WTB: Yamaha SR500 rolling chassis for an XT550

[Wired1]

I have an XT550 motor that was in a TT350 frame. I have listed the frame on Turdeme http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=134172370 and if it sells will want a rolling frame suitable for the motor.
It might be a dumb question but then that's what I ask most often, but are there any SR500 rollers around? maybe people ransack them for the motor (which I read is better than the XT or TT500 motors) or maybe they just get uneconomic to repair. In anycase I would like an SR500 or 600 rolling frame as my first choice, any other suggestions welcomed.

[sAsLEX]

Little read of Badcats attempt?

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=11291&highlight=sr500

[Wired1]

Little read of Badcats attempt?

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=11291&highlight=sr500

The end result is bloody brilliant, but that's the older motor. Mine has a dry sump and a 4-valve head.
I pulled the head off this morning and the piston is solid in the barrel, can;t move it with CRC or a rubber hammer so it's going to be a bitch to get the piston out. I will look around for a barrel/piston combo, the rest looks pretty good, there was enough oil in there to keep it all rust free but the kick start idler gear is missing! som bastard has put it back together without it so when you kick it over the kick start rotates but doesn;t do anything.
So I'll need a piston, rings, barrel and kick start idler. Wonder what the gearbox looks like...

[Wired1]

Nobody noticed the dry sump comment, I used to have an SR500 and that was a dry sump too ya dumb bastard. So the only difference is the number of valves then...

[Wired1]

I'm still looking for an SR500, I found an Xt rolling chassis for my XT550 motor so now I'm looking for either a whole SR500, or just the motor, or just the rolling chassis, or any other combination of the above if there is another one. I prefer to buy ugly bikes but I'll look at anything at this stage.

[PeterSibley]

G'day Wired ...are you still working on the 550 ? I'm new here , first post ........I've got one over here in Oz .It looked lovely 'til I scraped the crap and grease off it ,degreased it and poured in some oil .............then watched it ooze quietly out the crack in the RH casing .
So fun ,fun ! I've got a spare motor with it but I really just wanted to ride it ,not rebuild it !

Just for the fun of it here are some photos of one that recently sold on Ebay over here .It went for $4200 .Pretty as ! I need the photos for inspiration !

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL282/9443996/17245530/331762528.jpg

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL282/9443996/17245530/331762531.jpg

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL282/9443996/17245530/331762538.jpg

[Wired1]

Hi Pete, that must be out of a crate - it's too sweet. I sold my one for about what it cost me to make it go, I just like to get them back on the road and this one had come as two seperate items. The motor came with a TT350 roller that I swapped for an original XT550 rolling chassis. My motor was holed in the casing too but I managed to get another motor in bits with better cases and made one engine out of the two. I still had to get a hole welded up but that wasn't a major and I'd recommend you try it before you go for a new engine if the rest of the engine is OK. If it's only leaking in the case joints then pull it apart and rebuild it - get a clymer manual, they are an easy engine and what have you got to lose?
I am rebuilding an SR400 at the mo which is more of what I like, two valves, bloody simple engine. I also have a TT500 to do next which is a bit more complicated with points etc but I may do a CDI upgrade to that if I can't find a complete SR500 motor to swap in. Good luck and post some pictures of your attempts! Cheers, Simon.