Damned shame - I would have liked one of those... with Porsche bits, too 
http://www.classicyams.com/4-stroke/4-stroke/yamaha-tx750-story.html
http://www.classicyams.com/4-stroke/4-stroke/yamaha-tx750-story.html
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Ah, what could have been... The TX750 near-miss
- Thread starter Grimly
- Start date
jbenedict
Yamadog Owner
Ah, the TX750. What a disappointment in more ways than one.
First, the dependable XS-1/TX650/XS650. Great bike. Brought highway motorcycling to the masses and, when those casual riders put them away in garages, bikes for guys like us to find, fix up and ride.
Then the technically interesting four-valve XS500. I never owned one but I knew a guy who got one cheap and put a ton of miles on it with minimal difficulties.
The TX750 had so many good ideas on paper that didn't work out in practice. Really rare that Japanese engineering was so far off the mark. The first Honda 750 Interceptor with their "soft cam" problem also comes to mind.
PS: Great website. I'm interested in the Yamaha two-stroke road race bikes and there is plenty of info there. Thanks for the link.
First, the dependable XS-1/TX650/XS650. Great bike. Brought highway motorcycling to the masses and, when those casual riders put them away in garages, bikes for guys like us to find, fix up and ride.
Then the technically interesting four-valve XS500. I never owned one but I knew a guy who got one cheap and put a ton of miles on it with minimal difficulties.
The TX750 had so many good ideas on paper that didn't work out in practice. Really rare that Japanese engineering was so far off the mark. The first Honda 750 Interceptor with their "soft cam" problem also comes to mind.
PS: Great website. I'm interested in the Yamaha two-stroke road race bikes and there is plenty of info there. Thanks for the link.
Back about 1976, a riding buddy of mine had a TX750. He told me it had problems and he was glad to get rid of it. He replaced it with a new 1976 RD400................he loved that bike.
I bought a new 1976 XS500C in 1976. I had it for 13 years, and it was a great motorcycle. I remember looking at the 1976 XS650 at the dealer, but I thought the XS500C was technically more advanced, and it really was.
What could have been......................if Yamaha had engineered the XS650 with a separate
balance shaft and 180 degree crank (as done in the XS500), they may have had the perfect motorcycle
I bought a new 1976 XS500C in 1976. I had it for 13 years, and it was a great motorcycle. I remember looking at the 1976 XS650 at the dealer, but I thought the XS500C was technically more advanced, and it really was.
What could have been......................if Yamaha had engineered the XS650 with a separate
balance shaft and 180 degree crank (as done in the XS500), they may have had the perfect motorcycle
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Back about 1976, a riding buddy of mine had a TX750. He told me it had problems and he was glad to get rid of it. He replaced it with a new 1976 RD400................he loved that bike.
I bought a new 1976 XS500C in 1976. I had it for 13 years, and it was a great motorcycle. I remember looking at the 1976 XS650 at the dealer, but I thought the XS500C was technically more advanced, and it really was.
What could have been......................if Yamaha had engineered the XS650 with a separate
balance shaft and 180 degree crank (as done in the XS500), they may have had the perfect motorcycle
blech. 180 cranks are awful. I hate the high frequency on my 400. The torque of 277 and 360 are sooo much better.
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I can tell you've never driven an XS500. Mine was as smooth as silk, made good power (would do the Ton) and no vibration at all.
jbenedict
Yamadog Owner
That same website has a history of the development of the XS-1. The site is written by a guy in the Netherlands who did work for Yamaha so it is Europe centered content but interesting for those who enjoy history,
http://www.classicyams.com/4-stroke/4-stroke/yamaha-xs1-development-story.html
http://www.classicyams.com/4-stroke/4-stroke/yamaha-xs1-development-story.html
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
I have. And the vibration and sound of the 360 is what makes this bike what it is. If it was a 180 id rather just buy a big inline 4. 360 and 277 just sound proper. 180 is sooo....soulless.
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Damned shame - I would have liked one of those... with Porsche bits, too
http://www.classicyams.com/4-stroke/4-stroke/yamaha-tx750-story.html
A few links for you.
http://www.tobyfolwick.com/tx750/tx750spc.php
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=908967
http://tx750.proboards.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yamaha-tx750/577360362288325
Ebay now
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-Other-/271907429298?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3f4ef21bb2&item=271907429298
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331583388693?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D331583388693%26_rdc%3D1
Plenty around for sale but i guess Ireland's just a bit out of the way
Thing is they solved the problems in 74 but the bad rep from the previous year wouldn't go away.
Seems you think the same
If production stopped in the spring of 80, That would be the 80SG. In 81 they gave the Specials a new rear Mag wheel with a drum brake and the seat was changed. In 82 they introduced the heritage Special with the gazillian spoke wheels and the 82 had black chrome and black every thing else. 83 they went back to the silver chrome and dropped the black. 83 was the last of the XS's........... That's in the States.
In Europe the Standard was sold untill 82-83 and the US Custom as well.
In Canada the heritage Special, (with the Drum mag rear wheel), was sold untill 84. Some of the XS's made for the Canadian market were diverted to Aus/NZ market, (Oceania models stopped after 81), and sold as new, 0 Klm's, although the Vin label was stamped, "Made for Canada"
The Japanese market also had the TX Standard model produced untill 82
I have my doughts production actually stopped in 80. If it did they, (Yamaha), must have had a hell of a stockpile to be able to make so many different models and add new/different parts for another 3-4 years.
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CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Ask suzuki how well the re5 experiment went...
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jbenedict
Yamadog Owner
jbenedict
Yamadog Owner
The styling on the first RE5s was kind of bizarre but that only lasted a couple of years. The bike itself was different and people generally don't do different too well. At that time here in the Northwest US, there was a guy who road raced one with a megaphone. It was the loudest bike I have ever heard. (Mazda rotary racers are similar). They had a hard time knowing what class to put it in because it was rated as having 500cc displacement but made power like a 750cc. It really cleaned up in 600 Modified Production and the rider really complained when a group petitioned to make it run in Open Modified. It was only there for one year so the question never needed an answer.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Over complicated fuel system and oiling didnt help its rep either.
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Barb
XS650 Addict
Hi Guys,
TX750.....yeah. I've never ridden or worked on one, so it is totally presumptive of me to comment, but there's something......something.....
It seems to escape description, but there is some esthetic factor present in the various 650's that the 750 lacks totally.
The SR500 single has it. The XS650 has it. The Triumph T120 had it, but when Meridan tried to upgrade to an 8-valve head, the magic was gone.
Perhaps it is something so simple as the curve of the exhaust pipe, or the angle of the cylinder(s), but in my eye the 750 didn't possess it, whatever "it" is.
Am I making any sense at all? Let's see: the Norton, both pre-Commando and the Commando had the "it" factor totally right. The Norton 400 twin, electric starting and all, didn't have it, and flopped.
Seems to me that only a few Japanese bikes had that appeal. The Kaw 900 had it (plus lots of power!), the Kaw stroker triples had it, the Honda Hawk had it, as did the CB750. But to my eye, the XS650 does it the best of all.....which, I suppose, is why I have a couple of them.
So alongside the mechanics, there seems to be a cosmetic appeal (or lack of it) that determines success or failure of a particular design. That's how my head works, anyway......
TX750.....yeah. I've never ridden or worked on one, so it is totally presumptive of me to comment, but there's something......something.....
It seems to escape description, but there is some esthetic factor present in the various 650's that the 750 lacks totally.
The SR500 single has it. The XS650 has it. The Triumph T120 had it, but when Meridan tried to upgrade to an 8-valve head, the magic was gone.
Perhaps it is something so simple as the curve of the exhaust pipe, or the angle of the cylinder(s), but in my eye the 750 didn't possess it, whatever "it" is.
Am I making any sense at all? Let's see: the Norton, both pre-Commando and the Commando had the "it" factor totally right. The Norton 400 twin, electric starting and all, didn't have it, and flopped.
Seems to me that only a few Japanese bikes had that appeal. The Kaw 900 had it (plus lots of power!), the Kaw stroker triples had it, the Honda Hawk had it, as did the CB750. But to my eye, the XS650 does it the best of all.....which, I suppose, is why I have a couple of them.
So alongside the mechanics, there seems to be a cosmetic appeal (or lack of it) that determines success or failure of a particular design. That's how my head works, anyway......
