Yamaha It175
Yamaha IT175
Blue-and-yellow blast from my past
WHEN YAMAHA INTRODUCED THE 1979 IT175, WITH ITS new chromoly frame, steeper steering geometry, revised gear ratios and longer-travel suspension, I was 12 years old. And unfortunately, motorcycles were not yet on my radar screen. I was more concerned with winning a starting role on my junior high school basketball team.
More than two decades later (!), I no longer spend every waking hour shooting hoops, and Yamaha no longer sells two-stroke trailbikes. Make that competition-oriented twostroke trailbikes-the RT100 beginner-bike remains a staple in the tuning-fork company’s off-road lineup.
So, how’d I end up with an IT? I wanted something with a personal twist, so I delved into the oT memory banks and up popped my friend Brooks Secrest. When we were in college, Brooks rattled on endlessly about his IT 175. It was so fast, he told me. And man, did it rail the trails of our native Indiana!
Perfect, I thought, a Yamaha two-stroke to complement my Yamaha two-stroke.
(I’ve owned a 1985 RZ350 since new.)
So, after scouring the local classifieds for a couple of weeks, I found a stonestock IT for $350.
One hot and humid Saturday last summer, I
dragged my wife and daughter up to Long Beach, where we waited (and waited) for the bike’s semi-retired original owner to first fish a fresh sparkplug out of his toolbox, then locate the bike’s title.
With lots of prodding, the little blue machine burst to life, smoke belching from its gummed-up tailpipe. But nothing leaked, and there was surprisingly little filth and muck for a 21-year-old dirtbike. In fact, the odometer indicated only 3200 miles.
I brought the bike back to the CW shop, and promptly tore it apart. I resisted the urge to rip off the cylinder head and replace the (original?) piston and ring. Ditto painting the frame. I did, however, change the fork oil, install new levers and tires, and grease everything. The local Yamaha dealer even had an original air filter in stock.
Due to a scheduling conflict, I didn’t make it on the “Dirt Cheap” ride. But I’m confident the IT would have handled “Cow Pie Wash” with ease. Not that the bike isn’t without a few shortcomings. Take the brakes, for example: By modern standards, they simply don’t work. Particularly the rear. But hey, you could say the same about the suspension. And sorry, Brooks, this thing’s not fast. But the little blue-andyellow buzz-bomb is fun to ride. And isn’t that what motorcycling-dirt cheap or otherwiseis all about?
Matthew Miles
