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Following the Yamaha works team's withdrawal from Grand Prix racing at the end of the 1968 season, Honda and Suzuki having pulled out at the end of 1967, the Hammamatsu company continued to be well represented in GPs thanks to its over-the-counter racers. However, while Yamaha catered for the 250 and 350cc classes with the TD and TR series respectively, there was no official offering for the 125cc class at that time, although many privateers campaigned race-kitted YAS1 and AS2 roadsters. Following the introduction of the AS3 roadster for 1971, Yamaha at last took the opportunity to offer a proper, factory-built, 125cc production racer – the TA125 – although the latter continued to share many components with its roadster cousin.

The Yamaha factory officially returned to Grand Prix racing in 1970, supporting Rod Gould and Kent Andersson with works developments of the TD/TR, while Andersson was also given a pre-production TA125 to race in 1971. Following a promising 125 GP debut season, Andersson received a new, works-only, water-cooled twin - the OW15 - for 1972 and scored three Grand Prix victories that year on his way to finishing 2nd in the World Championship behind Angel Nieto (Derbi). The following season Kent took his first World title, an achievement he repeated the following year. In 1975 however, the disc valve-engined Morbidelli began to assert itself - proving too fast for the piston-ported Yamaha - and Andersson retired from racing in 1976. When the over-the-counter TA125 was withdrawn in 1975, it marked the end of the line for Yamaha's air-cooled production racers.
The 83rd produced, this example of Yamaha's historic '125' production racer is presented in restored condition (the engine turns over).

Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
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