Bought an SR500 in 1978 and rode it for 25 years. Sometimes it would sit for months, then start on the second kick. I regretted selling it until the SR400 appeared. I bought one in 2014 and still ride it today. I am 80 now, and it still seems like the perfect bike for me.
@1ichty• You young man..... have class! The SR500 was the perfect single road bike - my 2 favourite bikes of the late 70's were the SR500 and the Honda 400/4. I'm 63 now and I have acquired a Yamaha RD 125 (my first motorcycle in 1977) to renovate. I ride my Suzuki 600 Bandit when I get chance - in near new condition for 25yrs old and only has 12,000 miles on it - once a biker, always a biker! I got the bug from my dad as he was a biker - and I must say that riding a motorcycle from an early age (if you survive!) makes you a better driver, as you anticipate potential issues that may arise.
Fun fact, Planet SR388 in Metroid II was named after the the SR400. Hiroji Kiyotake, one of the game's designers owned one and it's a jab at the fact that it's really 388cc's 😂
Almost. They're 399cc. Its stamped on the side of the block. As slow as this bike is i like it a lot and get a ton of compliments. Ill never get rid of it.
Damn.... getting old..... I have an SR 500. Two Sportsters. 500 Enfield. Honda 125. Had all the Yamahas..... RD250/350. 650XS. All so much fun.! Thank you world for letting me play.! Coming up to 70 now. Still riding one of my Sportsters. Ride hard, rest when you are dead.
I’ll be 77 next month. Currently have only 5 bikes. Starting to wonder what I’ll be riding in the afterlife, it can’t really be heaven if there aren’t any motorcycles!
My daughters first bike is a SR400 2015 with fuel injection which makes it easier to kick start on cold mornings. She rides it to university with a single side bag. At motorbikes meets she has the only kick start bike. With no ABS Im glad that she is getting to experience riding old school before its lost forever.
I've owned an SR400 since 2018. It is a 2015 model and I got it with 697 miles on for 4,000 dollars. I still love this bike. Once you get the hang of starting it, there's no problem. In fact people watch me starting it like its from 100 years ago. I love how it looks like it's from the 70s but is new, has electronic ignition and fuel injection. A truly great bike.
I have a 1978 SR500 They're easy to start once you understand the trick to it This is my second 78 500 I had one back in the early to mid 1980s, I've done about 80,000 kilometres on this one in nine years and it had about 63,000 kilometres on it when I got it It has an oversized Wiseco 10 to 1 piston and a simpler VM36 Mikuni carburettor it will usually start first kick hot or cold
Very nice video! I have the SR400 ,2015 model. Got it in 2018 with 800 miles on it, now 10,000 miles. Plenty of fun on weekend coastal roads, and canyon twisties in San Diego. Love the bike
I have a 1978 SR500 and ride it, however other bikes get the most miles. It is a mostly original survivor in good condition and it too starts easily IF you know the drill. Cold start, Do not touch the throttle, set choke, prime carb with petcock, use compression release to set engine past top dead center with aid of white mark in sight glass. Kick all way through. It usually starts on first or second kick. Hot start, no choke, do not touch throttle, use fast idle button to set carb, use compression release to set piston with white mark in sight glass, kick all way through. usually one kick. The accelerator pump in the carb will flood the bike if you twist throttle, so thats why do not use throttle. Bike is narrow, light and nimble. If you get familiar with bike the compression release is not necessary as you can feel the piston when it is the in correct place but you do need practice and the compression release is a nice feature.
Couple years ago got an SR 500 from 1981,that had been parked for 29 years. Started first kick after adjusting valves. This was a dream come true since I was 15. 60 now. I just love this bike. It is perfect for curvy,narrow roads around the fjords and mountains here in Norway. Have other,bigger and stronger bikes. But the SR 500 is the one I would keep to the end. By the way-they didn't stop production in 2021. The manufacturing line was moved to Thailand,and they still make the 400 there,after my understanding.
I was surprised to see a SR400 at the Yamaha dealer in Thailand. But upon closer inspection I noticed the ugly sensor on the header, which could have been less conspicuous, but then I saw the black emission box on the side. I'm fine with a drum brake in the rear, disc brakes collect a lot of dirt and have to be rebuilt, but only kickstart was a disappointment. Then the price tag - way too high! This bike has definitely paid for its development, if Yamaha would've been smart they would've offered a better price. Haven't seen a "new" on the streets here but quite a few old ones, rebuilt. - I had three XS 650, later models had kick AND electric start - that's the best! Use E-start when the bike is cold and kick start when someone is looking. :)
The children's book idea is awesome, the love for motorbikes start young. Some of my earliest memories are standing in the garage staring in awe at my dad's honda.
The SR500 was the best selling motorcycle for several years in succession in Germany in the late 70s and early 80s. And it was restricted to 26 hp / 27PS, which one would imagine to be detrimental to sales in the land of no speed limit highways, but the Germans loved the simple single.
If kickers are still available, I want one! And I'm 75 years young. I've owned Harleys, Triumphs, and now Beemers, and they were kick starters, and I absolutely loved them! Dang! Here in West Virginia.
Greetings from sunny, tropical Thailand. I’m septuagenarian KAWASAKI Vulcan 650 rider. I needed a cruiser and the “KAWA” 650 Vulcan, pegs forward cruiser was the only one available. There was also the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 manufacture in Indian (Chennai). So I chose the KAWASAKI built in Thailand. 🇹🇭 No regrets! This bike has almost made me a hooligan. Traffic lights - always off like a rocket. Or “Bat out of Hell” Johannes K. Lindgren, born in Suomi-Finland. Long time resident here in South East Asia.
I've been riding a 2015 SR 400 for 4 years and have loved every minute of it! I'm 70 and have been riding motorcycles since I bought a Kawasaki 500 in 1972 but the SR is my favorite of all the bikes I've had over the years. I have no reason to even consider changing bikes at this point in time. It's great for twisty roads in the country but highways, not so much.
The killer of the SR relaunch really was the msrp. The development costs had been paid off decades prior but they really thought they would sell like hotcakes to wealthy hipsters who were all attempting to convert UJM’s into cafe’s at the time. To put it in perspective the msrp of an fz07 was only about ~$500 more than the SR. The good thing for guys restoring vintage SR’s was you could now go buy new cheap OEM parts that had been obsolete for years, which I also heard pissed off ebay scalpers lol.
The eBay scalpers you see listing the same part as everyone else for 4x the price are the worst, especially if they end up being your only option. I'll often see them list currently available OEM parts with bike info in the listing title and the price marked way up to take advantage of people who don't know to find/search a part number directly
@@Onewheelordeal yep seen that a number of times. The microfiche is your best friend, it’s amazing what’s still available new from the Japanese manufacturers, thanks in part to how much parts bin engineering they do lol. We just had this discussion on Honda Horders about a part that’s still available from Honda for $27.50 and some eBay scalper wants $80.
@@geeksgamesandgears2369 I've got a 1978 SR500 and I can get just about anything I want from a local Yamaha place and I'm surprised by how economic the parts can be Sometimes I might have to wait for things to come over from Japan The only things I can't get from Yamaha for the 78 are the rear disc brake parts, they only had the rear disc on the 78/79 models, the disc pads are common but master cylinder parts and other pieces are no longer available from Yamaha
I was looking for a 1970s motorcycle a few years back. I wanted something old school like the bikes I grew up on. I just scoured the internet and couldn’t find anything that was In really good condition. Then one morning I saw a beautiful example of a one owner low mileage 1979 SR 500. I had never heard of this bike before. I was in love immediately. I jumped on the ad and was the first to call. I now have the motorcycle inside my house 😊
I the spring of 1979 I bought a one year old SR500 (with 450 miles on the odometer!). In the summer I drove it from the south of Sweden (Halmstad) to the very north (Haparanda). My girlfriend travelled by train and after we met we drove to the North Cape (okej, I drove with her on the pillion). Then along the beatiful Norwegian coast to the southwest and after a week in Lofoten she went by train back home. I drove back home through Norway with a couple of stops for walking in the mouintains. Altogether it made up to ca 4000 miles in six weeks. The SR500 was beatiful to drive on the at that time quite small and twisty roads in Finland and Norway, although it wasn't the optimal bike for touring with a pillion and a lot of luggage of course. The next year (1980) we did three weeks of touring in Scotland with it. We expected our first child the next year and with a bit of panic of becoming a father I sold it. Still regret it! I now own a Moto Guzzi V7, also a classic but the SR500 has a big place in my heart.
I used to have a 78 sr500. My friend gave it to me. It wasn’t running and had vines growing through it. I got it home, cleaned it up and fell in love. Something about the way that bike handled was just so much fun! I hope to someday get another one.
I own a 1981 SR500 that I bought back in 1988. It has been the most reliable cycle that I have owned and one of the best handling bikes as well. That's saying something since I have raced TT Scrambles, Motocross and Enduros. If Yamaha would put an electric starter on the bike they would not be able to keep up with the demand for the bike. It will cruise at 70 mph all day and also blaze up dirt/gravel fire roads, it would be the ultimate low cost adventure bike. I guess a bike designed by Kenny Roberts as his personal 'play bike' would be able to everything well.
I bought a 1992 SR 500 this year, and I LOVE IT. It was a dream motorbike for me back in 1978, when it was launched, and I finally bought it. Drum brakes front and rear, spoke wheels and the “correct” seat. The most beautiful bike ever made.
Drum brakes on the front? I have a 1981 SR 500 with disk front brake, that was standard. If you have a drum brake on the front you must have a DT 500 or trail bike version.
my 2015 sr-400 was a gem then i had the stroke.....i had to sell it...but know i am looking again thank God.perfect video you did for all of us and i thank you!
I owned an SR500 from 1978 through 1982. I lament EVER selling it! It was a joy to ride, an honest motorcycle, and like a Mazda Miata, it wasn't fast but it did everything well - just slower. Many motorcycles have passed through my ownership since that SR, and none had the visceral attraction that it did - until I bought my Royal Enfield Hunter 350 last spring. It reminds me so much of my long gone SR, even so, it doesn't really replace it. How can one replace an icon? You can't.
I picked up an ‘81 SR 500 in ‘98 at a motorcycle scrap yard for $200. After some freshening, it cranked on the 2nd kick. I corrected some issues with the ‘Minton mods’ added good tires and suspension and it continues to be my Sunday Ride. As a rider since 1972, it still gives me the thrill of ‘real’ motorcycling without all the extra stuff we thought we had to have. This bike brings the thrill of riding back to the first time I ever got on one. There is no equal, in my opinion, for the roads around me in rural western North Carolina. I’m content with this bike until I hang up my helmet for the last time.
I bought a remake 2017 SR400 fory first ever bike. It has been nothing but flawless from day 1. I've owned multiple other bikes in addition to this but the SR is always to one I go back to for pure motorcycling enjoyment. I love it and don't think I'll ever get rid of it.
I'm behind you in age by five years and being an old Brit single rider I would love an SR 400. Knowing you are still riding one of these beautys inspires me! Greetings from Eastern Kentucky!
I'm on my third blue/silver '78. The UK '78 SR's were wired wheeled disk front, drum rear, and only that year had wire wheels and a rear drum. The early models also had a bigger 34 mm carb. My current one has a lightly warmed engine with a forged piston, BSA gold star DB34 'silencer' and K&N filtration so a little bit revvier and quite a bit more wheelie prone off the line! Maintaining the carb after 46 years is a pain as they added an extra vacuum operated diaphragm to disable the accelerator pump when the engine was stopped to prevent idle hands from tweaking the throttle and flooding the engine! Like all these things, modern fuels eat the material and they need to be changed occasionally. If they fail, the bike runs rich and as the engine warms up, it gets worse and worse until it won't run... There are a number of techniques to get a one kick start every time, and watching people struggle when you can light the fires with a single kick is a guilty pleasure! One feature the late '70's Yamahas had was self cancelling indicators. often disabled by owners, but I love this feature on the SR and managed to get the correct under seat relay box to get it working again. it uses a speed/time system with the under-seat timer in conjunction with an 'in headlamp' speedometer sensor of some description. I also have Boge Nivomat (ex BMW) self levelling air springs on the back which are great at managing poor road surfaces at higher speeds as well as coping with passengers. There's also an LED H4 in the 8" Stanley headlight to turn night into day. It turns heads and hearts, looks like a proper bike, sounds like a proper bike, costs nothing to run, and is properly made with decent materials... All the bike I'll ever need!
Bought a 400 from 1982, some three years ago. My first motorcycle, although having had a license for decades. It’s a sweet little bike, especially on tiny winding roads, and singles are theoretically just grown up mopeds, and therefore easy to maintain. I’m not letting go of mine, as my 13 year old daughter has already a keen interest in it.
Here in the UK had 3 XT 500s and a US SR500 imported from San Diego with only 200 miles on the clock.Loved all of them ,a great ride ,simple to maintain and always timelessly cool looking , now all highly desirable over here.
The 78 SR500 I purchased in about 1990 for $50 was one of my best purchases. The 2 previous owners could not get it running. After checking the spotless carb, clean tank and new spark plug, I replaced the resistor cap and took it for a ride around the block. Later, I added a 38mm Mikuni, a Megacycle X8 Cam and a Stainless Supertrapp. I bet the lucky schmuck I sold it to is still riding around on the rear wheel and wearing out footpeg rubbers. The 400 is nothing near as much fun as the 500 and kick starting is something that is very simple to learn.
Bought a 500 right out of high school and loved it, kicked myself for years after I sold it, best memory is late one night going home stopped a small country convenance store. as I was getting off the bike an older man, I guess to be in his seventies or early eighties comes out and looks at me and the bike still sitting there idling, while starring at the bike with a thick British accent says son it's been a hell of long time since I have seen a thumper. then the head nod of approval as he walked by
I had a 78 SR500 in the early to mid 1980s, one time I took it out pig shooting in western New South Wales I'd already eliminated it's turn indicators by smashing them off drunk, and I would always fit aluminium dirt bike bars to my bikes and fitted a trials tyre to the rear for the trip The farmer at the property we were shooting on said "nobody has ever brought a big black road bike out before" Anyway I ended up riding at speed for a couple of miles through thick bush surrounded by about 80 kangaroos I wasn't so much chasing them as riding amongst them with them all around me until they all jumped over a boundary fence as I skidded sideways to a stop I've always said, "it was the best thing I've ever done, better than looking at the craters on moon or having sex" When I went back to the property years later it was easy to remind the farmer who I was, I was the bloke who'd brought out the big black road bike and he remembered I'm now reliving my youth on my second 1978 SR500
The SR500 and Honda Ascot FT500 were fantastic thumpers. The Honda had a four-valve head, but it lacked a kick starter! Honda sat up higher, which is great for visibility. The SR 500 was much lower and racier. I would get another of either one, if I had the dough! xD
My first Yamaha was an XS 650 447. After a long time of cycling I finally decided myself to buy an SR 500. No need for speed anymore, but style an good vibrations. Easy livin' eh. I just got that bike and me and my friends decided to go to Le Mans in France. So I got the brillant idea to take off the original silencer and replace it with a simple steel tube... Even a police squad that I had to pass by was impressed. That decompression thing, if my bike had such one, I never used or noticed it. I kicked my XS and I kicked my SR, even barefoot. No problem, you just have to know what you're doing. Great video.
It was 1982 I was about to graduate from high school. My first vehicle was a 1979 SR500, it was beautiful, red, stock, low miles. I did not know what I had. My buddies all wanted to ride it, I would simply say, if you can start it you can ride it. Very few could could start it. I would start it with bare feet just to show them it could be done. I am 59 now and still riding more than ever.
Hi, great documentary about a beautiful motorcycle. I've always wanted one because it doesn't have an electric starter, but only a kick-starter, and the engine oil is in the frame of the motorcycle. In March of this year, I discovered an ad with a Yamaha SR 400 from 2014 for sale and 5000 km on the clock. I didn't hesitate to buy the bike, it's true that I already have three other motorcycles, but I also wanted to ride the SR 400. Thank you for the video, motorcycling is a matter of the heart, greetings from the Czech Republic.
Just wanted to say that I bought your book when it first cane out. I have 3year old twins and a 5 year old grand children. Boy & girl twins and big sister. They get three books read at bedtime and they consistently ask for Wolf and his motorbike.
I had a ‘78 SR500 for a while that I bought as a rebuilder. With a Wiseco and a Web camshaft it was a fun little bike for old backroads. I still find myself looking at low-mile 400s from time to time.
Been waiting for this one from you, so thanks Bart! I owned a new '79 SR500 for 23 years and owned a used one for another 15 years so I know a thing or two about them. Loved them both and probably did around 180 - 200,000km on them in that time. It was my right knee which finally said enough! They were enormous fun, very cheap to run, easy to rebuild top ends and totally cool to all and sundry (well I just ignored those who thought them slow and uncomfortable). I toured interstate on mine many times, sometimes doing 1000km in a day (I was a lot younger then...) and it always came back for more the next day. One major concession to modernity you didn't mention was fuel injection on the 400 but I never owned one and don't know when that kicked in... pun intended :) Oh and when I finally sold the first one which I purchased new for $1,850au I got $3,600 for it!
He actually did mention FI when he discussed the 2014 reboot. I wouldn't mind one of these, but idk about kick start. I watched a guy fight with an old Triumph kickstart for about 20 minutes. His cool factor went from 100 to 40 in that time, not to mention the toll it must have taken on his body 😆
Thank you for the video! It was very informative. The SR-series is one of my favorites. I didn't understand the factory's decision to stop the producing this bike, the old-scool-bike cathegory is increasing nowadays... The SR 125 was very succesfull in my country, these were the post's bikes. They were reliable, easy to handle, economic. They ran over 200.000 km-s mostly in they life... Wish I could have enough money for an SR (doesn' matter which of them ;) :D) (I'm a poor teacher from Hungary ;) ) Greetings from Europe, Hungary! :)
Been looking at these bikes recently - truly amazing how they've stayed so consistent over the years, truly defiant in its simplicity. Love the videos - keep up the good work!!
I bought a brand new 1978 SR 500 with cash I had scrimped together from part time work. I was a bit short on cash so topped it off with grocery money my parents had left for me and my sister when they went on holiday. We went a bit hungry for a week or two but it was worth it in the long run. Loved that bike until it came to a sudden and sad end when I ran it into Ford LTD driven by a supreme court judge. Not my best riding day... Fast forward 22 years. Was in getting my lawn mower fixed when I spotted a dust covered 1978 SR 500 identical to my old bike sitting in the back of the shop. It had been taken in trade for some garden equipment but it wouldn't start so there it sat. 6000 Km on the clock, bone stalk and in near new condition save for a gummed up carb, leaky fork seals and age-cracked tires. I suggested to my wife we should buy it, clean it up and display it as a feature in our living room. That didn't go over too well... I had given up the dream of owning it when several months later at my 40th birthday party I received a box containing my old helmet, a 10 mm wrench, a motorcycle mirror and at the very bottom of the box, an original SR 500 owner's manual. My wife had snuck back and bought the bike and had a friend smuggle to his home where it remained hidden until that happy day. It took a carb rebuild, fresh fork seals and tires along with a few other bits, a good cleaning and it fired up and ran as original. i still have the bike. Now 14000 km on the clock and still running great. Takes a few good kicks to get her going but still a joy to ride on the rural twisties in our area. Now if I could just find an old XT...
My Dad had a 500 Indian single with a compression release. He told me if I could kick it over I could ride it. I was 12 at the time, and if I forgot to use the release, I swear the snap back from the kick stater almost took my leg off. Ouch! Great article Bart!
Back in the late 40's my dad was a telegrapher for the Northern Pacific Railroad in Beach, ND...in January (think snow and COLD!). He was storing his '43 war surplus Harley in the unheated freight room. Two local kids came by and asked if they could ride his motorcycle. Da said "Sure, if you can get it going!" Half an hour later he looked out the window and there went his motorcycle through the snow with the two kids on the back!
Back in the late 40's my dad was a telegrapher for the Northern Pacific Railroad in Beach, ND...in January (think snow and COLD!). He was storing his '43 war surplus Harley in the unheated freight room. Two local kids came by and asked if they could ride his motorcycle. Da said "Sure, if you can get it going!" Half an hour later he looked out the window and there went his motorcycle through the snow with the two kids on the back!
I have two of the 1978 black SR500E model in Australia. One is fully original, but the first owner pulled off the nice 500 Single stickers off the battery covers. The other has the stickers but developed a major problem with the coil that needed to be somehow bypassed with an electronic gizmo to make it start. The gizmo worked, I rode it for years after it was fit, but I'd probably replace the coil as it's been 30 years since I started it. There must be dozens sitting on wreckers' shelves given how many XT500s were sold in Australia in those days. I rode that bike all over south eastern Australia and Tasmania, and commuted on it, for about 12y up to 1990. It probably has 30k on the clock. The other one, without the sticker, has done less than 5000km. Maybe less than 2000, I can't remember. When I retire I'm gonna pretty them both up and ride them around. I've seen some fabulous adaptations around Melbourne, the most interesting was a fully pared back version, all black, with no battery, tiny little indicators and basically tractor tyres. I took photos, will try to send you. The only bike that has since captured the SR models' retro chic and simple styling is the early version of the Ducati Scrambler 800. Ironically, also made in Thailand, apparently like the SRs now.
Though my first occasional ride was a borrowed CB550F, I put many more miles on a borrowed XT500. Belonged to my at-the-time girlfriend's brother, and I helped share gas and maintained it. Had so much fun with it and really learned to ride on it. When it came time to buy my first, I was a couple days away from buying a shiny new 1980 XR500. Then a co-worker said he wanted a new RX-7 and offered me his near new 78 RD400 for a price I couldnt refuse. I had a riding buddy that rode an SR and we would swap bikes on rides...I felt I had made the right decision, but I only had the RD for a year before figuring out what I needed-wanted was a four cylinder 4 stroke and bought a GPz550.
I’m living most of the year in Japan. My SR 400 was a great bike. A pleasure to ride, and was very reliable. The kick start was a breeze, I miss it. But I needed something bigger, so I got Kawasaki W 650, which is a Bonneville clone. It has electric and kick start. I Love it, I wish I had room for 2 bikes, I’d get another SR 400.
Love the SR250. Mine’s 43 years old. 🤣First bike for a lot of ppl here in Oz, and a popular chop-up. Can still get them for low $s, and parts easy available. Bit different to the 500 inside even tho it looks similar.
My old man had one and rode it daily to work for years and years, he was in love with the single cylinders. Later in life he bought a Suzuki Savage Single that was brand new in a crate and he put 11ks on it . He died and I have it now black and tricky to ride with such a long stroke .. but he always totally loved the SR500..
I briefly had a ‘78 SR500 back in the day and loved it. In ‘93 I saw an identical one for sale, bought it, then it sat for about 25 years, then I did a total frame up restoration. When I finished I realized my worn out knees can’t kick start it anymore. I still have it. Starting on hills is my savior. 😄
I didn't realize it at the time, but I wore out a certain angle of my right knee trying to start my BSA Victor for 3 years back in the early '70's. Got the '78 SR500 about 25 years ago and the starting motion was painful. I was going to sell it, but a friend told me that he started his with his left leg. So, I now start it standing on my right leg facing backwards and kicking it with my left. Works great; I rode it today.
Yes, the Japanese highly value the ability to kick start the SRs. A co-worker of mine was in the Yamaha US testing department in 1975 and was sent to Japan to participate in the final tests of the XT500 before its debut. He told the story about the Japanese test riders having problems starting the bikes. He bet them he could start it by hand and did so in front of them without touching the throttle grip. He didn’t buy Sake that night. A great side benefit of Yamaha bringing the SR400 in for a final run was that many of the original SR500 parts were once again available in the YMUS parts system. So now you can still get items like fenders, engine covers, gaskets etc. that had been unavailable for decades here in the States.
@@guylr7390 - I have started my 1981 SR-500 many times with tennis shoes on. The trick is to release about 1/3 or the compression stroke and then let the kick starter back up to the top and shove it thru to the bottom. Don't ever crack the throttle on the carburetor model when kick starting, you can blip the old carb pump a time or two when cold to pump in some fuel but leave the throttle at idle while kick starting.
@@WJV9 Exactly. The guys that jump down on the kick lever and open the throttle grip at the same time always have trouble. My buddy would tell them to take their hand off the throttle and instead grab the handlebar while they kicked. Once you know the drill it’s not hard. The carbs with the hot start button worked well too.
Like many of your commentators, I had an SR500. Mine had been modified to resemble a vintage Velocette, with a gorgeous aluminum tank, Akront rims and painted fiberglass fenders, plus an almost-open megaphone exhaust. I added a solo seat from Corbin. I got compliments literally everywhere I rode it...BUT it was strictly a short-haul machine. I grew up with big singles, but I was over 40 when I got the SR, and my tolerance for vibration had been lost to many years of BMW twins and Guzzis. Still, I enjoyed the bike and had no problem finding it a good home when I moved on. The memories may actually be better than the SR was...but on a tight, winding road (and with seriously upgraded tires), I could stay up with a LOT of bigger, faster machines. When the SRX650 came out, I was curious...but I was getting a little old to be kicking big singles over. I did ride one, and it was worlds better than the SR, but still not tempting. When Honda introduced the GB500, I was more intrigued but just could not justify another limited-use bike to lurk in the corner of my garage. So I bought a Rickman Trident...but I DO still have it!
5:56 RE Bullet (old engine) had a valve lifter/decompresion lever right up until the end of production in 2008-ish. Interestingly, the decomp valve is a screw-in unit with the same thread as a sparking plug, so it sometimes gets used for a twin-spark conversion. Longer reach plug needed though.
Cool, a twin spark could add some ponies. I assume the conversion would need the points/ignition modified or replaced, though? But the carb can probably be tuned for a bigger bang.
I had an XS 650 back in the day (1972, I think) and it had a compression release as well. I remember having to explain that to many people. It worked great, and I was glad I had it.
I had a 1984 SR500, which I bought off my Dad when he switched to a BMW GS in 2001. It was full stock, and it always started on the first kick. Didn't need the looking glass because you could feel the deco give a little when you reach TDC. Sold it 12 yrs later because I couldn't afford a Garage in the large city I moved to and I hated to see it rot curbside. The new owner said he wanted to give her a new life as a Café racer. He showed me some of his earlier projects, so I know she is in good hands.
I had more fun on an SR500 than on any of my many other bikes. It's a great all rounder and will happily handle most tasks that you throw at it, be it on or off road. Nippy; nimble; great looks and sound, it still ticks a lot of boxes even now.
This is a song of singles. When I came back home to Sydney (Aust) in 1982, after my years as a sailor, I bought a 1980 SR500 because I had grown up on old British pushrod 500 singles. It was easier to kick start, went better & quicker, although I missed the slow old "thumper" heavy flywheel torque. After its first 500 km it blew up its top end because of an oil feed problem, but the 2nd-hand dealer rebuilt it as it had 1000 km warranty. After that it went well for a few years. Sadly I swapped it for a 1982 Honda FT500 "flat track" style road single, which didn't go as well, leaked oil, had no kick starter but would quickly flatten its battery if the electric motor didin't start the engine promptly. Next I got an Indian Enfield Bullet 500 of the old British pattern, has started first kick for 24 years and is very sweet cruising sedately on a winding bush road at 50 mph / 80 km/h. So I added a BMW F650 which can do freeway speeds with my wife on board - powered smoothly by the big Aprilia single with one piston, two cams, two carbies, four valves and a balance shaft. It feels & sounds more like a sewing machine than a big single but it's probably the best of all of them. But I'd go back to an SR500 in a moment, if a good one came by.
I bought a new, black, SR500 from a Yamaha dealer in New York. In short order vibration cracked the frame. As the frame held the engine oil, now it would not hold oil. The vibration fatigued the license plate off. The bolts were tight; under the bolt heads were the remnants of the license plate. The vibration fatigued the wires off the tail light. Ultimately it ate a valve. Yamaha would not honor any of these problems under warranty. All of this happened within the first year of ownership. Not so keen on Yamaha since then. Aside from the litany of vibration related problems, sometimes the bike could not be made to start. I rebuilt the engine with Woods Brothers parts and welded the frame before I selling the bike. Before this I owned a used XS500. This was a 4 valve DOHC twin with a balance shaft. This was a great bike, powerful and smooth.
I have had this my second 1978 SR500 for about nine years I've done more than 80,000 kilometres on it and I did about 50,000 kilometres on the first one I had back in the day I've never found excessive vibration to be a problem I know a fella who bought a new Harley and it's numberplate (licence plate) cracked up like you've described on the twenty kilometre ride home
I had a Yammie 500 TT back in '79. Boy was that decompression level a jewel. I still managed to often give my right ankle fits with it!!!. But what a bike! The lights/magneto were so crap that I ran the tail light on a D-cell Eveready battery to give more oomph to the very weak headlight! - and so save a bit on the infringement fines and near misses. Ah the joy of dumb and invincible youth!!! Also, I had a Pirelli Demon (I think) on the rear for more comfortable and safe road travel, and a big yellow plastic petrol tank which lost the lovely shape of the stock tank but gave heaps of extra road miles between gas-ups. What a joyful bike it was!!!
I am old-73-I had 6 SR500's at one time in -bought my first one-new-a 1980-maroon one-in 1980.Loved it-was crazy-literally crazy-about them I was-am-small-5'5" usually 155-170lbs.I could start any SR500(with a clean carb) one perhaps 2 kicks. 1)The trick-if the carb passages-jets-are clean-forget starting it if it sat for a long time-the start circuit will plug-unstartable 2) PUT IT ON THE CENTERSTAND TO START IT.Yes it looks sissy to not be able to start it by just standing over it-like a 2 stroke bike BUT THIS IS A BIG 9/1 COMPRESSION 4 stroke SINGLE-centerstand it-put weight into it-push like a leg press-not a kick-rise up-put weight into it-use compression release-and use START LEVER if cold(not a real choke but works like a choke-it is a separate enriching circuit) carb has 3 fuel circuits-start-idle-main
This is a brilliant piece of motorcycle journalism. Thank you, Bart! I have a 1993 SR 500 with drumbrakes front and rear. It's my third SR. Wish I never sold the other two ones. You cannot have too many SR's.
We old farts all seem to have that "Wish I still have..." moments. Mine is the Honda Super Hawk 305, immortalized by Robert M. Pirsig in his inspirational book.
Back in 1984 I bought a Auction repoed SR500 that the pervious owner had taken a ball peen hammer to. It was in sad shape and little did I realize he has put some kind of grit in the oil. Within a month the piston slap was so bad it sounded like a diesel engine. I eventually pulled the motor down and rebuilt it and it ran beautifully. The only problem I had was it was hard starting especially because it had a 1mm oversize piston that fitted in the bore. Looking back on it that would have been normal but I thought that I had the cam timing out by a tooth so hurriedly One Friday evening after work I pulled the engine loose so that I could manipulate the motor over to the side to pull the tappet cover to check the valve timing. I Loosened the bolt that holds the cam gear on the cam shaft and set the timing correctly. I wasn't sure if it was out by a tooth because I didn't check properly I just reset the cam timing and reassembled the bike but in my haste I forgot to torque the cam gear bolt. The next day I was heading to a town up the coast and at about 150kms from home the cam gear let go which at 120kms/ hour destroyed the engine. What a waste and disappointment, A perfect example of too much haste and no progress. All that money rebuilding the motor and it lasted about 350km due to my mistake. Even the jug was cracked
I owned a XT500C then a TT500G and a XT600 Tenere and the very first KLR650 in Australia. The one model I have always lusted over is a SR500. One day I hope to find a barn find or one that an old man has stopped riding. I live with hope.
I was transfixed by the ads (like the one at the 3min mark here) for the then new to the USA SR500. I was an instant thumper enthusiast. Even though it is long gone, I could still start it without having to look at the helpful sight glass showing TDC. Alas, nirvana slipped away when the stator failed and the part and labor were, at that moment, more than half the resale value of the Yamaha. I sold it and moved on to Harley's new thing, the 1986 Evo 883 Sportster, kept for 6 years and sold for more than purchased cost, and got an Electra-Glide, a most wonderful big bike. But watching this nice video brings back many, many great memories. Thanks.
In my fleet of bikes there are among other bikes one 1978 and one 1981 SR500. The 1981 was my first bike and I have ridden it quite a lot. The SR certainly may not be the ideal bike for very long distances and / or very straight highways, but on curvy secondary roads it´s an absolute joy to ride. Out of all bikes I have ever ridden the SR remains my favorite. I have test ridden an SR400, and although it is exactly the same bike, only with the crank pin lower positioned in the crank, and specified at 30 instead of 33 HP, the perceived difference is HUGE, when you are used to the 500 with its longer stroke you get the impression that all torque is gone. That´s not to say there is anything wrong with the 400, but personally I very strongly prefer the 500.
New Zealand 1987 , I rode and loved a 1952 ES2 500cc Norton . A workmate grabbed a new 500cc Yamaha SR500 . We did many miles together for a few years , his SR never missed a beat as did my Norton , pull up to a Pub and people would come out to see what the noise was all about ,, yes a cool motorcycle . Thanks Bart for this trip down memory lane . ps. My Norton was stolen during these years ! . Scum !
I have a 2016 that I bought for cheap with 2 miles on it (because of the Kickstarter). I love it! I put a pipe and a tuner on it and it is the most fun bike of my 12. Nobody looks twice at my kitted out triumph tiger but the SR makes it impossible to go anywhere without random strangers talking my ear off. I live near Astoria on hwy 202, a beautiful twisty two lane road to the PDX area. If you want to ride mine for a follow up video, I'm offering:)
Bought a new non-current model year in 1981. It was a 1978 SR500. I went to the bank and ordered a $1000 bill to pay for it. That was the total cost for the bike. Rode it for several years. I do remember how hard it was to start. It had a little sight window on the cam head so you know where top dead center was. In the dark it was invisible to see. Catch it wrong and it would brake your foot. I had a constant black and blue mark on my instep. It was a0 good looking bike. Had a shoei FM2 fairing on it.😊
I have never looked at that sight window. I have owned a SR 500 for over 35 years. Here is my starting routine: Kick the motor over until you feel the compression build, then pull in the Decompression Lever and kick thru about 1/4 of rotation of the kick starter. Then release the Decompression lever and let the kick starter lever back to the top, then jump down on the kick starter with all you've got to the bottom of the stroke. Repeat as needed. I have started my 1968 Ducati 350 and 450 singles this way as well as British singles such as BSA Victor and B50's and Goldstars. No big deal, just release part of the compression air and leave enough for the spark plug to fire.
Bought my XT500 in 81 then in 89 I turned it into a cafe racer using RD400 tank,forks and wheels and added a 600 cc bore and stroke kit with 38mm Lectron carb and Ivan Tighe c grind cam then in 2010 I switched it back to a HL500 configuration with a modded frame YZ125c tank,Rm 400 swingarm foxys on the back and a set of WP extreme 50mm conventionals up front off a KTM 360 and disc brakes all round it's a great old bike
Modding for the sheer hell of it is what I like most about my 500 singles. Somehow they just make more elegant specials than any of my larger capacity bike mods have. Sometimes less is more.
I had a SR500 in Germany, here it was a very successful model. I always played with the idea of converting it to something we would now call (again?) a cafe-racer (big tank + low handle bar) or buy a SRX600 instead. The real problem in Germany where the noise restrictions and motorcycle classes for beginners.
I like how Yamaha basically just takes an engine platform and tries to put it in literally everything, similar to Honda’s 125cc platform. They did the same thing with the QT50, with the MJ50, PW50 dirt bike, YT60, and YF60.
I live in northern Thailand. If the SR400 wasn't so ridiculously expensive, I would buy one. When I was a lad back in the '80s, I had a 1981 XT500E. I had it for six years and rode from England to Portugal and back three times and Greece once. Superb video. Good luck with the book. I am a writer, too. I have subscribed. Nick
I have owned 5 in total, used one in Australia did 16000 km in 2,5 months on it. Great memories. But you stated that the SR in its prototype did not have a valve decompression lever (5:36), but the first XT500 did have that all ready. Sins the SR500 engine is basically the same i cant believe they wanted to leave this out on the SR.
So being an old guy is so fun, because U Youngsters need to learn a few things 1 Being the cam window On the right side on top Of cam case , so U push The kicker entil the notch comes in the window let kicker up And kick it through and Your TT,XT,SR, WILL START FIRST KICK EVERY TIME . THANKS FROM NOR-CAL.
Great video, thank you. I have an SR400 from 2015. Once you know how to start its a breeze, until you stall at traffic lights. Left it unused for 18 months and after changing the fuel started on second kick. Not many of them here in New Zealand but currently thinking of exporting it to the UK when i go back later this year. Had plans for customising, various KEDO bits purchased and some from Webike in Japan. But still in concourse condition. A great town bike with the occasional run out through country lanes. Long live the SR.
Loved the looks and low speed torque of this bike, but three changes would make it absolutely perfect, it’s highly restrictive exhaust chokes it down , no 2 it needs another gallon in the fuel tank capacity sept. 3. It’s a very viby motorcycle and you can feel it in the seat and bars, adding a balance shaft to the engine would make it perfect.
I was stationed a Clark in the Philippines in 79/80. We were buying bikes and riding all over the place. The Yamaha SR and XT were both very popular bikes because we could afford them and they handled the conditions well. And flying down to Subic was doable. Me, I bought a MT250 Elsinore for a good price. But I always liked those thumpers.
Rode a 78 sr 500 when new. The mag wheels were most heavy. A set of alloy wheels and a steeper head angle as it took half the street to make a U-TURN. The ergos were good. Could have a little superish bike.
My brother bought one new in 1978 and I rode it a good bit for about a year after he went in the Air Force in 79. It was a pain to start after riding it for over an hour or so your skin tingled for about 20 minutes after you got off it from the vibration. But the torque and exhaust note made it really fun to ride and it was built like a tank. I lost interest in motorcycles shortly afterwards preferring old cars. When this video popped up on UA-cam it brought back fond memories. I’m surprised it stayed in production so long as it did…everyone I rode with ribbed me for riding something so primitive back in 1979-80. But it was a good looking solid bike and I really enjoyed the time spent with it. Glad to hear it had such a long run.
Another very interesting and entertaining video. I really think most motorcycle manufacturers are missing the boat by not offering at least a model or two of smaller displacement bikes.
I owned a black and red SR500 (wire wheels) for years in the UK and always regretted selling it. It went round Europe, over the Alps, over to Corsica and back, incredibly reliable and great mpg. I thought the decompression was easy to use and total genius. A great bike
Thank you. The SR is a wonderful bike that no one seems to know of. I loved the oil window on the SR. Now i need one. Ive been watching your videos and was confused why you never mentioned this timeless bike.
I purchased an SR 500 in 1988. It had rubber mounted Engine, Foot-pegs AND Handlebars! Toured it all over the place. Hotted it up with a cam, 38mm Mikuni carb and Wiseco hi comp piston. Add some clip-ons and it was a Cafe Racer in the 90's. Club raced it (with very limited success). Swapped it onto a Honda VT250 Spada chassis and sold it. Since then I have owned an SZR660 (rare) XT660X and now have a Suzuki XF650 Freewind (even rarer). I have owned several Ducati twins, but the single cylinder XF is staying for life. Something about those THUMPERS!
never ridden one but want to. had an opportunity to buy an XS400 recently but that fell through. Instead i got a little 81 honda cm200t for for about $1100 with only 5k miles on it. interestingly the battery was drained from sitting too long when i went to check it out but the person showing it to me got it started with the kickstart.
No matter about the kickstart being the only way to start the bike, I hate the fact that an electric motor and battery are the only way to start my bike. I also hate it that modern bikes no longer get a centre stand because the CAT converter gets in the way
Bought one new (SR500) in the mid 80s and wrote it for a number of years. By accident, I discovered a trick that got mine, starting on the first kick every time. I would ticket with the choke off, and then, just as it started to pop from the kick, I would quickly put the choke full on, and that would get it starting every time. Don’t know if mine was unique in that regard. Love your videos. Keep up the good work.
Bought an SR500 in 1978 and rode it for 25 years. Sometimes it would sit for months, then start on the second kick. I regretted selling it until the SR400 appeared. I bought one in 2014 and still ride it today. I am 80 now, and it still seems like the perfect bike for me.
@1ichty• You young man..... have class!
The SR500 was the perfect single road bike - my 2 favourite bikes of the late 70's were the SR500 and the Honda 400/4.
I'm 63 now and I have acquired a Yamaha RD 125 (my first motorcycle in 1977) to renovate.
I ride my Suzuki 600 Bandit when I get chance - in near new condition for 25yrs old and only has 12,000 miles on it - once a biker, always a biker!
I got the bug from my dad as he was a biker - and I must say that riding a motorcycle from an early age (if you survive!) makes you a better driver, as you anticipate potential issues that may arise.
nice to know that you are still having fun in your 80's..much respect to you pops take care
Kick-start only at the age of 80 - respect!
@@AntonyBall-hm4jo Right! If you survive. I've been riding since I was 15, now 68, and still riding.
❤ awesome 👍
Fun fact, Planet SR388 in Metroid II was named after the the SR400. Hiroji Kiyotake, one of the game's designers owned one and it's a jab at the fact that it's really 388cc's 😂
Almost. They're 399cc. Its stamped on the side of the block. As slow as this bike is i like it a lot and get a ton of compliments. Ill never get rid of it.
@@Imarida2 Everybody hung up on speed with a form of transportation that you don't have any business taking more than 60m/h off-track anyhow....
Damn.... getting old..... I have an SR 500. Two Sportsters. 500 Enfield. Honda 125. Had all the Yamahas..... RD250/350.
650XS. All so much fun.! Thank you world for letting me play.! Coming up to 70 now. Still riding one of my Sportsters. Ride hard, rest when you are dead.
Most fun I ever had might have been on a 1970 Yamaha 125 ‘enduro’. All grown up at 13 just wanting to know where all those streets went to.
I’ll be 77 next month. Currently have only 5 bikes. Starting to wonder what I’ll be riding in the afterlife, it can’t really be heaven if there aren’t any motorcycles!
My daughters first bike is a SR400 2015 with fuel injection which makes it easier to kick start on cold mornings. She rides it to university with a single side bag. At motorbikes meets she has the only kick start bike. With no ABS Im glad that she is getting to experience riding old school before its lost forever.
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1q😊@@prestonmoreau9295
I've owned an SR400 since 2018. It is a 2015 model and I got it with 697 miles on for 4,000 dollars. I still love this bike. Once you get the hang of starting it, there's no problem. In fact people watch me starting it like its from 100 years ago. I love how it looks like it's from the 70s but is new, has electronic ignition and fuel injection. A truly great bike.
I have a 1978 SR500
They're easy to start once you understand the trick to it
This is my second 78 500 I had one back in the early to mid 1980s, I've done about 80,000 kilometres on this one in nine years and it had about 63,000 kilometres on it when I got it
It has an oversized Wiseco 10 to 1 piston and a simpler VM36 Mikuni carburettor it will usually start first kick hot or cold
Very nice video! I have the SR400 ,2015 model. Got it in 2018 with 800 miles on it, now 10,000 miles. Plenty of fun on weekend coastal roads, and canyon twisties in San Diego. Love the bike
I have a 1978 SR500 and ride it, however other bikes get the most miles. It is a mostly original survivor in good condition and it too starts easily IF you know the drill. Cold start, Do not touch the throttle, set choke, prime carb with petcock, use compression release to set engine past top dead center with aid of white mark in sight glass. Kick all way through. It usually starts on first or second kick. Hot start, no choke, do not touch throttle, use fast idle button to set carb, use compression release to set piston with white mark in sight glass, kick all way through. usually one kick. The accelerator pump in the carb will flood the bike if you twist throttle, so thats why do not use throttle. Bike is narrow, light and nimble. If you get familiar with bike the compression release is not necessary as you can feel the piston when it is the in correct place but you do need practice and the compression release is a nice feature.
Couple years ago got an SR 500 from 1981,that had been parked for 29 years. Started first kick after adjusting valves. This was a dream come true since I was 15. 60 now. I just love this bike. It is perfect for curvy,narrow roads around the fjords and mountains here in Norway. Have other,bigger and stronger bikes. But the SR 500 is the one I would keep to the end. By the way-they didn't stop production in 2021. The manufacturing line was moved to Thailand,and they still make the 400 there,after my understanding.
Then you might like the BMW F650CS (City Scarver) too. Same kind of bike, the handling is extremely easy.
As I understand it the 2024 SR400 is only sold in Thailand and 2024 is supposed to be the the last year.
I was surprised to see a SR400 at the Yamaha dealer in Thailand. But upon closer inspection I noticed the ugly sensor on the header, which could have been less conspicuous, but then I saw the black emission box on the side. I'm fine with a drum brake in the rear, disc brakes collect a lot of dirt and have to be rebuilt, but only kickstart was a disappointment. Then the price tag - way too high! This bike has definitely paid for its development, if Yamaha would've been smart they would've offered a better price. Haven't seen a "new" on the streets here but quite a few old ones, rebuilt. - I had three XS 650, later models had kick AND electric start - that's the best! Use E-start when the bike is cold and kick start when someone is looking. :)
The children's book idea is awesome, the love for motorbikes start young. Some of my earliest memories are standing in the garage staring in awe at my dad's honda.
The SR500 was the best selling motorcycle for several years in succession in Germany in the late 70s and early 80s. And it was restricted to 26 hp / 27PS, which one would imagine to be detrimental to sales in the land of no speed limit highways, but the Germans loved the simple single.
If kickers are still available, I want one! And I'm 75 years young. I've owned Harleys, Triumphs, and now Beemers, and they were kick starters, and I absolutely loved them! Dang! Here in West Virginia.
Greetings from sunny, tropical Thailand. I’m septuagenarian KAWASAKI Vulcan 650 rider. I needed a cruiser and the “KAWA” 650 Vulcan, pegs forward cruiser was the only one available. There was also the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 manufacture in Indian (Chennai). So I chose the KAWASAKI built in Thailand. 🇹🇭 No regrets! This bike has almost made me a hooligan. Traffic lights - always off like a rocket. Or “Bat out of Hell”
Johannes K. Lindgren, born in Suomi-Finland. Long time resident here in South East Asia.
I've been riding a 2015 SR 400 for 4 years and have loved every minute of it! I'm 70 and have been riding motorcycles since I bought a Kawasaki 500 in 1972 but the SR is my favorite of all the bikes I've had over the years. I have no reason to even consider changing bikes at this point in time. It's great for twisty roads in the country but highways, not so much.
The killer of the SR relaunch really was the msrp. The development costs had been paid off decades prior but they really thought they would sell like hotcakes to wealthy hipsters who were all attempting to convert UJM’s into cafe’s at the time. To put it in perspective the msrp of an fz07 was only about ~$500 more than the SR. The good thing for guys restoring vintage SR’s was you could now go buy new cheap OEM parts that had been obsolete for years, which I also heard pissed off ebay scalpers lol.
The eBay scalpers you see listing the same part as everyone else for 4x the price are the worst, especially if they end up being your only option.
I'll often see them list currently available OEM parts with bike info in the listing title and the price marked way up to take advantage of people who don't know to find/search a part number directly
@@Onewheelordeal yep seen that a number of times. The microfiche is your best friend, it’s amazing what’s still available new from the Japanese manufacturers, thanks in part to how much parts bin engineering they do lol. We just had this discussion on Honda Horders about a part that’s still available from Honda for $27.50 and some eBay scalper wants $80.
@@geeksgamesandgears2369
I've got a 1978 SR500 and I can get just about anything I want from a local Yamaha place and I'm surprised by how economic the parts can be
Sometimes I might have to wait for things to come over from Japan
The only things I can't get from Yamaha for the 78 are the rear disc brake parts, they only had the rear disc on the 78/79 models, the disc pads are common but master cylinder parts and other pieces are no longer available from Yamaha
I agree when they brought the SR back my first thought was no way is it going to sell at that price.
@@stuglenn1112o
I was looking for a 1970s motorcycle a few years back. I wanted something old school like the bikes I grew up on. I just scoured the internet and couldn’t find anything that was In really good condition. Then one morning I saw a beautiful example of a one owner low mileage 1979 SR 500. I had never heard of this bike before. I was in love immediately.
I jumped on the ad and was the first to call. I now have the motorcycle inside my house 😊
I have owned and raced in vintage AHRMA over a dozen SR500's and this video got me in the feels. May be time to build another.....
I the spring of 1979 I bought a one year old SR500 (with 450 miles on the odometer!). In the summer I drove it from the south of Sweden (Halmstad) to the very north (Haparanda). My girlfriend travelled by train and after we met we drove to the North Cape (okej, I drove with her on the pillion). Then along the beatiful Norwegian coast to the southwest and after a week in Lofoten she went by train back home. I drove back home through Norway with a couple of stops for walking in the mouintains. Altogether it made up to ca 4000 miles in six weeks. The SR500 was beatiful to drive on the at that time quite small and twisty roads in Finland and Norway, although it wasn't the optimal bike for touring with a pillion and a lot of luggage of course. The next year (1980) we did three weeks of touring in Scotland with it. We expected our first child the next year and with a bit of panic of becoming a father I sold it. Still regret it! I now own a Moto Guzzi V7, also a classic but the SR500 has a big place in my heart.
I used to have a 78 sr500. My friend gave it to me. It wasn’t running and had vines growing through it. I got it home, cleaned it up and fell in love. Something about the way that bike handled was just so much fun! I hope to someday get another one.
I own a 1981 SR500 that I bought back in 1988. It has been the most reliable cycle that I have owned and one of the best handling bikes as well. That's saying something since I have raced TT Scrambles, Motocross and Enduros. If Yamaha would put an electric starter on the bike they would not be able to keep up with the demand for the bike. It will cruise at 70 mph all day and also blaze up dirt/gravel fire roads, it would be the ultimate low cost adventure bike. I guess a bike designed by Kenny Roberts as his personal 'play bike' would be able to everything well.
I'm 71, I have an SR400. Hey, it's easy to start and fun as hell.😊
I bought a 1992 SR 500 this year, and I LOVE IT. It was a dream motorbike for me back in 1978, when it was launched, and I finally bought it. Drum brakes front and rear, spoke wheels and the “correct” seat. The most beautiful bike ever made.
Drum brakes on the front? I have a 1981 SR 500 with disk front brake, that was standard. If you have a drum brake on the front you must have a DT 500 or trail bike version.
@@WJV9I know what bikes I own.
P@@WJV9
my 2015 sr-400 was a gem then i had the stroke.....i had to sell it...but know i am looking again thank God.perfect video you did for all of us and i thank you!
Hope you are doing well and got one if you decided to ride again.
Have you considered the NC750X DCT?
I owned an SR500 from 1978 through 1982. I lament EVER selling it! It was a joy to ride, an honest motorcycle, and like a Mazda Miata, it wasn't fast but it did everything well - just slower. Many motorcycles have passed through my ownership since that SR, and none had the visceral attraction that it did - until I bought my Royal Enfield Hunter 350 last spring. It reminds me so much of my long gone SR, even so, it doesn't really replace it. How can one replace an icon? You can't.
In Europe it sold well too. The SR 250 was a great bike too.
I picked up an ‘81 SR 500 in ‘98 at a motorcycle scrap yard for $200. After some freshening, it cranked on the 2nd kick. I corrected some issues with the ‘Minton mods’ added good tires and suspension and it continues to be my Sunday Ride. As a rider since 1972, it still gives me the thrill of ‘real’ motorcycling without all the extra stuff we thought we had to have. This bike brings the thrill of riding back to the first time I ever got on one. There is no equal, in my opinion, for the roads around me in rural western North Carolina. I’m content with this bike until I hang up my helmet for the last time.
May your roads be long and twisty, sir. I hope you leave it to a worthy heir.
I bought a remake 2017 SR400 fory first ever bike. It has been nothing but flawless from day 1.
I've owned multiple other bikes in addition to this but the SR is always to one I go back to for pure motorcycling enjoyment.
I love it and don't think I'll ever get rid of it.
I rode my XT500 all over southern Africa in the 80s, glorious days :) Still dreaming of finding an SR 400 one day such beautiful simplicity
Got my 1980 XT500 back on the road recently. Loving it.
I'm behind you in age by five years and being an old Brit single rider I would love an SR 400. Knowing you are still riding one of these beautys inspires me! Greetings from Eastern Kentucky!
I'm on my third blue/silver '78. The UK '78 SR's were wired wheeled disk front, drum rear, and only that year had wire wheels and a rear drum. The early models also had a bigger 34 mm carb. My current one has a lightly warmed engine with a forged piston, BSA gold star DB34 'silencer' and K&N filtration so a little bit revvier and quite a bit more wheelie prone off the line!
Maintaining the carb after 46 years is a pain as they added an extra vacuum operated diaphragm to disable the accelerator pump when the engine was stopped to prevent idle hands from tweaking the throttle and flooding the engine! Like all these things, modern fuels eat the material and they need to be changed occasionally. If they fail, the bike runs rich and as the engine warms up, it gets worse and worse until it won't run...
There are a number of techniques to get a one kick start every time, and watching people struggle when you can light the fires with a single kick is a guilty pleasure!
One feature the late '70's Yamahas had was self cancelling indicators. often disabled by owners, but I love this feature on the SR and managed to get the correct under seat relay box to get it working again. it uses a speed/time system with the under-seat timer in conjunction with an 'in headlamp' speedometer sensor of some description.
I also have Boge Nivomat (ex BMW) self levelling air springs on the back which are great at managing poor road surfaces at higher speeds as well as coping with passengers. There's also an LED H4 in the 8" Stanley headlight to turn night into day.
It turns heads and hearts, looks like a proper bike, sounds like a proper bike, costs nothing to run, and is properly made with decent materials... All the bike I'll ever need!
I have an Australian released 1978 2J2 cast wheels discs front and rear, had it about nine years had one exactly the same in the early to mid eighties
Bought a 400 from 1982, some three years ago. My first motorcycle, although having had a license for decades. It’s a sweet little bike, especially on tiny winding roads, and singles are theoretically just grown up mopeds, and therefore easy to maintain. I’m not letting go of mine, as my 13 year old daughter has already a keen interest in it.
L
Best SR. This is The Yamaha SRX600 . The Perfect Motorcycle .
Here in the UK had 3 XT 500s and a US SR500 imported from San Diego with only 200 miles on the clock.Loved all of them ,a great ride ,simple to maintain and always timelessly cool looking , now all highly desirable over here.
The 78 SR500 I purchased in about 1990 for $50 was one of my best purchases. The 2 previous owners could not get it running.
After checking the spotless carb, clean tank and new spark plug, I replaced the resistor cap and took it for a ride around the block.
Later, I added a 38mm Mikuni, a Megacycle X8 Cam and a Stainless Supertrapp.
I bet the lucky schmuck I sold it to is still riding around on the rear wheel and wearing out footpeg rubbers.
The 400 is nothing near as much fun as the 500 and kick starting is something that is very simple to learn.
Bought a 500 right out of high school and loved it, kicked myself for years after I sold it, best memory is late one night going home stopped a small country convenance store. as I was getting off the bike an older man, I guess to be in his seventies or early eighties comes out and looks at me and the bike still sitting there idling, while starring at the bike with a thick British accent says son it's been a hell of long time since I have seen a thumper. then the head nod of approval as he walked by
I had a 78 SR500 in the early to mid 1980s, one time I took it out pig shooting in western New South Wales
I'd already eliminated it's turn indicators by smashing them off drunk, and I would always fit aluminium dirt bike bars to my bikes and fitted a trials tyre to the rear for the trip
The farmer at the property we were shooting on said "nobody has ever brought a big black road bike out before"
Anyway I ended up riding at speed for a couple of miles through thick bush surrounded by about 80 kangaroos
I wasn't so much chasing them as riding amongst them with them all around me until they all jumped over a boundary fence as I skidded sideways to a stop
I've always said, "it was the best thing I've ever done, better than looking at the craters on moon or having sex"
When I went back to the property years later it was easy to remind the farmer who I was, I was the bloke who'd brought out the big black road bike and he remembered
I'm now reliving my youth on my second 1978 SR500
Great & true video.
I’ve had my 79 SR500 since 2001. It’s been bloody brilliant.
I still have my little SR185 1984 model. Still in the same vein as the bigger bikes. It’s having a restoration now to keep it alive.
The SR500 and Honda Ascot FT500 were fantastic thumpers. The Honda had a four-valve head, but it lacked a kick starter! Honda sat up higher, which is great for visibility. The SR 500 was much lower and racier. I would get another of either one, if I had the dough! xD
My first Yamaha was an XS 650 447. After a long time of cycling I finally decided myself to buy an SR 500. No need for speed anymore, but style an good vibrations. Easy livin' eh. I just got that bike and me and my friends decided to go to Le Mans in France. So I got the brillant idea to take off the original silencer and replace it with a simple steel tube... Even a police squad that I had to pass by was impressed. That decompression thing, if my bike had such one, I never used or noticed it. I kicked my XS and I kicked my SR, even barefoot. No problem, you just have to know what you're doing. Great video.
It was 1982 I was about to graduate from high school. My first vehicle was a 1979 SR500, it was beautiful, red, stock, low miles. I did not know what I had. My buddies all wanted to ride it, I would simply say, if you can start it you can ride it. Very few could could start it. I would start it with bare feet just to show them it could be done. I am 59 now and still riding more than ever.
Hi, great documentary about a beautiful motorcycle. I've always wanted one because it doesn't have an electric starter, but only a kick-starter, and the engine oil is in the frame of the motorcycle. In March of this year, I discovered an ad with a Yamaha SR 400 from 2014 for sale and 5000 km on the clock. I didn't hesitate to buy the bike, it's true that I already have three other motorcycles, but I also wanted to ride the SR 400. Thank you for the video, motorcycling is a matter of the heart, greetings from the Czech Republic.
Just wanted to say that I bought your book when it first cane out. I have 3year old twins and a 5 year old grand children. Boy & girl twins and big sister. They get three books read at bedtime and they consistently ask for Wolf and his motorbike.
I had a ‘78 SR500 for a while that I bought as a rebuilder. With a Wiseco and a Web camshaft it was a fun little bike for old backroads.
I still find myself looking at low-mile 400s from time to time.
Been waiting for this one from you, so thanks Bart! I owned a new '79 SR500 for 23 years and owned a used one for another 15 years so I know a thing or two about them. Loved them both and probably did around 180 - 200,000km on them in that time. It was my right knee which finally said enough! They were enormous fun, very cheap to run, easy to rebuild top ends and totally cool to all and sundry (well I just ignored those who thought them slow and uncomfortable). I toured interstate on mine many times, sometimes doing 1000km in a day (I was a lot younger then...) and it always came back for more the next day. One major concession to modernity you didn't mention was fuel injection on the 400 but I never owned one and don't know when that kicked in... pun intended :) Oh and when I finally sold the first one which I purchased new for $1,850au I got $3,600 for it!
He actually did mention FI when he discussed the 2014 reboot.
I wouldn't mind one of these, but idk about kick start. I watched a guy fight with an old Triumph kickstart for about 20 minutes. His cool factor went from 100 to 40 in that time, not to mention the toll it must have taken on his body 😆
😊😊Ll0@@charlienyc1
Thank you for the video! It was very informative. The SR-series is one of my favorites. I didn't understand the factory's decision to stop the producing this bike, the old-scool-bike cathegory is increasing nowadays...
The SR 125 was very succesfull in my country, these were the post's bikes. They were reliable, easy to handle, economic. They ran over 200.000 km-s mostly in they life...
Wish I could have enough money for an SR (doesn' matter which of them ;) :D) (I'm a poor teacher from Hungary ;) )
Greetings from Europe, Hungary! :)
Been looking at these bikes recently - truly amazing how they've stayed so consistent over the years, truly defiant in its simplicity. Love the videos - keep up the good work!!
I bought a brand new 1978 SR 500 with cash I had scrimped together from part time work. I was a bit short on cash so topped it off with grocery money my parents had left for me and my sister when they went on holiday. We went a bit hungry for a week or two but it was worth it in the long run. Loved that bike until it came to a sudden and sad end when I ran it into Ford LTD driven by a supreme court judge. Not my best riding day...
Fast forward 22 years. Was in getting my lawn mower fixed when I spotted a dust covered 1978 SR 500 identical to my old bike sitting in the back of the shop. It had been taken in trade for some garden equipment but it wouldn't start so there it sat. 6000 Km on the clock, bone stalk and in near new condition save for a gummed up carb, leaky fork seals and age-cracked tires. I suggested to my wife we should buy it, clean it up and display it as a feature in our living room. That didn't go over too well...
I had given up the dream of owning it when several months later at my 40th birthday party I received a box containing my old helmet, a 10 mm wrench, a motorcycle mirror and at the very bottom of the box, an original SR 500 owner's manual. My wife had snuck back and bought the bike and had a friend smuggle to his home where it remained hidden until that happy day. It took a carb rebuild, fresh fork seals and tires along with a few other bits, a good cleaning and it fired up and ran as original.
i still have the bike. Now 14000 km on the clock and still running great. Takes a few good kicks to get her going but still a joy to ride on the rural twisties in our area. Now if I could just find an old XT...
We’ll find that old XT for you yet!
great story 😉
You my trade bikes, but do not trade wives! You have a jewel.
My Dad had a 500 Indian single with a compression release. He told me if I could kick it over I could ride it. I was 12 at the time, and if I forgot to use the release, I swear the snap back from the kick stater almost took my leg off. Ouch!
Great article Bart!
Back in the late 40's my dad was a telegrapher for the Northern Pacific Railroad in Beach, ND...in January (think snow and COLD!). He was storing his '43 war surplus Harley in the unheated freight room. Two local kids came by and asked if they could ride his motorcycle. Da said "Sure, if you can get it going!" Half an hour later he looked out the window and there went his motorcycle through the snow with the two kids on the back!
Back in the late 40's my dad was a telegrapher for the Northern Pacific Railroad in Beach, ND...in January (think snow and COLD!). He was storing his '43 war surplus Harley in the unheated freight room. Two local kids came by and asked if they could ride his motorcycle. Da said "Sure, if you can get it going!" Half an hour later he looked out the window and there went his motorcycle through the snow with the two kids on the back!
I have two of the 1978 black SR500E model in Australia. One is fully original, but the first owner pulled off the nice 500 Single stickers off the battery covers. The other has the stickers but developed a major problem with the coil that needed to be somehow bypassed with an electronic gizmo to make it start. The gizmo worked, I rode it for years after it was fit, but I'd probably replace the coil as it's been 30 years since I started it. There must be dozens sitting on wreckers' shelves given how many XT500s were sold in Australia in those days.
I rode that bike all over south eastern Australia and Tasmania, and commuted on it, for about 12y up to 1990. It probably has 30k on the clock. The other one, without the sticker, has done less than 5000km. Maybe less than 2000, I can't remember. When I retire I'm gonna pretty them both up and ride them around. I've seen some fabulous adaptations around Melbourne, the most interesting was a fully pared back version, all black, with no battery, tiny little indicators and basically tractor tyres. I took photos, will try to send you.
The only bike that has since captured the SR models' retro chic and simple styling is the early version of the Ducati Scrambler 800. Ironically, also made in Thailand, apparently like the SRs now.
Though my first occasional ride was a borrowed CB550F, I put many more miles on a borrowed XT500. Belonged to my at-the-time girlfriend's brother, and I helped share gas and maintained it. Had so much fun with it and really learned to ride on it. When it came time to buy my first, I was a couple days away from buying a shiny new 1980 XR500. Then a co-worker said he wanted a new RX-7 and offered me his near new 78 RD400 for a price I couldnt refuse. I had a riding buddy that rode an SR and we would swap bikes on rides...I felt I had made the right decision, but I only had the RD for a year before figuring out what I needed-wanted was a four cylinder 4 stroke and bought a GPz550.
I’m living most of the year in Japan. My SR 400 was a great bike. A pleasure to ride, and was very reliable. The kick start was a breeze, I miss it. But I needed something bigger, so I got Kawasaki W 650, which is a Bonneville clone. It has electric and kick start. I Love it, I wish I had room for 2 bikes, I’d get another SR 400.
My 30 year old sr 250 still rocks. Reliable and strong, still gives me a very big smile whenever I ride her!
Love the SR250. Mine’s 43 years old. 🤣First bike for a lot of ppl here in Oz, and a popular chop-up. Can still get them for low $s, and parts easy available. Bit different to the 500 inside even tho it looks similar.
My old man had one and rode it daily to work for years and years, he was in love with the single cylinders. Later in life he bought a Suzuki Savage Single that was brand new in a crate and he put 11ks on it . He died and I have it now black and tricky to ride with such a long stroke .. but he always totally loved the SR500..
90
I briefly had a ‘78 SR500 back in the day and loved it. In ‘93 I saw an identical one for sale, bought it, then it sat for about 25 years, then I did a total frame up restoration. When I finished I realized my worn out knees can’t kick start it anymore. I still have it. Starting on hills is my savior. 😄
I want another one desperately, but same thing... knees. Have you already had replacement?
I have 3 other bikes. I’m looking into rear wheel starting mechanisms. Or hills 😊
I didn't realize it at the time, but I wore out a certain angle of my right knee trying to start my BSA Victor for 3 years back in the early '70's. Got the '78 SR500 about 25 years ago and the starting motion was painful. I was going to sell it, but a friend told me that he started his with his left leg. So, I now start it standing on my right leg facing backwards and kicking it with my left. Works great; I rode it today.
Yes, the Japanese highly value the ability to kick start the SRs. A co-worker of mine was in the Yamaha US testing department in 1975 and was sent to Japan to participate in the final tests of the XT500 before its debut. He told the story about the Japanese test riders having problems starting the bikes. He bet them he could start it by hand and did so in front of them without touching the throttle grip. He didn’t buy Sake that night. A great side benefit of Yamaha bringing the SR400 in for a final run was that many of the original SR500 parts were once again available in the YMUS parts system. So now you can still get items like fenders, engine covers, gaskets etc. that had been unavailable for decades here in the States.
How did he start it then?
@@charlienyc1 With his arm!
@@guylr7390 - I have started my 1981 SR-500 many times with tennis shoes on. The trick is to release about 1/3 or the compression stroke and then let the kick starter back up to the top and shove it thru to the bottom. Don't ever crack the throttle on the carburetor model when kick starting, you can blip the old carb pump a time or two when cold to pump in some fuel but leave the throttle at idle while kick starting.
@@WJV9 Exactly. The guys that jump down on the kick lever and open the throttle grip at the same time always have trouble. My buddy would tell them to take their hand off the throttle and instead grab the handlebar while they kicked. Once you know the drill it’s not hard. The carbs with the hot start button worked well too.
Bought the book and looking forward to reading it with my 7 year old son. Happy holidays, thank you for all the great content.
Thanks!
Like many of your commentators, I had an SR500. Mine had been modified to resemble a vintage Velocette, with a gorgeous aluminum tank, Akront rims and painted fiberglass fenders, plus an almost-open megaphone exhaust. I added a solo seat from Corbin. I got compliments literally everywhere I rode it...BUT it was strictly a short-haul machine. I grew up with big singles, but I was over 40 when I got the SR, and my tolerance for vibration had been lost to many years of BMW twins and Guzzis. Still, I enjoyed the bike and had no problem finding it a good home when I moved on. The memories may actually be better than the SR was...but on a tight, winding road (and with seriously upgraded tires), I could stay up with a LOT of bigger, faster machines.
When the SRX650 came out, I was curious...but I was getting a little old to be kicking big singles over. I did ride one, and it was worlds better than the SR, but still not tempting. When Honda introduced the GB500, I was more intrigued but just could not justify another limited-use bike to lurk in the corner of my garage. So I bought a Rickman Trident...but I DO still have it!
Yeah right the best I've done on my 1978 SR500 is 937 kilometres in a day and a night
5:56 RE Bullet (old engine) had a valve lifter/decompresion lever right up until the end of production in 2008-ish. Interestingly, the decomp valve is a screw-in unit with the same thread as a sparking plug, so it sometimes gets used for a twin-spark conversion. Longer reach plug needed though.
Cool, a twin spark could add some ponies. I assume the conversion would need the points/ignition modified or replaced, though? But the carb can probably be tuned for a bigger bang.
@@PaulSpades Yes, some people used the twinned coils from Japanese bikes, others just put two coils on. Add a huge Mikuni carband away you go...
I had an XS 650 back in the day (1972, I think) and it had a compression release as well. I remember having to explain that to many people. It worked great, and I was glad I had it.
I had a 1984 SR500, which I bought off my Dad when he switched to a BMW GS in 2001. It was full stock, and it always started on the first kick. Didn't need the looking glass because you could feel the deco give a little when you reach TDC. Sold it 12 yrs later because I couldn't afford a Garage in the large city I moved to and I hated to see it rot curbside. The new owner said he wanted to give her a new life as a Café racer. He showed me some of his earlier projects, so I know she is in good hands.
Sr 400 is iconic, definitely wanna buy one !
I had more fun on an SR500 than on any of my many other bikes. It's a great all rounder and will happily handle most tasks that you throw at it, be it on or off road. Nippy; nimble; great looks and sound, it still ticks a lot of boxes even now.
This is a song of singles. When I came back home to Sydney (Aust) in 1982, after my years as a sailor, I bought a 1980 SR500 because I had grown up on old British pushrod 500 singles. It was easier to kick start, went better & quicker, although I missed the slow old "thumper" heavy flywheel torque. After its first 500 km it blew up its top end because of an oil feed problem, but the 2nd-hand dealer rebuilt it as it had 1000 km warranty. After that it went well for a few years. Sadly I swapped it for a 1982 Honda FT500 "flat track" style road single, which didn't go as well, leaked oil, had no kick starter but would quickly flatten its battery if the electric motor didin't start the engine promptly. Next I got an Indian Enfield Bullet 500 of the old British pattern, has started first kick for 24 years and is very sweet cruising sedately on a winding bush road at 50 mph / 80 km/h. So I added a BMW F650 which can do freeway speeds with my wife on board - powered smoothly by the big Aprilia single with one piston, two cams, two carbies, four valves and a balance shaft. It feels & sounds more like a sewing machine than a big single but it's probably the best of all of them. But I'd go back to an SR500 in a moment, if a good one came by.
I bought a new, black, SR500 from a Yamaha dealer in New York. In short order vibration cracked the frame. As the frame held the engine oil, now it would not hold oil. The vibration fatigued the license plate off. The bolts were tight; under the bolt heads were the remnants of the license plate. The vibration fatigued the wires off the tail light. Ultimately it ate a valve. Yamaha would not honor any of these problems under warranty. All of this happened within the first year of ownership. Not so keen on Yamaha since then.
Aside from the litany of vibration related problems, sometimes the bike could not be made to start.
I rebuilt the engine with Woods Brothers parts and welded the frame before I selling the bike.
Before this I owned a used XS500. This was a 4 valve DOHC twin with a balance shaft. This was a great bike, powerful and smooth.
I have had this my second 1978 SR500 for about nine years I've done more than 80,000 kilometres on it and I did about 50,000 kilometres on the first one I had back in the day
I've never found excessive vibration to be a problem
I know a fella who bought a new Harley and it's numberplate (licence plate) cracked up like you've described on the twenty kilometre ride home
I had a Yammie 500 TT back in '79. Boy was that decompression level a jewel. I still managed to often give my right ankle fits with it!!!. But what a bike! The lights/magneto were so crap that I ran the tail light on a D-cell Eveready battery to give more oomph to the very weak headlight! - and so save a bit on the infringement fines and near misses. Ah the joy of dumb and invincible youth!!! Also, I had a Pirelli Demon (I think) on the rear for more comfortable and safe road travel, and a big yellow plastic petrol tank which lost the lovely shape of the stock tank but gave heaps of extra road miles between gas-ups.
What a joyful bike it was!!!
I am old-73-I had 6 SR500's at one time in -bought my first one-new-a 1980-maroon one-in 1980.Loved it-was crazy-literally crazy-about them
I was-am-small-5'5" usually 155-170lbs.I could start any SR500(with a clean carb) one perhaps 2 kicks.
1)The trick-if the carb passages-jets-are clean-forget starting it if it sat for a long time-the start circuit will plug-unstartable
2) PUT IT ON THE CENTERSTAND TO START IT.Yes it looks sissy to not be able to start it by just standing over it-like a 2 stroke bike
BUT THIS IS A BIG 9/1 COMPRESSION 4 stroke SINGLE-centerstand it-put weight into it-push like a leg press-not a kick-rise up-put weight into it-use compression release-and use START LEVER if cold(not a real choke but works like a choke-it is a separate enriching circuit) carb has 3 fuel circuits-start-idle-main
This is a brilliant piece of motorcycle journalism. Thank you, Bart! I have a 1993 SR 500 with drumbrakes front and rear. It's my third SR. Wish I never sold the other two ones. You cannot have too many SR's.
In 1971 I had the 650 special . That bike took me everywhere. It was indestructible. Wished I still had it
We old farts all seem to have that "Wish I still have..." moments. Mine is the Honda Super Hawk 305, immortalized by Robert M. Pirsig in his inspirational book.
Had the XS and the XT. Great memories wrapped up in those two bikes.
I always wanted one but never got one, but I do have a 1977 TT500 dirt only ,no lights it’s like a tank nothing stops it just keeps going and going
Back in 1984 I bought a Auction repoed SR500 that the pervious owner had taken a ball peen hammer to. It was in sad shape and little did I realize he has put some kind of grit in the oil. Within a month the piston slap was so bad it sounded like a diesel engine. I eventually pulled the motor down and rebuilt it and it ran beautifully. The only problem I had was it was hard starting especially because it had a 1mm oversize piston that fitted in the bore. Looking back on it that would have been normal but I thought that I had the cam timing out by a tooth so hurriedly One Friday evening after work I pulled the engine loose so that I could manipulate the motor over to the side to pull the tappet cover to check the valve timing. I Loosened the bolt that holds the cam gear on the cam shaft and set the timing correctly. I wasn't sure if it was out by a tooth because I didn't check properly I just reset the cam timing and reassembled the bike but in my haste I forgot to torque the cam gear bolt. The next day I was heading to a town up the coast and at about 150kms from home the cam gear let go which at 120kms/ hour destroyed the engine. What a waste and disappointment, A perfect example of too much haste and no progress. All that money rebuilding the motor and it lasted about 350km due to my mistake. Even the jug was cracked
I owned a XT500C then a TT500G and a XT600 Tenere and the very first KLR650 in Australia. The one model I have always lusted over is a SR500. One day I hope to find a barn find or one that an old man has stopped riding. I live with hope.
I was transfixed by the ads (like the one at the 3min mark here) for the then new to the USA SR500. I was an instant thumper enthusiast. Even though it is long gone, I could still start it without having to look at the helpful sight glass showing TDC.
Alas, nirvana slipped away when the stator failed and the part and labor were, at that moment, more than half the resale value of the Yamaha.
I sold it and moved on to Harley's new thing, the 1986 Evo 883 Sportster, kept for 6 years and sold for more than purchased cost, and got an Electra-Glide, a most wonderful big bike.
But watching this nice video brings back many, many great memories. Thanks.
In my fleet of bikes there are among other bikes one 1978 and one 1981 SR500. The 1981 was my first bike and I have ridden it quite a lot.
The SR certainly may not be the ideal bike for very long distances and / or very straight highways, but on curvy secondary roads it´s an absolute joy to ride. Out of all bikes I have ever ridden the SR remains my favorite.
I have test ridden an SR400, and although it is exactly the same bike, only with the crank pin lower positioned in the crank, and specified at 30 instead of 33 HP, the perceived difference is HUGE, when you are used to the 500 with its longer stroke you get the impression that all torque is gone. That´s not to say there is anything wrong with the 400, but personally I very strongly prefer the 500.
New Zealand 1987 , I rode and loved a 1952 ES2 500cc Norton .
A workmate grabbed a new 500cc Yamaha SR500 .
We did many miles together for a few years , his SR never missed a beat as did my Norton , pull up to a Pub and people would come out to see what the noise was all about ,, yes a cool motorcycle .
Thanks Bart for this trip down memory lane .
ps. My Norton was stolen during these years ! . Scum !
I have a 2016 that I bought for cheap with 2 miles on it (because of the Kickstarter). I love it! I put a pipe and a tuner on it and it is the most fun bike of my 12. Nobody looks twice at my kitted out triumph tiger but the SR makes it impossible to go anywhere without random strangers talking my ear off. I live near Astoria on hwy 202, a beautiful twisty two lane road to the PDX area. If you want to ride mine for a follow up video, I'm offering:)
Bought a new non-current model year in 1981. It was a 1978 SR500. I went to the bank and ordered a $1000 bill to pay for it. That was the total cost for the bike. Rode it for several years. I do remember how hard it was to start. It had a little sight window on the cam head so you know where top dead center was. In the dark it was invisible to see. Catch it wrong and it would brake your foot. I had a constant black and blue mark on my instep. It was a0 good looking bike. Had a shoei FM2 fairing on it.😊
I have never looked at that sight window. I have owned a SR 500 for over 35 years. Here is my starting routine: Kick the motor over until you feel the compression build, then pull in the Decompression Lever and kick thru about 1/4 of rotation of the kick starter. Then release the Decompression lever and let the kick starter lever back to the top, then jump down on the kick starter with all you've got to the bottom of the stroke. Repeat as needed. I have started my 1968 Ducati 350 and 450 singles this way as well as British singles such as BSA Victor and B50's and Goldstars. No big deal, just release part of the compression air and leave enough for the spark plug to fire.
had one aa 1981 model here in the UK , they are easy too live with and start one you learn to swing the kickstart not stab at it ,
Bought my XT500 in 81 then in 89 I turned it into a cafe racer using RD400 tank,forks and wheels and added a 600 cc bore and stroke kit with 38mm Lectron carb and Ivan Tighe c grind cam then in 2010 I switched it back to a HL500 configuration with a modded frame YZ125c tank,Rm 400 swingarm foxys on the back and a set of WP extreme 50mm conventionals up front off a KTM 360 and disc brakes all round it's a great old bike
Modding for the sheer hell of it is what I like most about my 500 singles. Somehow they just make more elegant specials than any of my larger capacity bike mods have. Sometimes less is more.
Hi, you missed the SRX 600, sold in the US in 1986, beefed up engine 4 valve head electric start. last ones made in Japan in 1997.🎉 Poot
That was one sexy bike!
I always wanted one since 78, but I never got one. I did have an SX650 and loved it,
Love my 78 SR500! The hardest thing is keeping it all original when there’s so many cool builds out there
I had a SR500 in Germany, here it was a very successful model. I always played with the idea of converting it to something we would now call (again?) a cafe-racer (big tank + low handle bar) or buy a SRX600 instead. The real problem in Germany where the noise restrictions and motorcycle classes for beginners.
I had an SRX-6 and just loved that bike. Of all the bikes I have bought and sold over the years, that is the one I REALLY wished I still had.
I like how Yamaha basically just takes an engine platform and tries to put it in literally everything, similar to Honda’s 125cc platform.
They did the same thing with the QT50, with the MJ50, PW50 dirt bike, YT60, and YF60.
Hey if it ain’t broke and all that jazz lol
I live in northern Thailand. If the SR400 wasn't so ridiculously expensive, I would buy one. When I was a lad back in the '80s, I had a 1981 XT500E. I had it for six years and rode from England to Portugal and back three times and Greece once.
Superb video. Good luck with the book. I am a writer, too.
I have subscribed. Nick
I have owned 5 in total, used one in Australia did 16000 km in 2,5 months on it. Great memories.
But you stated that the SR in its prototype did not have a valve decompression lever (5:36), but the first XT500 did have that all ready. Sins the SR500 engine is basically the same i cant believe they wanted to leave this out on the SR.
I owned this bike in 1980. This was a fun bike mostly due to the simplicity. The kick start was a hoot! Great video!!👍👍
So being an old guy is so fun, because U
Youngsters need to learn a few things 1
Being the cam window
On the right side on top
Of cam case , so U push
The kicker entil the notch comes in the window let kicker up
And kick it through and
Your TT,XT,SR, WILL
START FIRST KICK
EVERY TIME .
THANKS FROM NOR-CAL.
Great video, thank you. I have an SR400 from 2015. Once you know how to start its a breeze, until you stall at traffic lights. Left it unused for 18 months and after changing the fuel started on second kick. Not many of them here in New Zealand but currently thinking of exporting it to the UK when i go back later this year. Had plans for customising, various KEDO bits purchased and some from Webike in Japan. But still in concourse condition. A great town bike with the occasional run out through country lanes. Long live the SR.
Loved the looks and low speed torque of this bike, but three changes would make it absolutely perfect, it’s highly restrictive exhaust chokes it down , no 2 it needs another gallon in the fuel tank capacity sept. 3. It’s a very viby motorcycle and you can feel it in the seat and bars, adding a balance shaft to the engine would make it perfect.
This is my favourite bike of all time no other bike even comes close wish it was available in India would’ve been a dream
I was stationed a Clark in the Philippines in 79/80. We were buying bikes and riding all over the place. The Yamaha SR and XT were both very popular bikes because we could afford them and they handled the conditions well. And flying down to Subic was doable.
Me, I bought a MT250 Elsinore for a good price. But I always liked those thumpers.
Rode a 78 sr 500 when new. The mag wheels were most heavy. A set of alloy wheels and a steeper head angle as it took half the street to make a U-TURN. The ergos were good. Could have a little superish bike.
My brother bought one new in 1978 and I rode it a good bit for about a year after he went in the Air Force in 79. It was a pain to start after riding it for over an hour or so your skin tingled for about 20 minutes after you got off it from the vibration. But the torque and exhaust note made it really fun to ride and it was built like a tank. I lost interest in motorcycles shortly afterwards preferring old cars. When this video popped up on UA-cam it brought back fond memories. I’m surprised it stayed in production so long as it did…everyone I rode with ribbed me for riding something so primitive back in 1979-80. But it was a good looking solid bike and I really enjoyed the time spent with it. Glad to hear it had such a long run.
Another very interesting and entertaining video. I really think most motorcycle manufacturers are missing the boat by not offering at least a model or two of smaller displacement bikes.
I owned a black and red SR500 (wire wheels) for years in the UK and always regretted selling it. It went round Europe, over the Alps, over to Corsica and back, incredibly reliable and great mpg. I thought the decompression was easy to use and total genius.
A great bike
I had a XT 500 on my Journey from Germany 🇩🇪 to 🇮🇳 India in 78. Greetings from Freebird KAWA from Cologne 🇩🇪 Germany.
Thank you. The SR is a wonderful bike that no one seems to know of. I loved the oil window on the SR. Now i need one. Ive been watching your videos and was confused why you never mentioned this timeless bike.
I purchased an SR 500 in 1988. It had rubber mounted Engine, Foot-pegs AND Handlebars! Toured it all over the place. Hotted it up with a cam, 38mm Mikuni carb and Wiseco hi comp piston. Add some clip-ons and it was a Cafe Racer in the 90's. Club raced it (with very limited success). Swapped it onto a Honda VT250 Spada chassis and sold it. Since then I have owned an SZR660 (rare) XT660X and now have a Suzuki XF650 Freewind (even rarer). I have owned several Ducati twins, but the single cylinder XF is staying for life. Something about those THUMPERS!
never ridden one but want to. had an opportunity to buy an XS400 recently but that fell through. Instead i got a little 81 honda cm200t for for about $1100 with only 5k miles on it. interestingly the battery was drained from sitting too long when i went to check it out but the person showing it to me got it started with the kickstart.
No matter about the kickstart being the only way to start the bike, I hate the fact that an electric motor and battery are the only way to start my bike. I also hate it that modern bikes no longer get a centre stand because the CAT converter gets in the way
Bought one new (SR500) in the mid 80s and wrote it for a number of years. By accident, I discovered a trick that got mine, starting on the first kick every time. I would ticket with the choke off, and then, just as it started to pop from the kick, I would quickly put the choke full on, and that would get it starting every time. Don’t know if mine was unique in that regard. Love your videos. Keep up the good work.
The problem was never cold starts, it was re-starting when the engine was lukewarm or hot.