The Amazing 1976 Yamaha YZ-125X

My Dad got this bike from my older brother, who got it from God knows who.*  My brother wasn't a dirt bike rider, but knew my Dad wanted a trail bike to take Deer hunting.

Yeah. Right. Good choice.

My Dad never rode it once. As soon as it was unloaded from our old green Ford F100, it was mine. I didn't care what plans my father and brother had in mind. This bike was MINE!

It was also my first indoctrination into how expensive maintaining a moto-crosser was. As soon as we got it, we had to have the top end rebuilt, and then down the road a bit we had to have the case split for some transmission problem, and then there was the exhaust...My dad quickly learned to hate this bike. I quickly learned that a teenage boy who had a dad who hated dirt bikes didn't get alot of sympathy or money when they broke. That lesson led to quickly learning how to get a job, and quickly learning how to work on a two stroke engine.

In the rural Gig Harbor of my youth, we had hundreds of miles of trails. I spent hours riding this bike around all of them. It was a fast bike. It had the typical 125 power-band of the time period: Nothing, nothing, nothing, WARP FACTOR 19!!!! I also somehow got the idea that taking off the silencer, which was a Supertrap spark arrestor, produced more horsepower. Well, maybe. It sure felt like it then. Regardless, I have a permanent hearing loss and a constant ringing in my ears to this day that I attribute to that wise practice. Kids are dumb. I know, I was one.

Eventually I figured it was time to start racing, and I sold the YZ and bought a '79 RM125N.

I sure wish I hadn't. I loved that bike. I wish I had it now.

If you recognize the unique paintjob of this bike, and miraculously have it in your garage, write me an email, I'll trade you my kids for it! They're good kids. I'll throw in the wife, and the house too...except for my shop. I get to keep that.

***NEWS UPDATE***

Well, I still haven't found the bike, but it's original owner found ME!

Todd Stewart, now of Gig Harbor, was the original owner of this bike, and was responsible for painting it yellow, putting on all the DG stickers, and for the fantastic porting it had. 

Todd saw it here and got in touch with me. Now I have to fight him for it if it ever shows up :)

                       

 Me in '79. Note chain tesioner, rear sproket, and DG sticker in front of my knee...  Here I am carving a berm out in the cow pasture. This bike truely had been put out to pasture from its glory days. Compare the orange Bell helmut I am wearing here, with the one Todd is wearing in the pic below. Coincidence?       

This pic was the clincher for me identification-wise. The chain tensioner is not stock. It is identical to the one one the bike when I bought it. Note photo above.    Notice Todd has now added the white plastic fender extender to the front fender. Visible in the pics above when I owned the bike. I also got an orange open face helmut with the bike. Looked a lot like the one he's wearing here...

Original owner Todd Stewart putting the all yellow YZ-125X through its paces during its racing career at the wonderful old track in Puyallup.

I suspect the orange Bell helmet he's wearing is the same one I have in the middle photo above. It came with the bike. Whoa!

Note analysis of DG sticker on side of tank in these two shots:

Enlargement of tank detail from photo above.    Enlarged tank detail from picture of me above.

Just behind the 125 YAMAHA on the tank is a DG sticker with a rider between the letters. Both of these shots show it in exactly the same position relative to the Yamaha bumble-bee band. Case closed gentlemen. This is the same bike. Now...Where is it???!!!

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