The Club For Classic Japanese Motorcycles

Yamaha YR1

Here's a rare example of Yamaha's first 350cc two stroke twin from 1967. The bike pictured here belongs to Steve Cooper, this model was never sold in the UK but did reachFrance  and Scandanavia. Yamaha's TR1 & 2 racers were based on the YR1's engine and laid the foundation for the company's 350s that pealed with the YPVS 350 of the 1980s. This machine was imported from theUSA via eBay. It needed a full service and decoke that saw the silencer's weight reduced by 50% when all of the carbon was removed. Once allowed to breath properly the engine gives a good account of itself; a fact supported byCycle World road test that showed the YR1 was as potent as any of Yamaha's 350s until the advent of the RD400!