Yamaha TZ750 Street Tracker | Photo credits: Cycle World
Old school two-stroke bikes might be a thing of the past, but there’s something special about them, and whenever we get word that someone on the planet has built a two-stroke bike, especially a flat tracker that’s street legal, then we just had to know everything about her.
Meet the Yamaha TZ750, built by American Brad Peterson.
But before we dig into this custom built Yamaha TZ750, let’s talk about the history of this bike. Back in the mid-70’s Yamaha decided to build a monster bike to compete in flat track races in America. But the TZ750 only competed once, before it was banned from competing in flat track. The engine was considered too powerful, and it damn sure was, because MotoGP legend Kenny Roberts Sr. was able to hit 145 mph on the straights!
But for Brad Peterson, it wasn’t the bike ridden by Kenny Roberts Sr. that started this special project. Instead, he wanted to honor former racer Steve Baker who also had to wrestle with the Yamaha TZ750 in the ’70s. Brad had a poster of Steve riding the TZ on his garage, and that was what made him build the bike.
Yamaha TZ750 Street Tracker | Photo credits: Bike EXIF
The first thing Brad Peterson decided to do was to ask Jeff Palhegyi to build the frame. The decision was to mimic the frame design of the original TZ750, by Doug Schwerma, known as the Champion Racing frame.
Next thing the team did was find and install an original TZ750 engine, and they did eventually find what they were looking for, and then used some magic to beef up that engine. The 1977 TZ750D engine was built by Scott Guthrie Racing, a company best known for their land speed records. This particular engine also owns some speed records, so that makes all this very special.
The D spec engine has a 30 hp advantage over the previous three specs, so that means that in stock configuration this two-stroker was able to pump no less than 120 hp! But the team had to tune it just right for street riding, and so they’ve chosen to change carburetors to Lectron units, with Jeff Palhegyi again working his magic on the exhaust expansion chambers and using beautiful TZ Mike silencers for added sound and smoke.
Yamaha TZ750 Street Tracker | Photo credits: Bike EXIF
The front fork is originally from a Yamaha R6, same as the front and rear brake calipers, while the double rear shocks were sorted by Race Tech. The 19-inch wheels, spoked, of course, are covered in Dunlop flat track tires, while the red paint scheme and graphics are an exact replica of Steve Baker’s race bike.
The TZ750 was then fitted with all the elements needed to be street legal, like a license plate and lighting, and it’s a mean racing machine that will tear up the asphalt every time the rider touches the throttle.
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