About my “Almost broken ankle”. I actually was kickstarting a XT600 I had and it kicked back. I was launched from the bike and had to go to the Doc. Apparently my ankle was dislocated (didn’t know that was a thing) but I lucked out and it didn’t break. I learned the hard way about kicking big bikes without knowing the process. 😁

I purchased a new 1981 Yamaha XT-500 when I turned 18, and I lived in the Mojave Desert at the time..........it doesn't get any better than that. Thanks for the memories!

Old bikes are so much more fun to ride than the new bikes. The new bikes have great features and handle good, are fast and reliable but they are too tall, and an old bike will out corner them every time. The old bikes are more reliable than you would think, don't really handle bad as long as you don't override the suspension and leave you with a smile every time you ride.

Great video! The XT500 was actually the first bike I ever owned. I bought it used in the summer of 1991, two months before my driving license was issued. My first and most probably biggest motorcycle love, my freedom machine!

I really appreciate the effort that went in this Isaac! Fantastic review of the XT500 🙌

Glad to see an old tail bike still being used as a trail bike not a toy to take out on vintage motorcycles club

My dude I love this SO much! Make more make more!

Nice description of this golden oldie That was my thumper back in the late 90s. Only good memories, I would love one again

Hey Isaac, thanks for your video. I have an old 1980 XT500 in my shed that I have pulled apart to restore it years ago. Your video has inspired me to get it finished.

Love the fun and humorous attitude of this video review and that it is still highly informative! And as always, amazing job on the filming and shot layouts 🤙🏻

Such a rad video. I love seeing the progression and the passion you put into these videos over the days. I am really excited to see how your new bike turns out. Keep it up Isaac. 🤘🏽

Photo + Video + Motocycles = How could I say no to a subscribe?! Love your creativity and you are making me want to get a motorcycle again!

Amazing job! I had little interest in motorcycles but now... thanks for creating these small little videos! Great quality and content as always.

Won my first enduro trophy on a '76 Xt in 1985, these bike have true character like nothing else. Great vid.👍

Really great video, super creative. You can tell a lot of effort went into making it

Just awesome! love the vid& cool shots, presentation & fun (plus some fail) so cool ! Luv my XT500

Great video Isaac! I have a '77 XT500 and I don't think I really ever want to get rid of it. Such a unique and fun old machine! And they have quite the following.

Had a Yamaha 77 XT 500 Enduro LOVED that bike! Mine had a compression release lever to prevent that kick back. and made it super easy to kick over. Had a few times I didn't time it right and my foot slipped off and the kick starter would hit me in the back of the heal. Talk about indescribable pain! LOL . Everything you talked about owning one, such as the vibration, stopping power with 2 riders, the low end grunt, you could go anywhere , the cool factor was EXACTLY what I discovered on my own when I owned one. THANK YOU for bringing me down memory lane! GREAT MEMORIES!

We grew up on these bikes. Triggered our continued love of all things biking for the last forty years. Retro is soooo cool

Great humor in the vid! Also so beautifully shot Issac 👌🏻

So underrated!! This is the kind of thing I’d expect from a seasoned motorbike KZfaqr; keep it up man!!

great video I am getting into older gear more and more.. keep up the good work

Alright I need one!! Good work man. Beautifully shot as well.

Isaac you have the best XT 500 vid here..............man its beautiful !, I had one back in the day in England.........I LOVED IT ! I now have an XT225 little brother, still good fun....gimme a chance to get another XT 500, thank Sir showing this machines true potential

Maaaan. The quality of your audio and videos deserve sooooo many more views. You've more than earned my subscription.

So sick. Love it Isaac, keep making more!

Loved it! Can’t wait for more videos on your channel

I'm loving your video! Made me change my mind about older bike

Good video man, appreciate your work !!

Great Video, I just picked up a 78 for $1600 yesterday (Very cheap for the south). After getting it home and going through it to make sure it wasn't a death trap I took it for a ride, Smiles for miles!!

„It makes you feel cool“…. you are so right. Driving my 83 xt550 is one of the best things to do.

Super cool video man, watching in Australia 🤙🏼

Beautiful, nice work, Isaac!

Aw man - that was sick. Favorite shot was the mega shaky one where he’s tracking you on the stone road. But that drone shot at the end was majorly awesome too. Crushed this.

Would love to see more videos as well made as this. Cool style. Sweet bike.

I do envy you with all that open space to ride...man what a smile it must give you.

Such a fun video! You’re making it awfully tempting for me to pick up a bike of my own

Awesome vid, I've never owned an XT 500 but I think they're the coolest of bikes. Some guy in Germany did an engine upgrade from 500 to 700cc... would be cool to do and retrofit discs 🙂

I've had my XT since 1995. They are exactly what you said. Makes you smile & feel in a good mood when you're riding it.

Make so many more of these. So fun!!

I love seeing MT featured in your content!

I'm for sure buying a new bike after watching this. love the vid and your channel!

Nice work Isaac!!

So killer man! Forrest, Alex, Rod Trevino, and yourself need to get a bike trip lined up and document the whole thing. Would be absolutely epic!

That bike is so clean 😩🙌 the camera work was awesome too!

Love the video.Makes me want to ride.Very classy bike.Your right this bike fits in anywhere.

I've owned my 1980 XT500 for 38 years. I've currently got it in my shop going all through it and trying to get it looking back to like it did when I bought it. I've owned quite a few bikes, but this is the one I will never let go of, and it's been the most fun to ride out of everything I've owned. And it's interesting, because it get's a lot of attention, even when you pull up next to a group of cruisers. This bike just has that "cool factor" that oozes from it. Thanks for the video. The XT500 is a BEAST!

Cool choice of bike. Happy riderings...

I agree. I remember when those came out, love at first sight.

Brilliant video, Im not at all interesting in motorbikes but was still an enjoyable and interesting video to watch. Keep it up!

Awesome video! Lovely area too!

Great video and a great bike!

Holy smokes! In all honesty, I am now sold and looking into finding one of these. Loved this video Isaac!

I hear ya bro i have a 1974 Suzuki TS 185 enduro love it runs and rides great 47 years old so cool

Interesting. I have that of 1983 and a) it does smoke at start but only after a long sleep, and it does not burn oil; b) it does kick you back once in a while. I found myself on my back on the left side of the bike - I was wearing boots. I take this as a sign of gratitude for the love and care that I gave to her

Nice bike, nice shots 👍 The XT is definitely a keeper :)

I've been thinking about getting a motorcycle, and this just put it over the top. So stoked to get out on two wheels now. 🤘

I know this is a 3yr old vid, but l am about to enter the XT world. Today l am picking up, for free, a 1979 model, west Texas "barn bike". Actually a goat pen bike. I checked and it does have compression so it should run. Looking forward to this very much, although l probably won't keep the bike. Enjoyed your take on this beast classic.

lovely video, scenic as the day is long, do a daily Dakar to work, Edenvale to Sandton, as much offroad as possible, the traffic, she wish she had an XT to go go.

Brap Braaappppp!!! This video is killer man. I'm not up for the maintenance but i'd love to have an old-school bike. Do you have to pop the clutch to wheelie or can you just pull it up?

Wow! Nice video, just rebuilt the Yamaha SR500 to a Scrambler and this makes me want to try it on a dusty gravel road NOW! Please snow go away!

Thoroughly enjoyed this

I’m lucky to have one of each, a 79xt that I picked up for 1k on the NY/Canadian border in a snowstorm, I actually stuffed it backwards somehow into the boot of my ford escort and took it home dangling out the back with a bungee strap. My 76 tt I picked up for $60 in a box of bits and a frame, a few bits of eBay and away it went, raced it in the vintage Mx and won a bunch of trophies, I often ride the xt around our village with my girlfriend on the back and have it road legal, some scumbag even tried to steal it the other day while I was in big lots but he couldn’t manage to lift it onto his truck lol

i had the road version in Japan, the SR. Loved it. I loved the straight line vibe acceleration. These bikes, mostly the destroked 400s, were the foundation of the whole J-cafe/tracker scene in the '80s and '90s. Inspired Kawasaki to produce the legendary (but unknown outside Japan and SE Asia) Estrella and w650 which later got Triumph going again with their Bonnevilles and the whole Euro-retro-cafe thing. I remember the pressure release valve lever that required special attention when kick-starting. THese Yamahas could be bitches to kick start too!

Very nice bike indeed. They are pretty rare in Ireland these days, still hold serious value though. $1,100! Now that's a steal. Subbed and ride safe.

I rebuilt a 76 model a few years ago, love it, they are a timeless design. Has it's flaws but I can forgive it for it's fabulous engine and great looks!

That Was Pretty Good Man, You're Lucky! Is That Like The Bike Lyle Swann Rode In, 'Timerider'?

I wish you could still find them for that price. In so cal these are going for 3K---6K range. killer looking bike. great video thanks!!!!

What is nice about the 500, parts are everywhere, upgrades are everywhere, they will run and run compared to modern bikes. Some old school machines are just better than new.

I had a 81 TT500 import from the States. Made it road legal and absolutely loved it on the UK roads. Havent to this day heard a more epic sounding bike.

So inspiring! This made me want to buy a motorcycle!

I just bought the same exact bike! Already have a TT500 that Im using for flat track. So awsome! I need to know, what mountain range is that your on at the end of the video?

had the bike for 30+ years, absolutely reliable, no electronics, just pure mechanic, it will never leave u alone

Awesome looking bike. Love XTs!!

Sick editing bro

Awesome video! Gave me a few laughs along the way. You sold me, I’m going to get a bike for the mountain. Looks like so much fun. 🤘🏼

I owned a '79 XT-500 Enduro, back in the early to mid. '80's. Looked almost exactly like this one, but mine came with a Supertrapp muffler, and a few deep dents in that aluminum gas tank. Later, I bought a NOS gas tank from a local Yamaha Dealer. Apparently, it sat on an upper shelf forever, collecting dust, lol! Got a great deal on it! Paid $25. It was a steel tank, white, with black and red graphics. About the window/decomp. lever; I usually got kickbacks when performing "the drill." Instead, I brought it to TDC on compression stroke, had kickstarter at very top of its travel, then gave a healthy kick. This method worked better for me! After awhile, was comfortable kicking it over wearing rubber slippers, lol! Couple times, got a kickback, sent the slipper skywards, about half a lampost high, lol! Miss that Thumper!

Dude I had one of these back in the day! Yes the kick back can hurt your foot! I put a pair of Mulholland shocks and a super trap....lots of fun!

Love the content! 🤙 Also wish I had mountains where I lived, and also a bike to explore them on 😂

Super stoked about this bike, looking for one. It has more then doubled the price in last three years! Looks like i have to stay only with my Kawasaki kl 250 a 1979

Great beast..had a 77 and a 79 in those years..I'm back on a 77 like the one I had at 17..enjoy Thumperians

I’ve got an 81 ive had since 98 when i was in 9th grade. Ive got a road glide, softail, ninja and my xt is still my favorite bike to ride.

Never got so excited from a motorcycle video! :0

Picked up an XT 350 recently (88 model), having a blast with it!

Excellent video!

That was the first new vehicle I bought. Was in Hawaii and I loved it. Someone else loved it too and stole it.

I love the xt500 bought one new in 78 and 80..love them so much I've bought another last week..great Enduro torque??? Lots

Great vid man 🤙🏽

Slick man!! Subscribed.

Nicely done. They don’t make them like they used to 👍🏻

Making me miss my '84 XT250. Kick only and my first bike. Lots of ether went into that one but I miss it

I gotta say an old bike is the best! My 77 dt250 is a tank and I trust it more than my car to be honest. And the sound of a cold start and the feeling of dirt under your tires is unmatched. Old bikes forever babey

Awesome video!

I don’t know why people don’t watch your channel more haha. It’s just good fun.

super vid,i love my 79`too,but around here you spend a lot more than 1100.- on one of those,they start at maybe 2000.- to up to 10 000.- for the really good ones...they are icon`s in motorbike history worldwide...

As an ex owner of 13 years xt 550 thumper beat is close to heart beat that's why we love them. Plus low maintenance and for me living 6 months a year on an island was the best thing.

I commented a few weeks back about getting one for free. I did, it's an '80 model, built in May of '79 and it runs great. Since then l have found another and purchased it for $100. It's a 1978 model in almost all original condition. Pretty nice 45 year old bike. From what l have read it should have CDI but it has points ignition. Paint is Crystal Silver and clearcoat Aluminum.

amazing video!!! I love the XT500 but in my country they cost more than a freaking harley 1200!!! :'( what's the first song you used in this video? i was here rocking while lookong at you doing wheelies haha! cheers mate!

When I was a teenager in France, it was my best bike ever for trail, and mythical Paris Dakar bike for ever used stock in this race with just a bigger tank. I bought one 2 years ago in Canada one from 1976 full original and first owner, it's my new milf......How easy it's to use it and mechanize.....Buy one with out any hesitation !!!

Great vid