There weren't many of these puppies made and even less surviving today the bigger brother to the TZ700.
These were rocket ships of the day and it was felt like the ground effects in the F-1's they were too fast and powerful so they went to the 500 class, only to make a meaner bike in comparison which some say made the 500's virtually unrideable.
Anyway its good to dream I would not mind having a crack at it on a circuit having hire a Lamborghini Aventador in Singapore with 700HP now that was a get up & go rig.
The Yamaha TZ750, a legend. Best I could do was a Yamaha 1976 RD 400, fully ported and used TZ Reed cage and 34mm Mikuni Carbs. Crank was lighted with balanced. The frame was modified including cutting 1" from the forks. It ran great and was really fast, but not a TZ750. (My crazy friend had Kawi 750 triple & the Denco Killer Cobra kit, clip-ons as the last touch-scary ride).
I once rode a 750 H2 fully worked port/polished, expansion chambers blue printed motor I was riding a Z900 at the time and had delusions of racing the H2 I took it for a spin and remember a couple going by in a VW Beatle looking at me as the headlight pointed to the sky as I cracked it in 2nd I will never forget that ride or that couple it handled like a bucket of spuds in a sack, had woeful brakes I took it back to the shop and gave the dream away.
That was in 1977 they wanted $980 Au for it as I was only on $2/Hr/55hr week servicing cars & pumping gas I could not afford to race it let alone buy it, boy am I kicking myself now along with selling the Z'eds I owned.
This is a well known photo of a TZ750cc race bike. The photographer asked the sat on the tarmac and asked the rider to ride towards him. However the throttle stuck wide open! you can see he has the throttle wound fully off. Anyway the rider came of worst in the inevitable accident! Great photo though Attachment 91339
No complaints here Cinders. Besides shooting, my other hobby is vintage bikes which are mostly 2 strokes. My current favorite is the King Kenny inspired RZ350.
Very nice rig, I remember those also earlier RD400's Blue tank black motor shiny fins! I rode a 380 Ram Air Suzi on a novice road bike course once I remember it had a gear counter on it pretty modern for the day. We used to call them Yamaha-ha's mind you my mates RZ500 could keep up very well with my VF1000R it was only at 220Kph+ the R showed its long legs we swapped bikes for a ride but I was used to the pulling power of the 4 stroke and not the twitchy nature of keeping a bike in the power band through the gears it was ok.
Kenny won the Indy mile on a TZ750. After the race he said "They don't pay me enough to ride that." Right after that race they were banned from flattrack competition. I also like RD400's. Have one and an R5C.
PM
