1974 Yamaha TZ750A
From the listing by Yesterdays.nl - The Yamaha TZ750 is a series production two-stroke race motorcycle built by Yamaha to compete in the Formula 750 class in the 1970s. The engine was created on the idea of connecting two blocks of the 2-stroke, liquid-cooled, in-line 2-cylinder TZ350 engine together to make a 700cc in-line 4-cylinder engine and mounting it on a newly designed high-tensile steel pipe double cradle frame.
Motorcyclist called it “the most notorious and successful road racing motorcycle of the 1970s”. Another journal called it the dominant motorcycle of the era, noting its nine consecutive Daytona 200 wins, starting in 1974.
A factory spec TZ750 (0W19) won its debut race in the 1974 Daytona 200-mile Race ridden by Giacomo Agostini, and it also went on to be a winner on the Japanese and world racing scene as well.
The first version, the TZ750 A, had a cubic capacity of 694 cc with bore x stroke dimensions of 64 x 54 mm and dual shock rear suspension. Later versions got a slightly larger bore of 64.4 mm and came to a capacity of 747 cc. These versions were fitted with a mono shock rear suspension. The power (89 hp @ 10,500 rpm for the A version) was transmitted to the rear wheel via a 6-speed gearbox. The last version, brought out in 1979, had an output of 120 hp.
The TZ 750 was not easy to ride and required a skilled an fearless rider. The factory was aware of this, but it had to build at least 200 machines to comply with AMA rules:
“Yamaha quite naturally has reservations about selling TZ750s to just anybody with money and a bag of brave pills. But AMA rules require 200 copies and you can’t expect them to simply warehouse the production left over after Kel Carruthers takes what he needs. All the big fours will be sold, some of them to riders whose talents were barely equal to last year’s TZ350. That thought plainly has the AMA spooked, because they know they don’t have 200 Juniors and Experts who can cope with what it is feared the Yamaha will deliver. But there’s nothing to be done now; Yamaha created the TZ750 in good faith and strict conformity with rules long-standing if not necessarily wise.” — Gordon Jennings, Cycle, January 1974 - Classic Motorbikes
The TZ photographed was sold by Classic Motorbikes
The history of the 1974 Yamaha TZ 750 A offered by us is well known. Bought new in 1974 by Belgian driver Jean Philippe Orban, it will remain for 47 years in the workshop of our Belgian mechanic Thierry Gerin.
Current mechanic of the Yamaha Racing Heritage Club (official Yamaha Europe team on classic events)
Thierry Gerin was Kenny Roberts’ mechanic for 10 years and currently maintains the Agostini, Baker, Cecotto and Sarron Yamaha TZ 750s.
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