Shell TT500 on UK eBay

Gorgeous Shell TT500 on UK eBay.
The description is quite confusing, because it has a Buy it now price of £8000, but the seller is asking for details on the history of the bike. It looks pukka, right foot shift conversion, all the right parts and even an AMA scrutineering sticker on the headstock. And not an outragous price, if it is a bike built by the late Shell Thuet and the motor is good, but only if you've got the money. G

Thanks to Kev H for the link.

Shell Thuet

© Mike Stuhler

A lovely shot of the great Shell Thuet in 1975 at Syracuse with an XS Yamaha he'd prepped for Hank Scott. Read about Thuet's work with the 650 twins in the latest issue of Sideburn magazine, as part of the ongoing blueprints series. And see more superb Mike Stuhler photos and info at the magnificent Stu's Shots R Us. MP

XS Stunner

Lovely Shell XS750 (not to be confused with the factory shaft-drive triple monster), Star Racer framer, built by Jim Speer. BP

Tom Horton's Garage Sale

From Al McQ...

There are some real beauties for sale at VFT.org.
Check out the Shell Yam (Shell frame & motor), the hardtail Triumph, the Bultacos and the Roberts Yam shorttracker. He's asking sensible $ too...
Cheers!
A

Polish Piotr's XS

You must get hundreds of photos of bloke's motorbikes. I just wanted to share what I built. The 79 Yamaha XS650 is punched to 750 with a Shell cam and Mikuni carbs. The front is dual disk and features a Omar tank and tail. Enjoy. Piotr

Professor Eric

From Mule. Don't know too much about it, but thought we should share it.
It's obviously an XS. Those look like Yam forks and brakes. And the Mule called it Professor Eric. We'll find out why in due course.
The Shell sticker refers to Shell Thuet, the close to legendary Yamaha tuner. What I didn't know what that he was in the bike club, the 13 Rebels, whose Holister burn-up was exaggerated by the press and turned into the story of The Wild One. And I only found it out because I read it on the excellent blog The Selvedge Yard. The Selvedge Yard even says Brando's character was based on Thuet. Incredible. Is Shell still alive? G

Ex-Roberts XS650 for sale in UK

Thanks to Steve H for point it out on eBay. Seems to be up for £23,500, but then says make an offer. Be our guest. This is from the advert... McQ, your thoughts, please.

'Thank you for looking at the famous and legendary Ex-Kenny Roberts (senior!) Yamaha Flattracker. If you are of a certain age, you might recall the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics magazine featured this bike as a series of rebuild articles, over several years, in the late 90’s. When they’d finished the bike (of which more later), Bob Berry, the then editor, sold it to me.
The history of the machine is very well documented, but in essence, this is the story:
Roberts was already world 500cc Grand Prix champion in 1978 when he agreed to take part in a ‘demonstration race’ with Dave Aldana, against some British speedway riders, at Haldon Raceway, in Exeter. This event was sponsored by Bulmers Cider. His bike was basically a works Yamaha flattracker, built by the legendary Sheldon( Shell) Thuet. Thuet was, and possibly still is, responsible for some of the greatest oval racers ever made, cutting his teeth on Enfields and Indians. Roberts employed him to personally look after his bikes when he raced for the US #1 plate, which of course he won. Although no longer racing flat track, due to his GP commitments, Roberts took everything very seriously and instructed Thuet to bring with him a competitive machine and to fly it over for the races.
The races are well recorded and I have a copy of the report in Motor Cycle News, at the time. Roberts lost, and had the ar*e over the bike’s performance, he has since told me!'

Someone buy this to race in the UK, please!

Seen on vft.org

Champion Yamaha - Shell 750 motor - Ceriani forks - Progressive shocks - AHRMA legal
Palmdale, California - Can ship

$5500

661 273-1533 9am - 6pm PST - Tuesday - Saturday palmdalesupercycle@sbcglobal.net

Ascot

I am attaching a couple of cool photos/scans They speak for themselves, but a fast Arizona rider is shown, Art Fredenburgh. He ran out of Shell Thuet's camp, don't know exactly how much support he got but I know he had all the good stuff like Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson.

Later, Craig Martin