Launched in 1973 the Yamaha FS1-E was every young motorcyclist’s path to freedom. The ‘E’ suffix at the end of the models name simply represented which countries regulations the FS1 had been produced to meet. ‘E’ was for England. It was a 49cc moped that quickly got nicknamed Fizzie by the British youth and it … Read more
The Yamaha TZR 250 remains one of the most sought after 80’s motorcycles to date and a firm favourite among two-stroke enthusiasts and in this article we’re going to look at just why this is. By the mid 1980’s two-stroke race replica fever was at its peak even with impending stricter emissions laws crashing down … Read more
The Yamaha TZ750 is up there with being one of the most influential motorcycles in history. From the foundation of the design to its racing and record setting achievements, it had an impact in motorcycle culture that most engineers and designers can only dream of. One of the big reasons Yamaha built the TZ750 was … Read more
The Yamaha RD400 had a relatively short lifespan and was produced between 1976-1979 having been first introduced in the Summer of 1975. It followed on from the RD350 and was later replaced by the RD350LC in 1980 which took the world by storm as one of the leading two-stroke motorcycles of the 80s. The RD400 … Read more
The Yamaha DT250 started life in 1968 as the DT-1 and it very quickly sold through the initial 12,000 unit production run. The US market was slowing down and yet there was a gap in the market for off-road motorcycles which only manufacturers such as Bultaco and Husqvarna were currently supplying specific off-road machines. To … Read more
It was 1980 and two-stroke fans in Europe were eagerly awaiting the release of the Yamaha RD350LC. It had been delayed due to disruption with production and the smaller RD250LC had actually already been released earlier in the year. The bike was a huge hit and is looked upon as one of the most influential … Read more
The Yamaha RD250LC is considered to be an absolute hooligan machine and its reputation particularly in the UK in the 80’s is partly why it had such a short lifespan. It was released in 1980, an extension of the earlier RD250 and it was very quickly deemed a two-stroke icon; it is highly collectable today. … Read more
I knew when the opportunity to write about the legendary Yamaha Virago came up, I had to jump on it. Yes, that’s right, I said legendary, the Virago has an unmissable timeless cruiser silhouette and various engine capacities to suit everybody. It isn’t the prettiest, fastest, most premium or best of anything motorcycle in the … Read more
I think everybody who looks at the Yamaha FZR1000 should have a certain level of appreciation for what it did not only for Yamaha but for race-replicas and general sport bikes for the decade that followed its release. There would be no Thunderace and more importantly no legendary YZF R1 without the first Yamaha FZR … Read more
When the opportunity arose for me to write about the legend, the icon, the monster that is the Yamaha YZF R1 I couldn’t resist, I mean any motorcycle loving writer would be daft to turn down the chance. The Yamaha R1 has been in existence since 1998 and continues to develop, to push the limits … Read more
The 90’s for Yamaha were a big decade, one in which some of the most remarkable motorcycles in the world came out of the factory, setting trends and raising the stakes across the board. From the legendary Dragstar cruiser which turned a lot of heads from the domineering American cruisers, to the outrageous R1 and … Read more
In 1984 Yamaha released a road legal version of their factory YZR500 which at the time was leading the world championship with Kenny Roberts aboard. The Yamaha RD500LC was born and all the crazy kids formed an orderly queue. Intro There was a very short lived period of time in the 1980’s when a small … Read more