Yamaha XT500 restored by North East Custom

Not So Mellow Yellow: North East’s XT500 resto-mod

The Yamaha XT500 is widely considered as the Grand-pappy of the modern dual-sport. This late 70s enduro marked the point when scramblers went from being modded street bikes to purpose-built machines. (A few Paris-Dakar wins didn’t hurt its icon status either.) These days, most XT500s are immaculately restored trailer queens, or display decades of abuse.…

A Yamaha XT500 Built To Blast Through Swedish Forests

A Yamaha XT500 Built To Blast Through Swedish Forests

Despite the long winter nights and unforgiving climate, Sweden has a thriving custom industry. It’s what we’d call an ‘underground chopper’ scene—with the most famous graduate being BMW designer Ola Stenegärd. But there’s a new wave of modern alt-moto builders coming through, and at the forefront is the small Stockholm shop 6/5/4 Motors. Their bikes…