In The Loop | Episode 6 - 1981 Yamaha SR500
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- In this episode I take a 1981 Yamaha SR500 for a ride around our test loop.
This motorcycle belongs to a customer, but many other vintage motorcycles and new Royal Enfields is for sale in our shop, Throttle Company Vintage Motorcycles.
If you are in Columbus, Ohio, come say hi and see our bikes.
Throttle Company Vintage Motorcycles
1130 W Mound St
Columbus, OH 43223
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One of the best looking and running small bike ever.
Nice to hear that sound again! I had an SR500 for 19 years, but had to sell it when my children came... The best bike, pure minimalism! :)
Couldn't agree more!
Well i got three kids now and am waiting a 1983 sr500 in the next week or so...its my time again😅
❤i have owned 3 so far. This current one is a keeper. I love them.
I have a '81 SR500. The original carb fell apart so it now has a VM36. To start when cold: I use a bit of choke (for the FIRST kick only, knock the choke off after that) and wind the idle up 1/2 turn using the VM36 knurled knob. Then bring it up to compression & use the decompression level to ease it just past TDC - no need to look at the window. Then kick it with NO throttle. If it doesn't start after 3 kicks, I flush air through it by turning off the gas, choke & ignition, then slowly kicking it over 10 times with the throttle wide open and decompr level pulled in. Then ignition on and kick it, it should start, then turn the gas back on & adjust idle. Complicated I know, but it works for me.
I have one here in Uganda, sr500 but it's really a cool bike. Everybody loves its sound!!!
Oliwa musajja?
@@ivannasasira2563 Ntinda Kampala
@@Basajjasubi_Dodovich we should meet blood
@@ivannasasira2563 but I'm not selling it nanti
The older SR 500's were prone to top end failure due to insufficient oil flow...I believe the later models had a larger passage way and a higher capacity oil pump that eliminated the problem...
There was a kit for the older models that bypassed the internal oil passage with a external stainless steel clad oil tube that allowed greater oil flow. They are great bikes, a few years back Yamaha resurrected it as the SR400 .
The SR400 was manufactured alongside the SR500 from the beginning in 1978 for the Japanese or Asian market
They stopped manufacture of the SR500 in 1999/2000
Manufacture of the SR400 ended in 2021 because of modern emission and braking regulations but they are still being sold new in 2024 but are only available in Thailand
So they manufactured the SR500 for around 21 or 22 year and they've manufactured the SR400 for 43 years or maybe 46 years or have being selling them 46 years
I have an SR 500 it's probably the best bike I've ever had.
Love it thanks. I had two SR500s, one for twenty three years and this really took me back.
Right on!
Good video. I like the real world stall at the light. 😂
"Pray to Jesus!"
What's with the hang up on the kick starting ? It's just not that difficult .
one of my favorite things about my bike lmao
Unique! 😄
Just discoved this bike on the used market. I like!
The SR500 is easy to start once you get used to it. The XT500 however is a real pig to start, often kicking back. The SR had mods to stop this
One of my favorite bikes I had. Did thousands of mules on it, even had a sidecar fitted for a while. Only did 85mph [Yamaha claim 95mph] but they run out of breath at 1000 below the red line. They will do 85 though all day and give 60 miles per gallon [imperial] Easy to work on and not much to go wrong. Ok, they are old school and vibrate a bit, but nothing like as bad as a Harley or old Brit single. 35 horsepower if I remember. There is a 400 version as well but at only 27 horsepwer might be a bit gutless.
It also has self canceling turn signals.
When you fixed the idle at the end it remined me of a bunch of road side repairs i've had to do.
I thought, why didn't he do that on the side of the road? but 1) it's not your bike and 2) you're a professional.
I own a 81 sr500 in the same color! Its my first motorcycle and i was 22 when i got it. Sadly my cyl head is giving me some issues. I need to get to work on it before summer lol.
Did you get it going?
Kick it , wait for the bubble and compression, now that’s vintage man! I had Yami 650 special at one but I didn’t have to go through all of that . Electric start she was . Very dependable
used to road race a 78, 31 hp 102 miles an hour top speed some of the best fun ever had road racing…
Not an "idle issue" in the meaning you have to adjust the idle higher. It is starving for fuel, even in higher revs when you give it throttle,
Does the little "idling turn nob" set the amount of fuel that flows into the carburator?
Yes the engine doesn't sound very happy. Very harsh and metallic. If the carburetor was rebuilt properly then it might have a vacuum leak somewhere.
My bike with a PZ27 only idled with the idle mixture screw removed. Even then it was still rough and still very Lean. I taped up the rubber teat that the throttle cable enters the carb body. That sealed up the vacuum leak until the gas vapours softened the adhesive. I replaced the whole carburetor and that solved it completely.
Don’t use sidestand or center stand when kickstarting the bike! Over time it will get damaged
I normally exclusively start the bike via telekinesis to reduce the unnecessary wear to nearly zero. For some reason it doesn't work with the GoPro on (electromagnetic interference maybe?). I also count the number of left turns I make and even them out with right turns to level out the wear on the piston wrist pins. You can never be too cautious!
@@throttlecompany depends on how long you will use (or abuse) the bike...
I kicked a CB750 and CM400 every day for years with zero issues or wear on the kick stand. I do believe I recall the starting procedures from a Honda manual stating to kick the bike with the kick stand down.
I've had to repair and replace and repair the sidestand and repair the feet and side lever on the center stand but it's a 78 with high mileage and I've repaired and replaced lots of things
I disagree with your comment
@@throttlecompany
Yeah I do all that
Had ×2 sr500 by far the best XT5OO
I think the later XT TTs ran the same "Big Head" (wider cooling fins and larger valve) motors and the same magneto maybe, but not positive about the magneto
i have 2 now
i ihave had 2 at other times
Great bikes
YO! My names Dylan and I’m looking at ones of these hahaha. Just went up for sale near me and I don’t really know Jack about motorcycles, mostly just cars and engines
They are simple bikes and that makes them easy to start with. They are kick only and that can be a real pain in the ass especially for troubleshooting.
Yeah you need to clean the carb the pilot Jet is plugged
I have a simpler 36mm Mikuni on my 1978 SR and not that it generally stalls but sometimes I'll turn the idol up in traffic
As for starting, forget about the kick Indicator, pull in the decompression lever and roll it over a few times without touching the throttle then find compression and using the decompression lever move it sightly past TDC it can then be kicked with a full revolution before hitting compression again, if you looked you would see the silver grey colour in the kick Indicator but don't bother
My SR generally starts first or second kick but at times she can be flooded or temperamental and may need to be cleared by again pulling in the decompression lever and while holding the throttle open roll it over half a dozen times and then try starting it again
If it's not easy to start as described it could have a problem like a flat battery or carburettor or magneto issues
I just got an 88 sr400 and it'll start alright cold and a bit warm but will not start hot. Very strange, rather frustrating when I stalled her in the middle of the city at rush hour lol
@@fastfishtoo4991
I'm not sure about the 1988 models but the early models have a "hot start button"
Do you know if your bike has one ?
It's beneath the throttle linkage, the one I'm looking at here on my removed original carburettor is a small white plastic knob about halfway up the left side of carburettor and more to the front of it but it's pretty obvious
You push it up for hot starts and it turns off automatically once you begin to use the throttle
This button opens the throttle very slightly and helps hot starts with the standard carburettor
Does your bike have a hot start button and if so did you know to use it ?
Next I'd be checking the alternator/magneto, you need a multimeter to do the tests, if you haven't got one either borrow one or buy one you only need a cheap one, if you look at some RUclips videos about how to use them you'll see a lot of them are a very similar type and you will find a lot of cheap one are pretty well gonna be that same style
Once you get a hold of a multimeter you need to know the readings to test your bike, they maybe the same as my 78 but I'm not sure about it
I have the figures they're suppose to be and how to go about doing the tests in my two SR500 manuals
I've also printed them out from the "Rex's Speed Shop" site
They're a total rip off so don't buy anything from them, not unless you really had to, but as I said you might find the readings for you bike and how to go about doing the tests on their site
It's pretty simple to do the tests once you have the information and a multimeter
Some times you can have an electrical problem that will cause an issue once it heats up and go away once the bike cools down
Remember these bikes will flood at the drop of a hat so don't mess around with the throttle until it starts up
If you look at my original post you'll see where I describe how to clear the cylinder if flooded, but once you know you've cleared it keep the throttle closed while starting until it fires up
@@hodaka1000 Thank you for the response! Really helpful!
The guy I bought it off put an aftermarket mikuni carb on it, which I don't believe has a hot start button, so I was thinking it could need some better tuning... I opened it up with a friend and it looked fine inside, float valve closing properly. He also has a multimeter so we checked the spark plug, seemed to be getting alright numbers from kicking it over.
I'll avoid the throttle til she starts up! I dare say a lot of my problems have been from flooding the carby myself but I unfortunately think there's more to it than just that. Magneto/electrical problems might require some professional help! Thanks for your advice!
@@fastfishtoo4991
The magneto test is simple once you find the procedure, if your friend has a multimeter he could do the test it's easy to do and would show wether or not it's your issue
As I mentioned in my original post when you're in traffic turn up your idle speed a little
I've had this my second 78 500 for about ten years and I think I've stalled it in traffic about twice but will sometimes raise the idle slightly for added confidence
Maybe just turn up the idle. My XT500 starts on choke, but I turn it off after 10 seconds.
I had an xt500 -78 that I rode a whole winter with -25C as the coldest! You forgot that there is another model that has the same engine! HL500 which is quite unusual.
That carb is no. I got a tm36 pumper mikuni from sudco outa calli. Bike kicks 2nd kick everytime. In 7 years has never kick back on me since i ditched the old carb
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
What are the chances I run across this video December 23rd 2021!!!!!
Good👍
I wonder why he would buy this bike when they make the almost exact bike new, the SR400. Even kick start. I have the newer (2016) SR400
Get a 500 and you'll understand
What's the cap at the front of the tank? It's a 4-stroke, right?
The cap is oil, SR500s are all oil in frame.
@@throttlecompany What’s the purpose of oil in the frame?
It eliminates the need for a separate oil tank. It can also help with cooling since the oil flows away from the engine and the frame has a large surface area to be cooled by the wind. It can also help with handling since the oil is in a central location instead of off to one side.
Whats the color code of this SR 500 ? Its beautiful :)
Did you forget to turn off the choke? 😎
No, thanks though.
@@throttlecompany Well it was either that or a clogged airfilter that made it stall. In any case the bikes behaviour didnt do the SR 500 justice in any way. I had one for many years did a whole lot of trimming on it but never ever did it stall on me.
pilot jet need be cleaned
Hi love it what bars are those please they look awesome
It's way too L E A N , after fitting á supertrap you've got to change both jets and shim needle.
This video was published Dec 2020, your keen troubleshooting is a bit late.
The SR feels quicker because it produces its torque at lower rpms. I’m sure the GB feels quicker at higher speeds. And as a “mechanic”, you should know better than to hop on a cold air cooled bike and go ride it. Also, the manual will give you a cold idle rpm value. And it’s not the compression of the engine that you’re using to bump start the bike. It’s the momentum of the machine and the engine and transmission already turning. It’s really like kick starting it with the rear wheel. Your knowledge of basic mechanics and physics are lacking.
I've had the air-cooled Hodaka Wombat 125 in my thumbnail photo since 1987 it's high mileage it's on it's third speedometer and I always ride it cold
A wiser older mate told be years ago the owners manual for his BMW said not to have it sitting around heating up because it's an air-cooled engine and you should get it moving through the air after starting or words to that affect
I also own a 1978 SR500 and because of what old mate told me about the BMW air cooled engines I also ride it immediately from a cold start
I took it apart recently after 80,000 kilometres and near ten years of flogging it and was pleasantly surprised how good it was internally
I disagree with your comment you should get over your delusions of adequacy