The Yamaha TZ750 is a series production two-stroke race motorcycle built by Yamaha to compete in the Formula 750 class in the 1970s. Motorcyclist called it "the most notorious and successful roadracing motorcycle of the 1970s".[1] Another journal called it the dominant motorcycle of the era, noting its nine consecutive Daytona 200 wins, starting in 1974.[2]
 Yamaha TZ750 (1977) | |
| Manufacturer | Yamaha Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 1974–1979 |
| Engine | 747 cc (45.6 cu in) two-stroke inline-4 |
| Bore / stroke | 66.4 mm × 54 mm (2.61 in × 2.13 in) |
| Power | 120 hp (89 kW) @ 10,500 rpm |
| Wheelbase | 1,390 mm (55 in) |
| Weight | 152 kg (335 lb) (dry) |
| Related | Yamaha TZ 350 |
Another triumph of note was when Joey Dunlop rode to victory in the 1980 Classic TT during the process of which he upped the lap record on the Snaefell Mountain Course to an average speed of 115.22 mph (185.43 km/h).[3] This is also the fastest recorded lap of the Mountain Course by a Yamaha 750cc two-stroke machine.
It was rated by journalist Kevin Cameron as one of the five most influential motorcycle designs: its monoshock suspension, high-strength frame and wide tires were necessary to handle the high engine output, and became standard for sportbikes.[4]
Twin TZ750 engines powered the Silver Bird motorcycle land-speed record setting streamliner motorcycle, the first to break 300 miles per hour (480 km/h).
Specifications
edit| TZ 750 A | TZ 750 B | TZ 750 C | TZ 750 D | TZ 750 E | TZ 750 F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| Displacement | 694 cm3 | 747 cm3 | 747 cm3 | 747 cm3 | 747 cm3 | 747 cm3 |
| Bore/stroke | 64 × 54 mm | 66,4 × 54 mm | 66,4 × 54 mm | 66,4 × 54 mm | 66,4 × 54 mm | 66,4 × 54 mm |
| Power | 90 PS (89 hp) @ 10,500 RPM |
90 PS (89 hp) @ 10,500 RPM |
90 PS (89 hp) @ 10,500 RPM |
120 PS (120 hp) @ 10,500 RPM |
120 PS (120 hp) @ 11,000 RPM |
120 PS (120 hp) @ 11,000 RPM |
| Wheelbase | 1407 mm | 1407 mm | 1407 mm | 1390 mm | 1390 mm | 1390 mm |
| Steering angle (grad) |
63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 64 |
| Trail in mm |
97 | 97 | 97 | |||
| Dry weight in kg | 157 | 157 | 157 | 152 | 152 | 152 |
| Production (units) | 213 | 46 | 40 | 30 | 162 | 76 |
Museum examples
editA 1974 example is displayed in the Communication Plaza at the corporate headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Company in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan.[6] Another 1974 TZ750A is at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Alabama.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Mitch Boehm (February 23, 2009), "Yamaha TZ750: Meeting The Monster", Motorcyclist
- ^ Kel Carruthers. "Yamaha's TZ750: Where Legends Began". superbikeplanet.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010.
- ^ "TT 1980 Classic TT Race Results - iomtt.com: The World's #1 TT Website". www.iomtt.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Kevin Cameron (January 19, 2012), "Yamaha TZ750 - The FIVE GREATEST", Cycle World
- ^ MacKellar 1995, p. 188.
- ^ Communication Plaza Collection items - 1974 TZ750, Yamaha Corporation
- ^ Phil Aynsley (March 31, 2017), "Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum", mcnews.com.au
Sources
edit- MacKellar, Collin (1995), Yamaha. All Factory and Production Road-Racing Two-Strokes from 1955 to 1993 (First ed.), Crowood Press, ISBN 978-18522-3920-6
Further reading
edit- Frank Melling (April 21, 2014), "Memorable Motorcycle: Yamaha TZ750A", Motorcycle USA, archived from the original on 2014-11-04
- Kevin Cameron, "Yamaha TZ750 Engine Development & Analysis", Cycle World
External links
edit
Media related to Yamaha TZ 750 at Wikimedia Commons
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