Insteadofabiggerfour--stroke,
abetterfour--stroke.
The Yamah a XS-500 engine looks like something off a
limited production roadracer. Double overhea d camshafts.
Four valves per cylinder. A 9.000 rpm redline .
Another good thing about a smaller engine :Youcan put
it in a sma ller frame. The XS-500 has the same basic frame
configuration as a Yamah a 350 roadracer. So , if you're used
to riding conventional touring b ikes, your first ride on an
XS-500 is apt to be startling. And maybe a little searey.
The XS-500 takes high-speed comers without wobbling
or wallowing. It responds quickly and surely when you shift
your weight. And, like a fine sports car, it thrives on hard .
riding and high revs .
To some riders, touring means freewaying. And a
touring bike means a big bike .We don't expect these people
to buy XS-500's.
But there are riders with the knowledge to appreciate
a motorcycle as sophisticated as the XS-500. And the skill to
XS-.500 ,·a!ve.
Some people don't understand th is. If you want more
power, they reason ,why not simply add more displacement?
Mulri·
Cylinder .500.
Conven rianal
.500 cc twin valve.
Bulk. If you only rode in a srraighrline. ir wouldn't make any difference.
Or more cylinders? Basically, because this adds bulk. And
when you ad d bulk to a motorcycle. you make it less of a
motorcycle and more of a two-wheeled car: fi ne for riding in a
straight line. But not very good for rid ing aro und corners.
So, in designing th e XS-500,Yamah a engineers set out
to squeeze th e maximum power out of th e minimum displacement. Just as they would with a factory roadracer.Which is
why th ey used four valves per cylinder. It let them design the
combustion chamber closer to a tru e hemisphere-the ideal
shape. It also helps the engine breathe better at high rpms.
And, since the mass of indi vidual valves is smaller, the XS-500
engine can rev much higher without the valves "floating" and
power dropping off.
ride it. And, to these riders, th e
XS-500 will be exactly wh at they've
always hoped for: A touring
machine nimb le enough to go
inside bigger bikes on th e backroad s. And powerful eno ugh to
keep up with them on the freeways.
In every eleme nt of its des ign,
the XS-500 stands far apart from th e common run of modem
touring machines .To some , th is makes it i" disturb ingly
uncon ventional. To othe rs, th is is
.,
the hallmark of a classic.
I •
~
'Vlf
,
~ ~ .:
Whenyouknowhowtheyte
built,you'll buy aYdmaha.
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