A Yamaha XT500 Built To Blast Through Swedish Forests
Despite the long winter nights and unforgiving climate, Sweden has a thriving custom industry. It?s what we?d call an ?underground chopper? scene?with the most famous graduate being BMW designer Ola Stenegärd.
But there?s a new wave of modern alt-moto builders coming through, and at the forefront is the small Stockholm shop 6/5/4 Motors. Their bikes are beautifully finished and fun to ride?like this thoroughly revamped Yamaha XT500.
?The XT500 is one of our favorite old school bikes,? says 6/5/4 co-founder Johan. ?Even in stock form, it?s a really cool looking motorcycle.?
So the lads bought themselves an XT500, intending to use it as a weekend shredder in the forests around Stockholm. But they couldn’t keep their dirty hands off it?and soon the first mod was done.
And as we all know, once that line is crossed, there?s no turning back. ?We decided to keep it as an ?in-between-projects project? and work on it when we needed a break from the other builds.”
?That?s why it basically took us forever to complete.?
Johan and the crew wanted to keep the original spirit of the bike, but push it in a more contemporary direction?with some minor geometrical facelifts, and a weight reduction program.
?We wanted to make it look snappier and more virile. And make it run as well as it looks.?
Production of the XT500 ended in 1981, so the engine was due for a thorough overhaul. It?s also been fitted with a SuperTrapp muffler, and a foam Uni filter in place of the ...
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