Built by blending the YZ250 and YZ490, the WR500 was a rare offering (1,000 sold as 1992 and 1993 models) that was best served as a trail bike that could mix it up on the race track every once in a while.
For more information, check out this profile on Motocross Action Magazine. The author, Jody Weisel, starts it off by saying: “Today, 500cc two-stroke motocross bikes are looked back on, mostly by people who never raced them in anger, with rose-colored glasses. That rosy vision is clouded by a veil of gauze. The 500’s aura wasn’t based on brand participation, fan approval or a strong following of local 500 racers. What gave the 500s the aura that surrounds them today was their exclusivity. What exclusivity? Of all the men who have ever raced 500cc two-strokes, only a few ever rode them to 85 percent of their potential, which paradoxically means the 500cc two-strokes were popular because so few could ride them. It was a man’s machine. The 125 class was for schoolboys. The 250 class was for paperboys. And the 500 class was for men.”
This example (VIN: JYA4AAW03PA006113) claims that it’s the best example of one in the US thanks to a $6,500 restoration four years ago. It has been run less than two hours since and it include the owner’s manual, original tool kit, and some spare parts. The “only flaw” is that the graphics were put on wrong and there’s some bubbles, which is a shame considering the money already spent on it and hte claimed quality of the rest of the work.
Find this WR for sale in Glendora, California with a unmet opening bid of $7,500 (and the seller mentions that the price is $10,500) here on eBay.