Probably the ultimate sports bike, ok 'arguably' so!
Discussion
Well we are in the south of France this weekend, east of Bordeaux and last evening we were passed by several sports bikes and one really stood out. Clearly two stroke but modern, it turned out to be one of very few Yamaha TZ750 engined sports bikes built about 6 or 7 years ago by a specialist. I saw one in Germany once and although i can't find anything online about it now for some reason i'm sure it had 150 bhp and weighed 125 kgs. Many of us miss the 'strokers as has been often said on these pages, but that would be amazing, track days would be an absolutely awesome experience. Move over you lardy arsed ZX10s and Fireblades!
Grindle said:
Well we are in the south of France this weekend, east of Bordeaux and last evening we were passed by several sports bikes and one really stood out. Clearly two stroke but modern, it turned out to be one of very few Yamaha TZ750 engined sports bikes built about 6 or 7 years ago by a specialist. I saw one in Germany once and although i can't find anything online about it now for some reason i'm sure it had 150 bhp and weighed 125 kgs. Many of us miss the 'strokers as has been often said on these pages, but that would be amazing, track days would be an absolutely awesome experience. Move over you lardy arsed ZX10s and Fireblades!
Would it make the whole lap of an average track day without having to stop for fuel?NS400R said:
Such negativity! Until you try a stroker, you'll never understand the love 
Raced them from 1993 until 1999 & again briefly 2011-2012. Love them but nipping a piston ring, detonation, their love for fuel and that narrow powerband that bit me a few times makes me happy pushing 40 to ride a much more linear, smooth, economical, reliable and fast 4 strokeId happily have a smoker as a summer occasional weekend 'special' bike to go out though
trickywoo said:
I’d have a Sutter if I had the money.
You can buy some here at good discount:https://speed-box.ch/racebike-sale.html
Edited by Ho Lee Kau on Sunday 29th September 20:50
Birky_41 said:
Raced them from 1993 until 1999 & again briefly 2011-2012. Love them but nipping a piston ring, detonation, their love for fuel and that narrow powerband that bit me a few times makes me happy pushing 40 to ride a much more linear, smooth, economical, reliable and fast 4 stroke
My mate has a new one, all in bits that he has collected over the last decade or more ... it's worth a few quid! He even had a new frame made for it.
I remember we were all running TZ250s/TZ350s when the 750s came out (there were 700s before that, basically two 350s cobbled together).
A good national racer, Graham Young, was sponsored on one of the first 750s.
After his first run on it at a local circuit, he declared that whereas he would be flat in 6th on his 350 from the chicane on the back straight before braking for the hairpin, he had only banged the 750 through a couple of gears before he was looking for the braking markers!
They were a '70s game changer.
Birky, I'm extremely jealous that you were able to savour the delights of such a beast.
My friend says that he might start his when it's, eventually, assembled, but it's unlikely that it will see the track.
'can't say I blame him! Even scores on pristine discs might devalue it.
I have to echo the positive comments above: 2 strokes are for winners 
All my early biking was done on strokes - 250 - 500 Kawasaki, 350 LC(X4) RD500 and they were all great. My personal rule was that anything below 500cc had to be a 2 stroke! I just LOVE the powerbands...
My last 2 stroke was an old 1981 Yamaha IT 465 which tried to kill everyone that ever rode it, it even tried to break your leg when you started it! But, ignore the appaling brakes (drums) and it was just the greatest fun bike on the road it would wheelie and spin the back wheel at the same time which did make forward motion a tad lively But, if it was kept at low revs it was a right pussycat - even my wife rode it - though it did scare her to death and she couldn't start it and it was very kind in the way it delivered power: it all went flat just before it went mad so keep it low and it was gentle let it sing for the full experience!
No 4 stroke has ever had those characteristics as far as I am aware?
All my early biking was done on strokes - 250 - 500 Kawasaki, 350 LC(X4) RD500 and they were all great. My personal rule was that anything below 500cc had to be a 2 stroke! I just LOVE the powerbands...
My last 2 stroke was an old 1981 Yamaha IT 465 which tried to kill everyone that ever rode it, it even tried to break your leg when you started it! But, ignore the appaling brakes (drums) and it was just the greatest fun bike on the road it would wheelie and spin the back wheel at the same time which did make forward motion a tad lively
But, if it was kept at low revs it was a right pussycat - even my wife rode it - though it did scare her to death and she couldn't start it and it was very kind in the way it delivered power: it all went flat just before it went mad so keep it low and it was gentle let it sing for the full experience! No 4 stroke has ever had those characteristics as far as I am aware?
loquacious said:
I have to echo the positive comments above: 2 strokes are for winners
All my early biking was done on strokes - 250 - 500 Kawasaki, 350 LC(X4) RD500 and they were all great. My personal rule was that anything below 500cc had to be a 2 stroke! I just LOVE the powerbands...
My last 2 stroke was an old 1981 Yamaha IT 465 which tried to kill everyone that ever rode it, it even tried to break your leg when you started it! But, ignore the appaling brakes (drums) and it was just the greatest fun bike on the road it would wheelie and spin the back wheel at the same time which did make forward motion a tad lively But, if it was kept at low revs it was a right pussycat - even my wife rode it - though it did scare her to death and she couldn't start it and it was very kind in the way it delivered power: it all went flat just before it went mad so keep it low and it was gentle let it sing for the full experience!
No 4 stroke has ever had those characteristics as far as I am aware?
I once rode a mates IT465 on his farm and that fcker tried to kill me and damn near succeeded too. A bit like my old 350LC tried to kill me 3 times, the 3rd it was the closest it ever came when it chucked me sideways at silly velocity into a left hand bend. It died, i nearly did.All my early biking was done on strokes - 250 - 500 Kawasaki, 350 LC(X4) RD500 and they were all great. My personal rule was that anything below 500cc had to be a 2 stroke! I just LOVE the powerbands...
My last 2 stroke was an old 1981 Yamaha IT 465 which tried to kill everyone that ever rode it, it even tried to break your leg when you started it! But, ignore the appaling brakes (drums) and it was just the greatest fun bike on the road it would wheelie and spin the back wheel at the same time which did make forward motion a tad lively
But, if it was kept at low revs it was a right pussycat - even my wife rode it - though it did scare her to death and she couldn't start it and it was very kind in the way it delivered power: it all went flat just before it went mad so keep it low and it was gentle let it sing for the full experience! No 4 stroke has ever had those characteristics as far as I am aware?
I always loved my 2-strokes.
Had quite a few in the late 70s/early 80s. Yamaha RD250D, RD400C, RD350A, RD250LC and Suzuki X5.
Went bikeless until the late 90s then had a KH500, RG250 and another RD400C.
I'd have another in a shot if I had somewhere under cover to keep it. I'd quite like to try a GT500.
I have had a couple of 4 cylinder 4-strokes, but they were nothing like as much fun.
Had quite a few in the late 70s/early 80s. Yamaha RD250D, RD400C, RD350A, RD250LC and Suzuki X5.
Went bikeless until the late 90s then had a KH500, RG250 and another RD400C.
I'd have another in a shot if I had somewhere under cover to keep it. I'd quite like to try a GT500.
I have had a couple of 4 cylinder 4-strokes, but they were nothing like as much fun.
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