Topic: yamaha srx600 super single

[bikerbart]

My good friend Ed just got a mint srx and I rode it yesterday after a tune up,wow is this thing fun,torquey,light as hell,real skinny,what a fun bike.I also rode my buddies 08 Triumph Sprint St ,holy sh*T is that a cool bike.Heated grips,TONS of power,best thing in the twisties since my Hawk GT650.He just spent about 2 grand on Suspension mods,all race tech mods and I was lucky enough to get to ride it.The only bike I have had for the past 6 years is my ol CB750 and what a pleasure it is to ride a modern bike.

[heffay]

They are very sweet little bikes indeed.  My dad had one when I was in high school, sold it and wanted another so bad that he found one.  My wife was not fond of riding her big VFR800 anymore (she's only 5'5" and 120lbs) so she and my dad traded those 2 bikes.  This is us right before we left for the Old Bike Ride 7 in Denver and surrounding mountain roads.  It is  a minty, bone stock SRX600.  They are rare bikes since they are kickstart only and didn't go over well in the states due to that.  They were only brought into the states in '86.  2 carbs, 2 exhaust ports, thumper power, just awesome.  Most of them that I have seen are not in great shape after 25 years.

[heffay]

and the good side... that shorty pipe makes the bike.  I've got a short supertrapp that I may try out on it.  Dad had one on his first one and it sounded great.



These are her current 2 bikes

[bikerbart]

thats exactly what his looks like,the shorty supertrapp as well.He couldnt start it after we stopped for a break,I told him I would try it because I can channel the fonz and I fired it right up.AYYYYYYY!

[kirkn]

Never had an SRX650, but I had Honda's version of a few years earlier: the FT500 Ascot.  Great bikes - all the virtues mentioned above; light, narrow, torquey, great sound, tons of FUN!  Not as much power, but it DID have electric start.

[bikerbart]

I've always wanted an Ascot.

[cb650]

There is a guy on the nitehawk forum rebuilding a ascot.

[kirkn]

I've had two.  Sold the first after a little over a year.  The second was my son's - his first street motorcycle.  He sold it to get a dual-sport.

If I come across another one, I'll be hard-pressed not to get it.  They're a ton of fun.

[grcamna2]

kirkn,
         How does the FT compare to the VT500 ascot ?...V twin compared to single,power to weight,engine vibes,etc. Have you ever owned or ridden a VT500 Ascot ? are they a bit like a 500 shadow ?

[kirkn]

No, never owned or ridden one.  My Mom owned a Shadow 500 years ago.  Nice engine, although my Dad told me it was a real pain-in-the-rear to work on.  They had an offset crankpin deal to provide very good balance.  Very smooth, IIRC.  Liquid cooling, too, if that floats yer boat.  The V-twin Ascot was shaft drive, too, vs. chain on the single.

In my opinion, the VT keeps many of the virtues (narrow, torquey) but adds some vices (complexity of add'l cylinder & liquid cooling, weight of shaft drive, etc).  Eh, I can't opine on which is better.

[heffay]

Styling just does not do it for me on the Ascot though.  The stance is too 80s NightHawk.  I prefer the more aggressive look of the SRX.  To each their own.

[cb650]

The XL (?) version was cool too.  same engine in a dual purpose frame.   The old yama 500 from the same era was cool too.

[kirkn]

...and here's a beauty that just showed up on the Orlando CL.  Sweet, but maybe a little pricey.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcy/2658233078.html

Here's one I'd REALLY like - the 600's little brother - an SRX250.

http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/mcy/2679219239.html

[bikerbart]

sweet.really like the srx250,never knew they existed.

[heffay]

Dug out the original sales brochure from K&N Motorcycle in Wichita, KS that my dad picked up when they were new.  (yes, he hangs on to everything, then I get it when he gets tired of lugging it around, hence my collection of Cycle Worlds from 78 to present )

Click on them to make them bigger.

[heffay]

There was also an srx400

I think the bike in the CL ad might have originally been a 400.  I'm fairly certain the 6 did not come in Black.  Or, it was simply repainted or rebadged as a 6. 

[scottly]

Never had an SRX650, but I had Honda's version of a few years earlier: the FT500 Ascot.  Great bikes - all the virtues mentioned above; light, narrow, torquey, great sound, tons of FUN!  Not as much power, but it DID have electric start.

I need to resurrect my Ascot; it's been sitting for over 15 years. Maybe that will be a winter project this year...

[kirkn]

Oh, the horror!  An Ascot single that's been allowed to sit for 15 years!





Yes, you DO need to resurrect that bike.  Shame on you...

[kirkn]

There was also an srx400

I think the bike in the CL ad might have originally been a 400.  I'm fairly certain the 6 did not come in Black.  Or, it was simply repainted or rebadged as a 6. 

Hmmm....  never heard of an SRX400 in the US.  I seem to recall it from other countries, though.

Yeah, the one in the ad has just been painted black.  I don't think those black wheels, nor the black engine case cover is stock either.


On the 250 - I'm just sick with myself.  A guy in Jacksonville FL (somehow connected with the AMA (regional race director?) ) had TWO of 'em for sale for $1000 for the pair.  I think the guy in the ad I linked bought 'em and is just reselling the better of the two for that $1500.  The 2nd one was not running, but apparently was complete and very resurrectable.

I was all ready to pull the trigger, but life got in the way, and the next thing I knew, the ad on the Jacksonville list was gone.  Then, a few weeks later, THAT ad showed up, and I've dealt with that current seller - he's a buyer-and-seller. 

Sigh.

[heffay]

Hmmm....  never heard of an SRX400 in the US.  I seem to recall it from other countries, though.

Ya, not sure of its importation here or not.  I've just come across it in my srx-6 research. 

[Retro Rocket]

Hi Heffay, that 600 would look great with a Lossa engineering muffler on it....

[Raul CB750K1]

That SRX600 picture shot must have been taken in the spanish' "La Mancha" region, full of windmills...




FWIW, I happened to meet the biggest Yamaha dealer in Barcelona. His dealership wins the "biggest part seller" almost every year.

Well, talking about bikes, he swore for his old-trusty SRX600. The man is in his seventies, having been a Yamaha dealer since the early 80's, right since Yamaha opened office in Spain.

We talked bikes, and SRX600, and the guy told me he use is to commute to the showroom everyday! So we went out and the man showed me the bike. Some scars here and there, but a good example.

He told me that the only complain he had was the kickstarter, that he being old couldn't kickstart it everyday. The way he fixed it was.... to swap the engine for another one. Don't ask me which one it was, I can't remember what he told me, but there was another Yamaha model with the very same engine, but with electric start too. I recall it was a "trail" model, maybe a Tènerè or whichever that was built by Yamaha -not being into offroad bikes, I can't never tell who built the Tengai, the Tenere or the Africa Twin.... :-)


Long story short, it tells a lot about the SRX600 when the biggest Yamaha seller in Barcelona, who probably have had the chance to test every Yamaha models for the last three decades, remains trusty to his old SRX600...

[kirkn]

Yep - the modern-day XT600 dual-sport (at least those sold in the US), had electric start, and was essentially the same motor. 

Now, THAT would be a cool ride, since I'm a lazy fellow when it comes to kickstarting.  Been there, done that. 

[heffay]

Old thread, but my wife and I are probably gonna sell the SRX-6.
She's not fond of the kickstart only, and she rarely rides it.
Less than 20k on the clock.  About as near perfect of a bike as you will get for 27 years old.

Send me a PM if you're interested.