HL500

[Marc.com]

Interesting information about where the NVT bikes sold to, though I would imagine a lot of the bikes have emigrated along the way. But i think the NVT bikes do not really represent all the HL500s, just a batch run by NVT with the kit frames also being HLs with Aberg even doing the sales pitch.

What I find is it is interesting that Yamaha would alloy a kind of skunk works project go so far and then not derive ant benefit from it or productionise any ideas like the 3 valve head.... but the again they did but much later.

I guess like the YZ and TZ the Japanese were happy to let someone else do a little R&D and then make their own corporate decision on what they needed and what didn't fit their business plan. Yamaha NV had also been busy boys on some other innovative projects along the way like a TZ350 triple that was a better bike and beat the factory twins..... that project was shelved by Japan.

[Tahitian_Red]

The bike was such a success, both scoring Grand Prix points but also a fantastic PR-project. Every motorcycle magazine had front pages and countless articles and pictures of the incredible Yamaha 500cc single cylinder bike!  The sales of XT500 rocketed and Yamaha was happy! Later it was decided that Yamaha should build about 200 replicas of the HL500. (We in Sweden were not involved in this project.) These bikes had a chassis that was made in England and they were really not exact replicas. Actually they were not very good bikes at all.- Torsten Hallman

 

[TM BILL]

The bike was such a success, both scoring Grand Prix points but also a fantastic PR-project. Every motorcycle magazine had front pages and countless articles and pictures of the incredible Yamaha 500cc single cylinder bike!  The sales of XT500 rocketed and Yamaha was happy! Later it was decided that Yamaha should build about 200 replicas of the HL500. (We in Sweden were not involved in this project.) These bikes had a chassis that was made in England and they were really not exact replicas. Actually they were not very good bikes at all.- Torsten Hallman

 

Red where did you get that Hallman quote from ? its gold  Horrible ill handling stupidly tall tractors is all they are  and there you have it from the man himself  The original Aberg bike was indeed ground breaking and with Aberg aboard achieved respectible results. But as with most knock offs and as we see today knock offs of Knock offs their not a patch on the original 
But i suppose i still think as a racer and want to ride somthing competitive  but if your in it to build a refection of your personality and dont care about race results then good on yer 

[cloggy]

 http://www.mxworksbike.com/Hallman_Yam_interview.htm What has not been explained is just what about the bikes he did not like.

[Lennu Jr]

It is very easy to understand why Mr. Hallman didn't like HL500 at all because his team had a new proposal for the season '78 with a revolutionary 4-T engine made by Nils Hedlund. The extremely light engine had a 4-valve head and had numerous innovations used some 20 years later by Yamaha amongst others. The project deemed too expensive and the proposal had been rejected. Maybe the main reason was, however, that the factory had lost its interest in 4-T mx bikes and concentrated 2-T monocross bikes only. Bengt Åberg himself liked his factory "Hallman & Eneqvist etc.) bike that much that he continued with "his" Hallman Team bike as a privateer in '79 resulting 13th in World Championships.

The factory bike had been developed all the time during '77 season. In its original shape (pictures in this topic) the bike was not long. Bengt didn't like AirShoxs's, so Öhlin and occasionally Bilstein products were used. The rear shocks had alternative fixing points in the swing and frame and it seems to me that Bengt preferred more lateral positions. See Luxembourg pictures (in this topic as well). The Hedlund 3-valve head was very seldom used. During the season Bengt's mechanic Bror "Julle" Haglund made numerous alteratios planned and tested by father and son Lundin. During the season the team got help from factory mechanics as well. They assembled a CDI-ignition and made some minor improvements. The ligter wheel hubs were assembled. In the end of the season the bike's weight claimingly was only 102 kgs, 3 less than YZ 400C. The HL project was a swede-free one. Their opinions can be told later if felt interesting.

Lennu Jr..

[Tahitian_Red]

Bill & Lennu,

I think Hallman's comment was about the British built bikes.  He had an emotional link to the original and financial link to the Pro-Fab's.  No matter, they are cool bikes and I would love to own one!
 !

[Marc.com]

Red where did you get that Hallman quote from ? its gold  Horrible ill handling stupidly tall tractors is all they are 

We could stand you on a box Bill, or maybe high heeled boots   

Abergs bike wasn't the only one that did some winning, they won 4 stroke national titles  in the US as well and finally the whole MX world has gone on winning on 4 strokes that weigh as much as Bengt's GP bike and are just as tall.

I think for a VMXer the awesome thing about an HL500 is that the engine is still in production, no worries about spare parts and unobtainable gearbox bits. Just shows how good the Yamaha 2 valver 500 was to start with and combined with the HL chassis you had a bike that when it was first built was a decade or two ahead of its time.

[TM BILL]

Marc you will get no argument from me about the motor  history has shown it is a great unit 

[Marc.com]

Marc you will get no argument from me about the motor  history has shown it is a great unit 

That good even BSA used em mate. 

[TM BILL]

Marc you will get no argument from me about the motor  history has shown it is a great unit 

That good even BSA used em mate. 

Now you have lost me  dug out some platform boots from my glam rock days though , just in case im tempted for a ride 

[Davey Crocket]

That motor was a copy of the English single MarC, the idea of building it was just another copycat japanese product, it just happened to take off and it even surprised Yamaha how sucessfull it ended up being. The 500 4 stroke single had been around along time, the nips just took it too another level. I think in its original form it was a huge winner.

[TM BILL]

Do you still have yours Joan ?

[Davey Crocket]

I do, was going to take it to the Gatton swapmeet on Saturday and swap it for a hotdog or something. Hey Bill, your aunty Lizzie is coming for a visit today, I'm sure she'll ask how her "other" William is (the one who WONT be the king of England), is there any message you want me to pass on to her?

[huskibul]

    It just a shame the HL werent easily available (in oz)and having raced a stripped  xt in open motocross in 77' they were a long way from bengt's bike - its all easy in hindsight    still good fun for 1/2 a lap !

[crankpin]

That good even BSA used em mate. 

I think he's talking about the gold sr??? http://www.carolenash.com/insidebikes/bike-reviews/miscellaneous/bsa-gold-sr/ not truly a BSA built motorcycle but close enough...

The xt/tt unit is still heavier than the BSA unit single of similar capacity.