1975 Yamaha XT500

First came the TT500, then a year later, the XT which unlike the TT was fully road legal. The 2-valve SOHC engine was robust in the extreme and although heavy, the XT could more than handle off-road conditions. In addition, it made a fine and very practical road machine that was economical to run and required minimal servicing. It wanted only for an electric starter, since kick starting was an acquired knack. The XT remained in production until 1982, when the head was changed to four-valve, then morphed into the Ténéré. The 2-valve engine also powered the SR500, a café racer styled retro bike, as well as the Japanese 400cc version, which is still in production.