Reader Ride. A Pair Of Great of Great Yamaha's From A Confrssed XT Junkie!

Paul Hutchins Writes in:

Swerved into your site and thought you might post my Big Wheel photos.

I have a almost pathological interest in the 500 Yam and recently sold most of my examples of this great cult classic. My street ride was this SR custom, White Bros. 540cc motor, high lift cam, 38mm carb, with Omar's bodywork. I also restored this 1976 XT, the first ever model in the States, it was mint original and brought a similar price from a collector in Sydney, Australia. The TT is a dirtracker that was once on the street, it is now an ice racer in Michigan.

Thanks, Paul Hutchins

Reader Submittal. SR 500 Custom Rebuild

It there anything you can't do with these thumpers?  From Frank Naaykens Speed Dealer customs Joplin,mo.

Stone Cold Sexy Single Cylinder Yamaha.

A Surprising BMW F650.

I never realized these boring old clinical thumpers could look this good!

Yamaha Thumper Cafe. Nice SR.

Fairly Radical XT600 Cafe Racer.

Saw this over on Ottonero. (please check him out). That thing is bitchin! Everyone who kicks areound with thumpres generall agree that these big singles are a freaking blast and as a DR650 owner this gives me expensive thoughts.

Yamaha SR's. A tasty pair of singles...

Reader Ride. SR500 Fighter.

Zaine Engelbrecht sends in this nearly complete SR500 fighter.

He Writes:

I am not finished yet battling my ass of with the back brakes.( modification without ruining the original)
The swingarm pivot i cut just before the bearings each side so its 80mm, The nice thing is all the SR parts just bolt back on, no mods to my original frame.
The triple clamps just need different bearings and it bolts right on. The handles is of an Chinese import Hunter as its the only 41mm raised ones i could find.
I cut the brake disk spacer at the back by 4.5mm to line up the chain, will show you on photos how close the 180 back wheel is to the right side swingarm, the wheel is now only 4.5mm off centre.
Front discs is standard R6 and brakes like an accident!!!!!
Rear sprocket is machined alloy!!!!!! R 700 later! (40 teeth)
I will start the monoshock conversion tonight, and will send as many photos as possible,
7 weeks and not finished yet!!!
BIKE IS FOR SALE AFTER THE MONOSHOCK CONVERSION :-(

Best regards
Zaine Engelbrecht

I'd love to find a nice SR500 along these lines. Great stuff.

Reader Ride! One hell of a custom Yamaha SR500!

Mike C sends in these pics of his stunning SR500 custom.  As a person who's been known to overbuild a few small CC bikes myself I really like this.

Mike includes his build sheet:

Here are some snaps of my 1978 Yamaha SR 500, hope you like them:
Front forks:'94 GSXR 750
Front 'fairing': Modified aftermarket fiberglass Yamaha R6 front fender
Headlights: Modified 18 wheeler back-up lights
Wheels: '94 Yamaha FZR600
Rear monoshock: '94 Yamaha RZ350
Muffler: Modified Toyoya Camry resonator (center section from a Harley, front section is a Kerker).
Oil cooler: Shop class project a buddy made for me
Front master cylinder & clutch lever: Honda CBR 900
Rear master cylinder: Honda CBR 600
Rear brake caliper: '94 Kawasaki ZX 750
Chin fairing: Home made fiberglass copy of RZ 350 part
Vapor catch tank: Modified reciever/dryer from Camry ac system
Kick starter: Yamaha XS 650
Tail piece: Fiberglass home-brew
Rear fender; Fiberglass home-brew
Gas cap: Yamaha YSR 50
Tailight; Marker light I 'borrowed' from a school bus
Seat is a cut down stocker using a upper shock mount at the rear
Speedo; Yamaha RZ 350
Mag cover: Kedo in Germany
Oil filter cover; Motolana Thailand
Cam chain adjuster cover; I forget the company name, but it came from New Zealand
Rear sets;Home-brew combo of the old buddy pegs from my '85 GSXR 750 and some nice alloy stock I found in a parking lot =-)
Bar end mirrors; Metal copies of some I found at a bicycle shop
Motor running early TT500 points type ignition & magnetto lighting
Voltage regulator from a snowmobile
Etc., Etc., Etc......
If you like, you can follow these links for more:
http://www.sr500forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=415


http://www.sr500forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2185


Thanks for your time ......Mike C.


Great Stuff.  Thanks Much for the pics and info!