1981 Yamaha TZ250 Racing Motorcycle
Frame no. 5F7-010293 Engine no. 5F7-010293

The Spring Sale - The International Classic MotorCycle Show|23 April 2022, 10:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground

1981 Yamaha TZ250 Racing Motorcycle
Frame no. 5F7-010293
Engine no. 5F7-010293

The mainstay of 250cc class racing at national and international level for many years, the twin-cylinder two-stroke Yamaha well deserved the title of 'privateer's friend'. Following its successful adoption for the 1972 works twins, water cooling first appeared on Yamaha's over-the-counter racers with the introduction of the TZ range in 1973. Power output remained the same as that of the preceding air-cooled TD/TR models, but reliability was much improved. Over the succeeding decade the TZ engine was updated with reed-valve induction, exhaust power valves, separate cylinders and a backwards-rotating crankshaft, but the layout always remained that of a parallel twin. On the chassis side, discs replaced the original drum brakes, a 'lowboy' frame was introduced, and an aluminium swinging arm adopted. From the mid-1980s onwards, a succession of more radical changes would see the TZ fundamentally altered.

This very smartly presented TZ250 raced in two events at the Goodwood Members' Meeting in March 2017, where its originality was much admired by TZ devotees. The machine has not been ridden since then. Prior to the GMM, the engine had been completely rebuilt by renowned TZ specialist Nigel Palmer. Offered with a selection of photographs and hand written notes/list detailing the parts/costs for the engine rebuild.

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