Post Sale Update: This Z500 sold for $4,465 after 10 bids on eBay.
In the early 70s, John Taylor of Schenectady, New York started building the Yankee Z500, an American dual-sport designed to compete with the best bikes coming out of Europe. Yankee Motor Company started by importing machines from OSSA, the Spanish off-road powerhouse, and then moved to modifying OSSA engines in their own custom frames. Eventually, they combined two OSSA 250cc thumpers to form the 500cc twin that powers this rare American legend.
Unfortunately, the Yankee Z500 was out of the market almost as soon as it got in. Production delays meant that it was already too heavy to be competitive in serious competition the day it was released. But it had some interesting features, like a 6-speed gearbox (with the ability to lock out 1st), a quick-release seat, and a large air filter. But the quirkiest thing of all? This was the first production motorcycle to utilize a rear disc brake. What makes that quirky is that Yankee kept a drum brake up front! I can’t recall any other vehicle that only has a disc in the back, but I’d love to hear from any of you that know one off the top of your heads. They’re big, they’re rather brutal, and they look like a ton of fun to ride. Only 760 were built, so you won’t have many opportunities to snag one nowadays. Want to learn more? Check out YankeeTwin.com.
This specific Yankee Z500 (VIN: 11-00-523) is #523 of 760 and is unfortunately not running. I try to avoid featuring non-runners but these are so rare that I couldn’t help it. The seller says that the only thing this bike needs to run is “to be wired properly using the correct wiring harness.” As someone who hates electrical work on bikes, that sounds like a nightmare, but hopefully you have more patience than I do with wiring! The speedo is missing but other than that the bike is complete and in pretty good cosmetic condition.
Find this Yankee Z500 for sale in Mercer, Pennsylvania with bidding up $4,100