1968 Yamaha DT-1
$11,990*
- Bike:
- 1968 Yamaha DT-1
- Make:
- Yamaha
- Model:
- DT-1
- Badge:
- DT-1
- Year:
- 1968
- Price:
- $11,990*
- Rego:
- XK684
Our DT1 was a true "barn find" (see pics) that was lovingly and painstakingly restored to better than brand new condition. No expense was spared. At a recent Mecum auction in the USA, a very nice (although not original) example achieved the extraordinary price of US$14,000 + 10% buyers fee (equivalent to AU$22,000+).
The bike comes with the original WA number plates, original rider's manual, original service manual and a Clymer manual.
The current owner lived on the same street as the original owner and was bequeathed the bike upon his passing. The original photos of how the bike was found in the shed will be made available to the new purchaser.
We invite you to our showroom to have a look at the bike. If you're interstate, we can organise a zoom walkaround. All offers will be presented to the owner.
>>>
The excerpt below is from a Yamaha website. If you type in the search field "global Yamaha-motor stories offroadmania" and click on Part 2, you'll find the best info on the creation of the DT1.
The DT-1 was Yamaha Motor’s first off-road model and was unveiled for the first time in October 1967 at the dealer meeting of Yamaha International Corporation (YIC), Yamaha’s sales company in the United States at the time. This slim and handsome model pioneered a new motorcycle category called "trail" bikes, and would spark an unprecedented boom in off-road riding in the and Japan.
The story behind the model and the boom actually began on the West Coast of the in the 1960s. It was a time when a growing number of riders were discovering the fun and excitement of off-road riding in the West’s vast expanse of wildlands. One of their favorite riding areas was Saddleback in the Santa Ana Mountains. Its beautiful ridgeline can be seen in the distance from Los Angeles on a clear day, and the name comes from the resemblance of the ridgeline to a horse saddle. This mountain area was where young off-road enthusiasts loved to ride. Around the same time, other young off-road riders in Colorado had started riding trails in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the range with the highest average elevation in the
It was around then that Yamaha was selling a number of models in the designed with this kind of off-road riding in mind under the "Trailmaster" name. These were based on existing road-going machines of the time and equipped with features like engine guards, wide handlebars and mid-mount mufflers, but they weren’t full-fledged "trail" models.
Yamaha’s sales company, YIC, believed there was a future in a trail model that could be ridden on public roads as well as off-road, and they made that interest known to Yamaha headquarters in Japan through the Japanese employees stationed at YIC. They ardently communicated to the R&D department in Japan the need to develop this completely new kind of model: "It’s true that the current economic conditions in the have caused a decline in motorcycle demand, but the trail category will surely grow in the future." In the spring of 1966, YIC made a presentation at Yamaha Motor headquarters outlining the need for such a model. After sending a sample model to Japan, the design and engineering work for what would become the DT-1 began in October 1966. Back then in Japan, there wasn’t even a clear idea of what the trail category entailed, so Yamaha Motor sent a group of their engineers and product planning staff, together with designers from GK Dynamics, to the to observe the actual state of the off-road riding scene and listen to the requests of the users. They also went riding off-road to experience it firsthand and began getting ideas for the kind of machine they should build.
The requests they got from the American side for the new model were detailed and would be very difficult to achieve. It had to be powered by a 250cc engine, have elements of motocross as well as trials riding performance, and be ridable on public roads as well as mountain trails. The requests also extended to tire size, tire pattern, suspension types and stroke length, wheelbase, seat height, minimum ground clearance and more. It was difficult for the American staff and the Japanese development team to find a shared image of the machine they were trying to build, however, so it was only natural that the development progress was touch and go. Still, the engineers gradually grew determined to clear the hurdles that lay before them in this new challenge. They eventually decided on a development policy centering on the following three points:
1) Get machine weight under 100 kg
2) Make the chassis as slim as possible for riding on narrow trails
3) Maximize engine torque
"We were excited to be venturing into a completely unknown realm," recalled one of the engineers. The development team was inspired by the fact that they would be taking on the challenge to enter a world of riding that was completely new and build a model that the world had never seen before.
The bike comes with the original WA number plates, original rider's manual, original service manual and a Clymer manual.
The current owner lived on the same street as the original owner and was bequeathed the bike upon his passing. The original photos of how the bike was found in the shed will be made available to the new purchaser.
We invite you to our showroom to have a look at the bike. If you're interstate, we can organise a zoom walkaround. All offers will be presented to the owner.
>>>
The excerpt below is from a Yamaha website. If you type in the search field "global Yamaha-motor stories offroadmania" and click on Part 2, you'll find the best info on the creation of the DT1.
The DT-1 was Yamaha Motor’s first off-road model and was unveiled for the first time in October 1967 at the dealer meeting of Yamaha International Corporation (YIC), Yamaha’s sales company in the United States at the time. This slim and handsome model pioneered a new motorcycle category called "trail" bikes, and would spark an unprecedented boom in off-road riding in the and Japan.
The story behind the model and the boom actually began on the West Coast of the in the 1960s. It was a time when a growing number of riders were discovering the fun and excitement of off-road riding in the West’s vast expanse of wildlands. One of their favorite riding areas was Saddleback in the Santa Ana Mountains. Its beautiful ridgeline can be seen in the distance from Los Angeles on a clear day, and the name comes from the resemblance of the ridgeline to a horse saddle. This mountain area was where young off-road enthusiasts loved to ride. Around the same time, other young off-road riders in Colorado had started riding trails in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the range with the highest average elevation in the
It was around then that Yamaha was selling a number of models in the designed with this kind of off-road riding in mind under the "Trailmaster" name. These were based on existing road-going machines of the time and equipped with features like engine guards, wide handlebars and mid-mount mufflers, but they weren’t full-fledged "trail" models.
Yamaha’s sales company, YIC, believed there was a future in a trail model that could be ridden on public roads as well as off-road, and they made that interest known to Yamaha headquarters in Japan through the Japanese employees stationed at YIC. They ardently communicated to the R&D department in Japan the need to develop this completely new kind of model: "It’s true that the current economic conditions in the have caused a decline in motorcycle demand, but the trail category will surely grow in the future." In the spring of 1966, YIC made a presentation at Yamaha Motor headquarters outlining the need for such a model. After sending a sample model to Japan, the design and engineering work for what would become the DT-1 began in October 1966. Back then in Japan, there wasn’t even a clear idea of what the trail category entailed, so Yamaha Motor sent a group of their engineers and product planning staff, together with designers from GK Dynamics, to the to observe the actual state of the off-road riding scene and listen to the requests of the users. They also went riding off-road to experience it firsthand and began getting ideas for the kind of machine they should build.
The requests they got from the American side for the new model were detailed and would be very difficult to achieve. It had to be powered by a 250cc engine, have elements of motocross as well as trials riding performance, and be ridable on public roads as well as mountain trails. The requests also extended to tire size, tire pattern, suspension types and stroke length, wheelbase, seat height, minimum ground clearance and more. It was difficult for the American staff and the Japanese development team to find a shared image of the machine they were trying to build, however, so it was only natural that the development progress was touch and go. Still, the engineers gradually grew determined to clear the hurdles that lay before them in this new challenge. They eventually decided on a development policy centering on the following three points:
1) Get machine weight under 100 kg
2) Make the chassis as slim as possible for riding on narrow trails
3) Maximize engine torque
"We were excited to be venturing into a completely unknown realm," recalled one of the engineers. The development team was inspired by the fact that they would be taking on the challenge to enter a world of riding that was completely new and build a model that the world had never seen before.
Details
- Vehicle Type
- Off Road Bike
- Bike Type
- Dual Purpose
- Series
- DT
- Configuration
- 246cc, 2-stroke, Air cooled, 1-cyl
- LAMS Approved
- Yes
- Country of Origin
- JAPAN
- Grey Import
- No
- Vehicle Class
- Trail (0 - 250cc)
Engine
- Engine Description
- 250
- Generic Engine Config
- Single
- Engine Config
- Vertical
- Engine Capacity
- 246
- Engine Type
- Piston
- Engine Stroke
- 2
- Cylinders
- 1
- Induction System
- Aspirated
- Exhaust Config
- 1 Into 1
- Exhaust Description
- Scrambler High Pipe
- Maximum Power
- 13.6
- Maximum Power RPM
- 6000
- Maximum Torque
- 23
- Maximum Torque RPM
- 5000
Start
- Starter
- Kick
Fuel & Emissions
- Fuel Type
- Petrol
Transmission
- Generic Drive Type
- Chain
- Generic Gear Type
- Manual
- Gear Number
- 5
- Gear Change Method
- Left foot lever
Chassis & Suspension
- Side Stand
- Standard
- Front Suspension
- Conventional Telescopic Fork
- Rear Suspension
- Swingarm; Twin Shocks
Brakes
- Front Brake Description
- Drum
Wheels & Tyres
- Wheel Type
- Laced-Spokes
- Wheel Size Front
- 3.25x19"
- Wheel Size Rear
- 4.0x18"
Dimensions & Weights
- Length
- 2060
- Width
- 890
- Height
- 1130
- Dry Weight
- 112.0
Safety & Security
- Traction Control
- Not Available
Convenience
- Seating Position
- Upright
System
- Import Percent
- 100
