RARE Yankee Craigslist

[canuck750]

I have never seen one of these for sale, let alone one with such low mileage and this condition! A better investment than the S&P 500

https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/d/shrewsbury-1973-yankee-500z/6950404926.html

[blackcat]

Wow, that’s not going to last long.

[Trialsman]

Back in the day I wanted one of those so badly.

[analog kid]

Pretty sure its the one I saw at a museum display in 2009. Judging by the skid plate, horn plate behind the headlight, speedo bracket and big 3-way switch on the top triple clamp. Yes, my photos are not great.

[Lannis]

If you go to the York, PA show in January put on by the Potomac Riders off-road club, you'll generally see two or three of these, and sometimes in that condition.   Threre's still a few around.

Lannis

[MotoMatt]

One sold on Ebay a few days ago for $6000.

[twowheeladdict]

I wonder if Jay Leno has one in his collection.  Being a Yankee and all I'm sure he would appreciate a clean specimen. 

[mechanicsavant]

I went to the Yankee 500 reunion @ Jim Holerich’s museum of Spanish trailbikes a few years ago . Cool event.
Also saw one on one of those picker shows, in rough shape in a corner of a barn . They generously offered $250 for “the old dirt bike in the corner”. I believe it was bundled w/other stuff. I may be mistaken as I was yelling @ the tv @that point

[oldbike54]

 Two Ossa motors plugged together , Dick Mann had a hand in designing the frame which has to be worth something . Very nice example of a very rare motorbike . The entire effort was timed badly , the Yankee was designed back in '67 to compete against the European off road bikes , unfortunately by '71 when the bikes were built , the market had changed and the Japanese were beginning to flex their muscle .

 Dusty

[LowRyter]

Never heard of it.  I am inferring that this a parallel twin 2 stroke based on two 250 Ossa cylinders?

Looking at the photo I assumed it was a 500 single "enduro" from the '70s.  So where is it assembled and what's the story?

[kballowe]

Source:   Wikipedia

The Yankee motorcycle is a motorcycle which was produced in Schenectady, New York by the Yankee Motor Company in the 1970s. This company was started by John Taylor, a long-time resident of that area.

The motorcycle used an air-cooled two-stroke engine, designed by Eduard Giró that was produced by the Ossa firm in Barcelona, Spain. The engine was a unique combination of two Ossa cylinders, that produced a twin-cylinder engine of near 500 cc capacity. The Yankee frame, designed with help from Dick Mann, and running gear were produced in the US, and the entire motorcycle was assembled in the Yankee plant on Campbell Avenue in Schenectady.

[oldbike54]

 Memory says there may have been some attempt at using a hot rod version of the motor in a road racing frame . Anyone ?

 Dusty

[hauto]

My friend Yankee Bob in the Lancaster Pa area 717-664-0807 has the largest collection of bikes and parts,period! By the way he is liquidating if your really interested in owning a Yankee

[Muzz]

Two Ossa motors plugged together , Dick Mann had a hand in designing the frame which has to be worth something . Very nice example of a very rare motorbike . The entire effort was timed badly , the Yankee was designed back in '67 to compete against the European off road bikes , unfortunately by '71 when the bikes were built , the market had changed and the Japanese were beginning to flex their muscle .

 Dusty

Thanks for the info Dusty. Had never heard of them.

The history of the Ossa 250 racer, the (rather small) team and it's rider Santiago Herrero is a really great read if you can find it.  One mans vision on a shoestring budget leading the world at one stage.

 edit:                           http://www.bikeexif.com/ossa-motorcycle