I am 75 years old, graduated in 1966 from HS. I had a Honda sport 50 , I weighed 120 lb. my friend weighed 200 so he bought the Yamaha 100 , just like the one you are working on, it was blue too. We rode the wheels off those bikes that summer come September we went into the Army together, and our adult life started. My friend passed a few years back. This vid brought a tear to my eyes. all the memories we made that summer. Hearing that motor run was great, if only you could bring my friend back. Thank you for sharing. be safe again thank you.
I am sorry to hear about your friend passing, it can be hard to handle the loss of those we care about. I want to thank you for your service and your friend in kind. I hope everything works out well for you and those you care about! If you truly served in the armed forces please do not read any further. If you didn't serve and are using this comment sector as a means to obtain stolen valor, well lets just say someone will probably come find you and have a little chat with you before long.
Same here. In 1969 I was 16 and started with a Honda sport 50. Others had the Honda 65, 90, 160 and one kid had a 450! Others had one of these Yamaha 100 or a Bridgestone. After high school I moved up to a Yamaha 180. Now I’m 71 and have owned over 30 bikes and been riding 57 years. I’ve logged over 600,000 miles on 4 continents. Motorcycles are my passion.
@@davidclark682I'm about your age, got a panther 197 in 1965 age 13, passed my test on it two days after my 16th birthday, straight onto a Triumph 350 T21, 650 Bonneville by September of 1968, had a Triton, BSA A65Lightnigh by 1971 then a 500 Matchless G9 with a sidecar for my girlfriend to learn on, she didn't like it so got the yam 100, it was so different to the old 2 sk Panther, so powerful for its size, on 2 strokes more or less ever since, even when I had My Suzuki GS1000 I still had a RG250 J in the Garage, same as now age 71 downsized from my Kawasaki ZX9 to an old SV650, 'cos of my age, but still have a Yamaha TZR 3ma 250 in the garage that is slightly tuned and way quicker than the SV but as 2 stroke fans will know with 18 mpg and I lt Racing 2 stroke oil at £30 it isn't exactly a commuter bike, can burn quarter gal just warming it up.
Over 30 years ago my mom died of cancer and her motorcycle, a Honda CB100, sat in the basement until my dad passed away. It's now in my garage and your video has inspired me to get it running again. Thanks. It would make my mom happy.
May your Mom’s legacy of her joy riding that little Honda fill your heart as you lovingly bring it back to life and every time you are out for a ride 🦊
Hi Craig, I bought a 1966 yt-1 in 1970. Came to me for a hundred bucks with a stuck motor. Installed new rings and drove it for two summers. Sold it running. I had so much fun on that bike, also I only weighed in at almost 120. Great memories. Now 70 years old and still riding, and still riding Yamaha..
I love how a lot of stuff on this channel is under $1000, unless it's a customer. Craig is basically the polar opposite of BnB now, and i absolutely love it. Lots of stuff thats obtainable to almost anyone. The world needs more Craigs.
I’m 81 now and you just brought so many memories back into play! Cruising down the streets of YT and this bike image caught my eye. I bought a red YT1 in ‘67 as my first bike to commute to work. Great little ring-a-ding dinger! Replaced it with Yamaha 100 dirt bike once I discovered the joys of playing in the dirt. So much fun, so many kisses from “angel of death!” and blatant overconfident abuse of physics! Thanks for the memories!
Thanks for uploading this video. This Yamaha Twin Jet 100 was my first bike as a 14 years old lad in 1969. I done some of the same work that you done but on mine the shifter barrel had a broken bolt inside. Just before winter that year I pulled the engine out and took it into my parents basement. I worked most of the winter and in the spring I put the engine back in and it ran and shifted well after that. I went on to become an automotive mechanic and later a heavy equipment mechanic for John Deere for over 40 total years . now at 68 years old Your video has taken me back to my youth ! Thanks very much what a great show you made. 😁
Thanks for the memories. 😂 My uncle brought me a 100 twin jet that was wrecked and my mom was pissed but let me keep it because it didn't run. I took it to the basement and 2 months later my best friend and I were pushing it up and down the street trying to start it. IT STARTED and that was the beginning of a great summer for me but my mom was a nervous wreck that summer. I'm 71 and I miss all of them. Thanks again for the memories ❤
This brings back great memories,thank you. It was my first bike at 14 years old. Bought it used for $180. I went to high school on it, went to beach, 200 miles away, rode every street in the big city I grew up in. Mine smoked big time! I’m definitely pumped! Now ride a Goldwing at 70.
Your engaging content has been truly enthralling, especially in showcasing the revival of these bikes. Personally, I'm drawn to the idea of witnessing a complete restoration process-watching these bikes transform not only mechanically but also aesthetically into their best possible versions. I believe there's a considerable audience that shares this particular preference. Keep up the fantastic work, and please continue to showcase the captivating journey of these bikes undergoing total restoration.
"We don't need gloves where we're going." "To the hospital?" That was a good one, Dan. Loving all the vintage motorcycle content. I'm glad to see Sean is getting into vintage bikes as well. It all started with that old Indian...then the WLA...and now he's got a frickin knucklehead.
Wow! Talk about a trip down memory lane! In 1969, with money I saved up from my job after school as a pump jockey, I bought a brand new YLI Twin 100. I hadn't thought about my first bike in decades! In my senior year at Christian Brothers College in Monkstown, Dublin Ireland, only myself and my buddy Roger (he had a Yamaha 80) had motorcycles. We were the first students in years who had bikes at school, so we were legends back then! I rode the wheels of that bike, it took me everywhere without fail, never gave me any trouble. I did have a few "prangs" with it but only one trip to the hospital and only because I was unconsious for a good bit. My Bell helmet saved my life and I've never gotten on a bike again without a brain box. Seeing this bike and all the details up close after so many years brought back a flood of memories, especially about my best friend Roger who passed away many years ago. I loved every minute of this video and thank the Bearded Mechanic for sharing this video. I still ride and even though my Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT is considerably bigger, I'd love to have another YaYa Twin again!
These were the bikes to have in the 60,s. Very fast and a lovely gurgle from the exhaust. I am from Ireland also and I had a Yam 80 as my folks would not allow me have a 100 due to their reputation!!! Loved them and then the RD125 and 350. Super bikes. Great memories.👍💯
Off course you get it running Craig 😊 Its a Yamaha ! It will never die ! And as a Yamaha fanboy i would thank you so much (again)for putting another Yamaha back on the road. Keep em comming ❤ God bless this beared mechanic and the good old US of A ! ❤🏍🙏🏻🇺🇲
Don't get too excited. As you say it's a Yamaha not a Honda.😂. My RD250/350 found lots of ways to die back in the day and taught me so much about two-strokes that I bought a 4-stroke Honda instead.😂
I had a 1965 YL1 when I was 16 years old. It was not called a 'YL1', rather a 'Twin Jet 100'. Bought it new. This little bike started like a champ on first kick every time; even in the coldest weather. It was amazingly quick for 100 cc's (I only weighed 145 pounds). Insurance cost just $37/year and when you cancelled for the winter the insurance company sent you a '$rebate'. I had a part-time job after school and that gave me the money to buy the bike and operate it. Loved that bike!! Absolutely loved it!!
YL1 was my first motorcycle - bought around 1971 (age 21). Parents didn't say much, but I presume they were not pleased. Couple years later, living outside Cleveland, I headed home in the dark (about 40 miles) and decided to take the "Ohio Turnpike" toll road for the first time, just a few miles, as a quick shortcut. Toll taker at the entrance gate looked down at my little bike with a sneer - wondering if it would go at least the minimum speed. She let me go, and obviously, I lived through the experience. The bike had a worn clutch but was still functional. The next spring, I replaced the clutch plates and promptly started popping little wheelies with the thing. First time I'd ever done that. Lately I've been missing that bike, and presto - I stumble on this video.. Four years later, after my Honda CL350 was stolen outside my apartment, I bought a Yamaha R5 - 350, which was refined into the RD350. Of all the bikes I've owned, that R5 was the best.
Still have my 71 R5 350 sitting out back, I got in late 72, It is in way worse shape than this bike, but , it still has the memories! I ride an R1 now, and a few other bikes.
My dad bought the same model brand new back in 1966 when he was 16. He has some great stories of his experiences riding it in southern California back in the day.
This is kind of stuff I live for. I have worked on bikes since 1969 and salvaged a few. My first bike was a 1964 CA 77 305cc Dream, not a restoration but I learned so much wrenching on that bike. The early 60s VW camper van (6VDC system) was my next challenge. Good days, man, good days. Great job on this Yamaha. I'm impressed.
A YL1 was my first bike. It was always a first kick start and was good for 70mph (indicated). The best thing was that it looked like a moped and when the lads on their 'nifty fifties' (usually FS1Es) wanted a drag race at the lights I could always leave them choking in two stroke smoke. At full throttle it did leave a huge trail of smoke. I had a lot of fun on that bike and sold it for more than I paid for it after a couple of years. Brings back a lot of memories ........
I've never owned a yamaha, always been more of a suzuki guy myself, but it makes me smile seeing more of these old girls saved from the scrapyard and put back on the road.
I bought an 81 Honda trail 110. That didn’t even roll I had to drag and push it to the truck. With the help of RUclips I went through it and got it running great to where it started on the first or second kick every time. It took me 6 months in the shed after work tinkering on it when I had the time to get it there but I’m no mechanic at all. If I can do it you can too. Small single cylinder engines don’t scare me now I’m about to do a big bore kit on my daughter’s crf70. (With RUclipss help of course)
Back in 1969 shortly after my wife and I were married my wife’s younger brother bought one of these little twins used. He rode it to high school until he finally wreaked it. It sounded just like a hopped chain saw and for the time was pretty fast for its size. Seeing this video brought back memories of days gone by. Thanks for sharing.😊😊😊
I love watching these videos! This was my childhood. My dad would run across a barn find british or metric bike that had been sitting for years. We’d work on them together with him showing me how it all worked. I lost him in June and now I’m surrounded by his collection of barn finds. These videos bring back so many memories ❤
Its great to see an American who loves old Japanese stuff, nice one Craig (I'm in the UK). It would be cool to see this cleaned up with new tyres and the petcock fixed taken on a mini adventure somewhere.... I feel this bike deserves more content :)
32:48 my favorite part of the episode 😂 this is quickly becoming my favorite channel. The pure honest love for bikes shines through and it’s intoxicating. From one tinkerer to another, this is inspiring. Time to tear up some mechanical stuff in the garage.
That was SO much fun to watch. The YL1 was my first ever bike and I learned so much tearing it apart and putting it back together again. I got mine around 1970 and drove it for years. Thanks for a bit of nostalgia!
I had one in mint condition. It was called the 100 Twin too. Other than regularly fouling spark plugs it was reliable. It came with the owners manual. Being an early Japanese import a few things in the manual were lost in translation. For example. This Yamaha has “the most defective ludrication system in the world” . It was actually quite effective and I believe the first reliable oil injection system on a two stroke. Looking at this video reminded me of just how small these early Japanese imports were.
I scrolled through the comments looking for someone that was familiar with this cool little thing.. I knew I'd find one. Thanks. I love old yamaha two strokes
I bought this bike exactly the same even same colour in November 1967 in England for my 16th birthday at a price of 167 pounds 10 shillings brand new I would love to restore one now in my retirement if only I could find one I followed up with a Yamaha yds 3. 250 again I would love one of those. Ohhh the memories 😢😢
I had a seventy something RD 200 when I was a teenager. That was a fun bike. The points were the heart of that thing. Good points and point gap and it ran like new.
I had one of these as my first bike. I bought it off my cousin and we had so much fun on it. The rear guard area was chopped out to give room for a Knobby tire but I ran the standard road tyre on the front, bush bashing all the way. We took the mufflers off and turned the bars upside down to play drag bike. Up and down the driveway until my mother would throw something at us to make us go somewhere else. To buy it I sold a set of golf clubs I had received as a birthday present, much to my fathers disgust. At 62 years of age, I would give anything to have kept it but alas, it was the first of many bikes over the years but I still think it was the one we had the most fun with.
Brings me back to the end 70-80's. I'd love wrenching on an oldie in your shop. Don't get me wrong the new bikes are nice but the 70-90's two strokes are what motorcycling was about for me. Making power with simple mods was easy back then, too bad frames didn't always follow the power ☺. Damn I miss my RD400 Daytona .... Love the show, keep on going 😍
What a delight this series is. I actually get much more from this than I did from the original series of bearded guy. (no knock on him) ..but this is so straight up down to earth. And the idea of reviving these trashed up bikes is wonderful. Anything that helps us get inspired from our 'junk-everything' ethos. (or lack of ethos)
My first bike in 1972…Silver and black and it looked huge! Unbelievably reliable zipping around at the head of a thin grey line of 2 cycle smoke….Its wonderful to watch you trouble shoot and follow your thought process as you systematically get these classics running….
You and Dan make a good team this channel is going to blow up like bikes and beards. Can see the confidence growing in Dan as he learns more and more. Definitely fun to watch.
You don't see many of these old Yamaha's running around anymore. I don't believe it's worth much, but a spray paint "restoration" would be kind of neat to see. Glad that the inside of the tank was in good shape.
I’ve done the cable install..heated up a small screwdriver …slipped it into the slot..opened it up slightly..WORKED!! I also cut a rubber plumbing coupling to makeup the carb /connector….
I see from the comments below that there are quite a few of us oldsters (I'm 72) that had the times of our lives riding Yamaha twin 100s. Mine was a red "66, got it used in "67. It was my second bike. The first was a "66 Suzuki 80 Hillbilly that had interchangeable rear sprockets. One for road and the other for trail. Thanks for the memories.
Hey guys, great video of this Yamaha Twin 100..I actually had one, my folks bought it new for me at 14 years old, back in 1968, from ART'S MOTORCYCLE, the local Yamaha dealer on Fremont Street here in Las Vegas NV. I rode it every day, around with my buddy's, which they all had Hondas ..and the Yamaha 100 Twin was quicker off the line, because of it being a two stroke. Mine was Black and chrome. I had a paper route that I had and delivered papers every morning with the bike,.. it was awesome! Had it for about a year, and it looked and ran like brand new, as I kept it polished up pretty good. Unfortunately, someone that knew where I parked it at night, decided to steal it one early morning when i got ready to deliver my newspapers!... Man,.. I was heartbroken 😢, that bike was my pride and joy..Never found it, and my whole family searched this town top to bottom...I wish I knew whom took it and where it went..thought about that bike for years and years...that was 56 years ago...Wow,..what great memories though riding that bike. Thanks for bringing us that cool video of the epic Yamaha Twin 100!!.. Well done!
I just found you're videos ! And I think their Awesome. I'm 66 and want to start my First project . Don't have one yet. So I'll keep watching you to learn what I can. Thank you Peggy
I love your content Craig! You have an awesome personality and you are a great mechanic which is the perfect combo for a channel like this.. keep up the good work bud and i cant wait for the next one!
Those were good old bikes. Nice to see one getting some love. This is one of the first bikes I ever road as a kid, good memories. Edit - An sos pad and some water would go a long way to making it more presentable.
Best videos Craig! Keep em coming! Dan and you are quickly becoming my favorite go-to RUclipsrs! I did tons of work on my ‘65 Honda Dream before selling it. So much fun! Thanks for doing what you do guys.
You're bringing back lots of my memories of the Yamaha Big Bear!! I bought two basket cases from my brother. A 1965 Yamaha YDS5 250cc, and a 1966 Yamaha YM1 305cc...which was seized, but that's the one I rebuilt because the 250 was in pieces. So between the two bikes, I was able to build one. I learned how to do it all by myself with the help of an original shop manual that came with the bikes and a helpful Parts counter guy at the Yamaha dealer.... Those carburetors can be problematic if they are not perfectly clean..
Craig and Dan make for a great team - also quality to see he's picking stuff up as the series progresses... Give it a few months and it'd be good to see Dan take on a challenge to see how much he's picked up.
Love these episodes! I've learned a lot by watching these and you explaining your thoughts and knowledge as you go. Thank you! Seeing these old bikes come alive is the best. And congrats on your new company: The Bearded Mosquito Abatement Guy. 😉
Dan makes such an enthusiastic collaborator/assistant/camera man! You guys really do seem to be having fun TOGETHER. (Unlike Craig's previous YT "partner" who made Craig second fiddle and the butt of all the jokes while letting him do all the work )
I rode one of these in 1968 for a while. Played in the war, then rode it again in early 1974. Traded it in for a car when my daughter was born. Thank you for sharing this channel 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏
My first motor cycle. Rode it daily for years so I know all about what you did. Brakes were not the best . Adjusting the points was always tricky. Rode it from Melbourne ( Australia) to Rockhampton and back. Over 2000 miles return. What a fantastic bike for young bloke.
My first motorcycle was the Yamaha Twin Jet way back in 1967 at the age of 16; what a revelation to experience freedom and a bigger world! Always had motorcycles and now at age 73 my current ride is my modified 2010 Triumph Street Triple R. Nice work getting it going again.
yEAH a Friend had one and i got it up to 80 mph. I was shocked. That was a cool little bike. Thanks for the Video. it brought back some great memories. My first bike was a Yamaha 80. It was also a fun bike.
Hi I'm from UK and at 68 still riding Royal Enfield Super meteor now, the Yamaha YL1 was my first road bike ,it was great to see you able to get it running despite the condition well done! keep up the good work 😊 Ady
My bikeriding youth just came alive to me. Now I prefer 4 stroke but back then it was fun riding those 2 stroke racing through traffic with no care in the world. Thanks for a good job done.
Wow, my first bike when I was 16 in 1970! It was a great first bike for a shorty like me. It got written off when an idiot pulled out in front of me and after I got repaired myself I bought it back from the insurer, bought another with a wrecked engine and put it back on the road. Thanks for showing this, it brings back lots of memories, Mick
I love these videos so much. Reminds me of the time my dad was still alive. He used to work on bikes also. The moment they first come to live after sitting for so many years has something special. The garage filling up smoke after the first start. The smell of a 2-stroke. Not much that can beat that! 😂❤
My friend got a 1966 Yamaha 65 Sport two cycle motorcycle, and I had a Vespa 125 to ride. We rode all over in our sophomore year of High School. Great memories.
I have never ridden a motorcycle in my life. I know nothing about the mechanics of a bike. Yes, I am a car dude, so some do make sense. But the main reason I watch your videos is your energy, humour and perseverance. I love your content to the point I have started considering getting a moped and learning how to ride at the age of 35
I had the electric start version when I was 16. It was a screamin machine on Shady Grove Boulevard in Bossier City, LA. So much fun to ride. I tried to take it on a long road trip from Bossier to Dallas and burned a hole in one of the pistons it got so hot. I probably forgot to top off the injection oil or some other stupid thing, but that was my last ride on that bike. I broke down near Cleburne, TX and limped into Fort Worth (about 45 miles on one cylinder). I turned myself in to the Ft Worth Police and my dad drove over to pick me up. I really enjoyed watching you play with this, I still remembered how everything fit together. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.
Craig, that's a four down four back up gear box. My father had a Yamaha 80cc Trail Master that had the same gear box. I'm 71 and I started riding his bike at 11. It was a blast in the mountains. I could take it anywhere with that mighty little engine.
The "Twin 100" was a revelation in the days of 50-90cc singles. Our paperboy (remember those?) had a brand one and I loved to hear it run. Dad had a 1966 YM-1 305cc, which is still in the garage, even though dad passed in 1979.
Back when these were new, a friend bought one new. He stripped it down to the bone.The top end was ported and polished. Custom expansion chambers welded up. Maybe some green linings were put in the brakes? Some stubby handle bars replaced the goofy high risers. Racing tires went on stock rims. A proper fairing was painted up and mounted. And so he went road racing in the 125cc racer class at the local mountain race circuit. Unlike many of the lightweight factory thoroughbreds of the time that either blew up or wouldn't start off the line, it was dead reliable. And it was fast enough to get into the ruck and have fun. He got enough track time so that later he stepped up to a Yamaha TD-2. A great little engine!
I have a shop. 20 years ago I bought a twin jet 100 w/title from a family. It had 15 miles on it and the plastic cover was on the seat. It was later, 71-72. I put gas in it and a battery. Turned the key on, touched the start button and it fired up like a new one. Cool little bike.
My neighbor had this exact same bike, it was a blast to ride. Seeing the toe/heal shifter brought back this buried memory. I had just moved from a SL70 to a TM-125. Anyways the neighbors son put a knobby on the back and it made a decent trail bike. I have been eyeing the Honda Monkey as it reminds me of my cousins CT-70. Just an all around fun bike!
I and couple of friends bought several of these new in '66 as part of equipment for a freshman year in college. I have to tell you that we ran the ever loving "Dud" of these without a failure. We took trips out 250 miles from home. We'd follow buses and troop transports, pull in the clutch and get sucked along at 65-75 mph. Crazy right? Still got a few pics..... They didn't like the air cleaners removed. If you ran that way for the super cool sucking noise, well you blew a hole thru the piston. So cool to see one still in one piece. God bless old Yamaha 2 strokes... I also had a 305 Big Bear I ran with 50K miles, a bunch of Kaws, and Suzuki's. The two strokes never failed. Drove them from Wash, DC to Canada, across the US and even MX. They never failed folks!!
This is amazing i used too have a 1965 Yamaha Trailmaster MG1T four-speed 2-stroke single cylinder 80cc it was one on a radio station by my grandmother in 1965 she gave it to my grandfather as a birthday present he Road it around for a while then he put it in his garage and then probably about mid 1996 I inherited it put all the work into it got it cleaned up drain all the fluids put a new battery in it put fresh gas in it and about 20 kicks later it was running again I ended up selling it to a motorcycle shop that put it in their Museum of motorcycles but it was definitely one of many motorcycles that it was fun to inherit and ride I also had a Honda Urban Express Deluxe 50cc single cylinder automatic moped that I restored as well still wish I still had them keep up the wonderful work you do I enjoy your video content.
That there was what I learned how to ride in Ireland , we call it a Yamaha twin , then a year later I bought a YAS1 , known as a Yasy, then an AS3 all marvelous machines. Fantastic to see one running in 2023, definitely worth restoring. Nice job
Just a heads up from an ex mechanic. Ultra sonic cleaners are godly cheat machines. Dish washing liquid is great for most things. Strong vinegar is good for rust. Concentrated workshop degreaser for most. Parts wash liquid also works great. Throw the right stuff in for the job let it run. Rinse off after done, I like using a brush of some kind as some of the dirts is loosely on the surface. For a better finish I highly recommend turning the stuff over 180 degrees, then running again. But they are great machines and I have one at home that I use all the time. They are basically cheating devices.
WOW! I`m 72, and remember those times very well. Great! And folks, you may laugh at me, but machines of any kind, have some sort of consciousness. Ask any good IT prof, they know: be good to your machines and the machines are good to you! I was flying planes in Germany for 25 years, too, and can confirm that. Back to this bike, it was grateful for being saved from the junkyard! Therefore, it started running after 3 kicks!
This was my first real motorcycle in the early 70s. Not quite as rusty and with no mufflers. Never licensed it because I wasn't old enough to legally drive it on the street. Drove it on the grass beside the highway and gravel roads and an old rock quarry. Finally traded it for a real dirt bike, a Suzuki TS90. Thank you for bringing back the memorys of being young, working on them, and the freedom those early bikes gave to me and i am sure others.
I used to ride a Yamaha twinjet 100 in 1970 I bought it one year old for 100 dollars. I was 16 years old. My brother had a Yamaha 90, we used to ride to school together. I still ride at 71, and have a harley. One thing i remember when i had the twinjet. My friend and i took it to the beach one night, wasn't supposed to ride at night, when i got back my mother immediately grounded me. I haven't seen my friend over 50 years. I miss my parents, and those days.
A friend had one, back in '66. LOL! We called it the "Tin Jet" because of the tinny exhaust note. Wish I had one today, it was a genuine *HOOT* to ride!! Thanks for the video!
My first motorcycle was a Yamaha "Twinjet" 100. I ran all over southeast Louisiana on that little motorcycle. It was also the first motorcycle I had an accident on, when someone made a left turn from the right shoulder of the road. In the thousands of miles I rode it, the only thing that needed to be replaced was the chain and sprockets.
Damn! I was running that same model back in the late 60's as a dirt back. Ran it hare -n- hound, Barstow to Vegas and Elsinore Grand Prix 100cc class. At 72 yrs old now, brings back good memories... Angry chainsaws is an understatement. Especially with no baffles.
Craig -- I cannot believe I got SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited when that puppy cranked! Good on y'all! As someone on Modern Vespa wrote when I rescued a seriously electrics-challenged Vespa ET2 50cc and a mechanic finally got her running, "Thanks for saving another one from the scrap yard." My sentiments exactly!
I am 75 years old, graduated in 1966 from HS. I had a Honda sport 50 , I weighed 120 lb. my friend weighed 200 so he bought the Yamaha 100 , just like the one you are working on, it was blue too. We rode the wheels off those bikes that summer come September we went into the Army together, and our adult life started. My friend passed a few years back. This vid brought a tear to my eyes. all the memories we made that summer. Hearing that motor run was great, if only you could bring my friend back. Thank you for sharing. be safe again thank you.
I am sorry to hear about your friend passing, it can be hard to handle the loss of those we care about. I want to thank you for your service and your friend in kind. I hope everything works out well for you and those you care about! If you truly served in the armed forces please do not read any further. If you didn't serve and are using this comment sector as a means to obtain stolen valor, well lets just say someone will probably come find you and have a little chat with you before long.
Same here. In 1969 I was 16 and started with a Honda sport 50. Others had the Honda 65, 90, 160 and one kid had a 450! Others had one of these Yamaha 100 or a Bridgestone. After high school I moved up to a Yamaha 180. Now I’m 71 and have owned over 30 bikes and been riding 57 years. I’ve logged over 600,000 miles on 4 continents. Motorcycles are my passion.
@@epictales1307 my friend served in Viet Nam and I in Germany.
I had a Campus 60 in 1966 this brings back sweet memories !
@@davidclark682I'm about your age, got a panther 197 in 1965 age 13, passed my test on it two days after my 16th birthday, straight onto a Triumph 350 T21, 650 Bonneville by September of 1968, had a Triton, BSA A65Lightnigh by 1971 then a 500 Matchless G9 with a sidecar for my girlfriend to learn on, she didn't like it so got the yam 100, it was so different to the old 2 sk Panther, so powerful for its size, on 2 strokes more or less ever since, even when I had My Suzuki GS1000 I still had a RG250 J in the Garage, same as now age 71 downsized from my Kawasaki ZX9 to an old SV650, 'cos of my age, but still have a Yamaha TZR 3ma 250 in the garage that is slightly tuned and way quicker than the SV but as 2 stroke fans will know with 18 mpg and I lt Racing 2 stroke oil at £30 it isn't exactly a commuter bike, can burn quarter gal just warming it up.
I know nothing about bikes. 51yrs old and never been on one. But just spent last 3 evenings watching your vids. awesome.
Go buy some!
Buy a bike! It is not too late. When your body starts saying no, things are different. Go to a biker school, why not?
Dude. If our bucket list does not contain: Ride a motorcycle and spend some time in Mexico, you need to seriously review.
This is quickly becoming my favorite channel. The only downside is that I keep getting inspired to buy more project bikes...
Laughing and crying with you as I look at the 3 project bikes in the garage. 😅
Maybe you guys should document your builds on youtube like Craig
I hear you I got a 79 Yamaha.. 82 Honda and a 08 Suzuki and I'm currently surfing marketplace for more
Never a downside
Same😂
Over 30 years ago my mom died of cancer and her motorcycle, a Honda CB100, sat in the basement until my dad passed away. It's now in my garage and your video has inspired me to get it running again. Thanks. It would make my mom happy.
so sorry for your losses of your parents,i definately think you should have a go at restoring,that would be amazing
You get it going yet man?
I believe in you
Or you could sell it to me!
May your Mom’s legacy of her joy riding that little Honda fill your heart as you lovingly bring it back to life and every time you are out for a ride 🦊
Hi Craig, I bought a 1966 yt-1 in 1970. Came to me for a hundred bucks with a stuck motor. Installed new rings and drove it for two summers. Sold it running. I had so much fun on that bike, also I only weighed in at almost 120. Great memories. Now 70 years old and still riding, and still riding Yamaha..
You're not just bringing back bikes.. you're bringing back memories. Thank you, TBM.🤗
My first bike was a 68 model. Ran it until it barely had compression.
I love how a lot of stuff on this channel is under $1000, unless it's a customer. Craig is basically the polar opposite of BnB now, and i absolutely love it. Lots of stuff thats obtainable to almost anyone.
The world needs more Craigs.
He should make a list or something and sell what he fixes. Maybe call it Fixed List? Craig's List?
Another plus is I don't have to listen to a quote from the Bible. Like Another bike channel 😊
I’m 81 now and you just brought so many memories back into play! Cruising down the streets of YT and this bike image caught my eye. I bought a red YT1 in ‘67 as my first bike to commute to work. Great little ring-a-ding dinger! Replaced it with Yamaha 100 dirt bike once I discovered the joys of playing in the dirt. So much fun, so many kisses from “angel of death!” and blatant overconfident abuse of physics! Thanks for the memories!
It’s probably smoking so bad because you mixed oil in the fuel and it has oil injection.
Thanks for uploading this video. This Yamaha Twin Jet 100 was my first bike as a 14 years old lad in 1969. I done some of the same work that you done but on mine the shifter barrel had a broken bolt inside. Just before winter that year I pulled the engine out and took it into my parents basement. I worked most of the winter and in the spring I put the engine back in and it ran and shifted well after that. I went on to become an automotive mechanic and later a heavy equipment mechanic for John Deere for over 40 total years . now at 68 years old Your video has taken me back to my youth ! Thanks very much what a great show you made. 😁
Thanks for the memories. 😂 My uncle brought me a 100 twin jet that was wrecked and my mom was pissed but let me keep it because it didn't run. I took it to the basement and 2 months later my best friend and I were pushing it up and down the street trying to start it. IT STARTED and that was the beginning of a great summer for me but my mom was a nervous wreck that summer. I'm 71 and I miss all of them. Thanks again for the memories ❤
This brings back great memories,thank you. It was my first bike at 14 years old. Bought it used for $180. I went to high school on it, went to beach, 200 miles away, rode every street in the big city I grew up in. Mine smoked big time! I’m definitely pumped! Now ride a Goldwing at 70.
Your engaging content has been truly enthralling, especially in showcasing the revival of these bikes. Personally, I'm drawn to the idea of witnessing a complete restoration process-watching these bikes transform not only mechanically but also aesthetically into their best possible versions. I believe there's a considerable audience that shares this particular preference. Keep up the fantastic work, and please continue to showcase the captivating journey of these bikes undergoing total restoration.
"We don't need gloves where we're going."
"To the hospital?"
That was a good one, Dan. Loving all the vintage motorcycle content. I'm glad to see Sean is getting into vintage bikes as well. It all started with that old Indian...then the WLA...and now he's got a frickin knucklehead.
Fix it up
Old school engineering and 2-stroke magic. I'm a Geezer and I love it!
Wow! Talk about a trip down memory lane! In 1969, with money I saved up from my job after school as a pump jockey, I bought a brand new YLI Twin 100. I hadn't thought about my first bike in decades! In my senior year at Christian Brothers College in Monkstown, Dublin Ireland, only myself and my buddy Roger (he had a Yamaha 80) had motorcycles. We were the first students in years who had bikes at school, so we were legends back then! I rode the wheels of that bike, it took me everywhere without fail, never gave me any trouble. I did have a few "prangs" with it but only one trip to the hospital and only because I was unconsious for a good bit. My Bell helmet saved my life and I've never gotten on a bike again without a brain box. Seeing this bike and all the details up close after so many years brought back a flood of memories, especially about my best friend Roger who passed away many years ago. I loved every minute of this video and thank the Bearded Mechanic for sharing this video. I still ride and even though my Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT is considerably bigger, I'd love to have another YaYa Twin again!
The Yas1 125 had the legs on the "twin". Dices were common back then. SS125 Honda 175s always up for a race from the lights.
These were the bikes to have in the 60,s. Very fast and a lovely gurgle from the exhaust. I am from Ireland also and I had a Yam 80 as my folks would not allow me have a 100 due to their reputation!!! Loved them and then the RD125 and 350. Super bikes. Great memories.👍💯
Off course you get it running Craig 😊
Its a Yamaha !
It will never die !
And as a Yamaha fanboy i would thank you so much (again)for putting another Yamaha back on the road.
Keep em comming ❤
God bless this beared mechanic and the good old US of A !
❤🏍🙏🏻🇺🇲
Well said. Been riding Yamahas since 1964. Best bikes ever made
Don't get too excited. As you say it's a Yamaha not a Honda.😂. My RD250/350 found lots of ways to die back in the day and taught me so much about two-strokes that I bought a 4-stroke Honda instead.😂
I had a RD250,RD350 and RD400 Daytona special and HondaCB400f loved all of them. The CB400f I still have needs the restored
Yeah !
Me too !
Trinidad & Tobago.
West Indies.
The thing about urine and feces, it is something you never run out of
I had a 1965 YL1 when I was 16 years old. It was not called a 'YL1', rather a 'Twin Jet 100'. Bought it new. This little bike started like a champ on first kick every time; even in the coldest weather. It was amazingly quick for 100 cc's (I only weighed 145 pounds). Insurance cost just $37/year and when you cancelled for the winter the insurance company sent you a '$rebate'. I had a part-time job after school and that gave me the money to buy the bike and operate it. Loved that bike!! Absolutely loved it!!
Yes I had one and it was called a Twin Jet 100
lucky
YL1 was my first motorcycle - bought around 1971 (age 21). Parents didn't say much, but I presume they were not pleased.
Couple years later, living outside Cleveland, I headed home in the dark (about 40 miles) and decided to take the "Ohio Turnpike" toll road for the first time, just a few miles, as a quick shortcut. Toll taker at the entrance gate looked down at my little bike with a sneer - wondering if it would go at least the minimum speed. She let me go, and obviously, I lived through the experience.
The bike had a worn clutch but was still functional. The next spring, I replaced the clutch plates and promptly started popping little wheelies with the thing. First time I'd ever done that. Lately I've been missing that bike, and presto - I stumble on this video..
Four years later, after my Honda CL350 was stolen outside my apartment, I bought a Yamaha R5 - 350, which was refined into the RD350. Of all the bikes I've owned, that R5 was the best.
Still have my 71 R5 350 sitting out back, I got in late 72, It is in way worse shape than this bike, but , it still has the memories! I ride an R1 now, and a few other bikes.
I had an rd 350- LC and then an RZ 350-LC my favorite bikes and I've owned around 20. Would love to find an old RD but the prices are astronomical.
My dad bought the same model brand new back in 1966 when he was 16. He has some great stories of his experiences riding it in southern California back in the day.
This is kind of stuff I live for. I have worked on bikes since 1969 and salvaged a few. My first bike was a 1964 CA 77 305cc Dream, not a restoration but I learned so much wrenching on that bike. The early 60s VW camper van (6VDC system) was my next challenge. Good days, man, good days. Great job on this Yamaha. I'm impressed.
A YL1 was my first bike. It was always a first kick start and was good for 70mph (indicated). The best thing was that it looked like a moped and when the lads on their 'nifty fifties' (usually FS1Es) wanted a drag race at the lights I could always leave them choking in two stroke smoke.
At full throttle it did leave a huge trail of smoke. I had a lot of fun on that bike and sold it for more than I paid for it after a couple of years.
Brings back a lot of memories ........
Pretty similar to a FS1. Also has 4 gears down. Only 1 cylinder
I've never owned a yamaha, always been more of a suzuki guy myself, but it makes me smile seeing more of these old girls saved from the scrapyard and put back on the road.
Best part of Friday!
I love how Craig optimistically says "and you can do it too". I can't. I really can't.
Get a trash bike, get the shop manual, and have at it. If you buy it as junk, you can't make it any worse.
you totally can, believe in yourself.
I bought an 81 Honda trail 110. That didn’t even roll I had to drag and push it to the truck. With the help of RUclips I went through it and got it running great to where it started on the first or second kick every time. It took me 6 months in the shed after work tinkering on it when I had the time to get it there but I’m no mechanic at all. If I can do it you can too. Small single cylinder engines don’t scare me now I’m about to do a big bore kit on my daughter’s crf70. (With RUclipss help of course)
Yes you can!😃
If you have the space, and a couple hours a week, motorbikes are one, if not the cheapest way to have a go at any vehicle. You really can do it.
Back in 1969 shortly after my wife and I were married my wife’s younger brother bought one of these little twins used. He rode it to high school until he finally wreaked it. It sounded just like a hopped chain saw and for the time was pretty fast for its size. Seeing this video brought back memories of days gone by. Thanks for sharing.😊😊😊
Thank you for not pretending to find the motorcycle abandoned in the woods.
I love watching these videos! This was my childhood. My dad would run across a barn find british or metric bike that had been sitting for years. We’d work on them together with him showing me how it all worked. I lost him in June and now I’m surrounded by his collection of barn finds. These videos bring back so many memories ❤
He sounds like a Great Dad. I bet you really learned a Lot Working with him.
Its great to see an American who loves old Japanese stuff, nice one Craig (I'm in the UK). It would be cool to see this cleaned up with new tyres and the petcock fixed taken on a mini adventure somewhere.... I feel this bike deserves more content :)
Yes! 100%
Is it for sale.
It is a wonderful machine.
Trinidad & Tobago.
West Indies.
Im in the U.K & a local lad had one of these in the 1970s, it sounded fantastic!! A 100cc twin two stroke not much could sound better!
I remember watching Elvis movie where he rode a bike...what is that 60s bike?
I grew up riding those when I was a kid. Loved them at the time. The automatic oiling system was a game changer for me.
Omg, this was the very first motorcycle. I had purchased when I was 16 years old you brought back many fun memories thank you guys.
I love these little small displacement bikes. So much bang from these little guys. This ones worthy of a full restoration.
32:48 my favorite part of the episode 😂 this is quickly becoming my favorite channel. The pure honest love for bikes shines through and it’s intoxicating. From one tinkerer to another, this is inspiring. Time to tear up some mechanical stuff in the garage.
That was SO much fun to watch. The YL1 was my first ever bike and I learned so much tearing it apart and putting it back together again. I got mine around 1970 and drove it for years. Thanks for a bit of nostalgia!
Same here was very much like my first bike, have a 1200 HD at present.
I had one in mint condition. It was called the 100 Twin too. Other than regularly fouling spark plugs it was reliable. It came with the owners manual. Being an early Japanese import a few things in the manual were lost in translation. For example. This Yamaha has “the most defective ludrication system in the world” . It was actually quite effective and I believe the first reliable oil injection system on a two stroke. Looking at this video reminded me of just how small these early Japanese imports were.
I scrolled through the comments looking for someone that was familiar with this cool little thing.. I knew I'd find one. Thanks. I love old yamaha two strokes
I bought this bike exactly the same even same colour in November 1967 in England for my 16th birthday at a price of 167 pounds 10 shillings brand new I would love to restore one now in my retirement if only I could find one I followed up with a Yamaha yds 3. 250 again I would love one of those. Ohhh the memories 😢😢
In England this was called The YL1 Twin Jet there was a 80 sports single and that sweet little 80 single called the YG1.
I had a seventy something RD 200 when I was a teenager. That was a fun bike. The points were the heart of that thing. Good points and point gap and it ran like new.
I had one of these as my first bike. I bought it off my cousin and we had so much fun on it. The rear guard area was chopped out to give room for a Knobby tire but I ran the standard road tyre on the front, bush bashing all the way. We took the mufflers off and turned the bars upside down to play drag bike. Up and down the driveway until my mother would throw something at us to make us go somewhere else. To buy it I sold a set of golf clubs I had received as a birthday present, much to my fathers disgust. At 62 years of age, I would give anything to have kept it but alas, it was the first of many bikes over the years but I still think it was the one we had the most fun with.
Brings me back to the end 70-80's. I'd love wrenching on an oldie in your shop. Don't get me wrong the new bikes are nice but the 70-90's two strokes are what motorcycling was about for me. Making power with simple mods was easy back then, too bad frames didn't always follow the power ☺. Damn I miss my RD400 Daytona .... Love the show, keep on going 😍
What a delight this series is. I actually get much more from this than I did from the original series of bearded guy. (no knock on him) ..but this is so straight up down to earth. And the idea of reviving these trashed up bikes is wonderful. Anything that helps us get inspired from our 'junk-everything' ethos. (or lack of ethos)
I have a very similar bike (1965 Yamaha YA6) and I think this video will come in handy if I ever get around to fixing it up!
You can't help but smile. Thanks guys.
My first bike in 1972…Silver and black and it looked huge! Unbelievably reliable zipping around at the head of a thin grey line of 2 cycle smoke….Its wonderful to watch you trouble shoot and follow your thought process as you systematically get these classics running….
I'm Dutch. Here in The Netherlands in my youth, you could ride a
Teenagers don't do that anymore.
You and Dan make a good team this channel is going to blow up like bikes and beards. Can see the confidence growing in Dan as he learns more and more. Definitely fun to watch.
You don't see many of these old Yamaha's running around anymore. I don't believe it's worth much, but a spray paint "restoration" would be kind of neat to see. Glad that the inside of the tank was in good shape.
Man. nice but when he acted surprised when he took off the gas cap and the tank was clean, I think he already knew that it was clean !
I’ve done the cable install..heated up a small screwdriver …slipped it into the slot..opened it up slightly..WORKED!!
I also cut a rubber plumbing coupling to makeup the carb /connector….
I see from the comments below that there are quite a few of us oldsters (I'm 72) that had the times of our lives riding Yamaha twin 100s. Mine was a red "66, got it used in "67. It was my second bike. The first was a "66 Suzuki 80 Hillbilly that had interchangeable rear sprockets. One for road and the other for trail.
Thanks for the memories.
What a beautiful little Motor Cycle
The amount of information we learn from Craig is amazing
Heck yeah it’s gonna be a great day when Craig uploads a new video! Thanks for the inspiration to get into motorcycles and their revivals
First time I ever turned on notifications. Keep Dan.
Hey guys, great video of this Yamaha Twin 100..I actually had one, my folks bought it new for me at 14 years old, back in 1968, from ART'S MOTORCYCLE, the local Yamaha dealer on Fremont Street here in Las Vegas NV. I rode it every day, around with my buddy's, which they all had Hondas ..and the Yamaha 100 Twin was quicker off the line, because of it being a two stroke. Mine was Black and chrome. I had a paper route that I had and delivered papers every morning with the bike,.. it was awesome! Had it for about a year, and it looked and ran like brand new, as I kept it polished up pretty good. Unfortunately, someone that knew where I parked it at night, decided to steal it one early morning when i got ready to deliver my newspapers!... Man,.. I was heartbroken 😢, that bike was my pride and joy..Never found it, and my whole family searched this town top to bottom...I wish I knew whom took it and where it went..thought about that bike for years and years...that was 56 years ago...Wow,..what great memories though riding that bike.
Thanks for bringing us that cool video of the epic Yamaha Twin 100!!.. Well done!
I just found you're videos ! And I think their Awesome. I'm 66 and want to start my First project . Don't have one yet. So I'll keep watching you to learn what I can. Thank you Peggy
I love your content Craig! You have an awesome personality and you are a great mechanic which is the perfect combo for a channel like this.. keep up the good work bud and i cant wait for the next one!
Those were good old bikes. Nice to see one getting some love. This is one of the first bikes I ever road as a kid, good memories.
Edit - An sos pad and some water would go a long way to making it more presentable.
Best videos Craig! Keep em coming! Dan and you are quickly becoming my favorite go-to RUclipsrs! I did tons of work on my ‘65 Honda Dream before selling it. So much fun! Thanks for doing what you do guys.
I had a 1965 Honda CB72 Dream in blue . Was a fantastic bike would love to get it back
You're bringing back lots of my memories of the Yamaha Big Bear!!
I bought two basket cases from my brother. A 1965 Yamaha YDS5 250cc, and a 1966 Yamaha YM1 305cc...which was seized, but that's the one I rebuilt because the 250 was in pieces. So between the two bikes, I was able to build one.
I learned how to do it all by myself with the help of an original shop manual that came with the bikes and a helpful Parts counter guy at the Yamaha dealer....
Those carburetors can be problematic if they are not perfectly clean..
At 10pm we were the coolest kids on the block, along with my buddy’s on 95cc Hondas and 125cc Yamahas.
Real hells angels all right!
Craig and Dan make for a great team - also quality to see he's picking stuff up as the series progresses... Give it a few months and it'd be good to see Dan take on a challenge to see how much he's picked up.
That’s a Great Idea. You can tell from his comments that he is really learning. He’s got a Great Teacher.
Love these episodes! I've learned a lot by watching these and you explaining your thoughts and knowledge as you go. Thank you! Seeing these old bikes come alive is the best. And congrats on your new company: The Bearded Mosquito Abatement Guy. 😉
Dan makes such an enthusiastic collaborator/assistant/camera man! You guys really do seem to be having fun TOGETHER. (Unlike Craig's previous YT "partner" who made Craig second fiddle and the butt of all the jokes while letting him do all the work )
I rode one of these in 1968 for a while. Played in the war, then rode it again in early 1974. Traded it in for a car when my daughter was born. Thank you for sharing this channel 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏
My first motor cycle. Rode it daily for years so I know all about what you did. Brakes were not the best . Adjusting the points was always tricky. Rode it from Melbourne ( Australia) to Rockhampton and back. Over 2000 miles return. What a fantastic bike for young bloke.
Been sitting and refreshing every couple of minutes waiting for this
Me too 😆
That is such a neat bike - despite the rust and everything, it still looks awesome and still clearly has plenty of life left. Very nice save!
My first motorcycle was the Yamaha Twin Jet way back in 1967 at the age of 16; what a revelation to experience freedom and a bigger world! Always had motorcycles and now at age 73 my current ride is my modified 2010 Triumph Street Triple R. Nice work getting it going again.
Whoa.... I had this bike back in the 70s. Screaming demon! I weighed nothing back then. 80 mph on back roads. Crazy.
I agree, I had one one that screamed like a dozen sewing machines,it's rev range was insanely high as was it's top speed.I loved that bike.
yEAH a Friend had one and i got it up to 80 mph. I was shocked. That was a cool little bike. Thanks for the Video. it brought back some great memories. My first bike was a Yamaha 80. It was also a fun bike.
What a testament to Yamaha quality. It's amazing that it started 3rd kick. Love this channel.
Hi I'm from UK and at 68 still riding Royal Enfield Super meteor now, the Yamaha YL1 was my first road bike ,it was great to see you able to get it running despite the condition well done! keep up the good work 😊 Ady
My bikeriding youth just came alive to me. Now I prefer 4 stroke but back then it was fun riding those 2 stroke racing through traffic with no care in the world.
Thanks for a good job done.
Wow, my first bike when I was 16 in 1970! It was a great first bike for a shorty like me. It got written off when an idiot pulled out in front of me and after I got repaired myself I bought it back from the insurer, bought another with a wrecked engine and put it back on the road. Thanks for showing this, it brings back lots of memories, Mick
I love these videos so much. Reminds me of the time my dad was still alive. He used to work on bikes also. The moment they first come to live after sitting for so many years has something special. The garage filling up smoke after the first start. The smell of a 2-stroke. Not much that can beat that! 😂❤
My friend got a 1966 Yamaha 65 Sport two cycle motorcycle, and I had a Vespa 125 to ride. We rode all over in our sophomore year of High School. Great memories.
I have never ridden a motorcycle in my life. I know nothing about the mechanics of a bike. Yes, I am a car dude, so some do make sense. But the main reason I watch your videos is your energy, humour and perseverance. I love your content to the point I have started considering getting a moped and learning how to ride at the age of 35
I had the electric start version when I was 16. It was a screamin machine on Shady Grove Boulevard in Bossier City, LA. So much fun to ride. I tried to take it on a long road trip from Bossier to Dallas and burned a hole in one of the pistons it got so hot. I probably forgot to top off the injection oil or some other stupid thing, but that was my last ride on that bike. I broke down near Cleburne, TX and limped into Fort Worth (about 45 miles on one cylinder). I turned myself in to the Ft Worth Police and my dad drove over to pick me up. I really enjoyed watching you play with this, I still remembered how everything fit together. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.
Craig, that's a four down four back up gear box. My father had a Yamaha 80cc Trail Master that had the same gear box. I'm 71 and I started riding his bike at 11. It was a blast in the mountains. I could take it anywhere with that mighty little engine.
I had one of these in the 1970's. It went like a rocket.... left the 4 strokes of those days standing!
The "Twin 100" was a revelation in the days of 50-90cc singles. Our paperboy (remember those?) had a brand one and I loved to hear it run. Dad had a 1966 YM-1 305cc, which is still in the garage, even though dad passed in 1979.
I remember in my very youthful years.My friends cousin had that exact model.We all thought he was super cool throttling it down my street.
I had a 1970 HS1 (90cc twin). We called it the "sewing machine". Great little bike ! Thanks for bringing back some great memories!!!
Back when these were new, a friend bought one new. He stripped it down to the bone.The top end was ported and polished. Custom expansion chambers welded up. Maybe some green linings were put in the brakes? Some stubby handle bars replaced the goofy high risers. Racing tires went on stock rims. A proper fairing was painted up and mounted. And so he went road racing in the 125cc racer class at the local mountain race circuit. Unlike many of the lightweight factory thoroughbreds of the time that either blew up or wouldn't start off the line, it was dead reliable. And it was fast enough to get into the ruck and have fun. He got enough track time so that later he stepped up to a Yamaha TD-2. A great little engine!
I have a shop. 20 years ago I bought a twin jet 100 w/title from a family. It had 15 miles on it and the plastic cover was on the seat. It was later, 71-72. I put gas in it and a battery. Turned the key on, touched the start button and it fired up like a new one. Cool little bike.
My neighbor had this exact same bike, it was a blast to ride. Seeing the toe/heal shifter brought back this buried memory. I had just moved from a SL70 to a TM-125. Anyways the neighbors son put a knobby on the back and it made a decent trail bike.
I have been eyeing the Honda Monkey as it reminds me of my cousins CT-70. Just an all around fun bike!
I and couple of friends bought several of these new in '66 as part of equipment for a freshman year in college. I have to tell you that we ran the ever loving "Dud" of these without a failure. We took trips out 250 miles from home. We'd follow buses and troop transports, pull in the clutch and get sucked along at 65-75 mph. Crazy right? Still got a few pics..... They didn't like the air cleaners removed. If you ran that way for the super cool sucking noise, well you blew a hole thru the piston. So cool to see one still in one piece. God bless old Yamaha 2 strokes... I also had a 305 Big Bear I ran with 50K miles, a bunch of Kaws, and Suzuki's. The two strokes never failed. Drove them from Wash, DC to Canada, across the US and even MX. They never failed folks!!
This is amazing i used too have a 1965 Yamaha Trailmaster MG1T four-speed 2-stroke single cylinder 80cc it was one on a radio station by my grandmother in 1965 she gave it to my grandfather as a birthday present he Road it around for a while then he put it in his garage and then probably about mid 1996 I inherited it put all the work into it got it cleaned up drain all the fluids put a new battery in it put fresh gas in it and about 20 kicks later it was running again I ended up selling it to a motorcycle shop that put it in their Museum of motorcycles but it was definitely one of many motorcycles that it was fun to inherit and ride I also had a Honda Urban Express Deluxe 50cc single cylinder automatic moped that I restored as well still wish I still had them keep up the wonderful work you do I enjoy your video content.
yknow whats crazy, i just got a 65 YGS1 from a junkyard in jersey. its much rougher, but im taking it to bits and rebuilding the whole thing.
That there was what I learned how to ride in Ireland , we call it a Yamaha twin , then a year later I bought a YAS1 , known as a Yasy, then an AS3 all marvelous machines. Fantastic to see one running in 2023, definitely worth restoring. Nice job
Just a heads up from an ex mechanic.
Ultra sonic cleaners are godly cheat machines.
Dish washing liquid is great for most things. Strong vinegar is good for rust. Concentrated workshop degreaser for most. Parts wash liquid also works great.
Throw the right stuff in for the job let it run. Rinse off after done, I like using a brush of some kind as some of the dirts is loosely on the surface. For a better finish I highly recommend turning the stuff over 180 degrees, then running again.
But they are great machines and I have one at home that I use all the time. They are basically cheating devices.
WOW! I`m 72, and remember those times very well. Great! And folks, you may laugh at me, but machines of any kind, have some sort of consciousness. Ask any good IT prof, they know: be good to your machines and the machines are good to you! I was flying planes in Germany for 25 years, too, and can confirm that. Back to this bike, it was grateful for being saved from the junkyard! Therefore, it started running after 3 kicks!
This was my first real motorcycle in the early 70s. Not quite as rusty and with no mufflers. Never licensed it because I wasn't old enough to legally drive it on the street. Drove it on the grass beside the highway and gravel roads and an old rock quarry. Finally traded it for a real dirt bike, a Suzuki TS90. Thank you for bringing back the memorys of being young, working on them, and the freedom those early bikes gave to me and i am sure others.
It was called a twin 100. I had one back in 1966. Sweet bike!
I owned a black, 1965 YL-1 from 1971-78. I used it in college and twice a year drove it home 200 miles away. Top speed was 55mph. I love that cycle!
I used to ride a Yamaha twinjet 100 in 1970 I bought it one year old for 100 dollars. I was 16 years old. My brother had a Yamaha 90, we used to ride to school together. I still ride at 71, and have a harley. One thing i remember when i had the twinjet. My friend and i took it to the beach one night, wasn't supposed to ride at night, when i got back my mother immediately grounded me. I haven't seen my friend over 50 years. I miss my parents, and those days.
Great vid.
Entertaining and engaging, with easy to watch tutorials on how to go about fixing stuff without being overcomplicated.
Thanks!
Well done. I had one of these back in 1972. It was an awesome little bike and ultra reliable
Mine was a ‘68, 100 twin electric start. Candy apple red, ran 70mph all day, great little bikes. Sold it and bought the 125 scrambler, what a bike!
A friend had one, back in '66. LOL! We called it the "Tin Jet" because of the tinny exhaust note.
Wish I had one today, it was a genuine *HOOT* to ride!! Thanks for the video!
This is great. I love this vintage of Yamaha. We had a '68 250 'Big Bear' Scrambler. Loved it. would love to see photos restored
My first motorcycle was a Yamaha "Twinjet" 100. I ran all over southeast Louisiana on that little motorcycle. It was also the first motorcycle I had an accident on, when someone made a left turn from the right shoulder of the road. In the thousands of miles I rode it, the only thing that needed to be replaced was the chain and sprockets.
Damn! I was running that same model back in the late 60's as a dirt back. Ran it hare -n- hound, Barstow to Vegas and Elsinore Grand Prix 100cc class. At 72 yrs old now, brings back good memories... Angry chainsaws is an understatement. Especially with no baffles.
I love it how these old two strokes bike put a smile on my face the same excitement every time
Craig -- I cannot believe I got SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited when that puppy cranked! Good on y'all! As someone on Modern Vespa wrote when I rescued a seriously electrics-challenged Vespa ET2 50cc and a mechanic finally got her running, "Thanks for saving another one from the scrap yard." My sentiments exactly!
When a person has a through knowledge, it becomes a pleasure to listen to him..