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
Yamaha TZ750 (1977)
ManufacturerYamaha Motor Company
Production1974–1979
Engine747 cc (45.6 cu in) two-stroke inline-4
Bore / stroke66.4 mm × 54 mm (2.61 in × 2.13 in)
Power120 hp (89 kW) @ 10,500 rpm
Wheelbase1,390 mm (55 in)
Weight152 kg (335 lb) (dry)
RelatedYamaha 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

[5]

Museum examples

edit

A 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

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Mitch Boehm (February 23, 2009), "Yamaha TZ750: Meeting The Monster", Motorcyclist
  2. ^ Kel Carruthers. "Yamaha's TZ750: Where Legends Began". superbikeplanet.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010.
  3. ^ "TT 1980 Classic TT Race Results - iomtt.com: The World's #1 TT Website". www.iomtt.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  4. ^ Kevin Cameron (January 19, 2012), "Yamaha TZ750 - The FIVE GREATEST", Cycle World
  5. ^ MacKellar 1995, p. 188.
  6. ^ Communication Plaza Collection items - 1974 TZ750, Yamaha Corporation
  7. ^ 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
edit