Hot or What??

[Jackrat]

Somebody I know has just bought a Yamaha off Trade me for $100.
I think it's an XV550 if such a thing exists.
It's an older V twin,square tank,seat,ect an ugly as.
I went an had a look at it tonight but I'll go back an take a Pic' then post it tomorrow.The thing that struck me was it has no numbers on the steering head or any VIN plate on it.The guy that bought it is out of town for a few days so I couldn't ask him about it, but his wife told me he got it from a shop in the Matamata area.As soon as I saw it the word "HOT" leapt into my mind.You could sell this guy a dead horse,tell him it was asleep an he'd belive you,so I don't want to get him in the shit but I don't want a hot bike anywhere near where I hang out either,so any advise would be most helpfull.
I'll post a Pic' an the engine number tomorrow.
Stay tuned.

[avgas]

might be ligit - been through my share of $100 bikes.
But either a) its hot or b)its never been on the road - as my ol' crappasaki had no vin plate. but never been on the road - so i checked the engine no. and it was all good.
No frame number?????

[Bonez]

Somebody I know has just bought a Yamaha off Trade me for $100.
I think it's an XV550 if such a thing exists.
It's an older V twin,square tank,seat,ect an ugly as.
I went an had a look at it tonight but I'll go back an take a Pic' then post it tomorrow.The thing that struck me was it has no numbers on the steering head or any VIN plate on it.The guy that bought it is out of town for a few days so I couldn't ask him about it, but his wife told me he got it from a shop in the Matamata area.As soon as I saw it the word "HOT" leapt into my mind.You could sell this guy a dead horse,tell him it was asleep an he'd belive you,so I don't want to get him in the shit but I don't want a hot bike anywhere near where I hang out either,so any advise would be most helpfull.
I'll post a Pic' an the engine number tomorrow.
Stay tuned.My bro had a XV550. Nice wee liquid cooled shafty. Have a look under the seat for a vin plate.

[DEATH_INC.]

might be ligit - been through my share of $100 bikes.
But either a) its hot or b)its never been on the road - as my ol' crappasaki had no vin plate. but never been on the road - so i checked the engine no. and it was all good.
No frame number?????
My mates old GPZ11 was like that,but it had a kawasaki genuine parts sticker on it.....

[Jackrat]

My bro had a XV550. Nice wee liquid cooled shafty. Have a look under the seat for a vin plate.

Sounds like the one,liquid cooled shaft drive.
I'll look under the seat tomorrow.
It has no numbers on the steering head an the frames been resently painted with the engine still in.
I really hope it's not hot because the guy that bought it doesn't deserve that kind of crap,an if it's legit I get the almost new front tyre and the front master cylinder off it.

[moko]

Sounds like the XZ550 to me,if so dont want to put a damper on the guy`s new bike Jackrat but those things are friggin notorious,real dogs.On paper they`re brilliant,Yamaha bought them into Europe to take on the CX500 which was one of Europe`s best-selling bikes.According to the spec sheet Yam should have pulled the carpet out from under Honda but they pretty soon got a seriously bad rep as the warranty claims mounted up.You name it and it went wrong,like the old XS250 it had a name for developing starting faults which no-one ever sorted out properly,they were that bad that Yam dropped them bloody quick and dealers wouldn`t touch them.Of course like all things with a bad rep there are those lucky enough to have had them and had no trouble at all but they`re few and far between.Probably the most un-reliable and troublesome bike that Yamaha ever bought into this country.If it`s hot then the only suprise would be that anyone would want to steal one in the first place.

[Bonez]

Sounds like the XZ550 to meMy apologies. Yip the Xz550 - http://www.bikepics.com/yamaha/xz550/
Glen, one of my brothers, had no probs with his one while he had his. Seems like they where in production from '82-85. Quite a few Jap market XZ400s where bought into NZ as well.
One up for sale here- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports-tourer/auction-20390251.htm

[Monsterbishi]

About 9 years ago I had the displeasure of owning a '83 XZ400, if the XZ550 was anything like that, $100 is too much for it, the thing was so mind-bendingly slow that you might have mistaken the motor for a 250 single with a permanent pillion...

On the up side, I must admit it was the most comfortable bike I've ever owned, the crappy suspension & shaft drive combined with the huge seat made for a armchair-like experience.

[gav]

Whats the guy looking at doing with it, if your getting tyre and m/c etc?
The 550 wasnt too bad, but the 400's were shocking, sold pretty cheap here, but just seemed to be lemons. When the 550 came out as per usual the yanks got into modifying for flat track, BOTT racing etc, 680cc big bore kits etc, pretty wild, but never really came to much.

[Jackrat]

Whats the guy looking at doing with it, if your getting tyre and m/c etc?
The 550 wasnt too bad, but the 400's were shocking, sold pretty cheap here, but just seemed to be lemons. When the 550 came out as per usual the yanks got into modifying for flat track, BOTT racing etc, 680cc big bore kits etc, pretty wild, but never really came to much.

He's one of these guys that collects,,,,stuff,,,with the intension of doing something with it one day.At $100 he just couldn't turn it down.
Just waiting for him to get home today before I duck back around there an take a Pic' of it.

[Jackrat]

This is the bike I'm on about.
I looked ALL OVER it and could find nothing in the way of numbers.
There's a flat area on the rightside engine case for numbers but even that is blank.I've asked him to get it checked out and he's going to do that ASAP.

[Motu]

Ah,one a them,yeah the 400s were gutless wonders,they have more chains inside them than a punk rocker.Looks to be in good nick for $100,no wonder you are suspicious - has the frame been powder coated?,this can fill the numbers on the steeringhead,but there should atleast be engine numbers.Wreck it and use what you can.

[What?]

Gotta be worth $100 if just for a CDI that still works.
Fuck knows why anyone would flog one, but the lack of numbers sure makes it sound like it was flogged.

[onearmedbandit]

They never came out with frame numbers or engine numbers, Yamaha were hoping no-one would figure out who made 'em!!

[Jackrat]

They never came out with frame numbers or engine numbers, Yamaha were hoping no-one would figure out who made 'em!!

:lol: Yeah,I rode the 400 years ago,it wasn't much cop.
The story I got tonight was that the bike was taken into a shop in Matamata with low compression.The guy was told a price to fix it.He turned it down,telling the shop owner to get rid of it.The shop owner gave him $100 for it an kept it for awhile before deciding it wasn't worth his time either.So he put it on Trade me,then my mate bought it for the front end to go on a home built off road trike he has.It has two near new tyres on it and is in better nick than the Pic' makes it look.I want the front Mastercylinder as it's the same as mine but without the beveled off leading edge gained from sliding down the road.
We'll see what happens.

[moko]

Dont your WOF testers check the numbers?They`re supposed to here for the MOT but in reality as long as they`re there they dont look too close but I believe the no`s being visible is a legal requirement as they`re what ties the bike to the reg doc.As your guy only wants it for parts then no big deal but for his own sake I`d check with the police to make sure it`s not stolen before he does anything else,better to lose $100 than have things go pear-shaped and having to try and prove he`s not part of some bike-ringing group or something.

[inlinefour]

Somebody I know has just bought a Yamaha off Trade me for $100.
I think it's an XV550 if such a thing exists.
It's an older V twin,square tank,seat,ect an ugly as.
I went an had a look at it tonight but I'll go back an take a Pic' then post it tomorrow.The thing that struck me was it has no numbers on the steering head or any VIN plate on it.The guy that bought it is out of town for a few days so I couldn't ask him about it, but his wife told me he got it from a shop in the Matamata area.As soon as I saw it the word "HOT" leapt into my mind.You could sell this guy a dead horse,tell him it was asleep an he'd belive you,so I don't want to get him in the shit but I don't want a hot bike anywhere near where I hang out either,so any advise would be most helpfull.
I'll post a Pic' an the engine number tomorrow.
Stay tuned.


When it was time to ride it we were both bitterly disappointed (ie piece of crap). However my friend sold it for a good price :done:

[F5 Dave]

Some of you I feel have been a bit unkind. As a Yamaha fan I feel some redress is required:

Roll it toward the tip at night time so no one sees you. I would prefer a CX500 custom (there’s room on the trailer for two for that midnight trip).

Strip what you can off it, maybe the horn, even a wrecker wouldn’t bother picking it up as a gift as there are none still going to sell parts to, unless he was on a run to the scrap ally merchants (wheels etc).

Oh. Sorry.

[Krusti]

And anyway as if anyone down this neck of the woods would do any thing like that :whistle:

[Pwalo]

Years ago Whites Yamaha in Wgtn let me have a 550 when my RD400 was in overnight.

What a let down. Even my GS is more exciting. Still it did make me REALLY appreciate my RD.

[moko]

Years ago Whites Yamaha in Wgtn let me have a 550 when my RD400 was in overnight.

What a let down. Even my GS is more exciting. Still it did make me REALLY appreciate my RD.

I traded my RD400 in for an XS500 mate,big mistake,one of the best bikes I ever had for one of the worst.

[guzzi_nz]

I traded my RD400 in for an XS500 mate,big mistake,one of the best bikes I ever had for one of the worst.

One week end i end up swapping my xj 550 for a rd 350 lc :ride:
What fun :yeah: i had a shit load of fun It was light :Punk: fast :ride: di wheelies :first: only down fall exp to keep going (petol oil rings ) :disapint: