In the world of classic thumpers, the Yamaha XT500 reigns supreme. It pioneered the concept of four-stroke dual-sport bikes, won the first two Paris Dakar rallies, and garnered legions of fans along the way. It’s hard to meet someone who hasn’t owned an XT500, known someone who’s owned one, or dreamt of owning one.
Given its legendary status, the Yamaha thumper begs to be subtly and judiciously tweaked, rather than drastically modified. If you can crank up the elements that made it iconic in the first place, while nipping and tucking it in all the right places, you’re on the right track. And that’s exactly what Jeremy Tagand at Deus ex Machina Australia has done with this Yamaha XT500 restomod.
Dubbed ‘The North Star’ after the bike’s owner, Fred North, this 1981-model Yamaha XT500 is a textbook example of how to honor a classic, while also dragging it into the modern age. The XT’s icon status isn’t lost on Jeremy, so retaining as much of the original’s DNA as possible was never a question.
“If we had a dollar for every story we’ve heard about the Yamaha XT500, we could probably buy this bike back,” he quips. “Tales of adventure and her wily sister, misadventure. Of duct tape and zip tie repairs. Of broken ankles, nostalgia, and running out of skill… we’ve heard it all.”
Jeremy’s first port of call was to give the old XT500 a rolling chassis worthy of its legacy. New Yamaha WR450F forks went onto the front—but first, they were shortened, re-sprung, and re-valved. Deus also had the uppers anodized, and the lowers treated to a black DLC coating.
CNC-machined yokes hold the forks in place while maintaining the stock front-end geometry. A modified alloy swingarm from a Kawasaki KLX250 does duty at the back, connected via a pair of fully adjustable piggyback shocks from YSS.
Next, Jeremy ditched the 43-year-old wheels for a set of matching 19” Buchanan’s hoops, laced to billet hubs from Haan Wheels. (Sending the rims off for period-correct gold anodizing was a no-brainer.) Modern amenities include a cush drive, and modern hydraulic disc brakes that were borrowed from the same WR450F that donated its forks.
With the rolling chassis now sorted, the XT’s unkillable single-cylinder lump rose to the top of the list. Reliable performance was the goal, so Jeremy tapped Carl Batey—who’s been working on XT’s since they came out in 1979—for the perfect XT500 blueprint.
The rebuilt motor now features high-compression pistons, a balanced crank, a ported and flowed head, a modified camshaft, and heavy-duty valve springs and retainers. Deus also installed a high-flow oil pump and oil cooler, and stuck a high-performance K&N filter into the OEM airbox, while also slotting the airbox cover for better airflow.
The intake utilizes a Keihin FCR39 carb, with a custom exhaust header and SC-Project can at the opposite end. Finally, Jeremy added an XSTART electric starter kit to the XT, with a rewound stator, flywheel, digital ignition, and 12 V conversion from Rex’s Speed Shop.
Jeremy showed supreme restraint with the Yamaha’s bodywork. The original fuel tank and rear fender are still in play, but the latter has been moved forward to match the trimmed and looped subframe. A new seat tops it off, covered in Alcantara and perforated black vinyl, with red stitching to add contrast.
A JVB-Moto headlight shroud was tweaked to fit the Yamaha, and now houses an LED headlight from Koso. Just below it, you’ll find the original XT500 front fender, trimmed for a more aggressive look.
The Yamaha’s finishing kit is all brand new and thoroughly modern. Flat track bars are held in place by Rizoma clamps and wear Motogadget’s latest switches, which feature backlit color-coded LEDs. The German electronics specialists also supplied the speedo, grips, and keyless ignition.
The North Star wears fresh paint too, but Jeremy and Fred opted to replicate the XT500’s unmistakable factory livery. The polished tank sections are echoed in the polished bits on the swingarm, while everything else has been done in gloss black.
Deus ex Machina’s Yamaha XT500 restomod deftly balances nostalgia and modernity. If you must spin spanners on a vintage Yamaha XT500, do it like this.
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