This is a 1981 Yamaha XT500 that has just 47 kms on the odometer from new, making it one of the lowest-mileage examples we’ve ever come across, apart from this one that was still in the original factory crate.
The XT500 is one of the most important dual-sport motorcycles of all time. It was this simple, humble-looking bike that won the first two Paris-Dakar Rallies in 1979 and 1980, even beating the venerable BMW R80 G/S to the punch.
Fast Facts: The Yamaha XT500
- This 1981 Yamaha XT500 has covered just 47 kilometers from new, making it one of the lowest-mileage examples known. Originally delivered to Hatfield Yamaha in South Africa, it spent years on display before passing through only two private owners, neither of whom rode it more than very, very minimally.
- The bike was imported into the UK in 2017 by the current seller, who has held it as part of a private collection. It hasn’t been ridden under this ownership but has been periodically started and serviced, most recently in March 2026 when the carburetor and fuel tap were cleaned and a new battery fitted.
- The sale includes a South African Registration Certificate dated 2001, extensive import paperwork, a service invoice, an email from the previous owner detailing provenance, and the key. The original carburetor jets have been swapped for ones suited to UK use, and the bike was last run earlier this year.
- It’s due to cross the auction block with Bonhams on the 15th of June of 2025 with a price guide of £8,000 to £12,000, which works out to approximately $10,750 to $16,130 USD at current exchange rates. Registration to bid is available through the Bonhams listing.
History Speedrun: The Yamaha XT500
Yamaha introduced a fresh idea at the 1975 Tokyo Motor Show and US dealer exhibitions, they called it the XT500. It was the company’s first large-capacity four-stroke single-cylinder motorcycle, born of a need among American desert riders for torque-rich, reliable machines suited to longer distance off-road rides.
By 1976 the XT500 was rolling off the production line. It was powered by a 499cc, air-cooled single-cylinder, single overhead cam motor with two valves, a single carburetor and five-speed gearbox. Image courtesy of Yamaha.
Yamaha had been known mostly for two-stroke bikes, the XT500 was their response to a new kind of demand and marked a well-timed shift in strategy. Its development, alongside the more off-road-focused TT500, led to the on-road SR500 as well – the same fundamental engine design powered three distinct models.
Yamaha engineers sent a prototype to the US and put it through more than two-and-a-half times the standard testing regimen under full-throttle in hot desert conditions. They were aiming to root out weaknesses long before the bike ever hit production – this insistence on real-world toughness would come to define the XT500.
Specifications: Yamaha XT500
By 1976 the XT500 was rolling off the production line. It was powered by a 499cc, air-cooled single-cylinder, single overhead cam motor with two valves, a single carburetor and a five-speed gearbox.
The engine used dry-sump lubrication with oil stored in the frame, helping to cool the oil and saving the weight of a separate oil tank. Its chassis was simple but effective, with a single steel tube for the backbone and single downtube up front. It had twin rear shocks, long-travel forks, and front and rear drum brakes – all riding on a 21 inch front and an 18 inch rear wheel with knobby tires.
It was lightweight enough to handle easily – its seat height allowed easy foot placement for average-height riders, and it delivered enough grunt with 28 bhp and 27 lb ft of torque pushing a curb weight of just 140 kgs (309 lbs).
The Yamaha XT500 + Motorsport Glory
It’s one thing to be reliable on the road, but it’s entirely another to survive and win brutal endurance races across Africa. The XT500 did both. It claimed victory in the Paris-Abidjan-Nice Rally, and then went on to win the first two Paris-Dakar Rallies in 1979 and 1980. Riders like Cyril Neveu made history, and headlines, around the world.
The Yamaha XT500 became a legend in the world of endurance rallying. Its remarkable reliability and low weight made it the bike of choice for countless racers and explorers around the world. Image courtesy of Yamaha.
One highly-modified XT500 competed in the 1977 500cc Motocross World Championship, rider Bengt Åberg even won the Luxembourg Grand Prix and finished the season 9th overall. This was an incredible feat against lighter two-stroke competition.
This rally success wasn’t limited to Africa or Europe – in Australia’s iconic Finke Desert Race the XT500 was the winning bike in 1978, 1979, and again in 1986 – undeniable proof that its capabilities were truly global.
The XT500’s design leaned heavily on minimalist effectiveness rather than complexity. It rode that line better than anything else at the time. It offered Japanese build quality and reliability wrapped around that classic British “thumper” feel, appealing to a riding crowd wary of two-strokes and eager for a simpler ride with a much broader torque curve.
Production ran from 1976 to 1989 and Yamaha sold over 62,000 of them in France alone. The XT500 laid the groundwork for the entire XT line, from small 125cc models up to the adventure-focused XT660Z Ténéré.
Its approachable, adaptable formula made it an icon in its own lifetime, and Yamaha continued refining its lineage long after it stopped making the original twin-valve platform.
The 1981 Yamaha XT500 Shown Here
This Yamaha XT500 was originally delivered to Hatfield Yamaha in South Africa, where it spent many years on display before being bought by a private individual. That first private owner rode the machine only a couple of kilometers before parking it inside his house as a display piece.
His nephew later bought it from him with just 2 kms on the odometer and added approximately 40 kms of riding before selling it on. The current seller bought the XT500 from that second owner in 2017 and imported it into the UK, where it has been held as part of a private collection ever since.
Though it hasn’t been ridden under the current ownership, the bike has been periodically started and serviced. Its most recent service was performed on the 6th of March 2026 at 46 kms, during which the carburetor and fuel tap were cleaned and a new battery was fitted. The original carburetor jets have been swapped for ones suited to UK use. It was last run earlier this year.
This Yamaha XT500 was originally delivered to Hatfield Yamaha in South Africa, where it spent many years on display before being bought by a private individual. That first private owner rode the machine only a couple of kilometers before parking it inside his house as a display piece.
The sale includes a South African Registration Certificate dated 2001, a substantial file of import paperwork, an email from the previous owner detailing the bike’s history, a service invoice, and the key.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Bonhams on the 15th of June with a price guide of £8,000 to £12,000, which works out to approximately $10,750 to $16,130 USD. If you’d like to read more or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bonhams + Yamaha
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
