While this improved the bikes ability to tackle rough terrain, it brought with it its own set of engineering issues.Īs the manufacturers began to increase travel, they quickly found that the frame technology of the time was having a hard time keeping up with the increased load.įorks flexed, swingarms twisted, and chains derailed as the engineers struggled to find the best combinations of materials, design, and execution. In the short span of four years, suspension travel had nearly tripled across the board.

Lighter and more compact in nearly every dimension, the new mill maintained the bore and stroke of the old power plant, but added more aggressive porting and a new close-ratio six-speed transmission. The new machines sweat trickness and kickstarted a suspension revolution that would come to define late-seventies motocross. The new YZs were exotic, expert-oriented, and in the case of the YZ250, nearly twice the price of a CR250M Elsinore. Making its debut on Hkan Anderssons works YZ637 factory racer, the first monoshock offered roughly twice the travel of anything else available at the time.īy 1975, that technology had made its way to the common man in the form of Yamahas first production monoshocks, the YZ250B and YZ360B. The new chassis maintained the same basic configuration of 77, but added strength and trimmed weight for 78. Kelley Blue Book assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.Īd Popular Now 10 Best Car Deals in April 202 FAQ Contact Us Dont Sell My Info About Us Careers Corporate Advertising Media Site Map KBB Brazil KBB Canada 1995- 2020 Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.Ĭopyrights Trademarks Terms of Service Privacy Policy Linking Policy Ad Choices. This report is intended for the individual use of the person generating this report only and shall not be sold or transmitted to another party.

Yamaha monoshock geometry