were needle roller conversions available at the time but I didn't have the cash 🤣
Common Fault will all RVFC Honda's I've got 2x XR600 Heads that have scored Cam Tunnels from Oil Starvation & Overheating, After an Oil change make sure the Oil Pump is Primed & Always check the External Oil Feed line to the Head is flowing! I suspect that is common point of Failure for XR's 👍
@@derekp2674 Honda XRs have a Ball-bearing only on 1 side of the Cam Tunnel to support the Cam Chain Tension & Machined Non Replaceable Plain Bearings for the Cam Tunnel- Not a Great Design imho! Once they're worn - the head is Rubbish - This is the Major Failing Point of Soo Many XR Engines!! I have 2x Destroyed XR600 heads that we're off a Couple Non Running Motors i bought! You can't get OEM Replacements Honda doesn't make them anymore! 👍
I had an XT 500 in the late 80s , lots of grunt, but what a bastard to kick, seriously if it didnt start in the first three kicks , you gave up on it for a half hour. And it would kick back also, throw you over the handle bars or put a massive bruise on your calf. Was a great flat track bike , just loved to be sideways, but didnt really appreciate bumps.
I had a first generation XT 500 , on the way to work one early morning , i was waiting at a traffic light , a counter shaft seal let go . I pushed the bike the last two blocks to work .
More good stuff! I rode a friends RM 400 Suzuki. Wheel spin or wheelie at will, depending on the traction. Fast but Scary! He switched to a Elsinore 250 when it came out. good move.
@bikerdood1100 yes it was but my neighbors were little older than me and crazy insane about dirt and street bikes. They had me riding XR 500 and Can-am 250 MX all the time before I got XT.
Still ride my 1979 Honda XL500s when I can. Great condition (except for several hill climbing bumps and bruises). Wouldn't trade it for any of the newer bikes.
I had a TS100 then a TS250 both great bikes, the 250 especially as it didn't have the rotary induction but I had a go on a TS400 and it ran great, it was the road version with indictaors big seat and softer suspension, it ran very well, no powerband surges, it had a CDI conversion made in Germany and a flat slide carb and together they made the bike much better, so for about £200 (at the time) he turned a bike that was leathal into a passive machine that didn't surge like a firework rocket, lost count of the XL's TL's XLR's, Ive got a Japaneses rockhopper import now and cant fault the engine,
I’ve had my XT500 for about 28 years. Useless front brake but super reliable, Have had 90mph out of it, 60mpg. I love it.
Also got an SR500 too.
It seemed almost traditional that trail bikes had to had rubbish front breaks
70s ABS I guess
Super duper
I had two '78 XT500s back in the 80s. Love those bikes.
Don't need a front brake with the engine braking 🤣 I had one new in 1978 I loved it, hell of a work out off road 😩, had a Srx600 yamaha what a nightmare it was hard to start high gearing perhaps I had a bad one
I had an 82 XT550 whose electronic ignition module would fail every 8 months or so. I replaced it 3 times at $350 each and finally sold it in frustration. Shop said they were "notorious" for EI failures. But my God, that thing was a torque monster.
Great video. I think yamaha could sell a load of XTs as a modern retro.
Likely could with an electric leg and fuel injection it would be a tonne of fun
@@bikerdood1100 Not to mention a disk up front as well.
They had the XT600? They could put the XT500 tank and seat on that?
Not sure why you had the Suzuki 400 in there as I never saw one in 70s, why not have the DT400 a genuinely advanced bike with first monoshock frame
yes. CORRECT.
Had a XT 500 love it but the two stroke motorcycles rules.
Still got my 79 XL500s, which I've owned since new. While there are much better bikes out there, it's still my favourite bike to ride. So many memories on it.
Seems a lot of people kept hold of those machines
They wear like iron, I’d take any old Honda or Yamaha in a heartbeat
I really do miss the polished gas tank aesthetic from back then. Such a solid nostalgia boost whenever I catch a glimpse of one!
I expect it’s too expensive to make tanks that way today
Shame
Unquestionably my new favorite RUclips channel, as a teen during the 70s you're bringing back wonderful memories
Thanks very much
Just some old bike fans
Definitely not a commercial venture, it’s all about the bikes, any bikes really
After giving up moto cross, I still missed off-roading, so bought an XT500. When I and my pal with his 410 AJS motocrosser met up with two other friends of ours with their road bikes on our little practice circuit, they were gobsmacked that I could beat the AJ's lap time with my XT whilst appearing to be just out for a gentle Sunday afternoon plod. I let one of them have a go on the XT, and the following week they both turned up with brand new ones.
For a lark, I entered a scramble with the XT in 1978, and it blitzed everything going up the very steep hill at Nancemellin, but going down the hill was a very different kettle of fish as the thing bounced about, only vaguely staying straight.😅However, I still managed to finish mid-field, much to the surprise of many.
In 1981 I traded it in against an XT550, which was undoubtedly the most fun bike that I have ever owned.
Yamaha should have given you a job in sales 😂
Very nice video. I had a 78 XL 250 Honda for many years as a local commuter and it served well. Sold it off to a collector in south East GA I’m mid 90s. Now days I have an XR650L and a DR 650 both are great but The XR gets the most attention. Life is short so Get out and ride!
Couldn’t agree more
Really enjoyed that, thanks. I'm an ex Suzuki TS 250 owner -- much fun was had on a ten-year-old bike in the early 90s. I sold it to an Irish contractor I worked with for £250 -- he took it home on the back of his pick-up and used it on his farm. Might be still there for all I know ;-)
Hope it brought some memories back
TS 185 here
💪👍
I remember that both the XT500 and the SR500 from Yamaha, were very well regarded at the time stayed in production for a long time. Great Video.
Thanks
Need to cover the Sr at some point
The Yamaha 500 is and was the best.
@@bikerdood1100 Great video bikerdood. Thanks. All nice bikes.
But really all not very good "trail bikes". All the 4-strokes are way too heavy. (1974 Ducati R/T 450 excluded!))
The Suzuki's ring dings the closest proper off-road "trail bikes"
Not the TM - too wild powerband "motocross" bike!
If you took the TS400, and put on knobbies, it was getting there - but still encumbered with too much street paraphernalia.
The first mass-produced 1970's real "trail bikes" were the Yamaha IT's. Starting with the IT400C in 1976. and the IT175D in 1977
Here was a proper "trail bike" one could ride in the International ISDT 6-days trails competitively. Off the showroom floor. If you were good enough!
But the King Kong IT in the 70's was the IT400F in 1979.
We will leave the legendary 1983 IT490K for another discussion - arguable still the best Japanese trail bike ever built! 😄
Thanks for the video - halycon days!
@@oneofmany1087 without a doubt ...
Yep; here in South Africa the XT was a bit of a legend. I loved my TS400 though; it was my daily ride for work in Johannesburg during the week and hit the bush every weekend. Great days.
Such a shame you don’t see two strokes anymore
If you were at Skipskop, you would have had to try and catch-up with the guys on the XRs.
@@Deontjie I never attended Skipskop, but there were XR's everywhere. If you kept the TS in its power band it was plenty lively enough. If the terrain called for something a bit 'more' though, it was back to the trailer and release the beast. My ex team Maico SA 490, (total rebuild by Maico), gave plenty of XR riders a 'WTF was that?' moment as they were enveloped in a cloud of dust and two stroke oil smoke. The XR was a great bike, my riding buddy had one and I often took it out for a spin. Happy days.
@@cousinjack2841 That Maicos was not great. They were scary. Drum brakes and all. In the same league as the IT490 and the CR500. Didn't the KTM and Husky of those era kicked on the wrong side? Elsinore red rockets... Yes, we are getting old. I still ride my XR650R. The last thumper.
@@Deontjie I'll have to agree; the Maico was a bit of a bitch at times, and quite scary when she was in a bad mood. Brakes...what brakes? It just added to the adrenaline rush. Good fun tough. Yes; the kick start was on the left and I had to replace the stub shaft several times. Enjoy the riding bud.
My first bike in late 1978 was a new Yamaha DT175MX, two weeks before Christmas - I still remember the excitement of getting on it in the morning when it was new, but a year later I’d passed my test and just had to have an XT500, and what a bike that was, it really was unique at the time, and I absolutely loved it … still laugh at the memory of seeing it launch my friend over the saddle when he tried to start it one time, he never asked to ride it again!
You always love your first bike but your first big bike is something else
My first one (in 1979) was a Suzuki GT 125. The hornet. 1980 I bought a BMW R75/5 (short rear arm!).
Yes: the XT was legendary when it came to starting it! Also legendary: the NSU 500 Konsul. The hub of the Kickstarter was matched by the hub of the piston. When that one kicked back: fun guaranteed!
Do you know about the "reverse gear" of the Yamaha XS 650? On the center stand, with the motor running: its hopping backwards when you twist the throttle :-)
Haha yep my brother and dad did same thing both over the bars scared to death of it
I lost my lower left leg off a TS 250 in 88 , mind you the Ford fiesta that pull out in front of me helped ,, 😁, great fun bike up to that point,,
Bloody fiestas
Great video man! I was 3yrs.old in 1974 when I started riding a Honda Z50 and it was old when I started riding it ..The bike saved my life really, but that's another story lol I remember riding a bunch of 185/175cc bikes that were kinda awesome really! Just a couple of ideas since you asked!
Good suggestions
I still have my 1970 BSA Victor Special. Lots of fun.
Nice
Proud owner of a 1980 XL 500. Took it to Moab, UT.
Rode it around Watkins Glen International Speedway and everywhere else you could imagine.
Nice 👍🏻
Never seen the BSA before. Good-looking bike. Yamaha XT500: I had the E model.1981, bought secondhand in 1983. Over the ensuing six years, I rode to Portugal return three times from England, and Greece and back once. Brilliant bike. And now, one of my bikes is the Yamaha SCR950. It feels like an XT with a Harley Sportster engine in it.
Fascinating video.
Glad you enjoyed it
I had a 1978 XT500, great bike! I had a lot of fun on it.
Big and adaptable
The early 70's I had a Triumph Trailblazer 250 I loved that bike and it was my last one, now I'm 71 but having daft thoughts of wanting another bike,, the missus said I'd be better off with a trike as I'd fall off 2 wheels...loving the videos keep them coming
She’s wrong about the trike people just assume they are safer
But not so
For anyone with restricted mobility for example I always recommend a scooter
I know some hate them but they are very good indeed
Very enjoyable trip down memory lane and another reminder of all those bikes I should've bought but never did!
Oh we could all make huge lists like that
From South Africa 500 Yammie locally called the. Thumper...
I once owned a Suzbox TS 250 Savage, Somewhere around the mid 1970's
Well thumper makes sense
The XL500 with a lot of weight saver parts, modern flat slide carb, 21 inch front wheel from a late drum motocrosser and longer shocks and forks makes for a hell of a trail bike with a vintage 4S MX vibe. Worth about 5 times more than stock too.
5 x to you maybe
@@bikerdood1100 Ha you haven't seen it
Owned an XT 500 for 30 years. Never done anything but change the oil. Still runs great.
Hopefully you have done a little more maintenance work than that in 30 years
Excellent selection of the Best Machines that really stamped there ground. 👍
Big old bruisers all
@@bikerdood1100 Absolutely Love them all. As in many cases a British bike showed the way forward and Honda completed it with that Fantastic XL getting right. 👍
Very nice and interested Vid of 70s Legend Bikes,thanks 👍🏻.
Glad you enjoyed it
You know how to bring back memories. I had a XT500 back in the early '80's. Great bike. A few years later, I bought a XT600 Tenere ( not mentioned here ). It was a beast. I'm 6 foot ( 1.82m ) & could only just touch my toes on each side, so had to be careful when parking up. Yep, dropped it a couple of times when not "thinking"
Tenere was a great but not a 70s bike so not really applicable to this video
Another superbly apt selection
Thanks
I grew up on mini bikes, and my first motorcycle was a Harley dual sport, with a ~90cc engine. At twelve my Dad brought me a Yamaha YZ 400. That bike was a beast, that loved to scream! I kept that bike a long time, and only had to replace fork oil seals. I wish I still had it. After that I got a Honda XR 350, and instead screaming it like putting around in the woods, but also could go like hell smoothly, and quietly.
Good mix of bikes and experiences
Awesome ! I had a 1976 Yamaha TT 500 with a white Bros pipe complete exhaust system. It was a fun thumper !
Nice 😊
Great video! Thanks.
That Suzuki 400 ring ding is awesome! Best 400 single ever made! Powerful and bulletproof😄
TM = motocross version, Cyclone. With knobbies. That thing would eat your lunch!
TS = enduro version with dual sport tires, Apache (Universal Tyres if you are a Brit.)
Glad you enjoyed it
I had a 70 (?) TS185 but the crank seal went away ... Sierra
They had the black box POINTLESS spark system ... good on a 2 stroke ...about 225 lbs. ... and the weight was low.
Had a TM400 Suzuki as a fifteen-year-old and you can only imagine how that went!!!
XT 500 # 4 is in my shop and I started on the old 441 Victor and had several of them and the big bores are easy to start if you learn about them right, a 12 year old boy I taught to start the xt and he rode the heck out of it, he is of slight build and the envy of his dirt biking friends at school.
They do all require the correct technique and they all have different characters
Nice glimpse back to the '70s. I worked as a mechanic for a Suzuki/Kawasaki dealership in NY state and the TS 400 was felt to not be worthwhile as a trail bike. It was heavy, the engine acted constipated. Balance was off front to rear so steered heavy. I owned several TS250s, competed in enduros and it was a true workhorse if set up correctly. Later on, I owned an XT500 which was overall a fine motorcycle with excellent geometry to handle backroad riding. Also owned a XL500 to rebuild, it had a 23" front wheel. Kawasaki had a 350cc off-road machine called the "Big Horn" starting as the F5 in 1969 but was never refined to meet it's potential as a larger bore trail bike, generally in about the same league as the big Suzuki and not a pleasurable ride off road. We sold several early 70s BSAs and they had the footrest bolt carry both footrests and a misadventure with a rock could break the threaded bar and both footrests would fail.
Interesting
Never heard of the big horn before now, sounds like a an American market name. Bikes were rarely given names in Europe back then
I owned a Kawasaki f9 350cc Big Horn motorcycle and it was a lot of fun to drive. I did a lot of dirt bike riding with it and it was a beast. Had a lot of fun with that big thumper.
@@davidabernathy4553 That was the best version. A good bit of refinement was done to make it more civilized, especially sound deadening dampers in the cylinder fins. Our only F5 rider using his hard on the trails had his front down tubes break coming down from a jump and it launched him over the handlebars! They weren't all bad by any measure, would prefer it over the TS400.
@@davidabernathy4553 . I still own my F9 1973 Kawasaki. Got the bike when I was 13 after moving up from a 125. Could never part with my 350 way to many memories. Someday hope to completely restore it but some parts maybe hard to find.
I had an early XT500 & could start it first time hot or cold no problem & my friend who later had an XL500 could do the same but neither of us could start each other's bikes easily strangely.
Well you do learn the Querks of your own bikes
@@bikerdood1100 My friends who had XT500's always said you needed to "threaten them with a tow rope" to get them to start!
I bought a Yammy DT360! Great bike, wish I still had it, learnt to ride driving from Brissy to Mission Beach in the early seventies, still muss it 😳
We all have those bikes, the wish I’d never let it go bikes
I bought a 77 tt500. Never had so much fun with it. Sadly it got stolen a year later. About that time i bought a condo in hawaii so gave up bike riding. Later on i moved to calif and within a few years i found an 80 sr500 at a yard sale. I still have it to this day. I still wished i had also bought the xt 500. The sr500 is a true classic.
Move to Hawaii and give up motorcycles. Two things I can’t imagine ever doing
It’s an awful long way from the UK after all
@@bikerdood1100 well, I moved there in 1971. Then in 1977 I met my now wife. Then followed a family. Then the condo. Condo back then was $$$$$$$$. So had to give bikes up for awhile for the family. Then moved to the mainland in 86. Shortly after I got the sr. In 96 i bought a bmw r1100gs. Then a few years later i added a ducati monster. Things are not cheap in hawaii so some short term sacrifices had to be made. I was not happy about it but family first. Just want to add that while in hawaii I had other street bikes and dirt bikes also.
Another excellent review. Thank you.
Thanks
@@bikerdood1100 A BSA B50 or Yamaha XT 500 would do very nicely for me 😉. At present I'm have the workshop manuals for both and using my imagination. 👍👍
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 Note the Royal Enfield in the review.
@@simoncaddick9085 Hello Simon. I have now watched this one a few times more and unless it's the bike he's actually riding 🤔I keep missing the RE? Please to enlighten me. Peter
Currently two BSA B50s reside in my garage. I can vouch that they can be awkward to start, but once going they are a blast. The only thing that stops my B50T from climbing the steepest of slopes is loss of traction. Riding into a foot of liquid mud under six inches of water will stop it too, but that is another story!
I can believe that
One bike to consider is the 1970 Yamaha RT1 360cc Enduro. I had one in black and red pinstriping when I was teen in the mid seventies. It was advertised as the first stock bike to complete the Baja 500. Excellent bike then and now!
Sturdy enough then
I had a 70s model ( can't remember the exact year ) 2 stroke Honda Mr 125 when I lived in the Mojave. Man I loved that bike , I could sling it around as if it were a bicycle . I found a big jump out in the desert and tried my luck at it progressively . 1st run 10 mph , not bad .
2nd run 20 mph , yaaaay . 3rd run 30 mph , both front and back shocks bottomed out and it hurt my wrists , butt , and ankles . I had to take a break after that lol . I remember riding it back home gingerly with a newfound respect for its limitations.
Good times . I don't know how I never crashed that bike ? I definitely pushed it to many limits .
Just plain lucky
Did a trip on my 1979 xl500s last week. 280km gravel roads, did not skip a beat. Cut short when the 23inch front wheel slid out underneath me.
Hopefully neither you or the bike were badly damaged
Why did this video make me cry? Maybe because all these bikes were my dream ones when I was a kid!! Specifically the Yamaha. Bellissime 🤩
That I can’t answer
Glad you enjoyed it
I would like to see the Honda xl250 motorsport granddaddy of all Japanese single 4-stroke trail bikes one of the nicest looking trail bikes ever built
Interesting
Ditto
👍
Yeah they looked nice real nice but they were like riding a brick in the bush compared to the later XLS
The XLS was like laying in a hammock compared to a Motorsport
But you're not wrong they had the look
I had three 1978 Yammy 500's. Two XT's and a SR.. Love those bikes. The SR was the rare F/R disc model..most had a rear drum.
They did indeed
But really most bikes of the period had a drum rear
Even the pricy ones
@@bikerdood1100 True but the XT was drum F/R. I had to replace the rockers & cam on one of my XTs. I didn't have the hi volume oil line kit feeding the exhaust rocker. One really cold day while riding to work in Dallas, it felt like the bike heat seized. I got it restarted and after that it clattered like a diesel. Eventually I pulled the head off to discover the rocker faces were galled & worn concave and a good 1/4" was taken off the cam lobes. I replaced the cam with a mild performance cam as well as new rockers and I had a shop lap the valves. It ran like a dream after fighting a no start problem after putting it back together. When I finally realized that the points cam was firing on the exhaust stroke. The marks lined up, but 360° off on the 720° 4 stroke cycle. Learned a lot about working in bikes from that XT. Still miss it big time. The unicorn XT would have the original charm, but modern brakes, 12v electrics, kick and electric start. Personally, I'd prefer a carb.. That's just me. No fuel infection on an offroad machine.
I had a TT500. It was an awesome wheelie machine!
Nice
I had a 1979 XL500, that was great to ride on and off road.
I’ll bet
very nice video.....the Duke would be my fave....cheers, Roy
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video ! All the best big Trailies……..except the ‘Elephant in the Room’………BMW’s. GS 80. This is a bike with real ‘mystique’ and exotic engineering……horizontally opposed cylinders and Dakar Rally cred. A comprehensive history of this model would be a real treat !
Too big to be a trail bike though, that was in a very different class of bike
I love these 1970's trail/enduro bikes. Had an SP 600 Suzuki thumper & a DT 400 Yammi. I stay off bikes now because I've almost been killed twice. Who wants to live forever right?
Remember that SP 600 big old thumper
I expect it was the basis for the later DR Big
My TS400 was a beast on the street, punishing on a rough trail.
That seems to be the consensus
I bought the XT new and over the next few years did lots of mods. Back then White Bros. was the place to go. First I did the high compression piston and replaced the troublesome carb with a Mikuni, and oil line kit. Replace header pipe and added a Supretrapp muffler, K& N air filter and re-jetted. I also added White Bros. aluminum swingarm and shocks. Changed gearing and a few other mods this things rode great. This thing loved twisty dirt roads here in NC to hang the back out.
One Saturday I had rode it to the nearest Bike shop which was a Honda dealership. The guy inspecting it like the bike and called his buddy over to look at it. He said I have something you might be interested in. We went upstairs to their storage room, he had a practically new XT motor in a wooden crate and wanted to know if I was interested in it. He was going to build a flat track bike around it but didnt have the time. He said he would let me have it for what he paid for it, $40 if I remember right. I could hardly believe this. A few years later, my next top end job I ported and used this head which ran even better. By design, these bikes respond very well to mods. Some bike do not. I Had this bike for about 20 years and sold it, still in excellent shape. I bought a New Honda XR 600 so the XT had to go.
Higher compression 😱
Bet starting was a risky endeavour 😂
Higher compression 😱
Bet starting was a risky endeavour 😂
Higher compression 😱
Bet starting was a risky endeavour 😂
Higher compression 😱
Bet starting was a risky endeavour 😂
Ah, the bikes of my youth. In that vein, would like to see a mid-seventies Norton commando review. Wanted one badly, never happened.
Ditto
Now where to get my hands on one 🤔
A Norton Commando is NOT a trail bike Stephen!
@@DennisMerwood-xk8wp I know. But my remnant of teenage desire still would like to see and hear about them from today’s perspective. How about an AJ…..? They did have a trail bike too.
@@take5th By the 70's the AJS's were anachronisms. Last AJ and Matchless was 1961. Big old heavy underpowered dogs.
The 1967 Norton P11 Ranger 750 - really only a desert sled for the Yanks.
1972/3 Triumph Adventurer TR5T - Google it!
@@DennisMerwood-xk8wp thanks. That triumph is awsome, hope they come out with their new version in next 24 months! I forgot the subject was trail bikes, sorry. I did have a Honda CL350 “scrambler” for a couple of years but never even tried to take it off-road (heavy, slow). The AJS to me looked radical, not knowing the history. When you start, everything is new. Those were the days, eh?
Alrighty. Very well done. Thanks so much. We're ready for a vid on the SR 500.
🤔
Or bit singles generally
Okay, yeah yeah!
Great video, If possible I would like to see the Z1 and subsequent KZs... I love the early air cooled Zs... Need a lottery win to buy one now though
You certainly would
I had the 79 Honda XR 500. Yep goofy 23" front wheel. The frame sn swingarm I believe was made of electrical conduit pipe, both cracked regularly. The 79 XR was a light purpose trail bike, meant to use to find your favorite fishing hole.
Why did they choose a 23” wheel I wonder
@@bikerdood1100 Idk. It was the front wheel I think they used on every 79 fullsize HONDA. It looked stupid and was prone to breaking.
I still have a sl sl125 a kl250 and a dt175mx still going strong those early trail bikes were brilliant
Simplicity is king
@@bikerdood1100 agreee matw
Well, I've ridden the Japanese bikes in this video, at least, and in the 1970s too. I learned to ride on the farm at age12, on a pair of rotary value Kawasaki G4TR 100's. Pretty mean for 100cc and would keep up with most of the 175s and 185s. Dad later got TS185, TC185 (dual range and electric start), then TF185 "Mud Bug". One of our farm workers has a TS400, which he let me use -- yeah, it was fast and scary for a 13 or 14 year old! A friend had a silver XL250 which he brought out to the farm sometimes. I loved that thing! Once I had my license and some cash I bought a six year old silver 1974 XL350 as my first motorcycle. I late had an XR250, then XR600, and then (after a 20 year gap) got back into trail riding during COVID with a CRF250 Rally. I feel that here in NZ you saw more TTs and XRs than XTs and XLs. They were lighter, more powerful, maybe cheaper (?), and you could easily add a mirror and turn signals and use them on the road.
Cool
Well some positive came out of the COVID crisis
You overlooked the Honda SL350. I had the privilege to ride one to the top of Pikes Peak back in the day. It wasn’t a big thumper, but rather the venerable Honda 350 twin which loved to rev.
Nope I included a different Honda
To put this into perspective my bike is a CCM 604e Sport made in 1999 with a tuned Rotax 604 engine (an engine which dates back to the early eighties), the bike weighs 140Kg wet and makes about 70 rear wheel hp on Dynotech's (Basingstoke) rolling road or about 80 bhp at the crank, this engine is 680cc and in road tune, it starts on the button and idles smoothly, max power is at 7.2k rpm and the max torque of 70 Nm is at 5.3k rpm although the torque remains above 60Nm from 2k to 8k rpm, the rev limiter is set to 7.8k revs but the engine is safe to 9k with little reduction in power past the peak at that rpm. This self tuned Rotax engine is a SOHC single cylinder 4 valve unit with 5 gears and has an oversize bore of 103.25mm bore and an 81mm (std) stroke, it has a balancer shaft which really works well and the engine is as smooth as silk at all speeds and is fitted with a big VM44 Mikuni carb, drivability is fantastic with perfect throttle response at all speeds and the ability to drop down to 2.5K in top gear without transmission snatch. A tuned CCM Rotax engined bike like this makes all those 70's, 80's and 90's era big singles whether 2 stroke or 4 stroke with their 30 something hp look pretty pathetic, the legendary Kawasaki H1 500 triple of that era makes less power FFS and it's big brother the 750 H2 only about the same but with less torque and a narrower power band! Roland, HT Racing Ltd
All very good but produced a couple of decades later the the bikes in the video and CCM were built in tiny numbers.
The rotax is a great power unit but 70 or 80bhp lol your dreaming no way on earth
I have a 441 Victor Special and a Triumph Tr5 mx (B 50 mx). Both have such nice quirks to start and ride , it's what makes them so fun. The '70's B 50 mx and Triumph frame and suspension were such a vast improvement over the older Victor Special, just no comparison but both have their charms .
I own aBSA A10 and it’s the quirks that add the fun
sold my xt 500 for 300 quid all those 3 years ago, ffs, SP 370 was a good thumper as well,thanks for the video,
Whoops
I had an XR 500 for a few years, great bike, bullet proof engine, super reliable and easy to start with the automatic decompressor. Mine was slightly geared up for the road and would do just over 100MPH at which speed the air would get under that big front mudguard and make for a very entertaining ride. Most agreed that the XR 500A was more powerful than the bike that came after it (XR500B?).
Sounds hairy 😂
@@bikerdood1100 All good clean fun.
I agree with the XR they were grunty. The TT Yamaha was also highly rated. Bikerdoll sits side saddle on a punch.
Nice video. I had the XT 250. Great fun. Years later when I passed my test & jumped on a Suzuki SV 650 V twin I thought that was fast. Then a couple of years later got my GSXR1000 K8 with twin Arrows now that was fast. But now I can’t ride & everything is fast. 🤣🤣👍
Looking at 250s next as a matter of fact
I had the XT500. Good bike. Went well. Great for our Cornish back-country roads come sun or cold snot.
I’ll bet
Loads of power is a waste of time down those roads
I would like to see a collection of 70s two stroke street machines. Perhaps a bit about the RD350/400s being giant killers or a story on suzukis triples along with Kawasakis triples and their fearsome reputation. Anyway, you asked what we might like to see so...keep the fun stuff coming🍺😃
Def need to do one on RD
Any public display of bikes like that might attract the attention of the Greenie Militia (Just Stop Oil)
@@davidnobular9220 sounds like a good opportunity to give a few "tune ups". I love tuning up liberals.
@@davidnobular9220 no
If it’s on the country side their EVs won’t have the range and there’s no public transport
The Yamaha XT was a bike I always wanted. but they were quite difficult to find. but maybe it worked out for the best. because waiting a while proved that there was an even better big bore bike to choose from. and that's the Suzuki DR 650, it's really the ultimate big bore dual sport bike.
👍🏻
My buddy's dad had that XT500, what a beast to start, but she ripped up to 90mph!
Big singles for you
Great list. Saw several of them in Palins in Derby where I bought my only new bike, a very classic blue CD175 - the first retro bike.
But Surely the Triumph Adventurer as used by the Royal Signals White Helmets Display Team deserves at least an honourable mention here. It was rather better than the BSA I believe.
Have got a CCM 604 frame that looks remarkably similar to the BSA frame. Thank you for sharing.
Think you will find the Royal Signals used Tigers
Need to do a few videos on British off roaders
Will b3 getting round to it at some point
Hence why they are always tittle 5 not top five, gives me options for later
@@bikerdood1100 I think you will find that Wikipedia (and the internet in general) can be a very unreliable and somewhat deficient source for information about a lot of subjects, not least what actually happened only three years ago, never mind 50 plus years ago.
I saw the White Helmets perform several times during the early 1970s, probably ‘70, ‘71, ‘72 & maybe‘73.
Being bike mad 12-15 year old during this period, I gathered everything bike related I could lay my hands on. I wish I still had them all now.
So I naturally grabbed the publicity leaflets from the White Helmets tent. These included the announcement that they were proud to be using the new Triumph Adventurer. But when I asked for more information about the bikes, I was told that they were mostly intended for the US market.
For probably 40 years, that exchange (and an article in MCN) was my only knowledge of the Triumph Adventurer. None of my mates at the time were aware of it.
It is however highly likely that they only used them for one season. But the image seared on my mind is of those siamese header pipes, and the distinctively shaped alloy tank and decals, and the side panels with the name Adventurer on them. I stood right next to them while they were still steaming!
Mandela effect? Possibly, but very unlikely. How else did I learn about its existence in the UK during the early ‘70s?
I had a cd175 that had been nicked and got back without ignition key. I had to twist wires together to start it and it had been hit in the tank with a hammer. A true rat bike but a bike that would survive the apocalypse. It cost me £10 and got me around for a month or so.
Thank you, a great video and lovely bikes.
An unusual feature of the XT500 is that magnesium castings were used in the engine in place of aluminium to reduce weight though I do not know how many castings were magnesium.
The XT500 had a more off-road brother the TT500. The TT had a lighter and simpler silencer, lighter plastic rear mudguard, smaller front brake and no lighting though an optional kit could be fitted, I believe it had a larger carburetor and there may have been other less obvious tweaks.
Expensive materials for a relatively humble bike
You have to be careful with magnesium, if it catches fire it can't be put out. it will even burn under water. it was a fatal end to a large number of VW beetles.
The earliest Honda XL250 also had magnesium alloy engine cases.
I bought the original Yamaha TT500C (2/76 build) to do enduro's. We needed to get concessional licensing for these as some events included sealed road sections. When I went to licensing the examiner (who believed he knew it all) declared that it was an XT500 that was old stock as it had no compliance plate (Pre 1975 they didn't need them). He promptly fully road licensed the Motocross version (TT) which I'd added the lights, indicators and speedo to. So it had a dry weight of 120Kg's with the unbreakable plastic bits on it. Compared to the milder tuned XT's 155Kg's.
I had also put on a much lighter exhaust than the huge monstrosity it came with, an 11.5:1 Piston and 480 flat-track cam from Powroll. Replaced the 34mm Mikuni Carb with a 42mm and a K&N air filter to help it breathe! It was a great street sleeper as the big plastic tank and muddy condition suggested just a trail hack but had mobs of power and would still wheelie in top gear, as well as break traction on gravel at will up to 150+Km/h (rand out of straight road to try for top speed). And if you think the TT500 could kick like a mule, just try it with the 11.5:1 Piston in it. An ankle smasher if you got it wrong!
I mainly used it to race enduro's and it would go through a rear tyre in 2 days and a chain in three. Damn near tried to pull my arms out of their sockets. When I sold it they put the original tank back on it as a Commuter in Melbourne, and it surprised many a Honda 750 and occasionally a Kwaka 900 (if you could keep the front wheel down!).
In hindsight I wish I had kept the beast but I couldn't justify it when buying a house. Oh, the memories!
Sounds like an absolute monster
@bikerdood1100 It sure was. After I sold it I realised that my sore shoulders were hanging on to it whilst caning it through 80 km enduro loops - 1 morning, 1 afternoon. So 160kms trying to wring it's neck!
Scrouged a knackered road version Suzuki 185 as a kid run for a while over the local fields but it gave up the ghost so i swapped it for a running honda step through. I have just been given a fully restored Honda XL350 from a good friend just got to pick it up.
Nice
And I had to ride a C70 on fields , oh the poverty 😂
@@bikerdood1100 anything that we could get our hands on some of which I wish I had now. All sorts, step throughs 50cc to 90cc ohc and push rod versions, a red and chrome tanked honda 65 with gears bit like the ss50, CB and CD 175s, Pouch 250, Ducati 250 bloody fast, 2 Fantic 50cc trails, a few italian scooters, Greaves, Cotton, Sunbeam that smooked worse than any rwo stroke, a few BSA bantams , knackered Motesa 172 trails and the most terrifying of all a Bultaco 350 scrambler that had just about survived a shed fire thanks to the fire brigade an old chap on our estate helped us get it usable the original plastic tank had melted all over the engine
All those Trail bikes are very handsome machines, all the big singles could be challenging to start for the novice, I watched a guy kick a (new) XT500 until he looked like he was about to have a heart attack, he just didn’t have the knack 😂 Love the TS400 looks, aptly named Apache, it does look like it could scalp you 😅
If everything is adjusted properly my XT500 starts on the first or second kick every time.
Definitely do you a mischief that’s for sure
When I was a teenager back in the 1980's, my future stepbrother thought it would be funny to see me try to kick start his Suzuki SP500. NOT FUNNY! 😒
Heck, I didn't know anything anything about starting a big thumper.
I remember someone giving me a shot of an XT500 offroad when i was 14 years old and i thought it was great 👍
Lot of bike at 14, I tried a Two stroke Husqvarna 370 on fields at the same age. Bloody terrifying
Talking about riding an XT500 @14 years of age - I have a very amateurish YT video of my son riding one that I refurbished about 13 years ago. Without wanting to hijack this excellent video by quoting its exact link - it can be found under my name and "My Yamaha XT500 movie".
@@DaveZee01 I will have a look Dave thanks 👍
I owned a Honda XL500, a little big and heavy for dicing and slicing through the woods, but everywhere else was a tractor, so much bottom end torque, it was a great deep woods charger.
500 is a lot of metal
Well unless you compare it to a GS of course, that think is morbidly obese. Like off roading a Cadillac 😂
I had a Yamaha TT 500 back in the day. I think it was a 1978 model. I also had a 1980 YZ465, Honda CR250 and a Yamaha XS500, all at the same time. They occupied my garage and my Chevy El Camino was relegated to the driveway. Good times indeed!
Not much space in there
Had a 75 xl350 and 76 xt 500 both great rides.
Good to hear
I love your streams . Thanks
Thank you very much
Don’t forget the big bore Yamaha TT500 thumper. That bike was a beast.
One Yamaha is enough per video thanks
I still own a 1971 Yamaha RT1 360 I bought it new in 1971. I am in the process of restoring it at the moment. I am from New Zealand.
Well you got you moneys worth that’s for sure
And unlike a Tesla actual Green motoring
I owned both a Yamaha XT500 and a 1981 Honda XL 500. I took the Honda on a 3,300 mile trip from Northern Ca to the Canadian border in 1986, way before the term Adventure Bike came to be. I currently own a Norden 901 Expedition. It's like comparing a Model T car to a Tesla.
Funny you say that because I can’t stand Tesla
EVs are the perfect vehicles for modern drivers
Soulless
@@bikerdood1100 It was just a comparison between old and modern technology and wasn't intended as a plug for tesla. My only vehicle (non-bike) is a Duramax diesel truck, about as far away from a tesls as one can get. ; /
@@Graybeard_ I should hope not
For the record if offered a drive I’d sooner have a crack at the T
But I’d own neither
Too many wheels
I have to say that as an owner of bikes ranging from 1935 to the present day I don’t think things have really changed so very much
Modern bikes are over breaded so need ABS but cruising along the experience is little change.
Sure modern bikes have tonnes of completely unnecessary crap with adjustable options you can set on the move but in reality once set people rarely change them and of course there’s the bloody LCD screens which a far harder to see in bright sunlight than a traditional dial
So moved forward
In someways yes
Others not so much
I use to have a 2000 Honda XE650R uncorked with stage 2 HRC motor kit >> anything on that monster 63 HP ...Thumpers owned 2000 XR650R ... !999 Honda XR650L with L.A. Sleave 720cc kit w/ white bros pipe also bike had HRC XR650R upgrade in 2000, ... 1976 Yamaha XT500C W/ Pro Tech 560 cc Kit all bells and whistles ... Yamaha 1977 XT500 stock ... 1982 Yamaha Red XT550 stock ... 1982 Yamaha white XT550 stock ... 1987 Honda XR600R w/pipe ... Those are my thumpers had others under 350cc range. I love my 4 strokes ,,List not included is all 2 strokes and street bikes
That’s a big ole beast
My 1976 XT500 enjoyed this video.
Glad to hear it
Nice one. 👍 . Why are BSA's like that B50 so very beautiful? Maybe it is the clean unfussy engine styling (like all those singles), or that fuel tank shape and paint design. My late 1960's (early 1970?) BSA B25 had a pretty fuel tank, and an unstoppable oil leak. It had the same security feature, and gave the local thugs plenty of exercise pushing it up and down the road at night. Until I brought it into the entrance hall. Never fitted a padlock and chain though.
I think it is the simplicity
That was awesome. I got 1977 YZ 400D it would be more awesome to learn more about it
In time perhaps
I love the XL 500, great bike
Big old banger, harks back to a bygone age I think
My first street bike was a 73' Kawasaki 350 bighorn enduro,a bit heavy but fun.
American models had truly odd names
Wonder how they cane up with big horn 🤔
How very big they seemed, even in the early 80s. It is amusing how British bikes (apart from Norton and Triumph twins) were as good as invisible by then.
I recall riding an XL250, which I believe had a 23" (!!) front.
The market was much more clearly divided back then. Non-knobblie tyres didn't exist for those tall, narrow wheels.
The whole notion of "dual sport" or "adventure" bikes was thankfully several horizons away. Back then, lardy middle-aged men drove Hillmans.
One aspect that amazes me now, looking back, is how underbraked these things were. Happily, a big four-stroke single had excellent engine braking, but even on a (fast for its day) XT550, a tiny, narrow, cable TLS drum was not going to do much more than compress the forks.
They seemed so huge at the time.... but we were only a few years away from the Ténéré and the early R80 G/S.
I will not mention the KLR600 or Dr Big.... Oops. I did!
I certainly won't mention the Elefant in the room.
There’s something fascinating about the DR Big
Would love to ride one
I had the Honda S L 125 in 1978 about 2 weeks ago i found an old photo taken back in the day of me sitting on the bike i payed £ 150 for it in 78..
150 might cover the front wheel now
Maybe
@@bikerdood1100 Sadly yes...
Ii had a SL 125 in 1977 & it was probably the most reliable bikes I've ever owned.
Man I gave that bike stick... not the best bike for the dirt but I had HEAPS of fun on it :)
@@chrismckay9923 I sold my SL to get a Suzuki R M100. fast but not as reliable as the 4 stroke Honda. Happy days...
Ossa, Montessa,Bultaco, Husqvarna,CZ also had big bore street trail bikes very rare.
All in good time
I owned 2 of the 441 Victors, great fun offroad but 30 min. of street ridin and your hands no longer worked. Great videos
😂😂
What I wouldn't give for that orange TS400!! 😍
Well you’d need a fair amount of cash for a decent today
I had the XR500 version. Twin shock. Fantastic bike! Quite competitive if you worked it a bit. But the cam bearings died eventually and I ditched it 😢
Top end problem on a Honda
Well I never 😂
@@bikerdood1100 Sadly my Yamaha SR500 was stolen long before its cam bearings wore out. But, if I remember correctly, they were easily replaceable in that Yamaha engine.
@@derekp2674 I think they had a similar problem but cannot be sure. There were needle roller conversions available at the time but I didn't have the cash 🤣
Common Fault will all RVFC Honda's I've got 2x XR600 Heads that have scored Cam Tunnels from Oil Starvation & Overheating, After an Oil change make sure the Oil Pump is Primed & Always check the External Oil Feed line to the Head is flowing! I suspect that is common point of Failure for XR's 👍
@@derekp2674 Honda XRs have a Ball-bearing only on 1 side of the Cam Tunnel to support the Cam Chain Tension & Machined Non Replaceable Plain Bearings for the Cam Tunnel- Not a Great Design imho! Once they're worn - the head is Rubbish - This is the Major Failing Point of Soo Many XR Engines!! I have 2x Destroyed XR600 heads that we're off a Couple Non Running Motors i bought! You can't get OEM Replacements Honda doesn't make them anymore! 👍
I had an XT 500 in the late 80s , lots of grunt, but what a bastard to kick, seriously if it didnt start in the first three kicks , you gave up on it for a half hour. And it would kick back also, throw you over the handle bars or put a massive bruise on your calf. Was a great flat track bike , just loved to be sideways, but didnt really appreciate bumps.
Ahhh the joys of a big single
I had a first generation XT 500 , on the way to work one early morning , i was waiting at a traffic light , a counter shaft seal let go . I pushed the bike the last two blocks to work .
Oooo 😟
More good stuff! I rode a friends RM 400 Suzuki. Wheel spin or wheelie at will, depending on the traction. Fast but Scary! He switched to a Elsinore 250 when it came out. good move.
Bike more user friendly
Had XT 500 when I was young teen nothing but good things to say about it. In its time a very capable trail bike and climbed some large hills on it
Big old beast for a youngster though
@bikerdood1100 yes it was but my neighbors were little older than me and crazy insane about dirt and street bikes. They had me riding XR 500 and Can-am 250 MX all the time before I got XT.
And my MT125 ( with a CR125 barrel and expansion chamber ) left them all choking in my smoke.
Hmmmm🤔
I still have my XT500 from the year 1981…and it Runs and Runs, ….without any Problems…Almost every biker nows the XT500😊
Well the older ones do
Good one
Thanks
Still ride my 1979 Honda XL500s when I can. Great condition (except for several hill climbing bumps and bruises). Wouldn't trade it for any of the newer bikes.
Well all old bikes have some battle scars
I had a TS100 then a TS250 both great bikes, the 250 especially as it didn't have the rotary induction but I had a go on a TS400 and it ran great, it was the road version with indictaors big seat and softer suspension, it ran very well, no powerband surges, it had a CDI conversion made in Germany and a flat slide carb and together they made the bike much better, so for about £200 (at the time) he turned a bike that was leathal into a passive machine that didn't surge like a firework rocket, lost count of the XL's TL's XLR's, Ive got a Japaneses rockhopper import now and cant fault the engine,
Surging power is well and good if your a pro but for the rest of we humans it’s just plain dangerous
I'm 68 years old and the best bike and most fun was in 1975 I bought a new Honda MT 250 Elsinore. Would not trade those years of fun for anything.
Nice 👍🏻