Yamaha has dominated virtually every capacity of two stroke racing at one time or another. Sometimes it was at the privateer level, other times at the World Championship level. In the final seasons of his astounding career, Barry Sheene was paired with Steve Parrish on the TZ500. These were not the 'works' bikes, but the best a privateer with serious finacial sponsorship could buy. It was not enough however, to put Sheene back on the podium.
Rusty Bigley fettles the ex-Barry Sheene TZ500 in his shop surrounded by the 'Big Brother' TZ750's. There aren't many specialists who've raced big bore TZ's for thirty years. Hard won experience comes to bear when preparing the machine to run again. Parts are hard to come by but an understanding of how the whole package works is another thing. After a beautiful restoration a few years prior, some details had been left unfinished by the people who did the work, but it would soon be put right again.
The TZ500 had a reputation as an ill-handling, uncompetitive machines according to Grand Prix World Champion Barry Sheene. It does not diminish its value today however, as the provinance is soundly documented.
On display at the Celtic Racing tent at NJMSP in 2009.
