Made only for two years, the TX750 was Yamaha’s attempt of creating a parallel twin with the smoothness of an inline four engine. Using a pair of balancers (called Omni-Phase), it eliminated vibration to a level never seen before in a twin.
Cycle World reviewed it and heaped praised on the TX750. “The result is smoothness beyond belief,” . “Shut your eyes and you are on a four. It couldn’t be a twin.”
That wasn’t the only thing ahead of its time – it even had a warning indicator on the dashboard for brake pad wear!
Unfortunately, as occasionally happens with pioneering technology, the Omni-Phase balancer started to suffer from massive failures. Even though Yamaha was able to repair bikes and develop an improved design quickly, the bike was given a reputation for poor design. Even though the 1974 did not suffer from reliability issues, sales plummeted and the bike was canned.
This specific example looks to be in great shape, and of course has the redesigned balancers. As it seems to be quite original, one might be inclined to make this the canvas for an interesting project. My vote would be to preserve it in its current state and make it a quirky commuter or second bike.
Find it here on Craigslist in Orange, California for $2300.