🤦♂️That's your problem you're in the UK! That place is trash. They are the individuals who created majority of the problems that we are currently going through today if you have to go back to the history of the Vatican then the king and queen of England who oversee all of the legal issues in London then you will see who created majority of these issues in America due to the fact that Spain had the Monopoly on America in the 15th and 16th century so that's when Queen Elizabeth would set out for her the hundred year plan for America for the USAand that was only due to the fact that America had a lot of commodities and everyone wanted to get their hands on these commodities such as "gold" "silver" and "copper" so the kings and queens could feel their greedy needs of their Royal missions and conquest to rule the oceans and all of the lands not only in the UK but all around the world and that's currently being done as we speak! So before you go speaking you need to go learn your history never blame America or United States you have to go back to the original source of the problem and the individuals who created the problem that would be our people your people in the UK and all around the now!👍
I’m not an expert by any means on the Marvel Characters or the movies, so this is a question; I thought he rode a HD? I must not be thinking of the right thing, or even know about Alpha Flight correctly. Thanks for anyone who can clear this up for me.
I raced the ‘83 YZ490 for a year, almost every weekend, in FL. That sound is so familiar and you’ve done an amazing job with the restoration. I know that bike really well. The 4 speed was fine for motocross. The kick starter was a bad design and I sheared the return spring 3 or 4 times. The motor is very reliable, will rev to the moon, and can crush an ‘83 CR480 to the first turn. But when you get there, you won’t be able to turn, so the Honda will end up going inside you unless you are a pro. The fork was a little undersprung, but not bad otherwise. The rear end, like most Yamahas of that era, will swap occasionally, like it has too little high speed rebound damping. Thanks for sharing. Brought back a lot of memories. Although I won quite a few races in the YZ, it felt like a struggle. Like it was a love/hate relationship. My memory was that the CR480 wasn’t as fast, but easier to ride. It had some head shake, but turned a lot easier. Maybe the most overlooked, but perhaps the best of 83 was the RM. my buddy always brought 2 to the track, and I ended up racing one in Moto 2, when the top triple clamp failed on my YZ. We were young and strong and could break open class 2 strokes. Now they would eat me alive. Anyway, pulled the RM off the trailer, and rode it to the starting gate. Having never ridden one, I could believe how well it handled. Turned like the Honda without the head shake.
Me too. Had the 82 490 when I went in the army. Fast forward to 2020 I picked up an ultra clean 83 IT 250 in amazing condition. Funny they go on about XR600r. I'm putting the finishing touches on a 97 into dualsport bike.
I had an 82 rode it for 9 yrs. Best bike I owned, when bike is warmed up full throttle it would start. Bosch single platinum plug can't foul it toyota supra plug, forged piston,Barnett Kevlar clutch plates
As a kid, I remember seeing these in the Yamaha dealership showroom back in the day, drooling over them. Those gold rims were over the top! Beautiful bike.
I had the exact same bike when I was fourteen. As good of condition as this one but my tank graphics were gone. I have no idea what was going through my parents minds when they bought that for a fourteen year old kid. I'm 40 now and watching this brings back alot of fun memories.
All of the 80s era big bores were badass! Loved those years of the 490s 82 and 83! Remember em well, my hands are going numb and growing blisters as I type.
i am glad i saw this i have got a yz 1983 non water cooled 490 i bought in california back in 1984 raced it twice hurt me twice but i never had the heart to get rid of it . but now i would like to put engine in a off road go cart or buggy. thank you for your program.
My generation... so love those late 70s- early 80s Yamahas. There was a lot going on in a short period of time. Honda, Kaw, all of them. I want to own one of everything.....🤯🤯
Man I absolutely LOVE your channel! Seeing that beautiful lush green grass and the YZ490 brings back nostalgic memories of growing up in Michigan, when I was around 14 years old my neighbor had a YZ490 that looked exactly like that, so I'm thinking it was probably an 83. I was obsessed with three wheelers and dirt bikes. I got my first dirt bike then when I was 14, in 1986, it was an old 1980 Yamaha IT 175. Now I'm 48 living in Houston and I wanna get a couple of bikes so my son and I can get into riding. God bless!
I just bought my first yamaha yz250 2 stroke, and it's crazy fun. I can't wait to work my way up to a 500. The hardest I've ever rode is a 450 atv. And that was crazy fun. This 490 is super sweet. The sound is just iconic!
You're videos are like a time machine for me. My buddy bought the same YZ490 at a rummage sale for $100.00. It was in boxes. One day sitting in the barn I said let's put that thing together. It wasn't the prettiest bike but it sure had balls!!!. He eventually wrecked on the river ice racing. We moved on. CR 500 RULES the ice now!!!
Living the dream my fellow patriots! My hat is off to you gentlemen,, standing ovation. My MX machines were 1979, 80, 82 KX 250s. They were beautiful as well. The tune “ Rise “ 1979 Herb Alpert . I don’t ever want to come down.
I had the 82 yz 125 and I wanted this 490 so so so bad...never got one. But all they ever talk about are the two 500s, the cr and kx, but hardly see stuff on these 490s and I loved them. Awesome video, awesome restoration!
I had the earlier 1977 YZ400 with the early edition mono shock. Sold that open class and bought my first brand new open class in 1983 which was a Honda CR480r. I raced enduro races and mx as well but mostly enduro all through the 80's and will never forget it. I probably miss my old Yamaha 82 model IT250K model the most as I raced it for years in enduro. The good old Yamaha Energy Induction System,,aka,,boost bottle from the factory..lol..It was a great bike. I've owned many and started riding in 1974 on a Honda SL70,,good times and I still ride on/off road to this day on a KTM690 enduro R. So much fun and good times had over the years.
Awesome video man I remember all those old bikes. My first bike was an old RM 80 fat seat. I went all over northern Michigan power line trails with that thing. All my friends had bikes of various sizes. Was fun times back then man.
@@BigDmike24 mine was a 1977/8 model was tiny bike but was quick for a kid my age/size back then. My brother bought an yz for his son long time ago and it was taller and faster then the older bikes of the 70/80s styles. FUN TIMES THEN.
I’m 56 and always favored Yamaha too. I’m 56 and still have a ‘82 XT 550. 7500 miles. I want to make it a TT 600 but it too has supertrap header and piping
That is one mint, well kept and well restored big bore that barks like one of your big rottweiler guard dogs, I saw in a video, a while back. Gorgeous and sweet, very loyal, and family oriented guard dog. The Germans were genius for breeding rottweilers years ago.
I own the exact model YZ 490, a 83 K model. It hasnt been out of my shed in over 25 years and looks rather sad. I bought it in 1985, it was built for the Finke Desert race. It is THE FASTEST dirt bike ive ever ridden. The motor was sent to the US from here in West Australia to do what was needed to squeeze out every single hp out of it, no expense spared. Mainly port and head work but a whole lot of other stuff as well including a balance and xray of all internals. All the gear set are of an aftermarket brand to handle the extra grunt. When i first rode it, it. Felt really gutless, no bottom end power at all and bugger all mid range. I rode it like that for about two minutes and it fouled the plug. Pushed it back to the owners house and he told me ya gotta let it sing and give it some stick. Cleaned the plug and off i went again. It was in the middle of suburbia so i let it wind out a bit then all of a sudden around six thousand rpm it hopped on the pipe and took off. The front wheel shot skywards and it just about ripped my arms outta their sockets. That happened at around 60 mph. It was geared to do around 120 mph flat out. The back sprocket was about the size of the hub. It had the power delivery characteristics of a little YZ 80 but in the quantities of a 600. I took it back to the owner and gave him the cash. I had to have it hook or by crook. Didnt haggle over the price at all. He wanted to keep both side plates and number plate on the front. No probs, took em off and loaded it on the back of my ute and took off before he changed his mind. When i got it home i started to look closely at what it was all about and what else had been done. It had a set of Marzorchi forks which gave 13 inches of travel, very very plush but unbottomable. And either a Fox or Whitepower back shock on it which gave nearly 14 inches of travel. Again very plush for the first six or seven inches then it would slowly stiffen up. Nothing like the original feel on that model 490. It had some different type of linkage setup than the normal. It was the smoothest riding off rode bike ive ridden. Absolutely no vibration through the bars or pegs at any revs. I had a 250 wheel with a near new 44 tooth alluminium sprocket and a reasonable Pirelli tyre on it from another YZ i had so i swapped them over and had to shim the axle to fit . Started her up and first gear became that low you could pull a loaded semi with it. Second was like a normal first, third was like second and fourth was normal fourth. The aftermarket gearset was matched to the final top speed. Top gear power starts where no prob at all if ya could keep the front wheel down. I wouldnt say it was the best handling bike iv ridden, but it was surely the smoothest. You could hit a series of water ruts and not even feel them or launch off a fifteen foot verticle drop and still not bottom either end out. I owned an 83 RD model CR 480 at the same time which i still have also and they were completely opposite to each other. The 480 would pull like a freight train right from idle but ran outta revs at around 7000. Thats gettin near where the 490 would hit powerband and take off. The 480 was much much more forgiving, the 490 was all or nothing. No inbetween whatsoever. The 480 looked brand new, the 490 looked like it had been flipped many times. Two of my mates rode it and both of them flipped it in the first ten minutes. One of em skinned nearly all of his back when it buck him off at around 65 mph on hard limestone. It snapped all of the back subframe off as well as the seat and mangled the handlebars too. Lol. Might be gettin time to wheel her out and do a rebuild , but itll need alot of work and money. Im nearly done rebuilding the 480 again and it dont take long for the $$$$ to mount up. All the plStics have been sanded and polished to better than new but i wanna put a new set of mains, piston, rings etc just because. Even after hundred of hours hard riding the piston, rings and bore look like new with abso no wear at all. Always ran R 30 in it, maybe thats why. I wish you could still get it. I bought two twenty litre drums of it about 20 years ago and have now run out.😩🤬. Love ya vid once again and that is a beautiful bike id give my left nut to own. If it were mine id never sell it, just pass it on to the next gen of kin when ya ready for the clover. Thanx again for the vid. Id love to see it on the track chewing up those four pokes. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
If you're interested in selling that yz490 I would be interested in buying it call or text me 860-916-9784. This is Ken Senior the guy in the video riding the bike
KAPLAN AMERICA You will have first pick at it mate if i do wanna flog it off. Im on the West coast of Australia though and the shipping or airfreight might sting you a bit. Youd know better than me though. Im nearly done rebiulding m 480, every single bit of alloy has been polished, swingarm,all the shock linkages, shock, forks, kickstart, brake levers front n rear and in between, gearshift, fork clamps,engine mounts and stays. Wish i had a $ for every hour iv spent rubbing with sandpaper then polishing with Purple. Its the best polish ever made for any grade of alluminium. Makes alloy look like chrome. Anyone doing up a bike has to buy a bottle of it. Works like magic. Iv got one of those big red polish balls thatcha stick in the end of a lectric drill. They seem to last forever if you wash em. Polishes plastics to as new condition with Armourall. Thats good stuff too. What do you’s use Ken Seniour on your bikes? You have started a new craze worldwide. Good to see the 70s and 80s 90s bikes getting pulled out of sheds n barns and restored like you have done. Congratulations on how successful your business has become. Nothing i know of anywhere else in the world. Good stuff mate.✌🏻👍
Nice bike! I had this exact bike bought from original owner back in 86. Was mint! Wish I never sold it. The only thing I hated was that 4 speed transmission. It topped out way too fast.... not enough top end. That wide ratio 5 speed must be nice!
Man I miss my old 86 yz125 red and white with the red seat with white tiger strips my cuzzon had the 87 yz250 red and white we thought we was big dogs back in the 90s with those bikes love the channel been watching for about two weeks and watched a few of your videos and jr he badass on that kx500
yeh these thing were gr8 till they start to fall apart,id get an alli frame made up if i got this just to save this good one because it won,t last long .
I used to get a ride on the back of my older friend's 490 when I was a kid. Best scary memories ever! He gave me a helmet once with no lining, it span round on my little pea head 😂
You can get castor at Cycle gear yellow bottle. There's additive for when it's cold thins out the castor. Id run it in my KX 500. With race gas. My friends behind me what you using. 727 Maxima smelled that way.
that's one sweet yz490 a 5 speed box ideal for enduro xr 250 we had one with a 280 oversize with that on it it wasn't revving as hard and great for hillclimbing
Great bikes bring great people together. Beautiful day,awesome scenery. Heaven on earth, what more can we ask for?? Well...more bikes and more vids from Ken of course👍
You need me on your floor doing frame up work Ken. If I wasnt established and a older guy at 59 Id be there. Ya, Im that good. Machinist too. Keep'm coming. God bless.
What you really need to find is a rm370! On my racing in writing even through High School the 370 seem to be one of the most wicked dirt bikes ever built
Long live the dinosaurs! Nothing cooler than old school Yamaha! Or any old bike for that matter! I'd love to pick you guy's brains I love restoring old bikes or at least trying too not so worried about cosmetics but everything has to be perfect far as mechanical sound goes! No better feeling than finally getting that bike outside for the first time! Kicking it over and hearing it come to life! All that hard work, time, money, and tears for sure paying off! Dealing with two nightmare bikes now an 2000 a YZ426F! And an 1984 KDX200 nothing but problems one after another none stop nothing going right! Never ever had this kinda trouble b4! I'm a welder and machinist by trade! Went to school for both I use the best of everything snap-on tools Cornwell tools I have a guy for everything if I cant figure it out for help and no luck! These bikes are so old even the YZ it's so difficult to find anyone with any real knowledge about them it's all a shot in the dark for me going by what I e learned over the years and putting that into play hoping for the best! I look forward to seeing f all these videos about these bikes you guys build! Hopefully I'll learn something! Coolest bike I ever had was an 83 IT465 blue and yellow sweet bike nothing I ever rod like it b4! What's even cooler is the reaction people give when they see them running and all in one peace looking good! Or the guys who think there tough and and get scared to ride one it's great all around!! You've got a fan! Here in western Pennsylvania!
I could die a week stand spinning the rear tire smoking the tire every gear with that bike is amazing love your vids buddy you are the King I'm Jealous I had a 92 Kx 500 also i have my front forks from my old 490 some where I think I still have them
Older Buddy of mine I worked with years ago had a bunch of these old big bore Yamahas. He restores them going as far as making new bolts, he has a mill and lathe to make parts that he can’t find so everything looks like factory. Someone he has had people that know everything about these bikes not be able to tell some parts he made were new
There are no coincidences!! 🙏 looking forward to comin our - I’m an amateur- but I do know how to ride. Had an early start. Enough about me let me watch lol my bad
My buddy let me ride his ATK 605 1996 I even talked him to bring it to Redbud told him there's trails everywhere after I ride 125 c class on the pro track we will go riding all over we get to Redbud I blow my 125 up I might have told you this story already on one of your vids sorry if I did my water pump drain screw was just finger tight my friend with the ATK goes Your missing your drain screw on your water pump after I road almost a hole 3 quarters of a lap at Red bud it's been my pass time I used to due The Fall Series classic at Redbud on the pro track every year done it many times I was there when Mike Larraco was riding his 500 there he even signed my 6 place pack one year a girl took 4th that year in 125 c class well I told my buddy with the ATK 605 were going home he goes no you got to ride my bike I go your rear tires shot from riding on the road and you got those bark busters on it and what class would they even put me in I didn't wanna ride open A class well you got to hurry up and give the rear tire of your bike Bridge Stone tires doe the tires at Redbud we put the most massively massive tire that I picked out I didn't even ask what's the right tire for this bike on this track I found this tire My buddy Josh Stayed back with his bike and got those bark busters off and the put me in 250 c class and my buddy goes over to the KTM pit area by the up hill big up hill triple Larracos leap big up hill I didn't even look to see where the KTM guys were and I jump in practice and I ride first practice and I'm flying but every time I land that big Skid plate was scrapping every time I would land the front tire would even lock up at the same time I pull off after first practice and go josh this bike is set up for you your99 pounds soaking wet I'm pushing 230 the bikes perfect if I didn't have that instant boduming out effect what's this bike isn't set up for me no way he gives me screw driver cause I was freaking out I got no more practices I find the dampening screws I just cranked em all the way up and it had electric start every guy there is on a 250cc 2 strokes I know how fast that bike I can get it up to 90 all day on the frozen river when I would ride it I got to the gate and they put me out in A class practice I would be fine if I could get this bike to react better for my weight I jumped right out in the fattest practice I've had people jump completely over me the first time I was there and pulled off the track scairred I was used to it as long as I was faster the bike stopped digging in and pulled off if practice I was happy it had the light kit turn signals it was street legal evan I get back Josh runs up dude your flyin the guy evan asked me who's that guy on that ATK Josh heard him he says who's that guy supper crossing the track on that ATK josh says he evan made sure he re alliterated that josh goes that my friend Chris he's on my bike wow he's out there on that I can barely find anybody that wants to ride my big KTM 550 2 STROKE I think he had there the ATK 605 was slow off the line on the hole shot before I got to the line I hit the turn signals and the horn but never I was riding it but I had to get around alot of guys I was passing 4 at a time till I got close to the front I tried to clear Larracos leap evan if I came up short I still bounced over the top and i had the double double woop section mastered no problem I was clearing the tunnel table and landing in the flat and the spectator triple step down finish line I got pictures josh took of me crossing my bars and the bike way higher then any body I really nailed the table at the last lap I hit in 3rd or 4th pinned I was really feeling good I thought josh still had film left in the camera he's running after me yelling dude you bent my pegs there straight down I go did you see how far I landed way into the straight away where the gate drops he's like my pegs there straight down I go no there not ihad my grip so hard on that frame I showed him I even stood up and flexed the shocks I got off the bike he runs after me and starts laughing and he says look look I jumped off the bike the pegs were ripped out of the frame they tore the welds and I was standing on thenukkles. They were completely straight down I was totally shocked what a day if I had not noticed it but I was like holy cow moment what a day what a day
I got a 98 XR 250R for $1000 and it’s sick worth about $3k as needs nothing and has mikuni oz carb, renthal bars, pro taper grips and en exhaust de baffle 👍🏻
That is a serious displacement for a 2 stroke single motocross bike. I'd be happy with the Yamaha 500 single four stroke enduro, as I would not have the courage to open up the two stroke!
its hard to tell for sure with you tube sound quality and then finally listening to it all on my low tech LG stylo 6 phone ..but it seems the bottom end makes less noise than they did when the yz490 were brand new ..a friend who lived in town in a very quiet neighborhood rebuild his cr500r in my barn ...dont remember what year the engine was as it was mounted in hybrid Suzuki Kawasaki frame with extended travel and the wheelbase is slightly extended. He had a great one for the Baja as it was very stable above 100 miles an hour. So why is my friends rebuilding this engine have a cr500r to go back in this behemoth dirt bike and bears I talked him into completely zeroing out the crankshaft and I Brian down three dial indicators the block the hole works and you know that gives specs in the bus is there within a thousand and a half that's good enough to take forever if you try to go it to zero...as what will happen is you get it down to only 0.0015" fluctuation when you turn it. Then take it out of the V blocks and tap on his for more trying to get that last found thousands a half out at most General knock it passed another 2000s Southern heat pack on it some more and then finally wrap it pretty good and not get past zero again this can go on for days and my friend would spend a couple hours on it and get her ass and go back and try again the next day in about 3 days pecking and checking and tada my friend got his cr500 r crankshaft to read all zeros on both ends and the same time with a new connecting rod crank pin and rod bearing and new main bearings ...this was my friends first total top and bottom end build and my first to have a perfect zeroed out crank shaft ..as working for others in a shop you cant spend all day on just one dirt bike ..and the factory service manual usually gives you a couple 1000s off and still be within spec ...but oh my god what that last thou and a half makes in the way a huge bore and stroke two stroke sounds and handles ....this thing did not make any "piston chatter " at all like maybe it was some how too tight ...but when you think about it some of these old 500 two strokes were over square so if your crank wheels are wobbling and only 0.0015 the wrist pin is trying to wiggle side to side at maybe 0.005 " - 0.007 " ..as its done that way in the factory as they got quotas to meet ...andat 100 bucks per hour labor no one can afford to spend $2,400 in labor just to zero out a crankshaft how the factory specs of give you a thousand a half or more.....but ken you have got to do this for yourself .....the next time you get a truck load of 500 two strokes that need restored . pick one out and with plenty of patience and in your spare time if you can find any zero out the crankshaft run-out we dial indicators on both ends at the same time both reading total zero when you spin it...and heres another little trick not many take the time to do or even know about...but for stock size bores of old two strokes that dont have enough wear and still within specs the factorys made pistons that are 0.002" oversize at the bottom of the piston skirt ...and will not slide through the slightly worn stock cylinder bore take #400 grit wet dry sandpaper and buff the new 0.002" factory stock piston so with 10w30 oil on the new buffed at the tip of the skirts piston turned upside down will just barley side through the cylinder of its own weight...do this trick and zero the crank ..as you will want to keep this one ..
I'm putting the finishing touches on its little brother a 83 yz 250k a complete frame up resto and it was a pretty good bike to start with but I'm gonna have a hard time getting rid of it I really like the way the 83s look but I'm used to a 94 wr250 with pretty much everything upgraded except no bore and didn't mill the head and its fast and tons of low end torque and the 83s are not low end motors and I ride woods desert and single track trails and it climbs the 83s motor is completely rebuilt and machined but seems like a 80cc compared to my wr
I'm in the UK, this is the most American video I've seen in a while, love it. God Bless America.
🤦♂️That's your problem you're in the UK! That place is trash. They are the individuals who created majority of the problems that we are currently going through today if you have to go back to the history of the Vatican then the king and queen of England who oversee all of the legal issues in London then you will see who created majority of these issues in America due to the fact that Spain had the Monopoly on America in the 15th and 16th century so that's when Queen Elizabeth would set out for her the hundred year plan for America for the USAand that was only due to the fact that America had a lot of commodities and everyone wanted to get their hands on these commodities such as "gold" "silver" and "copper" so the kings and queens could feel their greedy needs of their Royal missions and conquest to rule the oceans and all of the lands not only in the UK but all around the world and that's currently being done as we speak! So before you go speaking you need to go learn your history never blame America or United States you have to go back to the original source of the problem and the individuals who created the problem that would be our people your people in the UK and all around the now!👍
If only if it was a American motorcycle than its be super American lmao and a few fat guys with beer and shot guns
Thanks, word up.
Thanks word up! Those words sound real nice right now.
@@dangrimes5078 Those people in Britain need to go visit the dentist regularly have you ever seen Their teeth
You CANNOT beat the sound of a big-bore two stroke! 🤘🏻
I got 108mph at 12.2 seconds to the 1/4 mile on a 86 white YZ490.Geared up ,lowered front forks & a old road bike front tire used at the rear.
Wolverine's motorcycle choice is 1983 yz490 than he used when he was part of alpha flight the matched uniform perfectly🤘🤘👍👍💯
I’m not an expert by any means on the Marvel Characters or the movies, so this is a question; I thought he rode a HD? I must not be thinking of the right thing, or even know about Alpha Flight correctly.
Thanks for anyone who can clear this up for me.
I don’t remember him ever riding a dirt bike harleys and road bikes I think he rode a ninja in one of the comics
What a beauty this bike is.
@@badvibesnly1993 In the movies Wolverine is more into Harley’s and those type of style of bikes.
I raced the ‘83 YZ490 for a year, almost every weekend, in FL. That sound is so familiar and you’ve done an amazing job with the restoration. I know that bike really well. The 4 speed was fine for motocross. The kick starter was a bad design and I sheared the return spring 3 or 4 times. The motor is very reliable, will rev to the moon, and can crush an ‘83 CR480 to the first turn. But when you get there, you won’t be able to turn, so the Honda will end up going inside you unless you are a pro. The fork was a little undersprung, but not bad otherwise. The rear end, like most Yamahas of that era, will swap occasionally, like it has too little high speed rebound damping. Thanks for sharing. Brought back a lot of memories. Although I won quite a few races in the YZ, it felt like a struggle. Like it was a love/hate relationship. My memory was that the CR480 wasn’t as fast, but easier to ride. It had some head shake, but turned a lot easier. Maybe the most overlooked, but perhaps the best of 83 was the RM. my buddy always brought 2 to the track, and I ended up racing one in Moto 2, when the top triple clamp failed on my YZ. We were young and strong and could break open class 2 strokes. Now they would eat me alive. Anyway, pulled the RM off the trailer, and rode it to the starting gate. Having never ridden one, I could believe how well it handled. Turned like the Honda without the head shake.
Had the 490 in high school before I went in the army. Sounds great!
I had a '87 yz490 too when i was in high school. Kinda miss it a little along with my '86 xr600.
Sound crispy
had 490 465 a 360 and 500sc before going in the Marines
Ding....Ding.....Ding.....Ding!❤
Me too. Had the 82 490 when I went in the army. Fast forward to 2020 I picked up an ultra clean 83 IT 250 in amazing condition. Funny they go on about XR600r. I'm putting the finishing touches on a 97 into dualsport bike.
These are my favorite vintages of bikes. I was 10 years old in 83 and I would pour over magazines and brochures for hours looking at these bikes.
that 490 had a CRACK to it, amazing and properly tuned for sure.. you can hear it at 1:03
Air cooled 2 strokes; love the simplicity, power and ease of maintenance!
I had an 82 rode it for 9 yrs. Best bike I owned, when bike is warmed up full throttle it would start. Bosch single platinum plug can't foul it toyota supra plug, forged piston,Barnett Kevlar clutch plates
As a kid, I remember seeing these in the Yamaha dealership showroom back in the day, drooling over them. Those gold rims were over the top! Beautiful bike.
I had the exact same bike when I was fourteen. As good of condition as this one but my tank graphics were gone. I have no idea what was going through my parents minds when they bought that for a fourteen year old kid. I'm 40 now and watching this brings back alot of fun memories.
I have no idea how you are alive right now.
@@ZSmith-yy4lv I had some close calls but I was pretty good on that bike. I would love to know where it ended up.
All of the 80s era big bores were badass! Loved those years of the 490s 82 and 83! Remember em well, my hands are going numb and growing blisters as I type.
i am glad i saw this i have got a yz 1983 non water cooled 490 i bought in california back in 1984 raced it twice hurt me twice but i never had the heart to get rid of it . but now i would like to put engine in a off road go cart or buggy. thank you for your program.
My generation... so love those late 70s- early 80s Yamahas. There was a lot going on in a short period of time. Honda, Kaw, all of them.
I want to own one of everything.....🤯🤯
Man I absolutely LOVE your channel! Seeing that beautiful lush green grass and the YZ490 brings back nostalgic memories of growing up in Michigan, when I was around 14 years old my neighbor had a YZ490 that looked exactly like that, so I'm thinking it was probably an 83. I was obsessed with three wheelers and dirt bikes. I got my first dirt bike then when I was 14, in 1986, it was an old 1980 Yamaha IT 175. Now I'm 48 living in Houston and I wanna get a couple of bikes so my son and I can get into riding. God bless!
I just bought my first yamaha yz250 2 stroke, and it's crazy fun. I can't wait to work my way up to a 500. The hardest I've ever rode is a 450 atv. And that was crazy fun. This 490 is super sweet. The sound is just iconic!
You're videos are like a time machine for me. My buddy bought the same YZ490 at a rummage sale for $100.00. It was in boxes. One day sitting in the barn I said let's put that thing together. It wasn't the prettiest bike but it sure had balls!!!. He eventually wrecked on the river ice racing. We moved on. CR 500 RULES the ice now!!!
You’re jacked Mr. Kaplan !!! You and your son and the Kaplan crew are the bomb. Ohh mint you just started her up can’t wait to see you ride !!! ✊🤝🙏
Living the dream my fellow patriots!
My hat is off to you gentlemen,, standing ovation.
My MX machines were 1979, 80, 82 KX 250s. They were beautiful as well.
The tune “ Rise “ 1979 Herb Alpert . I don’t ever want to come down.
My my, another fantastic find. Just love these big two strokes,,, from when I was younger and flying around on several 490,500s✌️😜god bless england😇
Daaaang! Best sounding 490 I've ever herd! ✌🇺🇸
I had the 82 yz 125 and I wanted this 490 so so so bad...never got one. But all they ever talk about are the two 500s, the cr and kx, but hardly see stuff on these 490s and I loved them. Awesome video, awesome restoration!
I had the earlier 1977 YZ400 with the early edition mono shock. Sold that open class and bought my first brand new open class in 1983 which was a Honda CR480r. I raced enduro races and mx as well but mostly enduro all through the 80's and will never forget it. I probably miss my old Yamaha 82 model IT250K model the most as I raced it for years in enduro. The good old Yamaha Energy Induction System,,aka,,boost bottle from the factory..lol..It was a great bike. I've owned many and started riding in 1974 on a Honda SL70,,good times and I still ride on/off road to this day on a KTM690 enduro R. So much fun and good times had over the years.
This is very inspiring 83 was my most memorable year for Yamaha I went from 80 cc to 125 It felt like a huge leap
No disc brakes back then gotta love the old school takes me back .
I was 1000% Yamaha YZ 490,The ultimate bike back in the day! Man that brings back memories
amen i stil start once or twce a month just to hear it i'm 53 now and ride a little , nabors think i'm nuts but okay the bike came first
I had that same '83 490 YZ bike, back in '87.
Bought it used from a chiropractor , no lie !
Man I miss that thing !
love the video, made my day !!!
20yrs from Now that 490 will still be a Beast of a Bike...
I just bought one! Has great compression, it’s complete, looks exactly like this one but sat outside for a long time. Clutch doesn’t seem to engage.
I had that exact bike when I was 14! It was a lot of bike for me, but damn I had fun!
Awesome video man I remember all those old bikes. My first bike was an old RM 80 fat seat. I went all over northern Michigan power line trails with that thing. All my friends had bikes of various sizes. Was fun times back then man.
I had a 1985 RM80 I was the man till my buddy got a KX125. We had so much fun
@@BigDmike24 mine was a 1977/8 model was tiny bike but was quick for a kid my age/size back then. My brother bought an yz for his son long time ago and it was taller and faster then the older bikes of the 70/80s styles. FUN TIMES THEN.
@@marknowakowski6590 you know it!!
Man that's a hard hitting Bing Bing love watching the back fender bounce. 🏁🇺🇸
I’m 56 and always favored Yamaha too. I’m 56 and still have a ‘82 XT 550. 7500 miles. I want to make it a TT 600 but it too has supertrap header and piping
Social distancing goes right out the window when yz490's are involved lol🤣
Actually it works quite well. If your behind that bike as the throttle cracked open.
@@brianjacobsen5762 Very true...and when that happens....DUCK!!!!!
@@yamaharaptor01able especially when it sporting a 8-10 paddle tire. Had more than few rocks bouncing off the top my helmet.😁
I ran the big terra flex radial 7 psi. It threw boulders.
Saludos de Costa Rica mi para hace 20 años tenía una de esas excelente video
That is one mint, well kept and well restored big bore that barks like one of your big rottweiler guard dogs, I saw in a video, a while back. Gorgeous and sweet, very loyal, and family oriented guard dog. The Germans were genius for breeding rottweilers years ago.
I own the exact model YZ 490, a 83 K model. It hasnt been out of my shed in over 25 years and looks rather sad. I bought it in 1985, it was built for the Finke Desert race. It is THE FASTEST dirt bike ive ever ridden. The motor was sent to the US from here in West Australia to do what was needed to squeeze out every single hp out of it, no expense spared. Mainly port and head work but a whole lot of other stuff as well including a balance and xray of all internals. All the gear set are of an aftermarket brand to handle the extra grunt. When i first rode it, it. Felt really gutless, no bottom end power at all and bugger all mid range. I rode it like that for about two minutes and it fouled the plug. Pushed it back to the owners house and he told me ya gotta let it sing and give it some stick. Cleaned the plug and off i went again. It was in the middle of suburbia so i let it wind out a bit then all of a sudden around six thousand rpm it hopped on the pipe and took off. The front wheel shot skywards and it just about ripped my arms outta their sockets. That happened at around 60 mph. It was geared to do around 120 mph flat out. The back sprocket was about the size of the hub. It had the power delivery characteristics of a little YZ 80 but in the quantities of a 600. I took it back to the owner and gave him the cash. I had to have it hook or by crook. Didnt haggle over the price at all. He wanted to keep both side plates and number plate on the front. No probs, took em off and loaded it on the back of my ute and took off before he changed his mind. When i got it home i started to look closely at what it was all about and what else had been done. It had a set of Marzorchi forks which gave 13 inches of travel, very very plush but unbottomable. And either a Fox or Whitepower back shock on it which gave nearly 14 inches of travel. Again very plush for the first six or seven inches then it would slowly stiffen up. Nothing like the original feel on that model 490. It had some different type of linkage setup than the normal. It was the smoothest riding off rode bike ive ridden. Absolutely no vibration through the bars or pegs at any revs. I had a 250 wheel with a near new 44 tooth alluminium sprocket and a reasonable Pirelli tyre on it from another YZ i had so i swapped them over and had to shim the axle to fit . Started her up and first gear became that low you could pull a loaded semi with it. Second was like a normal first, third was like second and fourth was normal fourth. The aftermarket gearset was matched to the final top speed. Top gear power starts where no prob at all if ya could keep the front wheel down. I wouldnt say it was the best handling bike iv ridden, but it was surely the smoothest. You could hit a series of water ruts and not even feel them or launch off a fifteen foot verticle drop and still not bottom either end out. I owned an 83 RD model CR 480 at the same time which i still have also and they were completely opposite to each other. The 480 would pull like a freight train right from idle but ran outta revs at around 7000. Thats gettin near where the 490 would hit powerband and take off. The 480 was much much more forgiving, the 490 was all or nothing. No inbetween whatsoever. The 480 looked brand new, the 490 looked like it had been flipped many times. Two of my mates rode it and both of them flipped it in the first ten minutes. One of em skinned nearly all of his back when it buck him off at around 65 mph on hard limestone. It snapped all of the back subframe off as well as the seat and mangled the handlebars too. Lol. Might be gettin time to wheel her out and do a rebuild , but itll need alot of work and money. Im nearly done rebuilding the 480 again and it dont take long for the $$$$ to mount up. All the plStics have been sanded and polished to better than new but i wanna put a new set of mains, piston, rings etc just because. Even after hundred of hours hard riding the piston, rings and bore look like new with abso no wear at all. Always ran R 30 in it, maybe thats why. I wish you could still get it. I bought two twenty litre drums of it about 20 years ago and have now run out.😩🤬. Love ya vid once again and that is a beautiful bike id give my left nut to own. If it were mine id never sell it, just pass it on to the next gen of kin when ya ready for the clover. Thanx again for the vid. Id love to see it on the track chewing up those four pokes. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
If you're interested in selling that yz490 I would be interested in buying it call or text me 860-916-9784. This is Ken Senior the guy in the video riding the bike
KAPLAN AMERICA You will have first pick at it mate if i do wanna flog it off. Im on the West coast of Australia though and the shipping or airfreight might sting you a bit. Youd know better than me though. Im nearly done rebiulding m 480, every single bit of alloy has been polished, swingarm,all the shock linkages, shock, forks, kickstart, brake levers front n rear and in between, gearshift, fork clamps,engine mounts and stays. Wish i had a $ for every hour iv spent rubbing with sandpaper then polishing with Purple. Its the best polish ever made for any grade of alluminium. Makes alloy look like chrome. Anyone doing up a bike has to buy a bottle of it. Works like magic. Iv got one of those big red polish balls thatcha stick in the end of a lectric drill. They seem to last forever if you wash em. Polishes plastics to as new condition with Armourall. Thats good stuff too. What do you’s use Ken Seniour on your bikes? You have started a new craze worldwide. Good to see the 70s and 80s 90s bikes getting pulled out of sheds n barns and restored like you have done. Congratulations on how successful your business has become. Nothing i know of anywhere else in the world. Good stuff mate.✌🏻👍
How ironic.. I just got to ride one of those a few weeks ago … Rattled my eyeballs and my hands and feet went numb.. but what a treat...
Picking my 83 up today! Completely identical! Even has the IT490 5 speed trans 👍🏻
Love that 2 stroke exhaust. Funnest smell on earth.
I had 3 of them & absolutely loved them! @Kaplan America keep keeping the memories alive!
Nice bike! I had this exact bike bought from original owner back in 86. Was mint! Wish I never sold it. The only thing I hated was that 4 speed transmission. It topped out way too fast.... not enough top end. That wide ratio 5 speed must be nice!
Man I miss my old 86 yz125 red and white with the red seat with white tiger strips my cuzzon had the 87 yz250 red and white we thought we was big dogs back in the 90s with those bikes love the channel been watching for about two weeks and watched a few of your videos and jr he badass on that kx500
Had an 82 yz 490 and it was a beast! Excellent video 👍
Hey Ken you need to have a show on the discovery channel !!!
..and here we are!
So much torque the chassie twisted coming up that hill :)
yeh these thing were gr8 till they start to fall apart,id get an alli frame made up if i got this just to save this good one because it won,t last long .
4sp. Tractor of motocross.
*I'm a Yamaha MX Fan Boy, and the Vintage 2-Strokes are some of the best sounding engines of their type, ever*
i can't handle the energy this video gives off
Awesome torque at lower rev is something special from the beast. Thanks for the vid
Yes sir! God bless America!! 💯🇺🇸💪👍
Love your video's ...hope to see Dave on your team in the next few years ...GOD BLESS .
Sweet big bore two stroke action!😀 That's a very nice, tight bike. Can't wait to see more!😀👍🇱🇷
I used to get a ride on the back of my older friend's 490 when I was a kid. Best scary memories ever! He gave me a helmet once with no lining, it span round on my little pea head 😂
That’s one magnificent 490! Awesome work
Great videos me and my boy watched 100s since lock down came into effect and were hooked
Camera work was excellent 💪🏾 Never seen a bike gone over in such detail with a camera 🔥
This man did a GREAT job on both bikes .
Kenny Kaplan is an amazing bloke, i was so jealous of Americans having Yellow YZs Cos our Euro tanks Faded with fuel. Beautiful 490.
Excellent restoration Dave.
Had one in the UK they were red and white,, now they are a lot more expensive to purchase,, brilliant video from Northern Ireland,, ☘️☘️☘️
Gorgeous bike big hats off to this guy
A very nice resto 💯👍
I have a 1983 yz250 and its an amazing looking bike, me and my freind restored it.
YZ 490 when it passes you, it smells like victory . Wish the old castrol R was still around ,Nice bike .
.... it’s called benol now same same but different
Yeah, I swear to god when it started and he took off I smelt castrol R.
You can get castor at Cycle gear yellow bottle. There's additive for when it's cold thins out the castor. Id run it in my KX 500. With race gas. My friends behind me what you using. 727 Maxima smelled that way.
I have a 1990 yz490. This is a monster i love it!
Damn that bike looks tight!
What a beast of a bike they were! Love it!
that's one sweet yz490 a 5 speed box ideal for enduro xr 250 we had one with a 280 oversize with that on it it wasn't revving as hard and great for hillclimbing
Great bikes bring great people together. Beautiful day,awesome scenery. Heaven on earth, what more can we ask for?? Well...more bikes and more vids from Ken of course👍
Thank you brother I appreciate that
@@KaplanCycles Thank you too,man. For all you do✌
You need me on your floor doing frame up work Ken. If I wasnt established and a older guy at 59 Id be there. Ya, Im that good. Machinist too. Keep'm coming.
God bless.
Whenever you're ready we'll be here
Man that sounds great! When you start up a big bore you know bad things can happen fast😀
amen
What you really need to find is a rm370! On my racing in writing even through High School the 370 seem to be one of the most wicked dirt bikes ever built
That guy could work on my bikes in a heart beat.Super skilled.
Those chops are a force to be reckoned with.
Long live the dinosaurs! Nothing cooler than old school Yamaha! Or any old bike for that matter! I'd love to pick you guy's brains I love restoring old bikes or at least trying too not so worried about cosmetics but everything has to be perfect far as mechanical sound goes! No better feeling than finally getting that bike outside for the first time! Kicking it over and hearing it come to life! All that hard work, time, money, and tears for sure paying off! Dealing with two nightmare bikes now an 2000 a YZ426F! And an 1984 KDX200 nothing but problems one after another none stop nothing going right! Never ever had this kinda trouble b4! I'm a welder and machinist by trade! Went to school for both I use the best of everything snap-on tools Cornwell tools I have a guy for everything if I cant figure it out for help and no luck! These bikes are so old even the YZ it's so difficult to find anyone with any real knowledge about them it's all a shot in the dark for me going by what I e learned over the years and putting that into play hoping for the best! I look forward to seeing f all these videos about these bikes you guys build! Hopefully I'll learn something! Coolest bike I ever had was an 83 IT465 blue and yellow sweet bike nothing I ever rod like it b4! What's even cooler is the reaction people give when they see them running and all in one peace looking good! Or the guys who think there tough and and get scared to ride one it's great all around!! You've got a fan! Here in western Pennsylvania!
People like Dave are worth their weight in gold!!!
First time Ken Kaplan has to be careful on someone else's grass. 😂 😂
I had a 1982 490. New $1800 out the door. Later same year had a demo ride on a 1983 490. Way better bike then 1982 j model
That's a good looking xr honda he had next the the 490 in the beginning of the video. Would like to see something on it.
I rode one of these once and it was a beast so much power
He’s the type of guy that if someone road raged at him they’d turn around as soon as they saw him get off a bike.
Beautiful bikes, nothing like a big bore 2t...by the way youre looking more shredded than a Julienne Salad sir. thanks for the video.
I could die a week stand spinning the rear tire smoking the tire every gear with that bike is amazing love your vids buddy you are the King I'm Jealous I had a 92 Kx 500 also i have my front forks from my old 490 some where I think I still have them
Older Buddy of mine I worked with years ago had a bunch of these old big bore Yamahas. He restores them going as far as making new bolts, he has a mill and lathe to make parts that he can’t find so everything looks like factory. Someone he has had people that know everything about these bikes not be able to tell some parts he made were new
Beautiful motorcycle 🏍
Classic 2 stroke 👍🏍
Yamaha definitely perfected the 2 stroke engine.
Dude your jacked holy shit
Old man strength!!
There are no coincidences!! 🙏 looking forward to comin our - I’m an amateur- but I do know how to ride. Had an early start. Enough about me let me watch lol my bad
I want to be like this guy when I grow up.
I can’t even watch these
Videos I’m so jealous 😩
My buddy let me ride his ATK 605 1996 I even talked him to bring it to Redbud told him there's trails everywhere after I ride 125 c class on the pro track we will go riding all over we get to Redbud I blow my 125 up I might have told you this story already on one of your vids sorry if I did my water pump drain screw was just finger tight my friend with the ATK goes
Your missing your drain screw on your water pump after I road almost a hole 3 quarters of a lap at Red bud it's been my pass time I used to due The Fall Series classic at Redbud on the pro track every year done it many times I was there when Mike Larraco was riding his 500 there he even signed my 6 place pack one year a girl took 4th that year in 125 c class well I told my buddy with the ATK 605 were going home he goes no you got to ride my bike I go your rear tires shot from riding on the road and you got those bark busters on it and what class would they even put me in I didn't wanna ride open A class well you got to hurry up and give the rear tire of your bike Bridge Stone tires doe the tires at Redbud we put the most massively massive tire that I picked out I didn't even ask what's the right tire for this bike on this track I found this tire My buddy Josh Stayed back with his bike and got those bark busters off and the put me in 250 c class and my buddy goes over to the KTM pit area by the up hill big up hill triple Larracos leap big up hill I didn't even look to see where the KTM guys were and I jump in practice and I ride first practice and I'm flying but every time I land that big Skid plate was scrapping every time I would land the front tire would even lock up at the same time I pull off after first practice and go josh this bike is set up for you your99 pounds soaking wet I'm pushing 230 the bikes perfect if I didn't have that instant boduming out effect what's this bike isn't set up for me no way he gives me screw driver cause I was freaking out I got no more practices I find the dampening screws I just cranked em all the way up and it had electric start every guy there is on a 250cc 2 strokes I know how fast that bike I can get it up to 90 all day on the frozen river when I would ride it I got to the gate and they put me out in A class practice I would be fine if I could get this bike to react better for my weight I jumped right out in the fattest practice I've had people jump completely over me the first time I was there and pulled off the track scairred I was used to it as long as I was faster the bike stopped digging in and pulled off if practice I was happy it had the light kit turn signals it was street legal evan I get back Josh runs up dude your flyin the guy evan asked me who's that guy on that ATK Josh heard him he says who's that guy supper crossing the track on that ATK josh says he evan made sure he re alliterated that josh goes that my friend Chris he's on my bike wow he's out there on that I can barely find anybody that wants to ride my big KTM 550 2 STROKE I think he had there the ATK 605 was slow off the line on the hole shot before I got to the line I hit the turn signals and the horn but never I was riding it but I had to get around alot of guys I was passing 4 at a time till I got close to the front I tried to clear Larracos leap evan if I came up short I still bounced over the top and i had the double double woop section mastered no problem I was clearing the tunnel table and landing in the flat and the spectator triple step down finish line I got pictures josh took of me crossing my bars and the bike way higher then any body I really nailed the table at the last lap I hit in 3rd or 4th pinned I was really feeling good I thought josh still had film left in the camera he's running after me yelling dude you bent my pegs there straight down I go did you see how far I landed way into the straight away where the gate drops he's like my pegs there straight down I go no there not ihad my grip so hard on that frame I showed him I even stood up and flexed the shocks I got off the bike he runs after me and starts laughing and he says look look I jumped off the bike the pegs were ripped out of the frame they tore the welds and I was standing on thenukkles. They were completely straight down I was totally shocked what a day if I had not noticed it but I was like holy cow moment what a day what a day
That sound on idle,just awesome,
That thing seems pretty strong & sounds great ...
Man that's a clean bike love the 490!
Brings back memories of the 80s
Beautiful bike...I remember those when they were new..
I got a 98 XR 250R for $1000 and it’s sick worth about $3k as needs nothing and has mikuni oz carb, renthal bars, pro taper grips and en exhaust de baffle 👍🏻
Can you bring it here we will buy it call us 860 454 7024
@@KaplanCycles I’m in Australia brother 🇦🇺 🍻
That is a serious displacement for a 2 stroke single motocross bike. I'd be happy with the Yamaha 500 single four stroke enduro, as I would not have the courage to open up the two stroke!
its hard to tell for sure with you tube sound quality and then finally listening to it all on my low tech LG stylo 6 phone ..but it seems the bottom end makes less noise than they did when the yz490 were brand new ..a friend who lived in town in a very quiet neighborhood rebuild his cr500r in my barn ...dont remember what year the engine was as it was mounted in hybrid Suzuki Kawasaki frame with extended travel and the wheelbase is slightly extended. He had a great one for the Baja as it was very stable above 100 miles an hour. So why is my friends rebuilding this engine have a cr500r to go back in this behemoth dirt bike and bears I talked him into completely zeroing out the crankshaft and I Brian down three dial indicators the block the hole works and you know that gives specs in the bus is there within a thousand and a half that's good enough to take forever if you try to go it to zero...as what will happen is you get it down to only 0.0015" fluctuation when you turn it. Then take it out of the V blocks and tap on his for more trying to get that last found thousands a half out at most General knock it passed another 2000s Southern heat pack on it some more and then finally wrap it pretty good and not get past zero again this can go on for days and my friend would spend a couple hours on it and get her ass and go back and try again the next day in about 3 days pecking and checking and tada my friend got his cr500 r crankshaft to read all zeros on both ends and the same time with a new connecting rod crank pin and rod bearing and new main bearings ...this was my friends first total top and bottom end build and my first to have a perfect zeroed out crank shaft ..as working for others in a shop you cant spend all day on just one dirt bike ..and the factory service manual usually gives you a couple 1000s off and still be within spec ...but oh my god what that last thou and a half makes in the way a huge bore and stroke two stroke sounds and handles ....this thing did not make any "piston chatter " at all like maybe it was some how too tight ...but when you think about it some of these old 500 two strokes were over square so if your crank wheels are wobbling and only 0.0015 the wrist pin is trying to wiggle side to side at maybe 0.005 " - 0.007 " ..as its done that way in the factory as they got quotas to meet ...andat 100 bucks per hour labor no one can afford to spend $2,400 in labor just to zero out a crankshaft how the factory specs of give you a thousand a half or more.....but ken you have got to do this for yourself .....the next time you get a truck load of 500 two strokes that need restored . pick one out and with plenty of patience and in your spare time if you can find any zero out the crankshaft run-out we dial indicators on both ends at the same time both reading total zero when you spin it...and heres another little trick not many take the time to do or even know about...but for stock size bores of old two strokes that dont have enough wear and still within specs the factorys made pistons that are 0.002" oversize at the bottom of the piston skirt ...and will not slide through the slightly worn stock cylinder bore take #400 grit wet dry sandpaper and buff the new 0.002" factory stock piston so with 10w30 oil on the new buffed at the tip of the skirts piston turned upside down will just barley side through the cylinder of its own weight...do this trick and zero the crank ..as you will want to keep this one ..
You my friend are a master mechanic I impressed
I'm putting the finishing touches on its little brother a 83 yz 250k a complete frame up resto and it was a pretty good bike to start with but I'm gonna have a hard time getting rid of it I really like the way the 83s look but I'm used to a 94 wr250 with pretty much everything upgraded except no bore and didn't mill the head and its fast and tons of low end torque and the 83s are not low end motors and I ride woods desert and single track trails and it climbs the 83s motor is completely rebuilt and machined but seems like a 80cc compared to my wr