If you had to pick one motorcycle that set the template for the modern adventure bike, the Yamaha XT500 would be a strong contender.
Built from 1975 until 1989, the XT was tough, simple, and capable of taking riders far beyond the edge of the map. It’s no surprise that this single-cylinder thumper became a legend not just on dusty trails but also in the crucible of rally racing.
When it landed in showrooms in 1976, the XT500 didn’t look like a revolution. For the engine, Yamaha developed a dependable four-stroke, air-cooled, 499 cc single (later used in the road-going SR500) and wrapped it in a dirt-friendly chassis. A tall stance, long-travel suspension, and minimal bodywork made it as happy in the wilderness as it was on the high street.
Riders loved the way it pulled strongly from low revs, and even if the kick-start ritual could be tricky, once mastered, it was part of the bike’s charm.
Born to Rally
The XT500 quickly earned its reputation in the toughest test of all: the long-distance African rallies that exploded in popularity in the late 1970s. Events like Paris–Abidjan–Nice and the first Paris–Dakar Rally proved brutal for machinery, but the XT took it in stride.
While rival bikes failed, the Yamaha thumped along reliably across deserts, rivers, and rock-strewn tracks. That success cemented its reputation as the go-anywhere motorcycle, influencing a whole generation of dual-sport machines.
1988 Yamaha XT500 Gallery
The Road Version of a Legend
For ordinary riders, the XT offered something novel: the look and feel of a competition machine, with road-legal practicality. Its simplicity was a selling point — no electric start, no unnecessary complication, just a big single that would run forever with basic care.
The tall riding position gave excellent visibility in traffic, while its light weight (around 155 kg dry) meant it handled reasonably well off-road. The XT wasn’t fast compared to multi-cylinder machines, but what it lacked in outright speed it made up for in character.
A “Timewarp” XT500 at Auction
For collectors, the holy grail is finding an XT500 that has somehow escaped decades of use. Remarkably, that’s exactly what RM Sotheby’s is offering at its Munich Motorworld auction on 18 October 2025.
The example crossing the block was first supplied to Parisian dealer Leuridan Motos et Cycles in the late 1980s but never assembled. It still sits in its original storage crate, odometer showing zero kilometres, requiring only final assembly before it could turn a wheel in anger.
Effectively, it’s a brand-new XT500, nearly 40 years after it left the factory. It’s fitting that it was delivered to France, one of the biggest markets for the XT500 with 62,000 sold there alone.
Registered in France in 1988 but never used, the bike has an estimate of €15,000 to €25,000. Offered without reserve, it represents a rare chance to buy what is essentially a “timewarp” example of Yamaha’s most famous four-stroke thumper.
Why It Matters
Classic motorcycles often earn their place in history through competition success, cultural impact, or sheer longevity. The XT500 ticks all three boxes. It helped pioneer the adventure category, carried riders across continents, and remained in production for nearly 15 years.
To find one in factory-fresh condition is extraordinary — most were ridden hard, modified, or simply worn out doing what they were designed to do. And with examples like the Munich auction bike surfacing, it’s a reminder that sometimes legends really can be reborn.
Here’s what the UK’s Bike magazine thought of the Yamaha XT500
(click on the image to download pdf)
