Leaping Lena.

[2StrokeDan]

Called by "Motorcyclist" the most notorious and successful racer of the 70's, Yamaha's TZ750 was built for the Formula 750 class, and won 9 consecutive Daytona 200's.

Starting with a 700cc, two 350 twins joined to form a 700cc in-line 4 cylinder 2stroke, it was enormously powerful for the time.

It soon grew to a full 750cc, and the picture shows the "OW31" model.

The original was nicknamed "leaping Lena" for it's difficulty in keeping the front wheel on the ground.

[dirtyXT]

  man alive. sorry I missed this.

[Altie7deLaan]

All of that with fokol electronics probably.
Thats when racers smoked Gunston plain, carbo loading was done with beer. The only brace was around the cracks in your frame, and not around your neck.
The world was built for real men at one time.

[2StrokeDan]

All of that with fokol electronics probably.
Thats when racers smoked Gunston plain, carbo loading was done with beer. The only brace was around the cracks in your frame, and not around your neck.
The world was built for real men at one time.

Indeed. When your GP 2stroke 750 4cylinder had a 125cc's rear tyre fitted.

[tulips]

"The original was nicknamed "leaping Lena" for it's difficulty in keeping the front wheel on the ground."
Adventure bike for sure ! Every time without fail   

[2StrokeDan]

"The original was nicknamed "leaping Lena" for it's difficulty in keeping the front wheel on the ground."
Adventure bike for sure ! Every time without fail   

They had to strap this thing down on the dyno.........

[LouisXander]

talking about strapping, check how the exhaust is strapped to the under carriage....

[roxenz]

And that backstop on the seat - to stop you from sliding off when you roll your right wrist!
Thanks for this blast from the past 2SD, it makes one wonder about today's aneamic adv behemoths.

[TheBear]

Johan Boshoff, died on one of these OW31's on Kyalami in 1977.  That thing was vicious, but a sight to behold in full cry on a race track.

[TheBear]

All of that with fokol electronics probably.
Thats when racers smoked Gunston plain, carbo loading was done with beer. The only brace was around the cracks in your frame, and not around your neck.
The world was built for real men at one time.

Indeed. When your GP 2stroke 750 4cylinder had a 125cc's rear tyre fitted.

Janee Danie.  At a recent visit to the bike museum at Deneysville, two things jumped into my mind.

1.  F&ck&ng bikes I rode was parked inside the museum on display!  Kommerwekkend!
2.  Tyres.  Size and shape.  How the hell did we stay on those bikes back then?  Sheer luck?  Genade van bo?  It certainly wasn't the tyres! 

[2StrokeDan]

Johan Boshoff, died on one of these OW31's on Kyalami in 1977.  That thing was vicious, but a sight to behold in full cry on a race track.

I never missed a race with him on that big TZ. As well as Dirk do Plooy on his "pork chop" TZ750.

It is an oft-repeated cliche, but you could not have lived if you have not heard a TZ750 at full cry on a overcast Cape raceday. My God.

[Sabre]

Their biggest attraction was that they were commercially sold to the racing fraternity. If you had the money, you could buy one "off the floor" so to speak. And they were affordable, relatively speaking.

That allowed a lot of people to get into serious racing. On numbers alone, it is probably the most successful dedicated racing bike ever built

I've heard of one that was made street legal by it's owner, and actually ridden on the street.

[jaybiker]

When Formula 750 grew into a full open 750cc World Championship series, no less a rider than Kenny Roberts cast doubts upon the safety of racing at speeds of over 200MPH, with a throttle which I think he was the first to describe as an on/off switch.

Apart from the narrow tyres mentioned, they were also still treaded, slicks had yet to make an appearance, and they used to race these things in the wet. 

Kenny was all in favour at the time of introducing a maximum 350cc capacity limit.

Meanwhile, being a skilled engineer Kenny was experimenting with fitting heavier crankshafts into his bikes to make the power delivery more controllable.

[ClimbingTurtle]

Johan Boshoff, died on one of these OW31's on Kyalami in 1977.  That thing was vicious, but a sight to behold in full cry on a race track.

I never missed a race with him on that big TZ. As well as Dirk do Plooy on his "pork chop" TZ750.

It is an oft-repeated cliche, but you could not have lived if you have not heard a TZ750 at full cry on a overcast Cape raceday. My God.

Sadly, I have not lived to hear that as yet - And I do mean that - I would love to hear one..... 

[2StrokeDan]

Their biggest attraction was that they were commercially sold to the racing fraternity. If you had the money, you could buy one "off the floor" so to speak. And they were affordable, relatively speaking.

That allowed a lot of people to get into serious racing. On numbers alone, it is probably the most successful dedicated racing bike ever built

I've heard of one that was made street legal by it's owner, and actually ridden on the street.

The 1974 Yamaha TZ750 could be bought through your dealer, with a season's spares kit, for around R6000.

There are a lot of people crying that they did not buy and store them.

[LouisXander]

Funny enough, people at the time probably thought it would become better as the years go on, now? We cry for those lekker bikes from the unregulated years!!!

[TheBear]

Johan Boshoff, died on one of these OW31's on Kyalami in 1977.  That thing was vicious, but a sight to behold in full cry on a race track.

I never missed a race with him on that big TZ. As well as Dirk do Plooy on his "pork chop" TZ750.

It is an oft-repeated cliche, but you could not have lived if you have not heard a TZ750 at full cry on a overcast Cape raceday. My God.

If we can include "Kyalami Raceday" I will not argue the point.  I doubt I  will ever forget them screaming down the old Kyalami main straight.  It is the cause of why a certain generation of us turn into drooling idiots when we hear a proper 2-smoke, even now in 2020. 

A year or so ago KCR Kempton Park had a beautifully restore Zook GT750 with three expansion boxes at a bike show.  Everytime he started it, old guys ran to their stand like kiddies who heard they are dishing out free ice cream!

[jaybiker]

Yamaha were not the only ones. The World Championship was highly competitive and the other two stroke manufacturers were on board with vicious machines  having engine power far ahead of chassis technology, notably Suzuki with their water cooled triples, known as "Flexy Flyers."

British rider Paul Smart rode for Suzuki, and without factory authority he commissioned a British frame constructor to make him an unofficial frame. It got him into trouble with his masters.

They bollocked him for his unauthorised action while rejoicing in his race wins!

[2StrokeDan]

Funny enough, people at the time probably thought it would become better as the years go on, now? We cry for those lekker bikes from the unregulated years!!!

I do believe that Yamaha would have, especially with the 750, screen buyers to try and make sure the bike actually goes racing.

No point in selling the best racers there is, and most of them parks with collectors.

Anyone could buy a Yamaha TZ125, TZ250, TZ350, TZ500 or TZ750.

Then they say biking today is better?

[2StrokeDan]

Johan Boshoff, died on one of these OW31's on Kyalami in 1977.  That thing was vicious, but a sight to behold in full cry on a race track.

I never missed a race with him on that big TZ. As well as Dirk do Plooy on his "pork chop" TZ750.

It is an oft-repeated cliche, but you could not have lived if you have not heard a TZ750 at full cry on a overcast Cape raceday. My God.

If we can include "Kyalami Raceday" I will not argue the point.  I doubt I  will ever forget them screaming down the old Kyalami main straight.  It is the cause of why a certain generation of us turn into drooling idiots when we here a proper 2-smoke, even now in 2020.

ABsolutely!  There is a video clip of Joey Dunlop accelerating away from the camera at the IOM on a TZ750, and it's instant gooseflesh.