I have just been reading an item in a book called The world of motorcycles about Mick Andrews, printed in 1977. A bit of history etc about his trials riding up to that date. At the end it says he is helping to develope a 4 stroke trials bike with Yamaha which will be popular in a few years. Anybody shed any light on this? Thanks.

In 1977 Yamaha were still trying to get rid of a huge stockpile of TY 250 twinshocks. - One idea was to fit the TT 250cc engine ( being developed) - nothing ever happened and eventually the stockpile of TY's in the States got sold to Canada and the UK.

There was talk at the time that Mick was developing a bike with an engine based on the XT 500! Hard to believe, i know. Dont think it was ever completed. I will ask him if there was any truth in the rumour of the time...

Dave Moy from the Stratford-Upon-Avon club has an XT250 engined TY250 which was around in the very early eighties.

I'm not sure who built it originally, but I remember seeing it in the shop window at Cotswold Motorcycles in Gloucester in about '82. (Opposite what is now Toys R US) I have a feeling it may have been something to do with Malcolm Davis; but that could be totally wrong.

Someone from the club usually gets the pleasure of riding it in the Sam Cooper Union Jack Classic trial as a no award Special.

Edited October 17, 200619 yr by scorpa3

Hi,

I remenber Mick talking about his XT500 trial motorbike project he proposed to Yamaha when he was talking with my friend who build the XTY 525.

Regards

Story is that with the introduction of the Hondas in the 70s, Mick was keen to be the first rider to win the SSDT on a 4 stroke so he was developing a bike with Yamaha. Not sure if the bit about winning the SSDT on a 4 stroke is correct, although one S H Miller was supposedly up for the challenge, but he was definitely developing a bike using his works twinshock frame modified to take the XT500 motor. His works frame was different from the production TY bikes as it was still based around the cantilever model.

Don't think the bike ever got ridden in competition, if at all. Shame, as another factory special 4 stroke with the added rivalry with Honda would have created a lot of interest.

Mick was keen to be the first rider to win the SSDT on a 4 stroke so he was developing a bike with Yamaha.

????

The project was cancelled by Yamaha after the story broke in the weeklies. It was a twinshock based around the XT500 motor. I saw a pic of in the story mentioned previously.

BINGO!

Hope you can make it out, it's the best I can do with a scan and resizing etc...

Mick was keen to be the first rider to win the SSDT on a 4 stroke so he was developing a bike with Yamaha.

????

The project was cancelled by Yamaha after the story broke in the weeklies. It was a twinshock based around the XT500 motor. I saw a pic of in the story mentioned previously.

Oops - mised out the bit about keen to be first to win the SSDT again on a 4 stroke since the 60s

BINGO!

Hope you can make it out, it's the best I can do with a scan and resizing etc...

By the look of those photo's, I reckon that Mick must have spent about half an hour on that project....then realised there was no way he could fit a tank !

Hi there.

The following link will take you to the site of a french TY fanatic who has build a TY 525 homage. Photos of the bike with Mick Andrews wobbling round on it etc.

http://www.loeil2fred.com/serie/101-Yamaha-XTY-525

Elsewhere on this site are lots of good hi-res shots of TY's and Majestys

Cheers Les

Thanks, that is a handfull I'm sure. I can see why it was shelved. wonder where it is now.

Edited October 18, 200619 yr by bo drinker

For anyone still following this thread about Mick Andrews XT500 project, i was with him today and he confirmed that as we know, the project was scrapped. Interestingly though, it would not have needed a fuel tank in the usual positon- the intention was to fit a fuel tank much lower on the bike to keep the centre of gravity low and use a pump to get it to the carb....