In 1976, Yamaha officially launched the XT500. This marked the beginning of a long and fascinating success story that had an extremely positive marketing impact for the brand with the three tuning forks in its logo.
Following the successful launch of the two-stroke enduro bikes in the RT and DT series, this was a big step for Yamaha and a giant leap for mankind. Finally, another big four-stroke single-cylinder bike with the character of the mighty British bikes from BSA, Norton or Velocette. With its victory in the „Paris-Dakar“ Rally—one of the first long-distance desert races to receive professional media coverage—came fame, cult status, and legend. The “Land Cruiser” on two wheels—versatile, simple, and extremely reliable—immediately gained a loyal fan base that rides the XT to work, to college, and around the globe.
Even simple technology requires maintenance and can be improved. That’s why KEDO has been handling spare parts supply since 1992; as the market leader, we offer „Parts & Service“ for the XT and its sister models. Classic single-cylinder Yamaha bikes are our world. Our birthday gift to the global XT500 community is our „50 Years XT500“ catalog. It features 260 pages packed with parts, technical know-how, and behind-the-scenes stories. In our shop, we’ve put together a selection of great goodies, gift ideas, and merchandise just for you.
We've captured what life is like with the timeless XT500 for you in our homemade short film, filled with humor and the joy of riding.
Now on YouTube: Back in 1976, Yogi chose the brand-new XT500 and quickly realized, „I made the right choice!“
Yogi kicked it off, and we filmed it. We’re proud to present our tribute to the XT’s milestone birthday: our short film about choosing the XT500 and half a century on this iconic enduro bike.
Now on the KEDO YouTube channel.
50 Years of the XT500—A Long Journey. What was it like back then? Awesome! Where did the time go? No idea! Let’s capture this moment. Hop on the ’76 model and let’s take a trip through time across the decades. Our Yogi is the perfect protagonist. He doesn’t just play the role of an XT rider—he IS one. One of us, inseparable from and married to our favorite bike for decades. Small and light—as effective as a tuned camshaft. Filming was a blast. Hamburg and the surrounding area, along with our extremely attractive neighbor Mecklenburg, served as the filming locations.
Our filmmaker Tingel from „Kool Motion Pictures“ gave it his all. The props, set design, and weather were all just right. We think we’ve captured the spirit of those early days well. Stay tuned and join us as we follow Yogi as he rides his XT500 through the decades.
50 Years of the XT500
KEDO celebrates the 50th birthday of the XT500 with you in a short film.
We have used AI to generate an audio track for our film in your language. Enjoy!
50 ans de la XT500
KEDO fête avec vous le 50e anniversaire de la XT500 dans un court-métrage.
Nous avons généré par IA une piste audio dans votre langue pour notre film. Bon visionnage!
50 anni di XT500
KEDO festeggia insieme a voi il 50° compleanno della XT500 con un cortometraggio.
Abbiamo generato con l’IA una traccia audio nella vostra lingua per il nostro film. Buona visione!
XT500 誕生50周年
KEDOは、XT500の誕生50周年を皆さんと一緒にショートフィルムでお祝いします。
この映像には、AIで生成した日本語の音声トラックをご用意しました。どうぞお楽しみください。
50 jaar XT500
KEDO viert samen met jullie de 50e verjaardag van de XT500 in een korte film.
We hebben voor onze film met AI een audiospoor in jullie taal gegenereerd. Veel plezier!
50 años de la XT500
KEDO celebra contigo el 50.º aniversario de la XT500 en un cortometraje.
Hemos generado con IA una pista de audio en tu idioma para nuestra película. ¡Que lo disfrutes!
50 lat XT500
KEDO świętuje razem z Wami 50. urodziny XT500 w filmie krótkometrażowym.
Do naszego filmu wygenerowaliśmy za pomocą AI ścieżkę dźwiękową w Waszym języku. Miłego oglądania!
Four days on set—a wonderful and exciting time! It was a great chance to get away from the spare parts shelf and dive into the glamorous world of stylishly staged XT riding. For everyone who took part, it was incredibly fun, educational, and an inspiring break from the daily routine.
Yogi used to have hair, too—long before his minimalist hairstyle became his trademark.
To make the best of a bad situation, they needed wigs.
Add to that some authentic moped gear—the kind we’ve all had in our closets at one time or another, in one form or another. It brings the spirit of the times from different decades back to life.
Yogi as an actor and one of the first XT riders. A top-notch cast—well done.
Hannes and MSA – Motorrad Service Altona. Everything was just right here, too. From the company car to the mullet to the boss’s lab coat. Perfect.
Tom and Todde, thank you for lending us those great 1976 XTs.
We'd like to thank all XT500 fans for their loyalty and enthusiasm. This film is for you.
The KEDO Team:
Stephan, Lutz, Ewgeni, Björn, Lukas, and Tingel.
We at KEDOs are celebrating 50 years of the XT500 with our Super-Special-Edition catalog—a beautiful reference book and collector’s item. Real paper, real information, real feel.
It features 1,700 parts spread across 260 pages—exclusively for the TT and XT500. Just flip through the pages and breathe in the scent.
We're featuring lots of charts and lists, as well as great photos from the world of the XT500.
Technical tips and links to articles via QR code in the online store and on our information page at moto.kedo.de
Anyone who stumbles upon a neglected XT500 right now won't be able to say NO.
You can order this source of inspiration and joy here:
If you want to show—and share—your love for the XT, you've come to the right place. In addition to all available replacement parts, we at KEDO also have some less essential but incredibly cool merchandise for you. From buttons and T-shirts to posters and stickers, you'll find them in the Store A whole bunch of ideas for the XT500.
Show your commitment, ride your XT, and share your enthusiasm for this iconic piece of technological history.
Color: cobalt blue, used black, or white; size: M–XL; regular fit; 100% cotton
2 mm, coated, 4-color digital print, dimensions 16 x 22 cm, with a hole in the center for hanging
2 mm, coated, 4-color digital print, dimensions 22 x 32 cm, no holes
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