Why these two?

These two thumpers triggered dirty dual- sport debauchery across the globe, and left a legacy that continues to this day

1979 Honda XL500S

Street sweet and dirt worthy, Honda’s XL500S arrived to challenge the Yamaha in 1979, with five smaller capacity variants that ranged from 75cc-250cc. A massive 23-inch front wheel and 260mm of ground clearance allowed it to overcome many nasty obstacles on the trail. The four-valve per cylinder configuration and dual vibration counterbalancers helped to smooth power delivery from the single-cylinder powerplant. An automatic compression release made this big one-lunger easier to kick over.

What it’s got

The Honda XL500S is powered by an air-cooled, 497cc, SOHC, single-cylinder, carburetted four-stroke engine with four valves. Power runs through a five-speed constant-mesh gearbox. The front suspension is a leading axle fork with 224mm of travel. The rear swingarm has dual shock absorbers with 198mm of travel and is adjustable for preload. Braking is handled by a 140mm drum brake on the front wheel and a 130mm drum brake at the rear. The fuel tank holds 9.8 litres.

Geometry

Frame: Tubular steel. Rake: 28.5°. Wheelbase: 1420mm. Seat height: 879mm. Weight: 135kg (dry). Wheels: Spoked (23-inch front and 18-inch rear).

Performance

Power: 23.5kW @ 6500rpm Torque: 37.3Nm @ 5000rpm Compression Ratio: 8.6:1 Bore and stroke: 89mm x 80mm Top speed: 146.5km/h Fuel consumption: 3.6L/100km Standing 1⁄4 mile: 15.0 sec

PRICE

$1879 (+ ORC)

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1979 Yamaha XT500

Yamaha’s XT500 dual-purpose bike was unveiled in 1975 and blazed a trail for the Japanese thumper genre. It continued production until 1981 and capitalised on the growing popularity of cross-country rallies like the Paris-Abidjan- Nice and the Paris-Dakar. The continuation of the lay-down rear shocks that debuted on the original model, 21-inch front tyre and large capacity single-pot engine brought dual-sport to the fore. In 1982 it was replaced by the four-valve XT550 that in turn gave rise to the iconic XT600 Ténéré.

What it’s got

The Yamaha XT500 is powered by an air-cooled, 499cc, SOHC, single-cylinder, carburetted four-stroke engine with two valves. Power runs through a five-speed constant-mesh gearbox. The front suspension is a leading axle fork with 195mm of travel. The rear swingarm has dual shock absorbers with 160mm of travel and is adjustable for preload. Braking is handled by a 160mm drum brake on the front wheel and a 150mm drum brake at the rear. The fuel tank holds 8.8 litres.

Geometry

Frame: Tubular steel. Rake: 29.5°. Wheelbase: 1475mm. Seat height: 840mm. Weight: 140kg (dry). Wheels: Spoked (21-inch front and 18-inch rear).

Performance

Power: 23.5kW @ 6500rpm Torque: 39.2Nm @ 5500rpm Compression Ratio: 9.0:1 Bore and stroke: 87mm x 84mm Top speed: 162km/h
Fuel consumption: 4L/100km Standing 1⁄4 mile: 15.0 sec

Price

$1849 (+ ORC)

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Did you know?

The XT500 took victory at the very first Paris-Dakar rally held in 1979 with Cyril Neveu at the helm. The following year this model went on to take the top four places in the motorcycle class.

Got something you’d like us to compare?

Let us know by emailing paul.mccann@amcn.com.au and we’ll do the rest!