teledan
Been Around the Block
Hi Everybody, I thought I would post a bit about my current bike and what I have done with it so far. I have been into old Harley’s for a few years now and after getting married and having a couple kids I ended up selling my bikes. We all know how these machines get into our blood so of course I started getting the itch again very soon. I had been browsing the web for a cheap bike that I could molest and fell in love with the Yamaha SR500. After looking around a bit for one of these bikes for sale I realized that they were just way too hard to come by in the states but I then discovered the XT500. It is basically the same motor but dressed in a more off-road trim. I ended up finding an 81 XT500 in Idaho for a few hundred that was running and seemed to be in decent shape. Apparently it was an old Forest Service bike so it was a bit beat up and smoked a little but it was a good start. Here’s how she looked when I brought her home:
I cleaned the carb real good and put a new front tire on and rode it like that until the winter. I wanted to do a sort of cafe/tracker type bike but I still wanted to ride it as much as possible and have a really tight budget so I started making small changes. I threw on a new mikuni vm36, a battery eliminator, welded up a new exhaust from a Hoos Racing kit, new bars with a bar-end mirror, and a 12v lighting conversion.
I was riding the crap out of it and I got sick of it smoking so I decided to do the top-end. I figured while I was in there I would upgrade some stuff so I had Grim Cycle in Orem,UT bore the cylinder for a Wiseco 88.5mm 10:1 comp piston, do a valve job, and install new valve springs and seals. I shot some paint on the jug and head and threw it all back together and she started right up on the first kick! Its not burning or leaking a drop of oil so I am a happy camper.
New piston in:
Motor all buttoned up:
I think I will ride it like this until next winter but I am planning on swapping the frontend for one from an XS750 so I can have a disc brake and then I’ll need to figure out a new seat/tail. Anyway, here is how she sits today:
I am trying to head in a sort of Street Tracker/Road Racer direction with this bike but money is tight so it will be a very slow process. I am having a blast on it though!
I cleaned the carb real good and put a new front tire on and rode it like that until the winter. I wanted to do a sort of cafe/tracker type bike but I still wanted to ride it as much as possible and have a really tight budget so I started making small changes. I threw on a new mikuni vm36, a battery eliminator, welded up a new exhaust from a Hoos Racing kit, new bars with a bar-end mirror, and a 12v lighting conversion.
I was riding the crap out of it and I got sick of it smoking so I decided to do the top-end. I figured while I was in there I would upgrade some stuff so I had Grim Cycle in Orem,UT bore the cylinder for a Wiseco 88.5mm 10:1 comp piston, do a valve job, and install new valve springs and seals. I shot some paint on the jug and head and threw it all back together and she started right up on the first kick! Its not burning or leaking a drop of oil so I am a happy camper.
New piston in:
Motor all buttoned up:
I think I will ride it like this until next winter but I am planning on swapping the frontend for one from an XS750 so I can have a disc brake and then I’ll need to figure out a new seat/tail. Anyway, here is how she sits today:
I am trying to head in a sort of Street Tracker/Road Racer direction with this bike but money is tight so it will be a very slow process. I am having a blast on it though!