Post Listing Update: This TZ750 did not meet reserve with bidding up to $42,200 – very close to the $42,700 it reached earlier in the year.
10-25-17 Update: 4 months later, this TZ is back up for sale and bidding is up to $35,100 and the reserve not yet met (or a BIN of $62,000)
Post Listing Update: After 12 bids on eBay, this TZ750 did not meet reserve at $42,700.
Yamaha’s TZ750 is already a cool classic racer, but this one stands out thanks to some excellent stories of what it’s accomplished in the past. This bike was owned by Don Vesco and raced by Gene Romero. According to the seller, when it wasn’t being ridden in anger by Romero, Vesco took it land speed racing. It set a record in 1978 at El Mirage at 189.470 mph and the motor was then used as one of the two motors in Vesco’s Silver Bird streamliner that hit 309mph!
The Silver Bird used two TZ750 motors, and according to the seller it was the motor from this bike (VIN: 409-200142) that was used as the rear engine. Since then, some damage to a shift shaft case boss led to a fix wherein the motor got new cases. The original cases are included separately, as are a new set of bearings if you want to make it all original again. But for now, the motor has all the original internals, surrounded by non-original cases. In the Streamliner, the second motor was not connected to a transmission so you’ll get the blanking plate that was utilized instead.
For more on the Silver Bird, check out this excellent short film:
Per the seller, this bike as is set a record in May of 1978 at El Mirage Dry Lake. Over a 1.3 mile course, this bike hit 189.470 mph, good enough to set the record for APS-G. The APS stands for “Special Construction Partial Streamlining” while the G stands for “Modified Engine: Gas”.
Find this TZ750 for sale in Camano Island, Washington with bidding up to $37,300