The Dirt Bike that changed everything
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- Опубликовано: 30 окт 2023
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The Yamaha DT-1 is one of the most important offroad motorcycle ever produced. This motorcycle was made by Yamaha to fill in the gap for small but sophisticated on and offroad riding, and it spearheaded the Japanese takeover of offroad motorcycle production
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I had a couple of DTs, the 400 just out of high school, and later on the 250. Out of all the bikes I owned, I traveled more back country on that 250 than any of the others. It was light, simple, and fast enough. I covered the Big Bear mtns, Silverwood, Johnson Valley, out to Barstow, etc. It was like it was built for this country. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed it.
Sounds like good times in beautiful California.
“I got the DTs’!!!! “
An insane crazed drug addict on the streets of NYC yelled that at me like a threat. I stared her down. I had my hand on a switch blade knife in my pocket.
Some of the best memories I have growing up are my dad and I riding all over the back roads in south Florida on his 250 , to this day I think it was the best motorcycle ever.
Some are faster and some are more reliable but very few have that civilized Savage feel, the way it would go from calm restrained power to wild child with the twist of a wrist.
👍👍👍@@loubrackbill3632
The DT 400 was a beast, never owned one but had early 70s DT 175 and a Road Registered DT 250 ( the common gold colour one ) when I was 12 my comp bike was a '75' YZ 125C First YZ 125 Monoshock Mine being in Australia was White with solid red stripe on Steel tank the same as Canada Coloring with the USA being Yellow with a Black tank stripe, I loved all my 2 strokes But loving Enduro/Road Bikes I really liked the Honda XL 500R with my all time favorite bike for National Parks was the Punch above its weight and Unbreakable 1983-4 Honda XR 350R, also had Bigger YZs with a Killer early YZ 465 that I got rid of because wheel stand when not wanted But I had near every size CB Honda made including a ''65'' model 450cc Black Bomber which was Stolen which left a bitter taste 😞
Had a red 1970 DT1 I got after I got out of the service. I rode it everywhere and it was the only vehicle I owned. Rode it rain or shine, to work, for play, and back and forth to collage. Dated my now wife on it and we have great memories of on and off road rides. Changed the front sproket to 19 teeth and could cruise on flat ground at 70. Put a 13 tooth front sproket on it for serious dirt riding. I put over 32,000 miles on it and never replaced the piston or rings. Most reliable bike I ever owned, next to my 72 CB750 and my 1978 BMW R100S. Ended up selling the DT1 when my kids were young because I needed the money for them. Sure miss that bike!
My college roommate showed up with a brand new DT1 back in 1969, we had more fun on that bike than was legal to have.
Wish I could reproduce those great years.
"We steeped our thirsty souls in the reviving wine of the past, the pathetic past, the beautiful past, the dear and lamented past; we uttered the names that had been silent upon our lips for fifty years, and it was as if they were made of music; with reverent hands we unburied our dead, the mates of our youth, and caressed them with our speech; we searched the dusty chambers of our memories and dragged forth incident after incident, episode after episode, folly after folly, and laughed such good laughs over them, with the tears running down ..."
- Mark Twain
@@septembersurprise5178 Damn...you had me goin' for a second...like whaaaa?, someone with a prose worthy comment?! I failed to glance down at your credit, before reading from the top. I imagine you may be an amatuer musician also, with a relaxed penchant for covering most songs with tasty flavor.
My first song on wheels was the '69 DT1's Midge; the 60cc Mini Enduro. What joy that thing brought, from my older brother and his friends that had Greeves', Pursang's, and Husqvarna's, to my sisters and even my mom. After the intro credits, even Bruce Brown featured it in the first scene of his ground breaking documentary, "On Any Sunday". Eventually becoming highly modified to keep up with Honda's SL70 answer and its eventual mods; that taught me the art of race tuning in my very early teens, and inspired a couple others to continue with my marginal influence and become fairly famous at it. Of course, to keep up with and experience more exotic vistas with my friends, my graduation to a much more expensive and factory focused Husky 125 quickly revealed how horrible DT series handling was. The Jones family almost single-handedly kept Yamaha in the game with their mods and tuning.
@@septembersurprise5178 Beautiful. The societal decline he wrote about, is called "progress" in our schools. But it won't take the young graduates of today 50 years to realize those were their best days also, but part of a generational decline, ending much like a walking peasant, remembering the days when he had a horse.
@@EarthSurferUSA I enjoy Mark Twain very much, although he is in my opinion quite skeptical in general about the positive attributes of the human race. To wit.
"I have been reading the morning paper. I do it every morning--knowing well that I shall find in it the usual depravities and basenesses and hypocrisies and cruelties that make up civilization, and cause me to put in the rest of the day pleading for the damnation of the human race. I cannot seem to get my prayers answered, yet I do not despair." - Mark Twain
Twain didn't despair, neither do I, and please neither should You.
@@EarthSurferUSA there's plenty to dislike from the past and remembering that makes us strive for a better future.
I never made it to the DT 1 as my first real bike was a second hand DT 175 which I loved. Later on I bought a Honda CL 350 scrambler off a mate to go further faster on the road. I then sold both those bikes to buy a brand new Yamaha XT 500. That was a beast in it's day and by far my favourite bike I've ever owned. I think the XT 500 is worth a video in its own right. It was truly a legend in its own time, wining the first two Paris to Dekar rally's in 1979 & 80. From the XT 500 was born the XT 600 Tenere which I believe was the very first rally bike available to the masses and the bike that started the now so popular adventure bike category.
I drooled over the XT500 when young but couldn't afford. I pacify myself currently with DR650. The same only better.
Both the DT 175 and the XT 500 were some of the most popular and iconic dirt bikes in South Africa in the 70s and 80s. I remember dreaming of owning an XT 500 while at High School. Watching this documentary of the DT1 brought back a lot of pleasant memories. Life was simpler and more fun then.
@@bernibeckmann9753 Even though it's been frozen for years, I still drool a little when I look at the TT500 I acquired from the guy that came in second at the 1980 Four-stroke Nationals at Carlsbad. I never figured out how to get the head off for service; Andy Baines epoxied it on to hold in the ridiculous modified compression of his 540cc chamber. Obviously built for one race, I still had fun on it for years, breaking eardrums and shooting 60 yard-rooster tails in the sandwashes. The memories prevent me from parting with it, even though relegated to a backyard shed now.
My two favorite bikes I have owned are the XT500 and the XS650. Completely different bikes but still would like to have both of them back. They made the Seventies a great time to be young.
@@conflagratus do you happen to remember the guys name you bought it off of ?. A guy who lived just a few blocks away from me in Santa Fe was state champion several years running in the late 70s riding a TT500 by the name of Cid Creg. If it was his bike , I rode that bike and it's the reason I bought my XT500. The TT was the striped down race bike version most popular in the southwest flat tracking scene.
Owned and rode several Yamaha Enduro's in the mid 70s and 80s. They never gave out and never had a major mechanical malfunction even though lubricants and maintenance were not what they are today. Dad finally bought me a new 1978 Yamaha IT 175. Most probably never heard of it. I still have it and will be restoring it on my upcoming channel so I can relive it with everyone who has those memories. Cheers 😊
I had a 1982 IT250 one of my all time favorite bikes..
My friend had an IT 175, he could stay with me on my TT500 up to about 55 mph. I had a Honda MR 175 Elsinore at the same time which wouldn't keep up to the IT through the whoops.
Loved that era of trail bikes IT 465 CR 250 ELSINORE and the XT 500 XL 350 Honda montessa 360 H6 out the Otway ranges and barrabool Ceres in Geelong VIC Australia so many great memories and weekend campings trips
Learn to wheel stand on the it175 I couldn’t wheel stand forever grate balance point
I had a 1979 DT 175 and had more fun on that bike than any other bike I've ever owned.
The old DT's are just fun to ride, trail, or street, too.
Beautifully done video. I grew up riding those great Yamaha Enduros and it was a great time to be alive.
My first motorcycle I could ride on the highway I got in high school. It was 1970 Yamaha 360 two stroke enduro. I dropped a tooth on the countershaft, added a Basini expansion chamber, rejetted the carb. I then went hunting Kawasaki 500 MACH III's on the main street of our city. The launch was critical. If I kept the front on the ground through 1st & 2nd the Kaw didn't stand a chance from stop light to stop light (1/8 mi.). The 750 Hondas were a cake walk. My local bike shop got word of my fun and donated a 34mm MX carb, and a milled MX head.
Did the same Suzuki TS 400, drag racing from the lights. Big road bikes did not have a chance.
Your post struck a chord with my own experience on a 1970 Yamaha 360 MX. My prior bike was a Hodaka 100. The contrast was overwhelming. Riding the 360 MX was like being on a rocket. I could not legally ride it on the pavement (though I sometimes did), but instead rode that bike all over the southern California desert. It was not only fast, but durable. Two constant complaints were poor suspension and a high compression ratio that was hard to overcome to start the engine. It was a bucking bronco that put you on the ragged edge of a crash if you pushed it even just a little in rough country. It would take a lot of practice and a committed heave on the lever to get it to start on the first kick. I wish I still had it, but it's just as well I don't because at my age, it would be extremely hazardous to my health.
The 360 was a machine Ay,, I have a friend who still owns and rides one around his 20 acres , Dt Yammy's were awesome I had heaps of fairly cheap fun on them and the old TS Suzuki's 😉
@@user-hs8qj2fi9y TS 400 was wild
Yamaha 360 and Kawasaki 500 MACH III , By far the two coolest bikes in 1970
My dad got me a 1971 JT1 60cc when I was 11 years old . I road that bike every day no matter what was going out side weather wise , for the next 5 years till my body reached 6 foot and I got my drivers license and a girl friend . That bike gave me the best childhood a boy could have living in the mountains of Southeastern Ky . I made trails with a machete strapped to the front of the bike that went for miles and miles and are now being used my atv's and dirt bikes . Back then a kid could pack his lunch and stay gone all day but home before dark . Our little motor cycle group would camp out on the top of the strip mines and ride till it was to dark to ride build fire put up our tents every change we had . Today they call it motocamping . That bike was bullet proof .
I'm grateful for being a kid during the 50's and 60's. We sure enjoyed the best times America had to offer. Freedom, good and plentiful food, best music ever etc.
The first motorcycle I had in my life was a yamaha yz 80 my dad bought me when I was 11 years old and I rode that little bike into the ground, it's was absolutely bullet proof.
If I were to buy a motocross bike today to have fun and absolute blast I would get a Yamaha YZ 80 - 85 Big Wheel, I am the right height and weight and my skills have gone backwards and it still may be a bit too fast. Seeing that my old Man bought me a Brand New Yellow and White TY 80 Trials bike for my 7th birthday it sums up me needing less of a killing machine 🤣
After returning from shipping out as a 20 yr old merchant seaman in 1970 I decided to buy a motorcycle with my pay. I had no idea what kind of bike to get but a buddy who knew about bikes told me about the DT1. It was one of the best investments I ever made. I practically lived on the candy apple red fun machine from morning to night. Loved it!
1979 DT 250 Enduro was my very first vehicle back in the mid 80s. Loud and obnoxious and a top speed of about 50mph. And it started my life long love affair with bikes. Tooling around in the Black Hills and riding back and forth to school and work. Did both equally well.
I remember when in my little Wyoming small town when the motorcycle was debuted. The gold 250 and the red 175 was out of the world. Thanks for the background on this part of motorcycle history!
Also a Wyoming guy. Rode the hell out of the 175 model! I wish I still had it.
I had the red 175!! They had plenty of hop Kits for these in the 70's, which made them MUCH faster than the suspension could handle
I owned a red 175 and loved riding it through the sandy trails that ran beside the Missouri river near Kansas City, a place called River Front Park back in the early 1970"s. It was too much fun for some so the city closed them down until I lost interest and started riding on the deserted back country roads in the rural northland areas around and between Liberty and Smithville, MO. It was a little "small" in displacement for highway riding speeds, but out in the rural landscape of roads posted between 35 and 45 mph I felt like I was king of the "twisties" if you know what I mean. Point and scoot from apex to apex as long as I could see above the ground what lie between them. So much of the northland was cut out of ancient riverine deposits the roads would weave up and down so much it was more like riding the ridge of a series of "switchbacks" with the lush under growth obscuring line of sight vision as to what is coming up around the bend of a sweeper dead ahead. Later on in 1985 when I got my FJ1100 I had to relearn the art of countersteering my way into a turn. The weight of 575 pounds of motorcycle compared to my then 145 pounds seemed like an unfair advantage.
You remind me of a time way back. Further then I remember actually. I was born in Casper but folks moved here to Oregon when I was 3. But my grandparents and uncle still had land there outside of Sheridan. When we visited my cousin Robin would be on his Yamaha Enduro. I believe 250. Don't remember for sure, but he put alot of miles on that bike. There was nothing and nothing to do in Ulm, Wyoming. A couple buildings gone to waste. Somewhere down the road was a track of some kind..
Great bike. I had a brand new 1973 Yamaha 360 Enduro. What a blast, and it could do 90 mph on the highway.
Then I hate you!
We had a bush track which had a long winding through trees and rocks section then a short straight into a sweeping speedway type bend then a long straight. I had a TS 185 Suzuki and could beat any 250 around that track but, one day a guy turned up on one of those 360s and I could be on his arse in seconds on the tight stretch but no room to pass till getting near the end so I would get around him, gain maybe 40 feet on him by the time we came out then EVERY single time, zoom, straight past me on that straight lol. I wound up trying harder and harder to outbrake him into the tight section so I could gain distance on him and eventually pushed my luck just that bit too hard and slid completely sideways into a giant gravel mound. It was frustrating as hell but man that thing had so much more grunt on the straights than my little 185 lol. Fun times anyway.
@@lorditsprobingtime6668 😂
We have so many great memories of those days. I raced a 1973 SC 500 back in the day. I survived the light switch.
Thank you for this video!! In 68 my uncle got one and let me ride it. That was all it took I wanted one so bad. I was in 10th grade. So saved the money and in 1970 bought a used 69 250. Then after that I owned 71 360, 72 360, 72 yz 360, 74 360, 75 400, then in 76 switched to the IT 400. I did have a 70 175 in there a one point. My mom and dad and brother and sisters and there spouses all had various sizes of the DT. Those were the days!! I continued to ride dirt bikes and road bikes until 5 years ago and had to stop because of a spine issue. I rode with my son and daughter and loved riding and just being out together. Great memories
I have to point out that the YZ bikes replaced the DT on the track, and other forms if racing, but the DT continued as dual sport bikes. They were replaced by the four stroke XT series that continues to this day with the XT250 in the US market, but is essentially the same type of motorcycle. The two stroke continued in other markets for quite a while longer while 2 stroke engines could still pass emissions requirements in those countries. I have a WR200R from the early 90s that is a strictly off road enduro race bike, but it was also sold in other markets as a DT200 as a very off road capable dual sport bike with just the addition of lights, horn, mirrors, and an auto lube pump and oil tank.
We had the DT200 here in Brazil in the 90s. It was an amazing bike! Sadly I could not afford two bikes back then and already had an RD350 LC (which was an absolute blast, btw).
Yes ! You are correct. At this moment, the only Yamaha dealer in my country has two brand new Yamaha DT175 enduros for sale in his showroom. They cost about US$4,200.
Trinidad & Tobago.
West Indies.
Great video Bart , I worked at a Suzuki dealer in Orange Ca. Very close to Saddleback Park . The Suzuki TS 250 was the best in my Opinion but there far more Yamaha's around . I dont think it will ever be the same . A; There no more two strokes in the states. B; The ultra modern styling is just Horrible ! If only Yamaha could go back to that old styling that would help , less plastic and more simple styling .
Amen to modern horrible styling. In my opinion, a whole lotta modern machines, street and off-road are not only horrible, they're BUTT UGLY! How can any engineer / designer come up with such designs, and even more mysterious is how they make it to the production line and out of the factory.
Yamaha have long been superb piano builders which are judged only by their performance not looks.
If they made the Tenere 700 in retro styling.........
And why are modern so-called off-roaders 900cc and weigh 450lb? I'm only little - I want something I can chuck around and pick up with one paw when I drop it, and the only way to get that is with a 2-stroke. Woof!
What did you think of the TCseries bike as opposed to the TS series?
Thanks for the trip down memory lane... I'm the old guy who had a DT1C in red... like in the video... It was my first real dirt bike and I won my first enduro trophy with it. They went way faster than the suspension could handle though and at 76 I can still remember that bike from the notch in my leg from the kickstand as I went off a jump and went waltzing Matilda. Woke up in a cactus patch and got out of the hospital in a couple of days... I healed way quicker then..
Is this waltzing dancing style called a "tank-slapper" in the states?
I had a couple of Yamaha Enduros when I was a kid in the 1970's. A little 100 cc Enduro when I was 13 and a not much bigger 125 Enduro when I was 17 or 18. The 125 was a fantastic bike for both dirt and street. It even was an okay highway bike back then since at that time the speed limit was 55. I put a front sprocket on it that was a tooth or two bigger and then riding it on the 55 mph highways wasn't too bad and yet it was still acceptable off road. I wish I could go back in time and take that 125 for another ride.
I had the DT 125, go t the 1st one at the dealer,. Beautiful orange. I had many adventures on it in high school.
Yep, me and my high school friends used to ride our little enduros and trail bikes all over town and around the trails and fields in that area. Fun times!@@bookooc5605
I wasn't quit old enough to remember the introduction of this particular bike and era. But I do remember graduating H.S. in 73 and seeing my first 1973 DT3, competition green, 250! I thought it was down right stunning, bold. What a strong stance! I purchased a 73 leftover in Nov. put it on layaway until April 74. With a hand shake, I paid on it weekly. It was $895 incl. tax, and reg.
The dealer, Northwestern Cycle (Torrington Ct - Craig Closson) outfitted it with an upgraded alloy handle bar with off road grips, cleated foot pegs, high rise, plastic/composit front fender, aluminum (?) fork brace , H.D. knobbies front and rear, shortened the mirror stem and hung it upside down, and removed the signal lights (the switch remained). Stunning! 2500 miles later, I still have it! Thanks for the history lesson.
My first new bike was a 1979 Yamaha DT175. I was 16 years old and probably rode more miles in the dirt than on the street.
In 79 a buddy of mine had the DT125 who was always being chased by the police when they saw him on the road He worked at a place 13 miles away and drove to work illegally every week day with it. He proved it to me one day when I was on the back of his bike, (we went to check out a used 1975 CR125 for sale he wanted to buy). That kid could out run the Police on that bike faster than Burt Reynolds in Cannonball run, or Luke in the Dukes of Hazard.
I had most of the Yamaha Enduros in the early seventies including RT1 - 360, DT1 - 250, AT1 - 125, HT1 - 90 , JT1 - 60 . Great bikes for sure. I also have the yellow bike shown in the introduction among many other bikes. Still riding at 62.
If you had an LT1 and GT1, you would have had the entire range.
@@k4106dt Actually I still have a GT 1 that needs a easy restore, but I got that one in the nineties. Never had the 100 though.
Did you work at a local Yamaha shop!!
@@michaelsorrentino9279 Nope, just life before marriage and kids( I’m 62 now with 4 adult children and a wife) I also had a TW 200 and still have a 2001 YZ 426 with a restoration almost complete. My bike of choice now is my 2022 Beta 300 rr.
Gottcha !!
CT2 bought new and still own… 1972 175cc slightly smaller than DT250….
$647.00 even….after doing more off road, and stop light racing (became better rider)….Bassani super quiet pipe….modified reed valve, ported jug….rejetted carb….k&n air filter….modified ignition points….(yes points)…. girling rear shocks….trick-it fork kit…. enduro, motocross, hare scrambles, stop light racing…. did everything on this bike…still street and woods ride it today….I
raced my bro’s rt2 (360) with hooker pipe and pulled about one bike length per gear, I shut it down at 70mph in 4th gear (15/45) sprockets … many honda 750’s….triumph 650’s read my license plate back in day…love my 72 Yam and modified z400 zuk….ride with my kids, grand kids…. their friends, my friends….keeps one young 😁
Have you looked at the prices of any new motorcycle recently?
My new Honda CB- 750 was $2,500. New in the box ! It actually had to be assembled for me on the display floor and this was a huge dealership.
Today $17,000
To get anything worth while. And up. Yes we're all making more money. Still doesn't match. Same goes for prices of everything else today. Cars, Homes, Guns, food. Everything is overpriced for the exception of electronics. Apparently only technology can be had at a discount.
Nice coverage. I was hard into enduros in the mid '60s, rode Bultacos which we also sold next to Honda models. I was properly miffed that the DT 1 was showing up as a challenge, and they were good. Many years later, I had the opportunity to scrap a clapped-out DT1 engine for recycling and was very impressed with how substantial it was, very ruggedly built.
My first bike was a DT-175 that my mom bought second hand for me when I was 12. I loved that bike and rode it all over the back roads and fields around our neighborhood. My friend had a Honda 250 (can’t remember the exact model) and he couldn’t keep up with me. It finally had some ignition problems when I was 16 and I kinda lost interest in fixing it because I had a car and was into hot rodding. But hearing that engine being fired up in this video makes me wish I had fixed it. I remember driving my neighbors nuts when I took out the arrester in the exhaust pipe. Man that thing was loud without it.
I got a RT-1 360 justd back from Vietnam and that thing was bulletproof! Had so much fun on it; it led me on to over 50 years of dirt riding. Stone reliable.
Welcome home, Dave.
I had the RT2 SILVER 360 I got more lays on that bike than I did in my later VW Kombi wagon .....
I won the 1970 WV JR class on a 1970 DT-90 and it was an AMA sanctioned race
Few know Jack Hoel was the son of J.C. “Pappy” Hoel, the man who started the Sturgis rally, and a Yamaha dealer.
My first solo on a real motorcycle was as a pre teen, on a Yamaha 80, the beginning of a lifelong love of motorcycles.
My current bike is the last DT iteration that was ever sold here in europe, a DT125X supermoto which is kind of a blast to ride even with only 30bhp.
With only 30 HP you say. Thats a ridiculous amount for a 125. Thats as much as my Rd 250. The newest yz's only have 36
@@ToadSprocket-bv6syIt was the last generation 2 stroke DT, an aftermarket exhaust and some carb tuning will let you have those kinds of figures
@@BreathOfTheWeath okay.. thank you. I've a 71' dt1f I got for trading a pain pill 💊. Ha ha. It was just a frame and blown up engine , and I pieced it together. It did have a ol' skool bassini pipe, and I've played with jetting. It runs out pretty good. But I can't imagine much more then low twenty figures. Thing is it's piston port and only had a 26 mikuni. My 75'mx250b with reed valve has a 38 mikuni. Big difference. Not sure what it's rated at..
@@ToadSprocket-bv6sy well, you have to consider that we're talking about a 35 year gap between the DT1F and the DT125X, mine is a liquid cooled engine that runs a 30mm mikuni carb
I once owned a 1975 Yamaha DT400B. She was a powerhouse!
A Yamaha 360 Enduro is responsible for my need for speed addiction
13 years old a new Yamaha 80 changed my life. Never got into dirt bikes really. I was into the power to weight ratio, speed. Next was the Honda 400 Hawk. 2 cylinders 2 carburetors. Followed by a new Honda CB750.
4 cylinders, 4 carburetors, 4 exhaust pipes. Everything I needed.
All my friends had new not used Harley-Davidsons. From the 883 Sportster up to the 1340cc.
My bike was better in every way. Dependability, longevity, speed, easy to ride. One day we swapped bikes and I drove the 883 Sportster. It almost killed me when I applied the brakes and they did not react the way I expected. Almost went into the car directly in front of me. I don't know how that company stays in business.
An old V-Twin, air-cooled, slow, vibrates my teeth loose, too heavy, constant maintenance, undependable. Not to mention double the price.
Motorcycle's, real easy equation any of the big four Japanese companies. Even though they're not built in Japan anymore. Neither all their cars, too expensive to produce in Japan.
If you want Japanese cars and you like Honda then you need to go with Acura. Toyota now Lexus. Nissan now Infinity. Please deposit $1 into your smartphone, for this Common Sense lesson.
Yes, “ built for a purpose which was going anywhere”. To restate that, a jack of all trades but master of none. For me at 17 years old in upstate NY, it hit a sweet spot by falling into a very cheap 250cc insurance bracket, max size for the drivers permit and yet legal size for the freeways which was restricted by tire size. The square pattern knobby tires tracked well enough on pavement and I could play in the dirt some but I wasn’t great at it. I might have blamed the bike more than the rider but I knew it was better than me. Thanks for covering it so well in this video. Good journalism!
Good memories, I used to ride a Yamaha DT50MX for many years. It had a reed valve and monoshock rear suspension, and while it only had 50cc's of displacement, its DT1 origins remained abundantly clear.
Bought new and still have an '89 DT50/LC. Almost 11,000 miles on the original top end. Also restored an '88 in XT colors set up with full knobs. Got a 63 in a 45 ticket on the bumblebee! Fun Fact: These fifties were and are the ONLY LIQUID COOLED TWO STROKE 50 state legal street legal enduro ever sold - by any make - in the USA.
My first "dirt" bike was a basket case Honda c50. My dad bought it from a co-worker and it came in a couple of cardboard boxes. I rode it on Jeep trails in the Sierra Nevada with my friend on his Suzuki 80. Fun times. A couple of years later, we bought a couple of well-used DT 175's (mine had a manual compression release). With 4 inches of suspension travel and a ton more power, we made short work of those Jeep trails. Finally, after finishing college and having real jobs, we bought our first new dirt bikes: 1985 Honda XR350R's. It was like going from Impulse Power to Warp 9.
My 1st bike I ever bought, at 15, was a 1971 Yamaha 90 Enduro. A couple years later a 1972 Yamaha 175 Enduro. Then a couple years later I bought my 1st street bike, a 1972 Yamaha XS-650. Loved all 3 of those bikes ! At 67, I`ve had Harleys for the past 25 years, But it all started with that Yamaha 90 Enduro !
Hearing that DT start up certainly brought back memories. When I was just out of high school I hung out with some older guys and they all had DTs. I eventually got one and had so much fun off road with it. It was a simple bike and what a look it had. I do remember working on it quite a bit however, I did my share of pushing it as well as riding it.
Always throws me when you have a mental collage of what a voice “should” look like in your head then you see it for the first time.
I owned a brand new DT360 back in the day.Nothing could touch it. Now I own (and have fully restored) one of only two Dt360’s still road rego’d in NZ. When I ride it, I go straight back to 1974. I recommend it to everyone.
Mine was a DT360.
Good in the dirt, but not on the road as there was too little weight on the front and I had a number of falls. There was so little weight on the front that I could ride it home in traffic after a flat front tire. 😇
Things got better when I replaced the original 21" wheel with a 19" one. In fact road handling was very good from then on.
Your video brought back a lot of memories. Thank you Bart.
Never should have stopped making these bikes, great all arounder.
In 1968 at the age of 18 I bought a DT1-250 for $1350.. Wow, what a machine. it was fun to ride on the street, but off road it really shined. Yamaha offed what they marketed as a "get kit". A chrome lined cylinder with a high compression piston and exhaust expansion chamber. I installed that "kit" along with a 56 tooth rear sprocket and large knobby rear tire. What a screaming machine that was! It would pull the front tire off in every gear. People not ready for it tried out riding it and would pull a wheely right up and over on them. What we didn't have in those days was the great adjustable suspension the bike have today. The DT1 reinvented the motor cycle.
I bought a new DT 250 on Oahu in 1973.
It was light , nimble and had good power.
It was the perfect bike for the 2 lane blacktop highways, and the endless summer that is Hawaii.
I was 21 and I learned to ride on that bike.
I still have my motorcycle license.
One of the greatest motorcycles ever produced. I saw my first one in 1968 up in Croom Motorcycle Area, near Brooksville, FL. I had been riding there since I was 13 yrs old. An older guy I knew casually came across the four lanes of HWY 50/98 where I-75 crossed over. He wheelied out of the ditch area between the four lanes. He had the bike painted a beautiful metallic orange and I fell in love with it instantly. I said to myself, " What in the world is that motorcycle" When he pulled up to the gas station we hung out at, The DT-1 sounded awsome, looked awsome. It was remarkable. I had a Honda 160 Scrambler at the time, which was alright for hill climbing and trail riding , but , boy, did I want one of those amazing DT-1's. They soon caught on and were everywhere up there in the woods. I was also riding a Bultaco El Matador at the time ,a freind of mines, which was just a perfect, brilliant handling and climbing bike , not to mention , so sexy looking, I mean "Art ", but the Ossa's, the Montesa'a, the Bultaco's, etc. received a death stroke once Yamaha produced the DT-1. I did have a 360 version later and really enjoyed it. Two strokes are gone now along with that smell of mixed gas, the screaming expansion chambers, and the burst of power when they . " Got on the pipe !" Those were my, "Good Old Days."
I had a '70 DT 360. Wish I had never sold it. Any of the manufacturers who would go back to this design would make a killing. I also had a 73 350 Kawasaki Matador enduro, another awesome ride. Somebody please give us a true retro enduro lol!
I would love a continuation video delving deeper into offroad/ rally motorcycles that came out of japan such as the legendary Yamaha XT500 and TT500. They had so much influence in racing and even south american bike life having big names (like pablo escobar) who loved them. despite all the bad history that comes with that name obviously
To me Yamaha's pinnacle for the enduros was the 1974 XT500. I just the makers would still be making enduros like the '70's bikes. Folks and me not going to say how old but we grew up knowing these bikes like the old inline 4's. Kids and youngsters today do not know what we had to mess with unless dad or grand father has or tells them about the stuff. We learned how to do stupid dangerous things safely.
Great video. I grew up in Wyoming (great for dirt bikes!) and in 1970 (as a 14-year old) bought the new Yamaha HT-1 (90cc). It was great. I had posters of all the Yamaha enduros on the wall of my bedroom. A couple years later I traded up to the CT2 175cc. That was really a terrific bike. I was not a large kid physically, so the DT2 250cc was just a little too big for me. But those Yamaha enduros were the best looking, best performing bikes around. My friends and I just had a blast on those bikes when we were in high school. Great memories. Thanks for the video and the history of that whole concept in motorcycling in the U.S.
I like your report, Bart, and the history of motorcycling in the '60s is fascinating to me as I didn't get into the sport until the '70s when I was a teen who caught motocross fever in the early days of the reign of Marty Smith and all of his exploits revealed in the monthly magazines. And not to quibble with the importance of this Yamaha, but where did the imported Japanese-made Hodakas fit into the evolution of it all? You might do a report about Hodaka.
My first bike when I lived in Kenya was a DT175 ideal for Kenyan roads and so much fun off road too. Super reliable and very easy to ride. That kicked off a life long addiction to bikes and at the age of 65 I still get to kick start a Norton 750 Commando and chug around the roads of France. Thanks Yamaha
I started on an MX100 which was also sold as the dt100. There has been a shortage of small dual sports which is probably why the XR150L is getting so much press and should spawn copycats as others ship their Asian versions to the US. We have XL500R, DRZ400, EXC300, WR250R, XR400, CRF299R, DT200. The DRZ is a great example of a dual sport for the masses but the WR250 is so much more fun as a dirt bike with lights.
When i was 14 I bought my first DT250, stripped down for off-road riding on my fathers farm. Bought a 2nd street legal when I turned 15. Great bikes, great styling, great days. Great time to be alive and young..
I started with a 1968 Honda 175 scrambler, then a 250 Bultaco Matador and had a lot of fun on the trails. I ended up racing a 1973 SC500 Yamaha and a 125 Combat Wombat. A lot of great memories at a important time. Great memories.
Thanks for the ride down memory trail. Got a DT90 in 72 and a DT100in 74. Road the wheels off of them. Never left me stranded. Mostly on the street going to school, But decently saw some dirt. Never forgot the 2 stroke sound. Later from Texas.
I have been the proud owner of several DT 125s (YEIS) (1994, 1999 and 2003) and currently own a 1998 DT 200 (YEIS & YPVS) and a XT 660R, and I have to say there's nothing like a DT for off-road conditions, the combination of low weight and width really make the difference.
My first bike was a 1969 CT1. I bought it in 1975 for about $150 and
paid Daryl Pangrel at Larson’s Cycle to put a new 2nd gear in.
I welded an unknown snowmobile expansion chamber to the header,
and I still have a 3”x3” burn scar on my right calf😳
I welded a ‘C’ channel from a 6” section of steel fence post onto the
seat stays, drilled 3 holes into each side and “laid the shocks down”
to one of 3 positions. Anywhere from a mild stinkbug, to OMG over the
bars!
I have an xt250. I imagine there's some solid parallels between the Dt1 and xt250. But I don't know that. But man I tell ya what : love my XT!! Not great anywhere but fun everywhere I ride!.
My (1973) High School Graduation present from my Grandfather was a brand new 1973 DT3 250 Enduro(Green tank). I rode the hell out of that thing. Even ran a AMA National Enduro with it in the summer of 1973. Sold it a couple years later to buy a Honda Elsinore 125 MX bike. Really wish I had both of them back.
loved the sound of Elsinores, especially the 250 class
My '74 MX250 got me started woods riding. Wish I would have kept that one, great bike!
In 1971, when I was 11 years old, my dad bought me a 1971 Honda SL70 KO Motorsport; my older brother a 1971 CL-100 K1 Scrambler. These bikes were bullet proof reliable, but I always envied my friends who had Yamahas, because they could whip my arse racing. Loved my SL70, though. About 20 years ago, I caught a mid-life, looking back on childhood crisis and started buying any SL70’s and CL100’s I could find, plus available NOS parts. Thought it would be a fun retirement project one day. I now have 6 SL70 KO’s and 5 CL100 K1’s, plus a slew of NOS parts for both. Retirement is just a year away, then the tinkering and restorations will begin.
History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme...
I do hope we get a fun 100-120kg motorcycle that is also street worthy
Lifan Xpect.
Up,my dirt bike ladder ,this was one of my favourites . Thanks for the trip !
I had the mini-bike version, the rt60, I think? In 1971. It had a rotary valve. I was 11, so i loved it. looks like DT-1 had a lot of rake, compared to today’s dirt bikes. Also had an Elsinore and a CL350. Ride a drz400S these days…not too far from then. Progress? Phooey!
Fantastic video Bart, I really enjoyed it. Yamaha Enduros from the early 70's are a passion for me. I had them all, from mini-enduro (JT-2) to a very robust modified '7 DT3 250 with the Bassani pipe that with jetting, made the bike dangerous on the hare scrambles trails. I limped a couple years after coming down on a washout over a hill and flying over the bars. Favorite is the 1972 LT2 that I rode everywhere in high school. Current bike is a 1980 XT250 that I have owned and ridden for the past 25 years.
In 1973 at age 17, I owned my fist bike, the smaller brother the CT1 175 enduro. I was the 5th owner. From my recollection, there was only one DT1 in my country !
Trinidad & Tobago.
West Indies.
At 8:14 is the exact model I had ! It feels so good to pause at 8:15 and take myself back and relive those memories . I grew up in North East San Diego county.
@bart - It wasn't just the DT1 (250) that was a game changer. Yamaha also introduced 175cc and 125cc models that were also extremely popular. In probably late 1975 I bought a well used el cheapo DT250 and it was a lot of fun after I replaced the worn out piston, rings, and cylinder. About that time, my younger brother got a new DT? 100cc for Christmas. It was also a fantastic little bike. BTW finally subscribed. Regards from Thailand!
Brings back memories. I had a little DT80 when I was kid
As a teenager in late 60s the endros were so popular every guy either had one wanted one. Good memories. I'm 68 and still riding 😊😊
My dad had one and raced it offroad and I remember the forks would bend after a race. So he would put the front tire in two wood block things he made and PULL the forks straight. It was funny in comparison to modern bikes. He loved that bike but worked on it more than it should have required......it was always in pieces in our garage when I was little.
Hi bart, Yogesh here from India. Appreciate your content and hats off to your research and storytelling. I remember in one of your videos regarding the 2stroke technology post world war which was available for everyone and Suzuki made more use of it. There you had mentioned JAWA motorcycles. These JAWA motorcycles were a revolution in Indian two-wheeler market post independence. JAWA in lien with CZ in czechoslovakia and other part of that world came to India in 1960 and ruled the market later changed to YEZDI in 1973 with production till 1996. It would be great if you could make a video on CZ-JAWA-Yezdi motorcycles which were across the world and in India we really appreciate it. We have a cult following for these motorcycles here in India especially in Karnataka state. FYI, Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles were relaunched in India in 2022.
My brothers and I got a Yamaha 100cc enduro (1973?). I can tell you that bike was TOUGH. My brothers and I broke everything but couldn't break that bike. We jumped it often, and it always delivered what was expected. We all became Marines later in life.
I'd say one of the best times of my youth raised in SoCal was buying my first motorcycle.... a DT125.. gold... it was and I still think a beautiful thing... more fun than anything except my Taco 44! Thank you for the memory...
Back in the mid 70's when I got my first motorbike it was an XL70 and my best friend had a DT 90. A couple of years later we both got new bikes. Mine was DT 125 and his was an XL100. My 3rd bike was a DT 400 a few years later.
Those things were very reliable and really simple to work on. I think my 125 made it up to almost 10k miles before I sold it and other then brakes, a couple of chains and a new set of rings and overbore piston one year it never needed any major work.
This bike was far better than the first “trail” bike Yamaha made. The 100cc press frame model I had tall seat and a extra 70 tooth sprocket. Bad aluminum top yoke I broke a few times until they came out with a steel one. I bought it new around 1968 or so.
At 16 my first street bike was a 360 black with a red stripe. Beautiful bike, beat it without mercy. Bounced it to the bottom of a big hill climb, replaced the fromt with ciriani forks with a 21 fromt wheel and hacked the bent stock rear fender using the license plate as a mud flap. Bars, chamber and bored it out. Traded it strait across for a 69 Kawi 500 triple with a 10 over fromt end and a psychodelic octipus on the tank.
In the 1960's Europe was the only place that had real motocross bikes. In my country Hungary there was one such cross bike, the Danuvia DMC 125. In 1959 the little two stroke pushed out around 10-12 horsepower, and it was essentially a production race version of normal danuvia bike. I'm proud to say, that this hungarian bike quickly started to dominate every race in Hungary. Outside the country it was also successful, winning several races across central Europe, and surpassing the big companies like Cz. This is probably the least known motocross bike.
My cousin, Keith Mashburn, was one of the first Yamaha factory racers to race and develop the DT 1. With tuning by Hall of Fame Mechanic Dennis Mahan, they dominated the 250cc Novice class TT's at ASCOT Park in Southern California.
Dad brought home a brand new 175 when they first came out to replace his stripped down Yamaha Big Bear. We lived in the Imperial Valley at the time & would ride the desert and Glamis. That bike was perfect for the era. The rich guys rode Husky's.
i subbed, because your productions deserve 100k.
Thanks for this video. It got my juices flowing. I'm so grateful to have experienced this unique time in history in SoCal. Keep up the good work!
I bought (used) the same color and year bike @9:59 in 1972. That image sure brought back a lot of memories. It was my main transportation in my senior year of high school. Thanks for the flashback!
My dad had a early 70's suzuki 185 2 stroke. Loved that bike
I had a DT 175&DT 250 also 100 😊! They were all very good bikes! Had a lot of fun!😊also 125 Yamaha! Thanks for the great video! Brings back memories!😊
My very first dirtbike was the DT 125, back in 1973. I loved it and I have been a loyal Yamaha rider since. Great video! Thanks
Enduro 100 in '75ish, I think I was 15 yrs old at the time. Some of my favorite memories.
Great time for bikes and open areas to ride. Each bike / brand was exciting.
My first bike was a gold & silver, 74' Yamaha DT-100. I miss that blue smokin' little wheelie machine, was a lot of fun.
My dad got me a Yamaha Mini Enduro 60cc and it was great.
Those mini enduros are so cool!
@@bartmotorcycle I rode it until it literally wore out. I had it for a very long time.
Had a second hand RT1 in about 1972, bought it from a guy in a caravan park which should have probably been a warning. A mate had a Suzuki 250 and another mate raced a Suzuki 400. My RT1 wasn’t 100% reliable but had a decent turn of speed. An expansion chamber fitted for a short while made it very Kawasaki 3 cylinder like! Later bought a new Yamaha MX400B, the first one with the mono shock. This was not Road registerable. Trail riding around Woods Point, Victoria Australia this would simply monster hills and anyone following often complained about being showered by rocks.
I had a CT-1 in 1971. Coming off a BSA Lightning and an XLCH Sportster it took a bit to get used to - but I had a LOT of fun on the wee beastie.
The autolube oil pump kept giving me troubles, so I finally removed it and ran pre-mix. I also did some significant mods to the engine and got it up to about 21 HP - not bad for a 175 - bit it was a bit finicky and was no longer the tractable easy-to-ride plonker. Memories.
Had a DT250 in early 70's rode the wheels off that bike. Ended up entering a Hare Scramble and after 110 miles cross country wide open was so beat up that next day I went down a bought a IT250. After a few IT 250's, 465 and 2- 490's I started buying YZWR250's. Yes, 1989 the first year Wide Ratio and a 2 stroke, best machine I ever owned. Was able to outrun all my ridding buddies in the straight sand washes, with the perfect low 1st gear. So many great memories on 2 wheels.
"outrun all my ridding buddies in the straight sand washes, with the perfect low 1st gear."
What? Were they in neutral? :) I think you meant 4th gear.
@@EarthSurferUSA No, the point was the 'wide ratio trans' allowed a perfect 2 stroke enduro low climbing ability for gnarly single track, with a top end 5th gear that outran 500's. Like the 'Dirtbike' front page headline stated in 1989- "The first 92 MPH 250". And all wrapped into a $4,800 street legal off road weapon- Are you listening Yamaha, Honda, Kawi???
Yamaha was my first dirt bike back in 1976, i was 7 and too short to stand with the bike, i had to run alone side and jump on. my dad had to also mod the clutch so i could pull it with one hand. lol
I owned the DT175 in the early 1980s, when I was still studying. I'm now the proud owner of a 1980s XT500 and an 1981 TT500. Love them
Had a ‘69 DT1 and a ‘74 DT250. Great bikes that were ‘just right’ and provided a lot of great memories. The 125 AT1 was my starter bike; also had a ‘71 RT1, which was an absolute beast but IMO too much weight and power.
My very first bike was a brand new 1987 Yamaha DT 50 2 stroke - the amount of joy, fun, adventure and freedom that bike gave me has never been replicated. It was life changing for me. Utterly loved it.
I was 17 when I bought a new YZ1 250. In 1974 and I placed in the top 3 in every motocross race I was in . The bike was about 30 lbs lighter and faster than all the rest.
I also had a Dt1 250. Yes those bikes changed cycling forever.
My second ever motorcycle was a 1972 (I think it was a '72) Yamaha DT-1E 250, and I rode that bike everywhere for years, on-road and off road. I still think about riding it often and it seems those were some of my happiest days riding motorcycles.