While not perfect, the new mono was a huge improvement over the previous YZ’s short travel shocks and helped propel the YZ to the top of the class in 1975. The new YZ-C would see the introduction of Yamaha’s revolutionary “monoshock” rear suspension system.
They were basically ’74 YZ-A’s painted yellow and quickly phased out mid-year). The carb in particular was a massive change, as Yamaha ditched the C models puny 30mm Mikuni in favor of a massive (for the time) 34mm mixer.įor 1975, Yamaha upped the ante with its ’75 ½ YZ125-C (Yamaha did make a limited number of YZ125-B’s in ’75. Highlighting the changes were an all-new cylinder, expansion chamber and carburetor. In 1976, Yamaha made several refinements to its 56 x 50mm two stroke mill. The Honda won on the track and in the showrooms, and outsold the YZ three to one. This first generation YZ, while quite and improvement over its MX125 cousin, was not up to unseating the mighty CR125M. The all-new YZ125 featured a high tech motor and went head-to-head with Honda’s new 125 Elsinore. After several more years of lackluster 125 machines, Yamaha finally stepped up to the plate with a serious racing effort in 1974. By all accounts, the AT1-M was a terrible bike and an inauspicious beginning for Yamaha. The AT1-M cost $539 and was little more than an “enduro” bike fitted with knobby tires and stripped of its lights.
In 1969, Yamaha made its first attempt at a 125cc “motocross” racing machine with their AT1-M scrambler. In 1976, the Yamaha YZ125 was the most high-tech 125 money could buy. The MX125 was less expensive, mellower and aimed at the novice and entry-level market, while the YZ was made for serious racers. In the seventies, Yamaha actually produced two race bikes for the 125 class. For this week’s GP’s Classic Steel we are going to take a look back at the 1976 Yamaha YZ125-X.