Source: Bike Bound
Electric Start, Air-Cooled: Motogadgets’ 1980 Yamaha XT500…
By the early 1970s, the big single-cylinder four-stroke off-roader was thought a species all but extinct. After all, the great British 500 singles like the BSA B50 and Triumph Trophy Trail were from factories that had shuttered their doors, and cheaper, lighter two-strokes like the Yamaha DT series were selling like hotcakes.
However, over in Japan, a designer named Shiro Nakamura was hard at work on a one-lunger that would change the motorcycling world. At the end of 1975, his creation appeared: the Yamaha XT500, which would not only resurrect the four-stroke enduro machine, but help give birth to the entire adventure bike genre.
“All those large off-roaders with aluminium luggage you see today can trace their origins back to Nakamura and Yamaha’s efforts to build a big traily that made a great road bike.” –Classic Bike Guide
Unlike its British forebears, the XT500 was oiltight and featured a reliable electrical system. The conrod was short, the barrel oversquare, and it had a gear-driven primary drive and 15-plate clutch. But the performance of the Yamaha thumper in the field was what truly turned heads.
“The summer of 1976 saw the bike compete in the Paris-Adidjan-Nice rally, also known as the Cote D’Ivorie-Cote D’Azur rally. Four XTs finished the event almost bog standard apart from a 25L fuel tank, a luggage rack for tools and two 5L fuel cans. Later it truly made its mark in competition when Sonauto Yamaha team’s Cyril Neveu won the motorcycle division of the first Paris Dakar Rally in 1979.” –Shannons
Today, the XT500 remains one of the most lust-worthy vintage thumpers, though the bike was always a bit underpowered for its weight…and kick-starting that big 500cc single was no joke.
Enter Jeffrey Wardenaar of Dutch workshop Motogadgets — a man whose uncle got him interested in motorbikes at a young age, taking him to the Dutch TT…and far afield!
“I made my first motorcycle journey with him and his family and friends all the way from the Netherlands to the Moroccan Sahara on an Africa twin.”
From the time he was 16, Jeffrey was determined to open his own shop, which he did more than two decades ago — a workshop fully outfitted now for fabrication, restoration, and customization. He specializes in Yamaha singles like the XT, SR, TT, and HL series, as well as the XS650 twin and Honda XR / XL series. In this case, the project started with a 1980 XT500:
“Design concept was an XT500 with modifications to make it fast (tuned engine to 40 hp), have better brakes, be easier to start (has an electric start kit on it), and still be able to do serious off-road trips even though it’s customized.”
Yes, this XT has a magic button! One of the main complaints of XT500 owners has always been kick-starting the big single, especially since most riders don’t want to wear full-on motocross boots to ride on the street.
So Jeffrey outfitted this XT with an electric start kit, doubly important since the engine has also been tuned to ~40 horsepower — a 25% increase from stock.
Other highlights include a set of inverted forks courtesy of a Honda FMX, longer and fully adjustable YSS rear shocks, a redone seatpan with custom saddle, a rear LED light frenched into the fender, and that gorgeous YZ-inspired livery.
All in all, this is one of the most drool-inducing XT500’s we’ve ever seen — one we’d love to take it thumping across town and country. Below, we talk to Jeffrey for more details on the build, and credit goes to Franklin Hielckert of Uncomplicated Photography for the gorgeous shots of the build. Enjoy!
Yamaha XT500 Restomod: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I’m Jeffrey Wardenaar, born in The Netherlands on 18 April, 1975. Started my interest in motorcycles because of my uncle, a motorcycling enthusiast, visiting motorbike races with him like the Dutch TT in Assen. And I made my first motorcycle journey with him and his family and friends all the way from the Netherlands to the Moroccan Sahara on an Africa twin.
Started wrenching on an Ironhead Harley when I was 15 years old. When I was 16 I was determined to have a motorbike shop in the future. Started my own workshop in 2003 called Motogadgets, when I was 27 years old.
Shop is going strong, have all the tools and machines that you need for rebuilding / overhauling engines, to bend frames and pipes, weld, mill, vapor blast, etc.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
Yamaha XT500, year 1981.
• Why was this bike built?
Bikes was built for a customer.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Design concept was an XT500 with the modifications that it would be fast (tuned engine to 40 hp), have better brakes, easy starts (has an electric start kit on it), and still would be able to do serious off-road trips even though it is customized.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Custom work: cut the rear frame and shortened it, made a new base plate and seat, mounted an FMX Honda USD fork, adjustable and longer rear YSS shocks, electric starter kit, tuned engine, YZ inspired tank logo, integrated LED rear light in rear fender, etc.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
It is fast and loud, especially with the racing end cap.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
The build was a learning process. It was my last project build for a customer. From now on only free work for myself.
Process Shots
Follow the Builder
Website: www.motogadgets.nl
Instagram: @motogadgets
Facebook: Motogadgets
Photographer: Uncomplicated Photography (@franklin.hielckert)
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