1974 Yamaha TZ750
Miles: n/a
Asking Price: $30,000
In the 1980s and 1990s, Grand Prix motorcycle racing was synonymous with two-stroke motorcycles raced by the likes of Biaggi and Rossi, Rainey and Schwantz and Roberts. But it wasn’t always that way. For years, four-stroke engines, particularly those from MV Agusta, were the dominant force, in spite of their weight and relatively inefficient nature. But with the defection of Ernst Degner to the West [err… East?] and his gift of expansion chamber technology stolen from MuZ, the simplicity and efficiency of a two-stroke could be married to explosive power output and ultimately led to the era of bikes like today’s Featured Listing Yamaha TZ750. The evolution of large-displacement two-stroke engines was so sudden and dramatic that the power quickly overcame the suspension technology of the time, and the bikes developed a terrifying reputation for being difficult to master.
Built to race in the Formula 750 class, the original 1974 Yamaha TZ750A was powered by a two-stroke four-cylinder built up from a pair of water-cooled 350cc Yamaha parallel twins. That meant the new engine actually displaced 694cc, with a bore and stroke of 64 x 54mm and crankshafts that rotated backwards. The slight displacement deficit and the bike’s portly 350lb weight didn’t matter: the TZ750A was good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 90hp and 185mph, depending on the source and state of tune, making it the bike to beat when it was introduced: in 1974, Giacomo Agostini used the new bike to win the Daytona 200 and the Imola 200.
Early bikes used a conventional twin-shock rear suspension, but Agostini himself apparently had input into the design of an entirely new rear suspension seen here that used a monoshock mounted nearly horizontally under the tank. The bike featured the expected 18” rims and a pair of brake calipers supposedly taken from their XS650 roadbike, which were apparently enough to stop a machine weighing about 100lbs less than the donor bike, although travelling at twice the speed…
For Sale: 1974 Yamaha TZ750 – a true classic! This legendary 2-stroke is a head-turner, perfect for collectors, vintage enthusiasts.
Hit me up if you’re interested in this piece of motorcycling history!
Perfectly running and completely originalAsking for $30,000Post Falls, Idaho, 83854Jeff Weeks Hartman
This Yamaha TZ750 represents a rare opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of another era in motorsports history. It appears to be in excellent cosmetic condition, and it’s a runner, not just a static display piece. The T750’s 350lbs and 90hp might seem relatively tame by today’s standards, but modern machines offer levels of refinement and electronics systems that were unimaginable in 1974, and these two-stroke Grand Prix bikes were famously wild and unruly machines. And for fans of Grand Prix racing, it doesn’t get much better than a screaming two-stroke four-cylinder like this one.
-tad
