From the shed Yamaha TT500 – Memories of the ‘70s

Yamaha TT500

Memories of the ‘70s

Words by David Kerry Photos by Carl Hensel - Carl’s Garage

We were impressed with Carl Hensel’s photography in capturing Joel Drinkwater’s YZ490 in Issue 89. Another reader got in touch with his photos from Carl of his TT500 and we just had to share the images and info on this TT500.

I was eighteen when I bought my first XT 500, back in 1976. It was a week after my mate arrived out in the bush on his TT - I had a ride and fell in love with the XT and TT500 Yamaha singles. I traded in my XL250 Motosport and have always had an XT or a TT ever since.

I first saw this TT advertised four years ago but it was in South Australia, a long way from home in Newcastle. I kept an eye on it and a couple of months later I decided to buy it even though I had to drive 1,370 kilometres down there to get it! I took a sickie from work, hooked up the trailer and jumped in the car with my wife, best mate and his wife and headed off from Newcastle to Mount Gambier. We left at 8pm and we drove all night, alternating drivers for twenty hours straight. We stayed for two nights and did a bit of sightseeing before we picked up the bike.

It looked good, with fresh paint and it was clean and tidy but had a lot of non-original or just plain wrong year model parts and overall it needed a fair bit of work. I was happy enough with my purchase. We drove home all day and night arriving home at 7am and I have to say it was a great road trip.

After a good sleep I took it for a ride up and down the street showing, off my wheelstand skills to the neighbours. Not bad for a Grandfather of seven I have to say. Goodness knows what the neighbours thought.

Since then, it has been part of the furniture in the lounge room of our house, I refer to it as my “work of art”, a very graphic 3D picture!

I have no intention of riding it again (much to the disgust of many) as I have three other bikes to ride. I gradually managed to get hold of the parts needed to get it as close to original as possible. Some parts have come from (and some are still coming from) America, France and the UK. Some parts have been handmade and I am still finding bits here and there that need attention. Its certainly not 100% just yet.

Also, I’d like to say a massive thanks to all the people who commented on the photos that I post on Facebook groups. There is always someone who spots a part, a nut or a bolt that’s wrong and lets me know about it! Some of the comments are indeed useful.

I am now sixty-three years old and it’s been forty-six years since that day when my mate turned up out in the bush on his TT. They have been a big part of my life and now I have this beautiful example in the lounge room, a constant reminder of my youth and of the great memories and the good times - which as many of you already know, were the ‘70s!