We all have family heirlooms that have been passed down from generation to generation. Like expensive silverware, bone china plates, antique furniture and the most precious of all ? motorcycles. We love a good story about a bike being in the family for decades and this is one of those tales. From as young as five years old, Jerrett Bellamy from Ontario, Canada, has been riding this exact Yamaha XT500 with his dad. ?He made up some foot pegs that would clamp onto the frame so I could ride in front of him,? recalls Jerrett. ?I can remember riding with him hanging onto the handlebar and us popping little wheelies.?
Jerrett and his mum with his dad’s XT500.
Jerrett?s dad ended up selling the bike to a local guy where it sat for 20 years in his shed. As luck would have it, his dad started working with the guy that had the bike. ?We asked to buy it back a few times but the owner wanted to restore it. A couple of years later the owner told my dad and I to stop by and check it out. We pulled it out of his back shed where it had sat for 20 years or so. He pulled out the ownership, signed it, and gave the bike back to us for free!?
As soon as the XT500 made its way back into the family, Jerrett?s dad rebuilt the engine, then Jerrett tore into it to make it his own. The build was named ?Project X-Tracker? and was inspired by his history of riding and racing Flat Track, Supermoto, Off-road and BMX. ?The goal was to mix modern performance with the original vintage styling to mai...