C&J-Framed Restomod Racer – 1979 Yamaha TT500

In America, Japan, Off-Road by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

I’ve recently been stumbling upon a decent number of C&J-framed examples, but this particular specimen has to be my favorite one yet. Constructed by C&J in the late ’70s, this machine features a Yamaha TT500 engine housed in a C&J chassis. It’s builder(s) also opted to outfit the bike with fenders, tank, and tail units off of other Yamaha MXers.

According to the seller, this example has seen a fair amount of vintage race competition, and has reportedly been with its current owner since ’97. In 2018, this example underwent a seriously thorough overhaul that included a major engine breakdown and rebuild – plus pretty much every other component was attended to.

Check out the ad for complete details, but other noteworthy highlights include rebuilt original 44mm Fox Factory Forx and triple trees, Works Performance shocks, a custom megaphone exhaust, custom fabricated aluminum air box, one-off skid-plate, and lots of new parts: chain, filters, cables, graphics, fenders, aluminum side panels, and modern foot and hand controls.

The seller says the bike hasn’t seen any action since undergoing the rebuild in 2018, and it is now waiting for its next owner to campaign it in vintage events, or display it in an office, storefront, or man cave (or all three). While the asking price does seem a little steep, this is an exceptionally cool C&J-built racer, and one of my all-time favorite restomods.

You can find this 1979 C&J-framed, Yamaha TT500-powered (and YZ-bodied) racer for sale here on Craigslist in Tacoma, Washington with a price of $10,000.