1980 YZ465

[thatguy]

Man I just fired up my YZ and ripped around the yard a bit.Sitting for months with stale mix and it fired up in 4-5 kicks.Tore ass on the driveway and some of the yard.Big wheelies up the side of RT 27 in front of the house.And the landlord was watching the whole mess.He just shakes his head.From the roof of the barn with a chainsaw (running) in his hands. I had forgotten how awesome big bore smokers are.Wheeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Man I wanna ride today but I just can't dammit!Just thought I'd share.

[spinalator]

It has been about 5 years since may last 500cc MX jaunt, and jumped on an old KX500 this summer at my buddy's farm.  They seem to get faster every time I get on them, or I get more timid. Absolute madness, they are! There has to be a way to stick a 800 twin Rotax skidoo motor in a modern dirtbike frame, that would be suicidal.

[thatguy]

[buff36]

Is that not a IT 465 not a YZ?

[thatguy]

Nah it's a YZ.The IT was blue and not a 465 until 82.In '80 the open class IT was a 425.What makes ya think it's an IT?

This is an '80 IT425.Note the weak single leading shoe front drum.I can stand the YZ on the front wheel with the double leading shoe front brake.

[buff36]

All I remember is it was an old it 465 that about kicked my ass when i first started riding of course the bikes we had were hand me down trash that was pieced together.

[buff36]

The rear swing arm through me off i had never seen anything but the 490 250 125 yzs growing up. I would love to find a bike like yours so i would not have to punish my 08 klr.

[thatguy]

I've had offers you wouldn't believe for that bike.I'll own that one forever.It was a Christmas gift from my ex.I always wanted one and one year it was just there.I let it sit for 3 years or so and had to ring it but it's in great shape.It started in 2 kicks today.I think I'm going riding somewhere next weekend.I haven't been riding off road enough and am getting rusty.I just got the jetting sorted from switching back to pump gas 'cause I cannot afford $15 a gallon right now.Rips right off idle into an intense top end rush.

[spinalator]

Does anyone remember the year Yamaha had radiators on the forks? That made for interesting handling.

[Max Wedge]

Does anyone remember the year Yamaha had radiators on the forks? That made for interesting handling.

Yeah, but they were LIQUID-COOLED! on a dirt bike with MONO-SHOCK!!! oh, I get chills just thinking about it.

[thatguy]

Yeah, but they were LIQUID-COOLED! on a dirt bike with MONO-SHOCK!!! oh, I get chills just thinking about it.

I got one of them too.

[doug06z]

Does anyone remember the year Yamaha had radiators on the forks? That made for interesting handling.

That would be 81 and 82 for the fork mounted radiators.

I love those 2 smokes, I'm wanting another CR 250 in a bad way

[stainlesscycle1]

which yamaha specifically had fork mounted radiators?  i don't remember any of them..

[doug06z]

which yamaha specifically had fork mounted radiators?  i don't remember any of them..

The 81-82 yz 125/250.

[thatguy]

'82 YZ 250 partially disassembled.

[doug06z]

That's a nice 82, reminds me of when I first got interested in dirt bikes. I can remember being at the store with my mom and asking if she would buy me the latest Motocross Action magazine. I used to have stacks of those old mags. When the liquid cooling was introduced it was like the start of a new era.

[spinalator]

They were white and red up in Canada when they were black and yellow in the US. My neighbor had a YZ125 when I had a XR 200 and he would smoke me.