Tx500, just bought it, not a xs650, value?

cafetools

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I just paid $150 for this. I realize that is a good deal even though the engine is seized.

However is there a good following with this bike? How does it compare value wise verses the xs650, and cb / cl 350s?

Is there anything that I should know before hand?
 

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Yeah... parts are almost non-existant.... and the balance shaft and chains tended to eat themselves.... and took the crank with 'em if I remember correctly.
 
Cafetools, that 500 would be a difficult restoration.
How does it compare value wise verses the xs650
Value wise if it were low mileage and original like, it would possibly sell to a collector. As a rider, which we know you are, I think it won't impress near as much as an XS650.. but for $150 bucks I see plenty of ways to have fun with it, like take it apart ! See what's in there.
;)
 
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Yeah... parts are almost non-existant.... and the balance shaft and chains tended to eat themselves.... and took the crank with 'em if I remember correctly.

Ok, why are parts hard to find? Not as much of a following? Is this motor a lot worse than the 650? Is the xs650 a much better bike to begin with?

Cafetools, that 500 would be a difficult restoration.

Value wise if it were low mileage and original like it would possibly sell go a collector. As a rider, which we know you are, I think it won't impress near as much as an XS650.. but for $150 bucks I see plenty of ways to have fun with it, like take it apart ! See what's in there.
;)

Why would it be a difficult restoration? Because of the condition and rust? Is it worth it?

It looks a lot like the xs650. Someone said it has a oil cooler true?
 
Ok, why are parts hard to find?
They were only made for 5 yrs and sales were never very high. There's not much following because there's not that many out there.... and aftermarket support is almost non-existent. About all ya got for parts is Ebay
 
They were built for what, 3 years? And not in XS650 quantities even in those years.
Were somewhat known for cracked heads, fixed/changed in 75?
650 twins are a displacement sweet spot. British makers didn't do as well with 500's either.
IMHO Find out what the issues are before spending any money. I've sold on bikes that weren't a good deal in the harsh light of day. so it's not just a snide comment. Getting back out of this bike now may be your best option. Otherwise you really need to find another one that's in better shape or more complete.
 
Nada values it at $3400 in excellent condition. It does look pretty rough, but if you put the work into it you can do anything. Just don’t expect to get rich off it and think more of it as a hobby.
 
I feel like it would look amazing with making a cafe racer out of it. Very similar to a xs50. I feel like the 500cc size is great for a twin. It's got more heft than the very popular cb350 type bikes that people love.
 
I remember looking at several of these in the attic of my Yamaha dealer. They didn't even want to talk about them. Bikes that Yamaha traded for other models after endless repairs. The Keihin carbs were total pieces of crap and later models had 38mm Mikuni carbs.
About all they had to say is that they didn't like the heat in Houston. The drive chain for the balance shaft was impossible to adjust without major disassembly and destroyed quite a few of them. The biggest problem was they weighed almost as much as a 650. In the show room next to the RD350 it was a hard sell.

I seem to remember that you could remove the chain for the balancer.

Chassis parts should be somewhat easy to find. A lot of sharing with other models. Internal engine parts not so much.
 
On the other hand the gas cap alone is worth the $150. That cap is the same as the TX650 and was only produced for a couple of years. Really hard to find.

It is possibly one of the rarest of the the 1970's Yamahas. Pull the engine and see what is going on in it. If it is somewhat intact you would have a nice conversation piece.

Keep us posted.
 
When I was in engineering school in the 70s, there were a bunch of us with bikes. I had a ‘75 XS650B and there was an XS500 and a TX750 - along with usual Hondas plus a gaggle of ring-dings (an H1, and one or two RD350 / 400s plus a Suzuki GT550).

We used to drag race up University Ave at Queen’s and while I couldn’t stay with the two-strokes, the CB360s were mine and I could beat both of the Yamahas (the 500 and the 750). Those “new-tech” counter balanced 8-valve 500 and 750s were simply not very powerful and they sure had trouble staying together.

Sorry, but there IS a reason for the shortage of parts.
 
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But you aren't going to find one just like it parked next to you.
And look at what Edsels go for now.

VERY true that!

In fact, there is a nice purple one in my local CVMG chapter and it runs very nicely. I guess my key concern about the OPs bike is the seized engine and the availability of parts. I think I'd spend an afternoon trying to free it up before spending a lot of time and money on the rest of the bike.
 
I can't remember if it was the 750 or the 500 that a lot of the problems were caused by the balance shaft frothing up the oil. If it does have a oil cooler I would put a larger one on it.
 
I think that was the TX750 which really was a difficult machine. The 500 was simply heavy and a bit gutless plus it had that head cracking problem and was difficult to service which led to people NOT doing the work and that invariably leads to unreliable operation.
 
I can't remember if it was the 750 or the 500 that a lot of the problems were caused by the balance shaft frothing up the oil. If it does have a oil cooler I would put a larger one on it.

It was the 750, those issues were eventually addressed, but too late to save the model.

Back in the mid 70’s I went to a dealer showroom to buy a 500. For me I was trying to decide between the TX500 and the XT500 enduro. The enduro won out because I was still young and grew up on dirt bikes and it just felt more familiar.
 
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