North Star

If we had a dollar for every story we’ve heard about the Yamaha XT500 we could probably buy this bike back. Tales of adventure and her wiley sister, misadventure. Of duct tape and zip tie repairs. Of broken ankles, nostalgia and running out of skill - we’ve heard it all. Love for the iconic 500 single runs deep through the motorcycle community and the owner of this particular build, Fred North. Jeremy and Fred went back and forth on how to craft the ultimate XT500 tribute and eventually asked themselves, what would the 500 look like if it was released today? How would it perform? From there, the North Star began to take shape.

The first task Jeremy tackled was getting the chassis to handle like it had just rolled off the showroom floor. A set of brand new WR450F forks were sourced for the front and an alloy swing arm from a KLX250 for the rear. The forks were DLC coated, anodized, shortened, re-sprung

and valved by shock treatment then grafted to the frame with a set of custom CNC clamps machined with the same offset as stock. Tracker fatbars were mated to the clamps with Rizoma clamps. The swingarm was machined and spaced to accept the XT’s new custom YSS hi/lo piggyback shocks and chain alignment. 

With the frame now sprung, the next step was to get it rolling on some hoops. Hahn billet hubs matched to Buchanan's rims were a perfect fit. Jeremy opted for cush drive in the rear for a better riding experience. The hubs and rims were then sent off for anodising to match the original XT500 colours, then both wrapped in flat track tyres. Drums were fine in 1981, but simply won't do forty odd years later. Hydraulic front and rear brake conversions from the same WR450F were persuaded into position.

With reliable performance being front of mind, Jeremy set to work building a bulletproof engine package following a tried and tested recipe from thumper guru Carl Batey of Cafe Racer - keep up if you can! High compression piston mated to a balanced crank. Oversized valves with heavy duty valve springs and retainers, ported and flowed head, custom ground camshaft, high flow oil pump and oil cooler. The airbox was retained but breathes easier through a K&N filter and slotted airbox cover. A Keihin FCR 39 carb makes use of the extra air and a custom header pipe mated to an SC project silencer allows it to escape again. Rex's Speed Shop supplied a rewound SR500 stator, flywheel, digital ignition and 12V conversion, which is what allows us to run the Xstart electric start kit on this bike.

Not wanting to stray too far away from the original styling of the XT, Jeremy kept the original body work. The tail loop was brought forward 1.5 inches and the rear fender re-positioned for a more aggressive look. A custom seat base was built around the new tail with the profile tapering towards the rear, covered in alcantara and perforated black vinyl contrasted with a subtle red stitch. The front fender was shortened and a JVB headlight shroud was modified to fit the front end of the 500. Analogue speedos, switch blocks and lighting were the next to be hauled into the twenty first century. The North Star was treated to a whole catalogue of top shelf parts. Motogadget Motoscope Tiny speedometer is now recessed in the top clamp. Kozo Thunderbolt headlight is nestled in the JVB Headlight surround. Kellermann Atto blinkers illuminate each 4 corners - all of which is controlled by a Motogadget mo.Switch Pro on the handlebars. The last trick piece of kit is the Motogadget mo.lock FOB that replaces the ignition switch.

Last but not least was a fresh lick of paint. The tank was sent off for a fresh polish before receiving new (but not new) paint and the swingarm got a mirror like polish through the centre. The rest of the fenders, side covers, frame and fiddly bits all finished in solid black. On paper the North Star was a year and a half in the making but this build really began decades ago when Yamaha rolled the first 500 off the line. We were thrilled to collaborate with Fred to make this classic new again.