The Yamaha XT was a range of street-legal four-stroke enduro/dual-sport motorcycles that began with introduction of the now-legendary Yamaha XT500 in 1976. The twin-shock single-cylinder machine would win the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1979 and 1980, establishing a reputation for true off-road prowess and laying the groundwork for the XT models to come.
In 1980, the mono-shock XT250 become an immediate success with the buying public, and models such as the XT400, XT550, and the mighty XT600 would follow. These models competed directly against the Honda XR/XL and Suzuki DR ranges, serving as capable mounts for dual-sporting, desert racing, commuting, adventuring touring, and more.
Below are some of the Yamaha XT scramblers we’ve featured here on BikeBound.com.
Evolution of an Icon: Yamaha “670XTE” Restomod - Big Bore Retro: Motorieep turns the XT600E into a 60-hp monster… In 1990, Yamaha introduced the XT600E, an electric-start version of their fabled 595cc air-cooled single-cylinder dual-purpose machine. The original XT500 was a legend in […]
Retromotard: Yamaha XT600 Supermoto - Yamaha XT600 “Funbike” from Warkot Motorcycles… The Yamaha XT600 is one of those big, beefy single-cylinder dual-sports that’s as likely to survive the apocalypse as anything on two wheels. The XT featured 10 inches of […]
Retro Enduro: Yamaha XT600 Vinduro - VMX-Style XT600 from Garage Esquinita… Back in 1984, Yamaha introduced the XT600, their new “go-anywhere, do-anything flagship. The 595cc dual-purpose machine could be traced back to the iconic XT/TT500 models, which had proved their […]
Yasuke: Yamaha XT600E Street Tracker - Retro-futuristic XT600 from WKND Customs… Introduced in 1984, the Yamaha XT600 was the last of the Yamaha single-cylinder four-stroke XT lineage that began with the legendary XT500, winner of the first running of the […]
Sonauto Edition: Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténéré - Dakar-inspired Super Ténéré 750 from BIKE Factory… In 1947, famed French racing driver Toto Veuillet founded Saône-Auto (Sonauto), which would become France’s first importer of Porsche cars and Yamaha motorcycles. Sonauto was involved in many […]
Continent Crusher: Yamaha Ténéré 700 Custom - Etto Motorcycles Recreates a Trans-Australian Ténéré… The original Yamaha XT600Z Ténéré launched in late 1982, and it brought some serious innovation to the enduro / dual-sport world. Named after the brutal desert section of […]
Electric Boogie: Yamaha XT500 Restomod - Electric Start, Air-Cooled: Motogadgets’ 1980 Yamaha XT500… By the early 1970s, the big single-cylinder four-stroke off-roader was thought a species all but extinct. After all, the great British 500 singles like the BSA B50 […]
La Bastarda: Yamaha XT550 Restomod Scrambler - In 1982, Yamaha released the XT550 as the next evolution of their four-stroke dual-purpose single-cylinder motorcycle. The 550 had big shoes to fill, as the XT500 it replaced was a multi-time winner of the Paris […]
B-Road Baddie: Yamaha XT600 Street Tracker - Hoxton Moto’s 1992 Yamaha XT600 Street Tracker… Introduced back in 1983, the Yamaha XT600 would remain in production until the early 2000s, earning a reputation as a worthy, rock-solid successor to the original twin-shock XT500 […]
Lord Drake Kustoms: Yamaha XT600 Scrambler - Introduced in 1984, the Yamaha XT600 would become one of the most venerated big-bore “trailies” of all time — a rugged, no-nonsense dual-purpose machine that performed equally well on grocery runs and trans-African expeditions. “The […]
Junkyard XT: Yamaha XT500 Scrambler - Junk to Jewel: Resto-modded XT500 from Workshop43… The Yamaha XT500 remains one of our favorite single-cylinder motorcycles of all time. The big air-cooled enduro won the inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally, swept the podium in the second […]
Streamlined XT: 1980 Yamaha XT500 - Black Cycles Australia builds a streamlined XT for Retromotive… If you’ve been following BikeBound for any length of time, you know we’re big fans of the Yamaha XT500. Not only did the 500cc single win […]
70s-Style Yamaha XT600 “Arbiana” Scrambler - Rivertown Custom Cycles salvages a botched XT… Back in 2019, we featured a Buell XB12-powered Sportster drag bike from the likes of Mirko and Nena Nicic, the husband/wife duo behind Croatia’s Rivertown Custom Cycles. They […]
Scrambler Road Cross: Yamaha “SRC600” - A Dutch motocross racer builds himself a dual-terrain ripper… In 1983, Kawasaki and Yamaha decided to challenge Honda’s domination of the big-bore dual-sport class. Kawasaki introduced their KLR600 and Yamaha their XT600 — a bike […]
Thumper Bee: Yamaha XT600 by Motoworks.gr - “A vintage enduro with all the comforts of new-age bikes…” The island of Crete, the largest and most populous of the Greek Islands, has an incredibly rich and storied history — it’s the mythical birthplace […]
Yamaha XT600 Army Scrambler - LDK’s Spanish workshop builds a military-inspired XT600 scrambler… Available from 1990-2004, the Yamaha XT600 was the latest evolution of the four-valve air-cooled singles that began with the legendary XT500, winner of the first two Paris-Dakar […]
Retro Thumper: Yamaha XT600 “113” by Unik Edition - A 70s-style scrambler built for the mom of a motocross racer… In 1984, Yamaha released the XT600, the latest in the company’s XT series of four-stroke dual-purpose machines that began with the famed XT500, winner […]
Dirt Road Ripper: Yamaha XT500 by MotoRelic - “Foot down and elbows up! Braaap!” The Yamaha XT500 is one of the most successful dual-purpose machines of all time, a big-bore four-stroke that proved itself in professional desert racing and on thousands of miles […]
She-Wolf: Yamaha XT550 “La Lupa” by Francis Von Tuto - A modernized classic, elegant and streamlined… The Yamaha XT550 debuted in 1982, a successor of the beloved XT500 — itself one of the most successful “thumpers” of all time, highly regarded by pro racers and […]
Yamaha XT250 “Dragonfly” by Francis Von Tuto - A dragonfly built from a $150 box of parts… Introduced in 1980, the Yamaha XT250 quickly became a popular workhorse on farms and ranches, earning a bit of notoriety in 1982 as Rambo’s getaway bike […]
Supermoto Agricole: Yamaha XT500 by Y.C. Design - A “rural supermoto” from an elite French firefighter… The Yamaha XT500 is one of our favorite vintage Japanese motorcycles, and one of the greatest multipurpose bikes ever created. We’ve seen a varied assortment of customized […]
Retro Motard: Yamaha XT600 by M.A.M. - A retro-inspired, short wheelbase, 264-lb motard… The Yamaha XT600 was the successor to one of our favorite enduros of all-time, the legendary XT500. Introduced for the 1983 model year, the XT600E offered a 44-hp four-valve […]
Yamaha XT500 Scrambler by Bikes Popayán - The Yamaha XT500 is one of our favorite 4-stroke dual-sports / enduros of all time. Introduced in 1976, the XT500 single competed in the big African rally raids, winning the first-ever Paris Dakar Rally in […]
Twin Yamaha XT500 Customs by Red Clouds Collective - The Yamaha XT500 is one of the most beloved enduros of all time. Introduced in 1976, it was the first big four-stroke “thumper” from Japan — a 27-horsepower big single brute that was stone-ax reliable, […]
Yamaha “MT660” Scrambler by RH Motorcycles - A Yamaha MT-03 Scrambler inspired by the legendary XT500! The very day we first spotted this Yamaha “MT660” scrambler — now more than a year ago — we fell in love. Immediately we contacted builder […]
Yamaha XT600Z Ténéré Scrambler by RHCC - The Yamaha XT600Z Ténéré, which debuted in the early 80s, was designed as a production version of the motorcycles racing in events like the Paris Dakar. The bike offered a long-range fuel tank (30 liters […]
Yamaha XT600 Scrambler by TOMA Customs - The Yamaha XT600 was one of the world’s most successful dual sport motorcycles, both in sales and performance. It was built in countless variations, but the air-cooled 39-44 horsepower single-cylinder engine and heavy-duty design remained […]
Yamaha XT600 Scrambler by Bold Motorcycles - Bold Motorcycles is the creation of two long-time friends, Pedro and João, who live in Sertã, Portugal — located in the middle of the nation’s longest, most mythical road: the Nacional 2. We were fortunate […]
Yamaha XT600 Desert Sled by Pancake Customs - “All purpose stealth scrambler…even James Bond would be stoked to ride.” Boy Janssen of Pancake Customs is a full-time, self-taught builder who builds original, high-quality customs out of his small shop in Rheden, in the […]
Yamaha XT600 Scrambler: “Crooked Rooster” - About four years ago, Zach Cohen crashed his bike and broke his arm. He used the insurance cash from the totaled bike to kick-start Cohen & Sons, the brand his grandfather had drawn up on […]
Yamaha XT600 Tracker by Revolt Cycles - Based in the Middle Islands of the Philippines, Revolt Cycles has been turning out some of our very favorite builds in recent years. Much of the time, they work with the small-displacement platforms popular in […]
Yamaha XT550 Scrambler by Gibson Motorcycle Co. - The Yamaha XT550 is a rare machine these days. This dual sport — the predecessor of the XT600 — was only produced for two years: 1983-1984. The 558cc, air-cooled, four-valve single offered 38 horsepower, and […]
