Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126250
Fitted with a 4.10X18 Dunlop K81 and a 3.ooX21 " Avon Speedmaster, the stock TT500 made a better road racer than anyone would have guessed. Predictable sliding and lots of ground clearance didn't offset lack of competitive top speed. Stock TTSOOs are common in Sportsman TT Scrambles. Tricked-up versions are popular at indoor Camel Pro Series TTs_ sailing up a silt y, rock-strewn desert hiII. a nd you've got to back off wh en so m eo ne c ras hes in front of yo u. it's easy to fo rg"t the " fu n" yo u' re having as you pu sh the rest o f th e wa y up th e hil l. Thr- -IT 500 s h ines bright est in th e pow er dep a rt m ent . The 499 c c , over head c a m si ng le h as power everyw he re in th e rpm range . There is no di stin ct su rg e th at tells yo u you 've reac hed th e powcrband , Listen . Is the engim- runn ing? If so , you ' re on th e • pow erband . . The power makes- r iding easier. Front wheel heading for a hole? No problem . Just g as it. Bottleneck of 20 or so riders in a silty , rock y uphill ca nyo n? Easy. Just stick o u t your elbows a nd d ial o n th e power - you'll e ithe-r muscle. through or ride over the other bikes and riders. Want to go faster? Grab a hand fu l. and you 're soon Oying, It doesn't sound the same as most b ikes on th e ~a s - th en' isn' t a rush of noise or a dramatic c ha ng" in th e exhaust note - in st ead , the bik e just Oat in creases speed a t a fast ra te . It 's easy to be ske p tica l. TIl(' TT500 weighs 2 7 1 pounds dry, a n d feel s it in tight sen io ns . It 's a big moto rcycle. The firs t TT500s, re leased for 197 6 , had a ten de nc y to refuse to c hange dire cri on fast en o ug h , Th e 1977 c hassis. with c ha nge~ in g,'om e try . turns u po n command ,to avoid ro c ks. mi ne shafts . wha rrvr -r. T he rid er ca n su -er aro u nd a n yt h ing" he can ' t rid e over. The we igh t is an a dva ntaged in roc ks - mom enturn ca n keep you goi ng straig ht wh ile sma lin. lighu-r bik es an' bounc in g back a nd fo r th like p ing -pong ball s. The sus pe nsio n works. The rider ca n look down a nd see the sus pe nsio n working franti call y o n bumps o r rock s, but the jolts never g '" through th e b ars . Front -wheel landings a ft cr jumping off sand wash walls' were ~o troub le, The 7.7 -inch front fork would not just bury itself a n d spit off the rider. l nstea d , it too k up the shock and stayed controllable . Over wh pops the bi ke got'S straig ht as lo ng as the rider keeps the gas on. We didn 't have any fade prob lems wit h t hr- nitrog,'n / oil shoc ks on the 5 .7-inc h travel re ar end , The exhaust note is very quiet . a plus in avoiding unnen'ssary rider Iarigu« , The effec t ive. but heavy , exhaust syste m n('VC T ~('ts in the rider's way . The five tr ansm ission ra t ios a n ' well spaced. Com b in ed with the- e ngine 's b roa d powe r ba nd , it wa s e asy to bring t h e fro nt e nd up a t will in t he fir st th ree g,'ars. St ani ng took g etti ng used to . A co m p r essio n rel e a se a n d ind icat or win dow at t he e nd of t he ca ms haft bea r ing cas" make pos itio ni ng the pi st on for m in imum chance of ki ckb a ck e a sy. e xce p t a fte r du st. o bsc u res the little window . W ith silver p at ch p ainted on th e cam sho wing in the sma ll window , a nd the ch oke o n, so m et imes it only took o ne might y kick to bring th e -IT 500 to life when co ld . But when the engine was hot. it took JUSt the r ight amount of t hrott h- opening and no c ho ke to g,'t the thing sta r ted . If the drill wasn't foll owed just right, no amount of kick ing (or pu shing. - compr..ssiun will lock t h.. r..ar wh ..d ..ven in t h ird g ear a u ..mpt ..d blimp starts) will bring th e b..ast to life. Holding rh .. kir ksra n I..vvr a t rh .. bottom of t h.. srrok.. di seng a g ..s the rac h .. t , a fu rt h.. r saf..gu ard ag a inst kickba ck . Both t lu- cra n ksha ft a nd o ver h..a d ca m sha ft turn in ball bea ri ngs . Th.. 34 rn m I\lik u ni ca r b ure ror co nsist..ntl y wo r ks w..l1 - no t like th .. u n re lia b l.. Arn a ls fo u nd on rh .. o ld sing les . O il for th .. d ry -sump engine is ca rried in th e Fra m .. bac kbone . E xcept fo r slig h t w""pag" fro m wash ..rs on the fi tt ings o f t he exu- r nal oi l lint's carryi ng- oi lto ti ll' top ..nd . afu-r wid ..-o p..n roa d racing, th e b ike stayed oi l tigh t. T h.. T T 500 is a fu n " o torcycl... m T ht' immense- po we r m akes up fo r r id er e- r ro r an d slo ppi ness in a m u lriuu h- o f o pe n d ese r t situa tio ns . Com bi n..d wit h a c hassis th at st..ers an d su s p ens io n th at wo r ks ( for " '<'fyth in g W ( ' kn ow of "XCl'pt fifth gear wid e -open c ross-c o u n t ry . wh ich we didn't try), thc . mororcycl.. is a super p la y b ike with co m p.. t it ion pou-ruial . It is a welcome ll·li ..f from peaky . ha rd -to -pilot racerbik..s that d ..mand constant a ll .. nt io n and ..oncenrrat ion to b.. • rid..able. Th.. r i'500 is re laxing to rid.. for t he non serious rid er . It 's a sll p..r pla y b ike . Iinw fun is th« TT500 ? O f the seven riders who sa m p led the TT500 u-st bik e . five wa nt n ne . a n ti ' t h ree ha ve already placed th eir o rders at their -Ioca l Yamaha de al er, • a Nitrogen/oil Kayabas worked. They didn't fade for us, but then ours were brand new. This is the TTSOO's most outStanding feature - a torquey motor. Specifications . , 44.7" 4-stroke single Overall height Eng ine Type _ _56.1" Displacement. . , . , 499cc Wheelbase Bore and St roke . . _. _ 87x84mm Minimum ground clearance 9.3" , . , . 271 Ibs. Compression ratio 9.0:1 Dry weight 2.3 gals. Maximum torque 28.2 ft.-lbs. @ Fuel tank capacity , 2.1 qts, 5,500 rpm Oil tank capacity Carburetor . ... . - .. . 34mm Mikuni Suspension , Ignitio n .. ...• . .. . . _. . " Magneto Front. . _ 7.7" travel forks Starting .. , . . , , ,. Kick Rear ... . _ Kayaba gas/oi l shocks. Lur ication , , . Dry sump 5.7" wheel travel Transm iss ion. _ 5-spd .• up for up Tires Overall lengt h _. . , 84.S" Front 3.oox21 Rear. ... . .. . .. • .... . ... . 4.60x18 Overall w id th _ 35.6" 15