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[brands77]

According to Road Racing World Magazine the Yamaha TZ racebikes are 50 years old this month!

 

Does anyone know why Yamaha called them TZs or indeed why the previous air-cooled models were TD and TR? Does T mean Twin?

 

Why were some bikes designated YZRs? I know most YZRs were works bikes, but not all I think, and also mostly the works bikes were called OWs, which I always thought meant Official Works.

[tonyed]

Mine's 49 years old -1974

Apparently the motocross YZ series stood for - 'Yamaha Zinger' - well sounds as plausible as anything (Really?????????)

So perhaps TZ stands for 'Tarmac Zinger' (         )

So YZR obviously stands for 'Yamaha Zinger Racer'.

As for OW well who knows. (Oh Well)
Been around TZ since the start and I will admit I never thought about these, other than it has probably some incomprehensible Japanese (well to non Japanese) meaning.

I would like to know more