A road racer rebuilds his father’s forgotten enduro into a tarmac smoker… The Yamaha DT175 was a two-stroke, street-legal enduro that debuted in 1973. It weighed just 218 pounds dry, and the reed-valve induction engine […]
Tag: Yamaha
Dirt Road Ripper: Yamaha XT500 by MotoRelic
“Foot down and elbows up! Braaap!” The Yamaha XT500 is one of the most successful dual-purpose machines of all time, a big-bore four-stroke that proved itself in professional desert racing and on thousands of miles […]
Hot Rod Enduro: The Motorieep 590TT
The Yamaha TT600RE was an air-cooled, street-legal enduro available from 2003-2007, featuring a 42-hp engine, electric start, and dual-stage carburetion. The engine was essentially an XT600 unit, highly praised for its toughness and torque: “The […]
SHERPA TRIBUTE: Yamaha Scorpio “Tenzing” by Backyard Customs Bali
“Custom bikes are a unique form to express ourselves, you are what you ride.” The Sherpa are a people of Tibetan ancestry, native to the mountainous regions of Nepal and the Himalayas, who are legendary […]
She-Wolf: Yamaha XT550 “La Lupa” by Francis Von Tuto
A modernized classic, elegant and streamlined… The Yamaha XT550 debuted in 1982, a successor of the beloved XT500 — itself one of the most successful “thumpers” of all time, highly regarded by pro racers and […]
For Sale: Yamaha TX650 Brat by Kuna Customs
The bike we know as the Yamaha XS650 actually started life as the 1970 XS-1. For the 1973-74 model years, it was re-badged as the TX650 to match the TX500 and TX750. When these bikes […]
Welsh Hot Rod: Yamaha XS650 Street Tracker by LC Cycleworks
A mechanical engineer builds one of the cleanest XS650 trackers we’ve seen… The Yamaha XS650 arrived in 1969, a Japanese equivalent to the British twins featuring advancements like unit construction and a horizontally split crankcase. […]
“Silverhawk” Yamaha Scorpio Z Street Tracker
Introducing “Shirubahoku” (Silverhawk) by Joyride… The Yamaha SX225 — sometimes known as the Scorpio Z — is a four-stroke, air-cooled single popular in Indonesia and Bali. While it’s mainly marketed as a commuter, the bike […]
Lightweight Monster: Yamaha RD400 Café Racer
“Like riding a lightweight monster…” –Derek Molinski, Bikeshop DM In late 1975, Yamaha introduced the RD400 — a stroked and updated evolution of the 350, featuring a rubber-dampened engine, disc brakes, longer reach spark plug, […]
Yamaha SR250: A Perfect Donor?
The Yamaha SR250 is one of the world’s most popular donor bikes for custom builders. Today, Jake Snowdon from Sweden’s Jadus Motorcycle Parts — the SR250 experts — delves into the heritage, design, and specs […]
