New purchase, and start up. Another famous big bore 2 stroke Yamaha YZ490. Will try to get started on restoring this year but will probably the 2020 project.
I didn't race it, only took a few laps in 82 as well....I used to race 125 back then, and been 18 and in pretty good shape I was able to run a full race no problem...ho boy..I was in for a wake up call that day..few laps with that monster and I was done. Really scary monster. Like you sad...point,shoot,pray. Hahahahaha
I had an 82 in yellow. Took a while to figure out the start ritual. Wore out several back tires and never replaced the front....it just didn’t touch ground too much.
Congratulations, man! I am so envious -- I had an '89 YZ250 (in '89) and have, myself, been casually on the lookout for a 490 -- going to be so awesome and will be excited to watch you bring it back (when that time comes).
I had a 1986 YZ490.I loved it and road it for 4 years every week end.It never let me down.I even went Drag racing with it.12.2 sec at 108 mph with it lowered ,Geared up & fitted a old road bike tire on it.My geared up & lowered 91KX250 did the 1/4 in 12.9 sec at 99mph Every single run .It had a Rad valve & drilled out 10mm transfer ports as said to do in a USA Bike magazine.It worked good.Also I can say the YZ could have done the 1/4 in under 12 sec if I had a wheelie Bar & a new rear tire.The KX was at its best so did not need these .I won a Trophy first place on the KX because it did this time & speed 100% every run.I was just trying to crack 100mph & instead walked away with a trophy.
You got you a nice bike I had one years ago a 490 and a 1982 yz 250 I luv the older ones more then the new ones any day nice bike you have is going to be a beast when you finish rebuild the whole bike oem nice bike there getting very hard too find best of luck with your new projects it's going to be a beast
I had one of these for like 3 years, my uncle broke his foot on it twice and gave it to me, when I was 14. I still made him kick start it for me, luckily it was his left foot he broke, because at 14, I could barely kick it when it was hot
I had a 1987 Bored .40 over ported, piped etc was a race bike the guy I bought it from crashed it and had 180 Staples and crossed eyes. Said he would never ride it again," said this bike will kill you. Rode a KX 500 built and it was faster considerably.
Nice project bike you have found. My brother rides with -82 YZ490 and the front brake is definitely ridicilous. He also has custom made exhaust and it makes a big difference to the original one. A lot of power without brakes 🤣
Channel is amazing man! Love how you bring the classics back I got a 1989 cr125r rn and in the process of building it back up, keep up the work. Love the vids
TNT MOTO question for you, for the cr125r, I’m doing the same fork conversion and I was wondering how you got them to fit? Did you use the bearing from the crf forks or the bearing from the cr
I had to prop it against my garage just to start it....how I got the bike I traded a 74 camaro ..when I sold the bike...me and the buyer kicked for 45 min. ...finally we towed it down the street for a bump start....sold it that day.
74 camaro and the yz490 both nice. I quit bikes for 27 years because i broke my back on one. then one day i bought a bike of Facebook group because i got it cheap and i knew how to fix it from my past. And here i am today on RU-vid loving what i do and sharing it with others that love it too. Thanks for watching my channel and sharing your YZ story. Peace.
Had a chance to buy a 490 in 1989 for 500.00... It got sold before I made it back with the money. Regret it until this day. Maybe I will find one someday to add to my collection
You were spared a headache believe me. Anything pre 1985 was good. IMO the best (and fastest btw) were the YZ 465's because they had alot more snap in the mid range and top end.
Gotta love big bore baby. My favorite bike I owned was 1985 cr500 that had the shorter stroked engine. It was a torque monster. It demanded respect or it would hurt you. Love all the yz's too.
Could use high temperature barbecue black paint for the engine its good match if not better than some of the high temperature exhaust paints/ & case paints out there ive always used it on my exhaust on the DT125R
back in the day, I ran amateur motocross. A friend of mine got a yz400, I used to get on it just goofing off, it was an animal. I didn't have enough ass to hold the front down and I couldn't keep the front wheel on the ground. Sure was good for pulling wheelies though.
twcaldwell1951 I got a 1980 yz465 which I think was the best of the big Yamahas. It’s stock but I beat my buddies 4mil 392 cub banshee by atleast 6 bike lengths every time. Old air cooled big bore two strokes are no joke!
Well kicking it in gear without the clutch pulled in does not allow the piston to make a complete revolution to draw fuel in and spark. Even if we call it 3 kicks. Not bad for a 36 year old big bore 2 stroke.
had a yellow 82,,, you will find that in any gear at any speed the bike commands respect... every single person I let ride mine flipped it even after being told in advance of the available power and what happens when it gets any kind of traction...after the third rear fender I started cutting my own rear sections out of plastic 55gal drums... enjoy
I have a 1982 yellow and black yz490 im 59 years old i still ride it love the beast one thing i learned over the years of starting it is you dont wear tennis shoes. i also have a compression release
I had an 84, it vibrated a lot, wasn't always the easiest to start when cold and had the 4 speed gearbox. But, once you got it running it ran good and would pull your arms out of the sockets. I think that from 1985 to the end of the model, the YZ 490's came with white plastics and the years before that were yellow, at least here in the US. Only way to know with yours will be to check the frame vin and the engine nos.
The Yz490 was always my favorite big bore 2 stroke, still is! Too bad that they're really rare and hard to come by in my area, but glad to see that some people are bringing them back to life.
Yes sir. Mine is an 84. I hate the desert tanks they put on them. Stock plastic looks so much better. Mine has the burrow on it too.. we call it the mule. Tons of power, lots of fun, very peaky on top end. Have a blast with that one man. Old 2 strokes rule......
I had a 465 and then later bought a WR500. The WR had the front disc but it was still inadequate for the speed and weight of that bike. It also didn’t help that it was geared to hit 90mph until I dropped a tooth on the counter sprocket. Banshee riders always lost that drag race! I think that 500 is still sitting in a co-workers shed with a hole in the piston years after he bought it from me. The key to starting these big 2 strokes is getting it on the compression stroke like the poster did and NOT touching the throttle. That big piston pulls in plenty of fuel without trying to flood it.
I had a 1981 YZ 465, a friend bought the 1982 YZ 490. I'm not sure if the 490 got better or not, but compared to the 465, the 490 was crap. Very unreliable. Friend had issue after issue with that thing for 3 or 4 years until he sold it. I rode my 465 for about 7 years trouble free and just as fast as his 490 on it's best day.
HAHAHA I hate that when it happens try to start my bike and i keep poping it in gear ! Odd thing is when I had the bike on the stand I actually got to start even though it was in gear ! The back wheel kept spinning until I hit the clutch !
I always rinse out the jugs on anything I bring home before I try to start it,also checking the crankcase oil.More so on a 4 stroke.But thats just me, very cool find and it sounds pretty good.
I am probably to trustworthy of a guy. I just can't help myself. I want to believe people are being honest. I have been bit a few times but for the most part things have worked out.
I always run some non ethanol gas in the bay on 2 strokes then turn the bike up side down and kick it over until rinsed out.I realize some might laugh but it makes me feel better.
12 years ago I have a CZ 400 - chehoslovakian cross bike from 80' Then i dont have money to restored completly but it was runnig ( on half power ) and I enjoy every stroke of that engine So sad that i sold it but so glad that man who bought it was a colector Once YZ or CR again
Nice! Just got a '83 YZ490 yesterday for $100. Mostly stock. Engine is seized and I'm missing some wires and a carb but I'm excited to start digging into it
@@saboteurle7975 Yellow and Black have been Yamaha colors for a LONG time. Suzuki did have blue bikes as well, but their flagship colors have typically been yellow and blue.
A spitting image of the '80 or '81 YZ125 I picked up way back when (early 90's, I paid £70 for it, about $50 at the time!) , was the one before they introduced the liquid cooled version, possibly but like I say, it was exactly the same as yours apart from engine, same colours, monoshock everything. They are the original fork boots too. Some asshole stole it out of my back garden and it still makes me feel sick to this day. I still have the manual though! It includes the 490 too, maybe I should sell it!
Actually in very good shape for 36 years old. Cosmetically needs plastic,paint and a seat cover. $450 Canadian I think I got a good deal. It's for restoration so I will pretty it up.
@Michael Trower I am in BC Canada so pretty rare here. Buying parts all over the US over the last 7 years i have noticed prices vary quite a bit depending on state.
You shouldn't think about starting a 500 with your shoes on . I tried that with my KX500 and the backfire flicked the lever up and took a chunk out of my calf. 12 stitches later and a week off work.
I don’t think the plastic meets the same year as the frame meaning maybe newer plastics on older version bike you could be correct I got lots of parts I can dig out though if needed
86 yz 490 was the first bike I owned lol, I wanted it because it was big and bad, lucky u didn’t break your foot by trying to kick that lol I only rode mine like 5 times it’s was junk, wasted my graduation money on it lol
