Yamaha

Update: Reader Submittal. Old school Hybrid.

Update:  should have seen this coming…  for those of you e-mailng and commenting for more info…

The bike is for sale on EBAY UK Here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-XT500-SUPERMOTO-PHASE-4-MAGAZINE-FEATURE-BIKE-/110613754451?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item19c117f253

What a fantastic bike!  Thanks to Cal from the UK for sending me these.  I’ve seen a few like these over the years and this is the best by far! I love it when an old iconic bike gets modernized without the spirit of the original being overwhelmed by the new components.  It’s a delicate dance and flawlessly executed here.

Wow! you don’t see bikes like this very often! Yamaha WR450 with a JVO rally kit!

Hardcore Rally bike! And it’s FOR SALE!  No I don’t know the owner.  Just an FYI.  I’s a practice bike for this years Dakar!

Reader Submittal. First Ever Yamaha Enduro Fest!

Mark Robers Sends in some pics and video from the California Yamaha Endurofest!  Not THAT is a day very well spent.  Nicely done Gents.

Mark Writes In:
Hi,
I hope you are doing well, just wanted to pass some information. We just had the first Yamaha Enduro Fest offroad ride in Gorman California.
There were many early Yamahas there. I am attaching a few links to pictures and videos that we took while there. Feel free to use anything you like.
We are hoping to have a second event in the Eastern US in March or April of 2011.
Regards
Mark

http://www.youtube.com/v/9qMmTxP6cSc?fs=1&hl=en_US

And here’s another one that ends with a grin..
http://www.youtube.com/v/GxADn8MpDSg?fs=1&hl=en_US

I don’t often direct link to other blogs but wow!

Go and visit Obiboi right NOW and check out his last 5 or 6 sketches. I’d be wildly encouraged if just one of his ideas were to bear fruit.


Warning: (rant alert) And by the way, Hey Yamaha! If by some fluke you ever see this post. One of my favorite bikes on earth (that I currently own) is my trusty 2001 DR650 Suzuki ( and it’s 15 year old technology!!). As a kid I used to annoy the Yamaha dealer by always oogling the early XT/TT500’s. So if you won’t do the decent thing and build a modern bike like Obiboi’s version how about at least bringing over the 660 Tenere? Not every American want’s to go trail riding on a 1200cc 650 lb BMW GS/Yamaha Super Tenere/KTM990. There are a LOT of us waiting patiently for an updated version of the big DR or KLR and you have it in your lineup but you won’t share it… and to put it bluntly, you suck for it. Hell even the small BMW GS series is dated. You’ve completely surrendered the market to KTM which would be fine if I had a 40 inch inseam. The 650 market is ripe for reasonably priced updated competition. What the F### are you waiting for. I’ll buy one already and I know I’m not alone. (rant off. back to our regularly scheduled posts..)

Reader Two-For-One And An Update On A Previously Posted Tracker.

Mike C Writes in with a nice Wanderlust Ducati and an unfortunate update on his wicked SR500 Tracker!

I had a look at some recent snaps thought you might like this for your ‘ Wanderlust ‘ bit.
It was taken a few weeks back by my buddy Rick H. outside of Rangely Lake NH.
The bike is my ‘ 98 748 with an 853 kit (among other mods) and 106,000km. on the clock.
The photo gives no warning of the hour and a half I would be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, in the pouring rain, later that day.
Sadly my countershaft sprocket chewed the splines on the shaft, and broke the chain sending it through my engine cases just two weeks ago. I was thinking of opening the motor, just for fun, this winter anyway. Looks like I have some quality time in the garage over the next little while.


Oh, and more distressing news. My SR managed to ‘ shed ‘ its rear tail/subframe due to vibration…I am already McGyvering a tail from a Honda RS250 roadracer onto the mighty SR….Hey, I start shooting paint tomorrow !
Thanks for the site, I check in every day & always get a charge checking out the new postings.
Mike C.

Here’s the link to his original post on the SR.

Great Stuff.  Thanks Mike and sorry for the delay in getting it posted. I’m getting flooded lately.  All good!

Radical RD350 Custom From India.

I’m cross-posting this over from the 2-stroke blog.

Te-a Writes in:

Hello, My Names is Te-a, I’m from the far north east corner of India, in the city of Aizawl, Mizoram. We are a huge fan of your blog, keep it up. Heres a couple of pictures of a custom RD350, done by my brother Muansanga MSX. The frame is stock, rear suspension is from a 150cc 4-stroke Yamaha R15, tail cowling fabricated, wheels are 17-inchers from R15, 120/80 rear tire with a 100/80 front. Engine is completely rebuilt from scratch, with a stage 1 porting job with a custom built MSX expansion chamber. Custom painted by yours trully. Hope you like it. Thanks.


(My blog – www.mizobiker.blogspot.com)

Thanks very much for sending this in. I love getting bikes from other parts of the world. Especially customs. I enjoy seeing what other people are doing to their bikes. It’s inspiring and it opens up the possibilities. Te-a’s paint work is simply fantastic. Check out his blog new blog for more examples.

Sweet 2-Stroke Cafe… Yamaha RD350

This is a cross-post from my 2-stroke board. Just too cool.  Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer.  Beautiful lines.

Beautiful!  More Here

UPDATE: Follow up To An Earlier Yamaha Street Tracker Post.

I had a shot of this bike a while back and a lot of folks e-mailed me to ask about it. Well I’ve finally stumbeled across the original sources. The bike was built by Joker machine. To learn more about them and this bike check them out HERE