WORLDS LAST NEW YAMAHA IT490 BIG BORE 2 STROKE?

[@_J0hnny]

Thank you Ken! I'm honored to have you guys look after my IT, and share it with the world. I know it's in good hands.

[@SOFTAILX]

Ill be up there this summer and I hope to see it.

[@johnmurner2418]

Ken's the man.

[@daveyt4802]

I need to head to the right coast! Road trip.

[@user-po4jj9cx9l]

She is the best looking bike ever. 86 IT 200 guy here.

[@charleshowlett1291]

Will you trade a 05 Raven edition R1 for it?

[@troymcdougall6170]

Can we all agree that the color scheme on the old Yamaha ITs is gorgeous? This is such a wicked bike! What a treasure.

[@paulwatsonLN]

I can't think of any person or place more deserving of fine machinery like this, than Kaplan America and his museum.

[@southoripper]

Awe man I'm feeling some crazy nostalgia! I'm 42 and back when I was in my late teens I owned this exact bike.. picked it up for $700 bucks in roughly 1995. I rebuilt the top end and man that bike was such a beast. Tons of mid range torque, the powerband was insane. I lost half an arm an leg in a bad crotch rocket (GXR 750) accident in 2008. Can't ride bikes anymore but I'm loving this channel!! Seeing you guys twist throttle on these big old school big bore 2 strokes just gives me a shit eating ear to ear grin! Keep it up boys!!!!

[@martinrix8523]

My brother lost his left leg on a KTM300. He is riding a street legal KTM450 now. Shifts gears with his left hand. There are paraplegics racing professionally. Physically you can still ride bikes, you just have to learn how again.

[@charleshowlett1291]

I remember like was yesterday rolling mine off the showroom. Mine smoked CR500's. It has the perfect gear ratios, perfect powerband, sweet handling. BEST woods bike of all time!

[@johnhansen7499]

I'd put that where my TV is and just watch it all the time, invite my buddies over...yeah.

[@ianrobinson525]

Lol that gave me a good chuckle

[@ianman420]

I'd ride it like it's meant to be.

[@TheFykle]

@@ianman420 def not now.. that thing will be in my house and wrapped !

[@TheFykle]

My god that is brilliant, almost unreal that this is even possible, and what an era to have the example, all bikes were at their best looking back then. Always dreamt of such a scenario with the entire KX range from 82-84 like this.. and throw in the kdx and klx too boot 😀

[@stufoo]

I’m so glad Logan found peace after retiring from the X-men. Thank you for your service Wolverine. I know it’s you.

[@peterc2876]

I had this exact bike when I was 19, to see a brand new example again is like a back to the future moment.... absolutely incredible!!

[@tomrynkewicz7674]

Absolutely beautiful! Man the 80's had some of the best dirt bikes ever!! Love it

[@brinkee7674]

It sure did, it was my hay day and I agree

[@TheFykle]

82-84 were the best looking , the looks went downhill a bit after that

[@jasonvoorhees2701]

Truly was the golden dirt bike era

[@yamahaxs6501]

I've never been a guy who really appreciated bikes like this, because I always felt they were made to be ridden. Ever since I started watching Kaplan, I'm really developing an appreciation for this type of thing. It's necessary to have a few of these bikes out there, for museums, so people can see exactly what they were like when they were brand new. So cool for this guy to share his incredible bike with the world.

[@joelalexander5338]

I’d buy it for a good amount of money, and ride this wonderful machine!

[@Beandiptheredneck]

I am always on the fence for both directions, one side wants to keep it brand new, and the other thinks it should be ridden, I saw a video a while ago for a brand new 90s 454SS that had been in storage since it was delivered, It still had covers on the wheel and all 😳

[@slipknotrob666]

I think that the original owner did things pretty well by buying two identical bikes and keeping one pristine while riding the crap out of the other one... best of both worlds, and he was probably able to have a lot of fun and not care as much about cosmetics on the one he rode.

[@Johnny_Bee]

Its amazing what people have hidden in their garages.

[@garettanderson6772]

Yeah no doubt I was at a yard sale ten or so years ago and they had what they claimed was a brand new TM400 in their basement, and it looked new unused to me. It had a desert tank on it that looked unused.. They also had the original tank and it was for sure still new. The bike looked new and it wasn't a restoration. They wanted some money for it I forget exactly how much but $1400.00 comes to mind. I knew it was a screaming deal but didn't have the money. I've thought about that bike a lot since then wish I had bought it.

[@garettanderson6772]

It was a deceased family members motorcycle that they finally were parting with.

[@skyjames442]

Basement bud. Says it like 69 times 🤣🃏

[@Cheeseburger.Launch.Sequence]

I'm guilty of this.

[@marcuscompton3772]

John Baker I was just thinking the same thing! Almost anything of value someone somewhere has one in mint condition!

[@anavoll]

Breather tube was laying around, and they found that also. Calendar shoot with these old two strokes with some babes. Bless your heart

[@UrbanMiningWithGearHead]

Nice to see that old BEAST! I actually learned to ride dirt on an 83 YZ490!

[@dannywilmoth6402]

Ken Sr. That young man that donated this to y’all to display in your museum . He has true value and is a true American the person that will this to him knew he wouldn’t take it out and just trash it he would value it what it meant to him looks like it means to this young man to. You do the same thing with Ken Junior he values the same thing you love and shows what a great father you are the best compliment in the world is to have a son and they have the same great values as you do. Keep making the great videos .

[@andrewbowers_]

I rode a 490 dirt bike and learned the meaning of fear. The power is indescribable.

[@jamieteal2107]

Got that right Andrew their not for the faint hearted 👍🇦🇺

[@darrenwilson4]

That bike is flipping amazing !!!! The IT's are very hard to beat as far as looks!

[@liljohnp132]

Had an IT200 at 13 yrs. old , Still holds a place in my heart and I'm almost 43 now.

[@Yoda-em5mt]

The it 200 was a weapon in its time ah the good old days .

[@interstellaraxeman4468]

Jonathan,... Thank You for such a RARE and AMAZING contribution to the New England Motorcycle Museum. That snapshot of mechanical perfection is in the wholesome custody of honorable hands where all of your mutual generosity comes together sharing it with the greater motorcycling community. I am sure everyone can appreciate this gift,...Kaplan America is at the top of that list. Thanks Again to all of you... ( when I visit, I`ll remember this and think of your friend )

[@onisgagan2481]

I wanted one so bad, I was just out of high school. Looking back it’s probably the best thing that never happened to me, it was full throttle or nothing...

[@thorstenwanoth6774]

I managed to flip an IT 465 on the beach once I hit the powerband in second gear back in '82. My Yamaha TY 50 had prepared me for this. I think I was pretty good riding that bike coz the owner was impressed by how I managed to powerslide deep sand before my monster wheelie took me out for the day. Awesome memories from Durban beach 40 years back when big bore IT's were the coolest bike on the beach and your mate let you loose on it. In retrospect I think the Suzuki PE400 that my school girl friend Shirley gladly shared with me did not do me any favours. Power delivery between the PE and the IT were worlds apart, Though only 2 years removed from each other. Much Respect for IT here.

[@yordyiam]

No way could I own that beauty and not ride it! I go insane 🤪! What a fantastic addition to the museum 👏👍😍

[@waynecorbett4119]

My father loved these, especially the model with the front disc brake. He purchased more than a few of these and he would strip them down, restore them and build them back up and they always went so very well. Fully opened throttle whilst going sideways was a dream on these back in the 80's, you should see the trenches that the 140 rear tire would leave in freshly mowed front lawns, they were there until the neighbors filled them in, that was a different time.

[@carlhothan9028]

I graduated high school in '84 as well. I certainly remember these awesome bikes as I was into the big bores. Raced an '82 RM465 & '84 KTM495 back then. It's in good hands for sure 👍

[@Efemedio1]

That's awesome you graduated in 84, I graduated 87! Sweet bike and I love the color scheme. Too bad Yamaha's are that tone of blue now! Thank you for the great content!

[@axispowerdiesel]

A good ol 7.3, an E36 M3, and a beautiful IT490 all in one place

[@kraigcochran9995]

I knew they were lying about Elvis being deceased 😆😆

[@hankschrader149]

😂

[@superdragUSA1]

@@emjay3066 yep, Glenn.

[@bowmadman]

My heart just stopped for a moment

[@dougcoleburn1579]

That IT is amazing! God bless the owner who kept it so nice all these years!!

[@ccsmooth55]

My uncle had one just like this. I remember riding it for the first time when I was 13 (im 40 now). The amount of power that thing had was insane! Theyre awesome bikes! This one is absolutely crisp!

[@mrgold1964]

Raced an 84 IT-175 in Texas State Enduro Circuit back in mid 80's. Have always had a love for those bikes. Big bore 2-stroke...better be hanging on tight when you twist that throttle. What a gorgeous bike.

[@keithpeterson3447]

Absolutely beautiful

[@chris_sirhc01]

I'm an owner of the 465 & it's gutsy,worked with a fella from Yamaha & I'm a fitter/machinist by trade-he relieved the yz head to stop the pinging.cheers

[@CBDM777]

i remember going to the Yamaha dealer in the early 80's and seeing all the amazing bikes

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

No matter how old I get , this keeps me young. You guys are awesome! If I didn’t live on the other side of the border I’d love to sit and have a few beers with Ken sr. And Kenny jr. and talk 2strokes all day. This channel has helped me big time through this COVID lock down hell of boredom

[@stubryant6673]

Classic! Had the opportunity to try a 400 back in the day, was highly impressed. This is so sweet. I could not have resisted gassing it up and start using it.

[@gtric1466]

Had the 175 great bike for the woods with a few mods man miss those days

[@AnthonyDonnellyTT]

I had visions of it dropping...the way he was holding it straight up, stand on his side... Lol... I was nervous even. Man, a real beauty. Love bikes of that era.

[@BillyTheKidder]

Very cool of these two to let people see it on the museum. That is impossibly clean. Gorgeous.

[@MotoBroo]

sheshhh that ting is clean!

[@6bt_str864]

Oh I get it (ting/ting/ting/ting...)

[@aceylaboy9773]

Imagine how fast

[@ernieyoutube9822]

Check out your Facebook message. I sent you a picture of my restored 1987 cr 250 r.

[@markcotharn3586]

I had one of those back in 84. It was a monster. I rode the deserts of southern cal and loved that machine

[@johannbraunstein1190]

The baby brother IT250K was less of a widow maker.

[@squarebodychevyoverhauls6982]

Priceless piece of motorcycle history . I have an 82 IT I bought brand new and its in my garage . Its been a wonderful and reliable machine to me . Like a good friend I will never sell it . Just like a gun that's never been fired , I hope they keep this 490 in the museum .

[@geraldwilson5954]

Brings back memories of my youth I had an IT175 followed by 2 IT465. Took a spell of from bikes after breaking my shoulder and struggled to pay my mortgage thanks for showing your bike.

[@roberthall7721]

Wow. I would have never believed there were any of them left that have never been started. That is crazy. It's cool he wants it in the museum so people can see it.

[@MrMadzilla]

I had an yamaha it 200, back 25 years ago, was 13 when I had it, loved that bike, ride it every day in the fields around my house, and on the weekend rode it over mountain trails, never ever let me down, best built bike in the world

[@prochat3481]

WoW Nice!! . I use to work for a motorcycle dealer in my younger days called ASK power sports. Paul Akers Had brand New bikes still in the crates from the 80s just collecting dust and probably sitting there today

[@baby-sharkgto4902]

What a nice young man. I believe anyone else would have already been ripping it down the paved roads lol

[@wendyheller8916]

That bike is the cream of the crop!

[@troyscott6580]

WOW!!! That bike is awesome. What a beautiful specimen from our days... I also graduated in 84' thank you so much for sharing that amazing piece of history. Super cool.

[@paulgrogan8032]

Only in this channel would you see this type of content every f@#king day❤️👏👍🙏

[@FonicsSuck]

Gives me encouragement to get my old '85 DR600 on the road again. Can't wait to be able to visit the museum sometime soon. Maybe I'll ride the old DR! 9hrs, no big deal!

[@BeeRocket2010]

OMG My wife & 3yr old girl are in the room just now, I was thinking the equal two most beautiful gals in existence and then I saw this IT490 and had to correct myself and say make that equal three most beautiful gals! Very nice bike mate and hats off to you for continuing to look after it meticulously, you're so deserving of your inheritance.

[@SOFTAILX]

It would be so hard not to ride that all these years. Man is that thing clean.

[@carlclonts8313]

WOW! I would love to see that IT in person. unfortunately, I live on the west coast. I was fortunate enough to ride an IT400 on the trails a few times. I LOVE THE OLD 2 SMOKERS

[@thomasglynn2282]

My first real dirt bike was a 1976 DT175 that I bought in 1982, I have owned several bikes since then including a 1989 CR500R which was far superior to the DT175. But my fondest memories are of my high school years with my friends riding in the mountains with our early dirt bikes. We were working class families and couldn't afford new bikes until we graduated (same as you 1984) and got jobs. Now I ride with my kids, but it's mostly four wheelers, I think I'm one of a few that still has the itch to be the next Hurricane Hannah or O'Dowd. Grew up in the mountains, and as teenagers in the 70s there was nothing cooler than motocross motorcycles and we scraped and saved until we got one. Luckily my dad enjoyed restoring old trucks as a hobby, so I had a fully stocked garage. Wood burning stove, an ancient snap-on front end alignment set up from the 50s, an old hoist hanging from a beam in the barn, workbench with a good Wilton vise and a full set of tools. Everything was old and used, but well maintained. The only thing that was new was all the metric tools we had to buy for the bikes, which my father never stopped bitching about. A lot of our tools were homemade because me dad was a machinist. He made the puller for me to remove the magnetic flywheel so we could change the points and condenser on the DT175. I still have that barn and it now has my 1966 B75 Mack sitting in it. Got to love the old iron!

[@Meindl-zm8jq]

Absolutely one of the best looking bikes of all time. My favorite.

[@allenwilliams2092]

That exhaust alone is very cool original my IT had the stock exhaust like that one i never saw another besides mine and now this one here in a condition like this! Very awesome!

[@jamesderbaum9678]

Two strokes are the shit !!! Fast ass hell, doesn't matter what size, they'll bust your butt. Love them.

[@joewhitehead3755]

Absolutely unbelievable! My all-time favorite bike is the IT 490 I finally found one last summer that's super nice that I love to death and you guys come up with this thing and I'm drooling over here holy crap!

[@robpearson1209]

Wow!! That is so awesome!! I've never saw a better looking bike for that age!! It's like stepping back in time!! I'm just blown away! If I couldn't ride it.. It would definitely have more miles on it from just pushing it around in my garage an seat wear from just sitting on it... An the wife yelling stop making those noises!! Lmbo!! Wow! So cool!!

[@roydriver8956]

I had a IT250 and it went like the clappers! Love em!

[@johnkelley2615]

I learned to ride on dads old 175. Was painted the same. He always told stories of the guys crashing these big dogs at the track.

[@95Sn95]

I've ridden alot of different bikes from 80,85,125,250 motocross bikes, small and big thumpers over my 48 years of life and I rode a piped 86 IT200 back in the late 80s and it was one of the best bikes I've ever ridden.

[@TwoHemiViewer]

Wow that brings back memories, I rode one when I was about 22 and was surprised by how torquey it was.

[@isabellagillard5971]

My Dad had one back in the 80’s.........we lived in Coffs Harbour Australia!!! He is 80 years old and still rides every weekend on his WR250,wow that is a trip down memory lane.

[@slabdaddy4209]

Holy fck what a beautiful machine can't believe it's never been started!!wow another sweet bike!!

[@jessedrew3413]

Ken Kaplan.... you are by far the coolest guy on the planet. If I could be anybody in the world, without a doubt I’d want to be you. I just think your the greatest guy on the planet!

[@KaplanCycles]

Thank you Jesse!

[@alohajesse]

AMAZING! These are street legal in Australia, my brother had one in 1991-92 and I had the pleasure of riding it on the road a few times. Beastly machine.

[@sonnyseabury4051]

Flawless Bike. I always loved the IT's, since I was a young kid. I remember them first coming out, many years ago.

[@trulysurprised-bk7cy]

I'm drooling !! BRIIIINNNNGGGG DING DING DING DING......😁😁😁❤🤍💙

[@skiterbite]

Loved IT's, Bought a 175cc in 1976-77. Built like a tank and decently fast and agile. Sold Yamaha's back in 1982 for a dealer named Cycle Sport in Tyson's Corner VA, we had several IT's : 175, 250 465 and later in 1983-84 a 490. They sat on the sales floor a long time....Oh well !

[@bobbeazley2502]

Love the big bore enduros! I can’t wait to get up there and check your museum!

[@craigyarrington4964]

I had the same but a 250. They were street legal In Australia but being on my learners permit I was restricted to 250cc. I was tempted to get the 490 and change the stickers. Great handling bike. It was much higher than my CR250 RE but it didn't bother me.

[@jpesicka999]

I love the fact that he bought 2 so he could tear up one and keep one pristine or borrow a bolt off it like he did. May he RIP the legend who owned this

[@kevinroark5024]

YZ490,KX500&CR500 grew up with cousins&friends that had em&250r,250tecate&250 triZ.Those were all fun 2strokes

[@apptouchtechnologies3722]

Had a IT200…. AWESOME BIKE. The powerband was SILK. Wheelie that baby through all 6 gears…..

[@pocillipora]

Guy is making me nervous not letting the kickstand do it’s job lol

[@dangiroux7065]

That was my dream bike when I was a kid but just couldn't afford it. But did manage to save enough for the dt400.

[@gregbishop3167]

Cousin and his buddy had those in 1983. I thought too much for R I woods but so much fun in the now closed RI desert. But then again who really doesn’t want too much power??!

[@garthlundquist3623]

I bought the first IT 400 available in Washington State in 1975. It was like Star Wars equipment compared to the competition. It was the World’s First production monoshock off road bike. Yamaha medaled at the ISDE with the IT 400 that first year.

[@janeblogs324]

4:53 the catch phrase we were all waiting for "Bran noo"

[@richardmorris7063]

Damn,84 was a long time ago! Mind blowing that bike never seen fuel.

[@ilveverythingdaft]

It a unicorn of a bike i would love that it I had a 175 many years back and that was a pure animal constantly lifting the front end without any effort

[@toreyweaver9708]

Wow what an absolute gem. Beautiful beautiful beautiful bike. Never been started. Insane!

[@johnbarnett9403]

It should have a 150/80-18 on it but I imagine the tires were cracked to hell 15 years ago. What a beauty.

[@Eric--zs6um]

In 1982 I was going on 13 when I first laid eyes on the IT's. That's a dream machine there

[@Corteum]

If Yamaha released an updated IT490 with modern chassis and all the spec gadgetry (i.e. electric start, disc brakes, air forks, etc), I'd buy it in a heart-beat.

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

Had the pleasure of buying an IT490K brand new (fully registered in Australia)a few months later I traded my 1100 Katana for a brand new RZ500L loved an had both of them in my garage!

[@2-strokeracer531]

Great thing to do to show that incredible bike to other enthusiasts.. Good Guys.. 👍🇺🇸👍

[@droneflight2050]

What a great guy to loan his bike to you guys for display. That is one nice bike.

[@shanelewis9711]

amazing. My friend has a 1984 orange XR350 never seen dirt or started either.His dad bought it for him form Wilsons Honda of Spokane in 1983 tags still on it too.

[@onecookieboy]

I rode one of those once, what a weapon, 4 speed gearbox if I remember correctly, that was all they needed, so much power.

[@diggerdave.6587]

Oh WOW! That is truly a thing of beauty. we used to have a motorcycle dealer here in the u.k that sold IT's. We were always down there looking at them and touching them and indeed wanting one. I got to ride a friends 490 a while later. It was a far better bike than I was a rider that's for sure.

[@JUSTTRYANDSTOPIT]

WOW....brilliant to see...thank you for the video from the UK

[@s550mustang5]

Wow that brings back some memories for sure I had its little brother the IT 175 I had so much fun with it...

[@frios011]

BEAUTIFUL! Reminds me of the Yamaha IT 400 I had in high school!

[@andrewnewman1248]

I bought one of those new. It was a great trail bike. I ran it at the drags it ran 13.3 seconds at 96 mph. Thanks for the video. Regards from. Australia

[@hvacexplained9341]

I rode one of those 1988 YZ490 back in 2001 I think I’ll weighed around 120 pounds. There was so much torque Not only could I not kickstart it! But once I got it up and running it would literally spin tire through the first four gears in the grass and not wheelie for me. Haha. A true Stump Puller!!!

[@mackRseries]

One of the best looking enduro bikes of all time, period

[@MichaelSabo]

Dude you gotta find that other bike and put the OG kicker bolt back on there! What a find.

[@paulpatriot1776]

Class of 1984! Those were good years.