In 1985 I tracked down the last available Ninja 600R (about $3,500 total cost) from a dealer in Federal Way, Washington who had one due to a canceled purchase. I think it was Federal Way Cycle Center. Kawasaki made just enough Ninja 600R for racing homologation (3,600 bikes, or so), and most were earmarked by dealers who had a sponsored racer, and most dealers were only allowed one Ninja 600R unless they were a huge dealership, then they might get two Ninja 600R's. I had mine delivered in it's crate to my driveway in Anchorage, AK, and it arrived in the middle of April. Took me about 3 hours to get it all put together. I got radar'd doing 153mph by an Alaska State Trooper on the Glenn Highway in July of 1985, and there was 1500rpm left to go before redline. Trooper only wrote me up for 95mph so I wouldn't lose my license because I actually pulled over and waited for him instead of just outrunning his old Chrysler squad car like most other motorcyclists do (according to him, I was the fastest radar reading he'd ever gotten in his 20 years). Had to see a judge for the ticket, and the judge only charged me for 75mph speeding ticket since the Trooper's handwriting was sloppy.

This one brings back a lot of memories, and yes I was laughing at you trying to find the keys. Standard operating procedure was pull the headlight out of the shell during the uncrating. We used to call those crates "Rodent Ramada Inns", the mice loved to build nests with the gray packing material and usually left the wiring alone on the Yamahas. Those 81 and 82 models usually need a new pilot jet put in them and a good carb cleaning, Yamaha put something in the fuel tank and carbs before they shipped them and it would gum up the carb. Clean the carb and follow the starting instructions in the manual and the SR500 is easy to start. Thanks for the trip back to the 80"s.

Almost everything made in Japan is top quality

This takes me back my dad used to deliver Yamaha motorcycles in Britain and i used to go with him in school holidays and loved every minute of it I didn’t think I’d ever see one of them boxes again

I sold my bikes last year to get ahead and miss riding so much. I really enjoy watching y’all bring these classics back to life. Watching this made me fill that void that needed filled ( riding ). The joy of it firing up! Stay blessed

Among my favorite bikes I’ve owned. I felt like a kid in a candy store watching this get unwrapped and the excitement was nearly unbearable. I had one back in university to ride along the beach to class each morning in San Diego. Living my best life. Loved that bike and the joys of being 21 in a beach town. Thanks for the journey.

Outstanding! Recently I had a Yamaha SR 125 which was 28 years old and never missed a beat, cracking little motorcycle, I’ve now upgraded to something more powerful but will always love the Yamaha SR range, thank you for sharing this video..

I own a 1980 sr500 and love it so seeing a video about one makes me very happy.

Years ago I had a SR 500, a '78. This brings back memories. I learned how to kick start it. I watched someone try to kick start it the wrong way and he never got it running, do it right, it kicked off. You look for the white in the window. And use the white switch under the carburetor to open it up a crack. And for those that do not know, you can only start this bike by kicking it.

I absolutely love these kind of videos. It’s like a blast from the past right out of the box. Absolutely amazing.

I had a '78 model. A tech upgrade copy of a BSA. Complete with the oil in the downtube. Not hard to start. Just push down until the kick stops, pull in the comp release and push down a half strike. It wouldn't throw you over the handlebars, but the kick start would slip off your boot and bruise your ankle and leg. I have to say; from musical instruments, audio equipment, to outboard motors, Yamaha always made top quality stuff.

The Honda video came across my recommended yesterday and I’m absolutely hooked on this channel this guy is awesome he has just enough fun but adds enough history and knowledge in with these beautiful bikes that thing is a thing of beauty I never thought I’d be in the motorcycles this is so cool great content

This is slowly turning into a restoration channel... and I love it

last year I was up in PA spending time with my parents before they passed. I was talking with my brother and he told me about your videos. I finally got into watching your stuff 7 or 8 months ago. Being retired I really don't have the money to ride anymore but I live vicariously through bikes and beards and wheels through time. thank you so much for what you do, god bless.

So satisfying to hear it start!

I had the XT500, same engine. They have a valve lifter you use to get the kick-start easily to tdc prior to starting. Makes it much easier to start.

Really loving these videos lately. You guys are killing it!

I assembled hundreds of Yamaha's in the early 80's, almost all of them needed to have carbs removed and cleaned, surprised this one ran! Thanks for the memories!!!

アメリカでは人気が出なくて、輸出がすぐ終わった貴重なSR500を見れて楽しかったです。日本では2021年までSR400は販売されて愛されましたが、残念な事に排ガス規制により日本国内向けには生産が終わってしまいました。現在はタイでまだ売られているようです。 It was fun to see the precious SR500, which has just finished exporting and has not become popular in the United States. In Japan, the SR400 was sold and loved until 2021, but unfortunately production for the Japanese domestic market has ended due to exhaust gas regulations. It seems that it is still sold in Thailand.

Any Yamaha RX100 Fans here👇👇

Getting to live vicariously through B&B is awesome. Loving the resto projects and can't wait to see Craig's new bike.

That 1996 Honda cbr 900rr in the background brings back serious memories. I loved riding that bike more than any other motorcycle I have ever been on. Only seen that color scheme one other time. Soooo nice.

I had a 1978xt500 and jt was the best most reliable machine I ever owned! My father gifted it to me after he ran kt for twenty years and I put it through another decade of endurance miles lol absolute beast of a bike that I miss with all my heart. This brought back memories. Good memories so thanks!

I bought one of these in 1980 right out of high school. It was my first new vehicle. Everybody was scratching their head at my choice. They just couldn't understand the appeal of a "thumper" and kick start only. It wasn't perfect. But it still holds a special place in my heart and I miss it. You lucky devil!

I ride a SR 500 from 1993 here in France. Don't know why, but i fall in love with this bike. So jealous to see it. What a dream to find this. Beautiful history guys. Enjoy it

Top tip. When removing tape, do it at an acute angle; less likely to pull paint off.

You go right ahead unboxing all of them you can find. They were built to ride and enjoy. You’re absolutely right. You are rescuing these bikes. I only wish I could be there with y’all.

I'm really enjoying your videos, the humor is great and the honesty unsurpassed. Thank you !

Wow, I love the YL1 Twin Jet in the background at 0:40! Reminds me how that was my first bike. Mine came in pieces and had an old locked up engine that was way beyond my repair skills at the time, so it ended up getting a rather crazy motor swap (can't remember what it was I put into it) and was restored by my brother and I. But I love seeing that one in such a nice condition!!

I love these crate bikes from the past. Comes out of the box mint. . This bike is a true gem. Time capsule. Awsome stuff

What a trip back in time for me. I owned a 1981 SR500 , it was the first bike I purchased after passing my test as a 17 year old. The down side after 3 months I had a very bad accident but it never stopped me riding. Fantastic video well done guys.👍

Really nostalgic video for me. It reminds me of the 80´s, when I bought similar SR500 from insurance company. I had to change the frame, fortunately the front fork was ok, the frame had absorbed all the colisionforces. The next surprise was that the engine was full of water. It had been there so short time that new piston rings fixed the problem. Here in Vaasa there was only one place where I could buy Motorcyclist Magazine, the Railway station shop.

Love these episodes, and a brand new sr500 is such an epic find!

That was such a classic Yamaha. I am a huge fan of the old xs650, but the sr500 has a big spot in my heart!

Fantastic!And it's unbelievable a a packed and brand new SR 500 was founded.I'm so happy to hear single piston engine sound!Great job!

Key in the headlight lol. That's a beautiful oldschool bike. The seat reminds me of Evil Keneval's old bike seat.

That’s one beautiful bike! Maybe it’s because I was in my late teens/early 20’s in the 80’s but I’ve always loved the styling of 80’s bikes. Looking forward to seeing what Craig bought.

In the late 80’s, I owned the enduro version of the SR500 (namely the XT500) which was a great bike for beginners. At 16:40 of the video, I literally travelled 35 years back in my own life and remained stuck with a stupid smile on my face for 5 mn just hearing the sound of this single piston 500cc . Thanks to you guys for getting this beautiful piece of art back to life, it must have been a very moving experience . Please continue to make us dream with these unboxing videos!

I wasn't excited about this video untill I saw the model. This is the perfect retro bike to build and own. I am so envious!

I didn't know what to buy my father for Christmass but cosmetics for his honda might make my life easier. Thanks mate!

I love watching every new video you release! I had a bike in 2008 and it was stolen, I have been trying to acquire another bike but kids and family come first. One day I'll get another bike, until then I will continue to live vicariously through Bikes and Beards!

Can't believe the condition of this thing, it's immaculate !! Also Craig, that elastic band hit was a beaut :)

That is a beautiful motorcycle I love the paint & graphics

I love the way you do the un-boxing with respect to the bike..... You guys are awesome.......

I loved this bike, back in '83 the local yammie dealer had them brand new for $1999. I was tempted to buy on the spot but then I went to see what kawasaki had and they sold me a leftover kz550ltd with 3 more cylinders and electric start for the same price. It was a great bike for several years , I rode the wheels off that kawi.

Sean, I bought one of those new 40 years ago. The trick I found to starting it in one kick, was to kick it with choke off and then, quickly just as it starts to pop, put chock on. Was a fun bike to ride.

I love seeing finds like this. Thanks for sharing

Back in the day , the TT500 was also incredibly hard to start ,my mate got a backfire that threw him over the handlebars ,,XR500 had an auto-decompressor ,, Honda was the best then..

I had a 1978 SR500, rode it over 60k trouble free miles. There was a sequence to starting it, not complicated but did need to be followed. The TDC site glass was good for the new owner, but after starting it a few times you never looked at it again. Did a few mods, bassani exhaust, high flow air intake, rejetted carb to to feed high flow intake and exhaust, bike pulled hard, light easy to ride loved it. Most important mod was oil line that fed over head cams and rockers, stock external oil pipe fed intake side only, mod was to add additional oil line to to directly lubricate exhaust side too. Did I mention I really loved that bike.

That bike brings back so many memories, I was a mechanic at a Yamaha shop and was sent out on many house calls to teach customers how to start the bikes.

I worked at City Cycle Sales in Junction City KS from 81-85. We sold Yamahas and Harleys then. Wayne Jaecke is the owner and still is. I was wrenchin in the back with Steve (good guy) and loved the experience. I unpackaged many a bike packed like that. Brings back memories. 82's an up were shipped with a flame retardent in the carbs and tanks. First it jelled and then it crystalized. Was fun tearing down and cleaning, re-synching so many carbs.

What a cool bike. Nice video. Love the editing. Has the feel of a syndicated TV show. Wouldn’t want to ride it from Detroit to Pennsylvania though. lol

My dad would have been so happy to see this, I'm gonna showthis video to my son and show the bygone great Era of these old Jab bikes that me and my dad loved. Thanks so much guys for bringing back this beauty to life

thats a sweet ride, i had one back in the late 80's and can attest if you didnt know the kick sequence you was gonna need a doctor for your ankle lol, the did not have electric starter like honda, but once running they were a fun bike to ride, mine was same color as that one, brings back some memories. Great find. they did well as a café racer in the canyons.

I'm in my 30s but most of my bikes have been classics from the 80s to early 2000s with carburetors and will say that I miss the days of simplicity when it came to motorcycles as it was far easier to take apart and repair than going through really cables within very tight clearances and tons of plastic bits and pins. Heck, my 1985 Kawsaki Ninja 900 was so simple that I could take it apart in a few hours, replace the alternator and get it all back together again once nightfall hit (unless I felt like doing some major wire routing as most of the cabling is standard spaghetti strands wrapped in electrical as was common in that era). My 2017 Z650 is a nightmare to work on in comparison.

Thank you guys for another video, seeing you guys in a new video cheered me up in the ER. Thank you guys for always being great!

Keep up the good work guys thanks for the bike therapy

Great video guys .👍 Brings back many memories as I owned one of these. It was my 1st motorcycle. It took some time to get the hang of starting it though. When I left the dealer (he started it for me) I was afraid to shut it down as I wasn't sure I would get it running again 😅 What a great find!

I had a Honda XR650R kick start only. It had a compression release lever. I took pride in one kick starts. Making it all the more challenging that bike was sky high. Like all older bikes they have a starting ritual, once you figure that out it's cake. Part of the fun of older bikes.

Nice bike, I remember lusting after one of those back in the day! Something about it's pure simplicity, single cylinder, big capacity, light weight, nice handling, nimble and the irresistable cafe racer inspired retro look, that drew me to it like a magnet 🧲 😳👍😁

this brought back memories. I had one of those bikes in the early 80's in the UK. fantastic fun to ride but you could feel the vibration from the big single cylinder.

What a Beautiful Machine. That experience is like a dream. You guys are very lucky!

it was fun to watch! thanks mate

I owned and rode a 1975 RD 350 in my late teens (from around 77 -79). Without question the fastest mode of transportation I have ever been on. Blessed to be alive. Used to run it from Titusville Florida to Daytona Beach and back at speeds varying between 90 and 110, even drafting behind semis in the rain for cover. Howled like a werewolf caught in a meatgrinder but ran as smooth as a sewing machine.

Craig: "What are we doing with acid?" LOL! Love these builds!

This kind of videos is the best I know, great time lokking at you guys, thank you so much for this video 🤩

I had an "81" Yamaha 350 LC. Man did I love that bike! Got to race it in the MRA one year at Woody Creek. That track was So small and short that I was able to smoke guys on KZ 1000's because the LC was so light and nimble and a very quick 2 stroke!

Beautiful bike! It hurts to see you guys take it out of the crate but it's amazingly satisfying that it finally got to be ridden!

Another awesome video, beautiful bike. Will be waiting on the edge of my seat to see what kind of bike Craig bought. Also waiting for Craig to teach Sean that shorts and Crocs, like Trix, are for kids.😁

Man, this is great. Really enjoyed this fellers. Thanks.

I had a 77 tt500. I had so much fun with it. I loved it. Then much later I bought an 80 sr500 at a yard sale. Still have it. I've had many other bikes. Besides my r1100gs, for me the sr, tt or xt are the only bikes I consider as the best. These bikes do it all but mostly the looks just do something to me that no others ever have. And no, I never ever had a problem starting it. The biggest problem is not doing a full stroke on the starter crank and holding it down. Short stroking does not allow the ratchet to work and it will catch and toss you.

It’s always a good thing when they post

Totally nice looking bike and timeless design. Yamaha is awesome in everything they make.

My god what a beautiful little bike. Amazing find and I loved watching it come together and hear that thumper start up!

You didn't know about the compression release lever on the left side of the handle bar under the clutch lever. You use it to cycle the piston to TDC with no compression in the cylinder. It makes it very easy to start the engine, that's why it's there, (read the manual).

When Sean did the hand gesture when we saved this bike from being eaten from the inside. I busted out laughing. Super fun show we need the laugh now a days.

Man, that is one sweet little bike

My first Motorbike what I have in 1978, really good and a real timeslip for me. I have it with drum breaks in the rear and in red/black color. Wow that you find it brandnew after 41 Years. Great Job and greetings from Germany Berlin.

That's a really nice looking bike. Happy for you guys.

It's pretty cool seeing you guys open all these old bikes It's like you're opening a time capsule

How long does it take start to finish to put one of these together?

This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen. Love the content.

I remember in the late 70's my brothers friend brought over this I think exact same bike to my mom's house to show it to my brother. At that time, my brother was riding a RD400. All very classic bikes. Great video!

Agree with others, love these new box barn finds! Also I'm glad you left the chainsaw for non unboxing purposes 😂

probably the best mono 4 stroke bike ever

I had a 1978 Honda Hawk from 1998 until 2015. It worked great.

I had an SR 500. Very fun. A refined BSA 441 Victor. It wasn't hard to start. Mine had a little peep hole to line up TDC. You could avoid getting kicked back by the kick start and you didn't need to tighten all the nuts and bolts before each ride.

Damn love your work and both of you..great work

I wish I knew about this bike before you fine gentleman bought it. I have been looking for a bike for a while, and this hidden gem would make a great one. If I could get it started.

I always wanted this SR 400 Yamaha SINGLE BIKE its the most all around just ride and smile bike ever. The SR 400 absolutely rocks for all sorts of riding in rural areas just to have fun.

"probably out of date" I bought a 1997 vulcan 500 with 1950 miles on it in 2017 and it had original tires and tubes and I rode it on the road until the tires were worn out. I never had a blow out LOL. Not saying you should ever do this but it worked out OK.

Honestly must say was not expecting a clip from Galactica 80 in my vintage bike unboxing video.

I had an 81 yamaha exciter 185 that only had 300 miles on it when I bought it. One of the best little bikes I've ever owned.

I had an XT 500 with that engine. You soon get the trick to starting it. They were a really nice package, barely 300 lbs fueled up. Nimble. Straddling the seat helps you kick it properly.

You guy should buy a Yamaha Daytona 400 ! if its stil available in Japan because i used ride it once and its the awesome bike in the late 80s !!

In 1986 I bought a brand new 1981 SR 500 from Rick Case in Columbus Ohio. I’d had a lot of bikes before this bike, but this little bike stole my heart. I loved it! Once you learn the sequence to starting it, it’s easy and it’s a huge theft deterrent. I called my little bike ‘putter putter’ because when it idled it said ‘putter putter putter putter.’ I lived in Ireland in the early 1980s and rode with a large group of bikers to the North West 200 bike race. I was riding a BMW R100RS at the time and we had an SR 500 with us all day. I just fell in love with the lines and the simplicity of the bike. When I found out I could but a brand new SR 500, I couldn’t resist. It was identical to this silver SR 500. It was my only method of transportation for two years and I enjoyed every minute of it. Even in rain and snow. I gave the SR 500 to my brother, thinking he would appreciate it, but he let it rust and deteriorate. Something I’ve always regretted. Definitely NOT a bike for long trips, but a total blast for short commutes. It was a wide as a trials bike. There was no gap it couldn’t squeeze through. I’ve looked for another one, but any I’ve found have been trashed or some amateur effort to create a cafe racer. It brought back so many wonderful memories of ‘putter putter.’ Thanks for the great memories.

I started on something like this, an ‘82 Yamaha Seca XS400 six speed. Bought it in 2003 with only 5k miles on it. That was a great little bike.

They riding 41 years old motorcycle with 41 years old engine Oil 💀💀💀💀

Dammit guys you have the best job in the world... 💪

Wow! Love that blue Caddy!!