1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
selling it outright.

I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
complete and not as good of shape.

Any feedback on either bike would be great. It may help me decide which
way to go.

Les
(Leaning towards trying to trade for a pre-unit basket)

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

On 26 Sep, 08:31, Project Magnet #1 <test_spamgour...@cox . net > wrote:
> Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
> mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
> I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
> selling it outright.
>
> I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
> complete and not as good of shape.
>
> Any feedback on either bike would be great. It may help me decide which
> way to go.
>

I've owned both (well, a GT500, rather than a T500, but it's the same
bike barring the styling and the disc front end).

The Yam 500 twin was an incredibly advanced design for the era, but
the trouble was it wasn't any quicker than the opposition, and slower
than the T500....

The real problem with the early ones was the cylinder head design,
which consisted of two layers, really. The gaskets would leak. They
also ran hot (as a lot of early four-valve heads did) and could burn
out the valves or crack the heads. Especially if you didn't keep an
eye on the valve clearances.

Later models (post about 1976, IIRC) went to a one-piece cylinder head
design.

The Yam also has a balancer shaft, adjusted by a chain, and this can
be tricky to adjust on the earlier bikes. Again, they changed the
tensioning mechanism on later bikes.

If yours is a black & gold one, with a rounded tank and the twin front
discs, it's probably the best model to have, despite the engine
concerns. Later ones had horrible slabby styling and only a single
disc.

If it's rounded styling and a single front disc, it's probably a US
import.

They're quite nice to ride. Very smooth. They don't rev like you think
they should, though. Handling's pretty good. But, to be honest,
they're just rather underwhelming. And not valuable. Decent runners
are =A3500-600, tatty MoT'd runners less, and superb versions maybe
=A3750-800.

The T500 is a brilliant bike. Incredibly tough engine, surprisingy
torquey for a stroker, and parts availability is still pretty good
(mostly from the USA). They sold a lot of these things (unlike the
Yam) and they were in production for over ten years (unlike the Yam).
They can be tuned to go like stink, too: someone used to do a water-
cooled barrel conversion for them. Even standard, they'll top 110mph
(the speedo will show much more!)

Downside is the TLS front brake: the later GT had a disc, as I've
said, and disc front ends are a common mod for a T. The GT had
electronic ignition as standard, too, but aftermarket kits for the T
can be had. Tinware is fairly hard to find these days: mudguards,
exhausts, etc, but the stuff is out there.

Only slightly weak spot concerns the top end - again, the cylinder
heads can crack around the spark plug holes, if the plug is over-
tightened. An essential check.

They fetch far more money than XS500s. An early purple and chrome drum-
braker, in really nice order, will easily top four figures: maybe as
much as two grand for a minter. It's really hard to find half-decent
ones for under =A3800-900.

Depending on what the T needs, my advice would be to flog the Yamaha
and put the money towards sorting out the Suzuki. It really is a very
good bike, and the Yamaha isn't.

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

On 26 Sep, 14:28, chateau.mur...@btinternet . com ,
<chateau.mur...@btinternet . com > wrote:
> On 26 Sep, 08:31, Project Magnet #1 <test_spamgour...@cox . net > wrote:
>
> > Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
> > mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
> > I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
> > selling it outright.
>
<snip>
>
> If yours is a black & gold one, with a rounded tank and the twin front
> discs, it's probably the best model to have, despite the engine
> concerns. Later ones had horrible slabby styling and only a single
> disc.
>
> If it's rounded styling and a single front disc, it's probably a US
> import.
>
Doh! Thought I was reading a uk ng....

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

chateau.murray@btinternet . com , wrote:

> On 26 Sep, 14:28, chateau.mur...@btinternet . com ,
> <chateau.mur...@btinternet . com > wrote:
> > On 26 Sep, 08:31, Project Magnet #1 <test_spamgour...@cox . net >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
> > > mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to
> > > decide if I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit
> > > Triumph, or just selling it outright.
> >
> <snip>
> >
> > If yours is a black & gold one, with a rounded tank and the twin
> > front discs, it's probably the best model to have, despite the
> > engine concerns. Later ones had horrible slabby styling and only a
> > single disc.
> >
> > If it's rounded styling and a single front disc, it's probably a US
> > import.
> >
> Doh! Thought I was reading a uk ng....

Heh. I was wondering how long it'd take you to realise that a certain
Mr P Magnet is actually from the US...

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Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

Timo Geusch wrote:
> chateau.murray@btinternet . com , wrote:
>
>> On 26 Sep, 14:28, chateau.mur...@btinternet . com ,
>> <chateau.mur...@btinternet . com > wrote:
>>> On 26 Sep, 08:31, Project Magnet #1 <test spamgour...@cox . net >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
>>>> mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to
>>>> decide if I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit
>>>> Triumph, or just selling it outright.
>> <snip>
>>> If yours is a black & gold one, with a rounded tank and the twin
>>> front discs, it's probably the best model to have, despite the
>>> engine concerns. Later ones had horrible slabby styling and only a
>>> single disc.
>>>
>>> If it's rounded styling and a single front disc, it's probably a US
>>> import.
>>>
>> Doh! Thought I was reading a uk ng....
>
> Heh. I was wondering how long it'd take you to realise that a certain
> Mr P Magnet is actually from the US...

P magnet???

Eww...

Les

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

chateau.murray@btinternet . com wrote:
> On 26 Sep, 14:28, chateau.mur...@btinternet . com ,
> <chateau.mur...@btinternet . com > wrote:
>> On 26 Sep, 08:31, Project Magnet #1 <test spamgour...@cox . net > wrote:
>>
>>> Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
>>> mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
>>> I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
>>> selling it outright.
> <snip>
>> If yours is a black & gold one, with a rounded tank and the twin front
>> discs, it's probably the best model to have, despite the engine
>> concerns. Later ones had horrible slabby styling and only a single
>> disc.
>>
>> If it's rounded styling and a single front disc, it's probably a US
>> import.
>>
> Doh! Thought I was reading a uk ng....

You have project magnets there too I'm sure, easy mistake. <G>

* triumphchoppers . com /gallery/album145

Single disc, and the bike looks like it'll clean up very well. The 2nd
picture is how I hauled it home, in the back of my small bus.

I'm still up in the air on what to do. I'd love to find someone with a
pre-unit Triumph that they'd trade for one or both of these bikes,
depending on the condition of the Triumph.

Les

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

chateau.murray@btinternet . com wrote:
> On 26 Sep, 08:31, Project Magnet #1 <test spamgour...@cox . net > wrote:
>> Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
>> mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
>> I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
>> selling it outright.
>>
>> I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
>> complete and not as good of shape.
>>
>> Any feedback on either bike would be great. It may help me decide which
>> way to go.
>>
>
> I've owned both (well, a GT500, rather than a T500, but it's the same
> bike barring the styling and the disc front end).
>
> The Yam 500 twin was an incredibly advanced design for the era, but
> the trouble was it wasn't any quicker than the opposition, and slower
> than the T500....
>
> The real problem with the early ones was the cylinder head design,
> which consisted of two layers, really. The gaskets would leak. They
> also ran hot (as a lot of early four-valve heads did) and could burn
> out the valves or crack the heads. Especially if you didn't keep an
> eye on the valve clearances.
>
> Later models (post about 1976, IIRC) went to a one-piece cylinder head
> design.
>
> The Yam also has a balancer shaft, adjusted by a chain, and this can
> be tricky to adjust on the earlier bikes. Again, they changed the
> tensioning mechanism on later bikes.
>
> If yours is a black & gold one, with a rounded tank and the twin front
> discs, it's probably the best model to have, despite the engine
> concerns. Later ones had horrible slabby styling and only a single
> disc.
>
> If it's rounded styling and a single front disc, it's probably a US
> import.
>
> They're quite nice to ride. Very smooth. They don't rev like you think
> they should, though. Handling's pretty good. But, to be honest,
> they're just rather underwhelming. And not valuable. Decent runners
> are £500-600, tatty MoT'd runners less, and superb versions maybe
> £750-800.
>
> The T500 is a brilliant bike. Incredibly tough engine, surprisingy
> torquey for a stroker, and parts availability is still pretty good
> (mostly from the USA). They sold a lot of these things (unlike the
> Yam) and they were in production for over ten years (unlike the Yam).
> They can be tuned to go like stink, too: someone used to do a water-
> cooled barrel conversion for them. Even standard, they'll top 110mph
> (the speedo will show much more!)
>
> Downside is the TLS front brake: the later GT had a disc, as I've
> said, and disc front ends are a common mod for a T. The GT had
> electronic ignition as standard, too, but aftermarket kits for the T
> can be had. Tinware is fairly hard to find these days: mudguards,
> exhausts, etc, but the stuff is out there.
>
> Only slightly weak spot concerns the top end - again, the cylinder
> heads can crack around the spark plug holes, if the plug is over-
> tightened. An essential check.
>
> They fetch far more money than XS500s. An early purple and chrome drum-
> braker, in really nice order, will easily top four figures: maybe as
> much as two grand for a minter. It's really hard to find half-decent
> ones for under £800-900.
>
> Depending on what the T needs, my advice would be to flog the Yamaha
> and put the money towards sorting out the Suzuki. It really is a very
> good bike, and the Yamaha isn't.

I don't know, the Yamaha fired up last night and sounded great. I found
a short in the wiring going to the kill switch, probably why I got the
bike cheap. I'll fix it and may ride it around some, or might enter it
in a local bike show for vintage bikes with a for sale sign on it.

The Suzuki needs more work, the paint is faded, and it's missing some
bits and pieces like the seat, gauges, maybe a little more. Might get it
running and trade or sell it too.

I'm partial to Triumphs, and would rather spend my time and money on
them, but I won't pass up a good deal on any projects.

Les

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

On Sep 25, 11:31 pm, Project Magnet #1 <test_spamgour...@cox . net >
wrote:
> Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
> mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
> I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
> selling it outright.


I had a friend back in the 70's who owned a Yamaha 4 valve DOHC 500. A
1st BTW. It should be a keeper if it runs good. Not as fast as
Yamaha's own little RD-350 2 stroke though but as far as I know they
were reliable and pretty straight forward.

Another weird engine from that era was the Honda 400, 4 stroke with
tortion bar valve springs & 2 valve DOHC. It looked like an old
Triumph 650 T-bird or Bonny. After 1978 & Honda's CB750F all the
Japanese mfg's went to 4-5 valve DOHC engines within a few years,
anyway.


> I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
> complete and not as good of shape.

A titan 2 stroke. This one may not be worth a restoration.

> Any feedback on either bike would be great. It may help me decide which
> way to go.

I recently bought a low mileage 1984 (5700miles) RZ-350 and went
through a full top end rebuild after a HS run where the right cylinder
cracked above the exhaust port, then hit the top ring and took the top
third or the right piston off and beat inself around as I limped home
on one cylinder. About a month after it was fixed & more high speed
120+ riding and the other piston gaulled up on the exhaust port side.
I needed reliable transport so I went out and bought an 06 SV-650 with
most of the factory warrenty still enabled. It actually feels a bit
more nimble, is better planted, has more power, better suspension and
brakes than the RZ does. It weights about 50-75 lbs more but you'd
never know it even at a stop. I'm going to fix the RZ-350 again and
keep it around mostly for a collector bike and ride it at a moderate
pace every now and again.

The main reason I need small bikes now being that I lost my lower
right leg and a bunch of other stuff when a deer t-boned me back in
June 04. Before that I'd mostly had liter bikes from back in the late
70's to 04. In fact, the deer killed my 03GSXR1000. I still had/rode a
Triumph Sprint 955 ST within' a year of the deer accident but sold it
a couple years later as it was just too heavy after the deer thing.
I'd have problems parking and turning it around and such so I decided
to go with something still pretty fast but smaller.

Bob Nixon, 06 SV-650, 84 RZ-350, Chandler, AZ.

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

Bob Nixon <bigrex2005@yahoo . com > wrote:

> I had a friend back in the 70's who owned a Yamaha 4 valve DOHC 500. A
> 1st BTW. It should be a keeper if it runs good. Not as fast as
> Yamaha's own little RD-350 2 stroke though but as far as I know they
> were reliable and pretty straight forward.

No, they weren't wildly reliable and they were very complex engines, for
the period. DOHC, eight valves, an odd cylinder head design,
chain-driven balancer shafts....

>
> Another weird engine from that era was the Honda 400, 4 stroke with
> tortion bar valve springs & 2 valve DOHC.

That wasn't a 400: it was a 450, and later a 500.

>It looked like an old
> Triumph 650 T-bird or Bonny.

No it didn't!.

> After 1978 & Honda's CB750F all the
> Japanese mfg's went to 4-5 valve DOHC engines within a few years,
> anyway.
>
>
> > I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
> > complete and not as good of shape.
>
> A titan 2 stroke. This one may not be worth a restoration.

Nonsense! Well, nonsense here in the UK, anyway. The US may not value
them as much. Here, the Suzuki 500 twins are quite sought-after.


--
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GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06 YTC#3
BOF#30 WUSS#5 The bells, the bells.....

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

Bob Nixon wrote:
> On Sep 25, 11:31 pm, Project Magnet #1 <test spamgour...@cox . net >
> wrote:
>> Anyone familiar with these? I just picked up a very clean and low
>> mileage one. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet. Trying to decide if
>> I want to keep it or try trading it for a pre-unit Triumph, or just
>> selling it outright.
>
>
> I had a friend back in the 70's who owned a Yamaha 4 valve DOHC 500. A
> 1st BTW. It should be a keeper if it runs good. Not as fast as
> Yamaha's own little RD-350 2 stroke though but as far as I know they
> were reliable and pretty straight forward.
>
> Another weird engine from that era was the Honda 400, 4 stroke with
> tortion bar valve springs & 2 valve DOHC. It looked like an old
> Triumph 650 T-bird or Bonny. After 1978 & Honda's CB750F all the
> Japanese mfg's went to 4-5 valve DOHC engines within a few years,
> anyway.

I haven't seen a Jap bike yet that the engine looks like a Triumph 650.

>> I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
>> complete and not as good of shape.
>
> A titan 2 stroke. This one may not be worth a restoration.

Depends on who I talk to it seems...

Les

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

>I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
>complete and not as good of shape.
>
>Any feedback...

The T500 is on my "someday" list. I'd like to find one and take it
totally apart and resto/replace everything back as new. It will be
British racing green with a tan leather saddle and no badges. They
come up for sale every so often in the $400-$1,000 USD range here.

Let us know what you do with these. I think many would envy your
position.

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

Fake Name wrote:
>> I've got the same issue with a '70 Suzuki T500, except it's not 100%
>> complete and not as good of shape.
>>
>> Any feedback...
>
> The T500 is on my "someday" list. I'd like to find one and take it
> totally apart and resto/replace everything back as new. It will be
> British racing green with a tan leather saddle and no badges. They
> come up for sale every so often in the $400-$1,000 USD range here.
>
> Let us know what you do with these. I think many would envy your
> position.

Are you anywhere close to Oklahoma? I'm not considering getting the T500
ridable, I might get it running though, unless someone wants to get that
project out of my hands. I'd sell or trade, and I have some items I'd
trade for that could make it a great deal for the right person.

Anyone have a twin cylinder Maytag gas engine taking up space?

Les

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

>Are you anywhere close to Oklahoma?

Nope. I'm in Atlanta, Georgia.

I don't want to offer any offense in the slightest to you or your bike
but the reality is that the last time I paid to ship a bike it cost me
more than what I would be willing to pay for a T500 that was complete
and running. I'll pick one up locally when I'm ready. If I finish
the things I'm working on around the house this winter I'll probably
put a "wanted" ad in craigslist.

Good luck on finding that Maytag engine, the British bike and your
other projects.

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:22:31 -0500, Fake Name wrote:

>>Are you anywhere close to Oklahoma?

> Nope. I'm in Atlanta, Georgia.

> I don't want to offer any offense in the slightest to you or your bike but
> the reality is that the last time I paid to ship a bike it cost me more

How much did that cost you and who did you use? I got a quote from the
first outfit that I found who would do it in the yellow pages. They
wanted $360 to ship from Atlanta to Tampa 500 pounds gross weight and I
must crate it up (by truck).

I plan on visiting ATL soon and am looking for a 1998 Kawasaki Ninja 600
(ZX6R). I thought if I stumbled across one I might ship it home.

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Email - rsgibson@verizon.borg
Replace borg with net

Re: 1973 Yamaha 500 DOHC?

Ron Gibson wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:22:31 -0500, Fake Name wrote:
>
>>> Are you anywhere close to Oklahoma?
>
>> Nope. I'm in Atlanta, Georgia.
>
>> I don't want to offer any offense in the slightest to you or your bike but
>> the reality is that the last time I paid to ship a bike it cost me more
>
> How much did that cost you and who did you use? I got a quote from the
> first outfit that I found who would do it in the yellow pages. They
> wanted $360 to ship from Atlanta to Tampa 500 pounds gross weight and I
> must crate it up (by truck).
>
> I plan on visiting ATL soon and am looking for a 1998 Kawasaki Ninja 600
> (ZX6R). I thought if I stumbled across one I might ship it home.

Forward Air is the outfit most frequently mentioned as being
a bike-friendly shipper. Cheapest way seems to be to get a
used shipping crate from a bike dealer.

--
'01 SV650S '99 EX250-F13 '98 ZG1000-A13
OMF #7