14 replies to this topic

[robinmck]

Look at what has appeared on ebay. And have a look at what is in the background of photo 3. Also his other listing is also interesting. Would like to have a look around his house!!http://www.ebay.com/...=US_motorcycles

[picblanc]

Konig!

[grunt]

A nervous first post as I may have it wrong.

Adding to the posting about the Ebay listing of the "claimed" first TZ700 made I think that the first TZ700 ever raced was raced by John Boote on the 6th January at the Gracefield Circuit in Lower Hutt New Zealand in the 1973/4 Marlboro Series.

What ever happened to that bike as it strikes me that a this would be a far more collectable bike than the first one made?

Another question is it the same bike that I think that the very readable Cycle Magazine (USA) featured an article about when John Boote transported a TZ700 to Canada in suit cases to race at Ontario Canada in 197?. Great article perhaps written by Gordon Jennings

Grant

[picblanc]

Don't know Grant, but sure one of the Aussie guys or Philippe will let us know?

[GD66]

Ontario October 1975. Cycle article by Phil Schilling.

 

Yes, the same bike, Boote had converted it to a monoshock himself.

Edited by GD66, 07 January 2014 - 02:58.

[philippe7]

Grant, check out this thread linked below. Unfortunately the link to the excellent Terry Stevenson article is gone, but you'll find this article about the "suitcase caper" in the second page of the thread.

http://forums.autosp...john-boote/?hl= boote

Oh, and John Boote did race at Ontario, but that's Ontario, California, not Canada ( and the article is about his visit to Laguna Seca anyway, not Ontario )

As to the claim of this ex-Asami machine in the original post being the "first ever TZ 700" , I am more than dubious....there were a number of factory prototypes tested and raced in Japan in 1973 ( dubbed OW19 IIRC ) , and this machine may well have a set of cranckases with the first production run number, if the owner says so.... but it's certainly not "original" , I've never seem an original TZ750A ( that's how they were called, even though the first run was only of 700cc capacity )with such lay-down rear shocks as on this pic.

[Paul Collins]

The crossover exhaust isn't standard either Philippe, the TZ750A came with all exhausts under slung, the crossover was a modification carried out by everyone within a few months but they didn't originally come from Yamaha like that.

[GD66]

Not to mention the drilled discs, the Lectrons, the Morris mags...still a nice looking weapon, though...

[Cammy3Norton]

Interesting picture from ebay.

Back in 1975 my father carried out the same type of modification to my uncles (Jim Harvey) ex-Roberts TZ700 but I have never see any picture of the mod. Back then racing was more important than a camera and pictures. I do have a few photo's of the engine area which I will post later.

[GD66]

We will take any pics you may have of Uncle Jim getting stuck into it on the Kirby G50 in the meantime if you like, Cam...

[philippe7]

Well this looks like being before the mods, but here's uncle Jim at Brand's Hatch in 1975 - picture by our own picblanc of course .

[GD66]

 

Nice work, mate.

[JAW]

1st PINK TZ 750?

 

Scroll down this set of pix & check it out..

 

http://www.deejay51.com/lakeside.htm

[picblanc]

Great set of photos on that , the pink TZ reminds me of GP rider Guido Pacci, & nice to see a picture of Duncan Read who came up in a thread a few weeks a go.

Shall we have a thread just for TZ700/750 photos & details riders etc, or is there already one?

[Cammy3Norton]

As promised here are the only pictures I have of Jim Harvey's ex-Roberts TZ700A . All taken sometime in 1975.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Cammy3Norton, 03 February 2014 - 21:57.