Action pix of 1970 DT1-250 ...

[Doggy Digger]

I think these photos are lovely.  And I reckon the last one (off back cover) is SPECTACULAR.

Feb, 1970 magazine:
"Sonny DeFeo of the Ghost Motorcycle Racing Team was around the day
we were shooting some photos of the Enduro.   We asked him to try it out."
------------------

[trailietrash]

I like the second last photo.....
It is the classic example of ... "poetry in motion"

[frostype400]

It would be cool for them to run it in a new bike magazine comparing old to new especially the picture saying with a healthy 6 inches travel on the front forks.

[mx250]

It is the classic example of ... "poetry in motion"

Ya should have been there for the landing.  .

[firko]

As someone who's old enough to have been a potential purchaser....by 1970 we'd already known quite well that the DT1 had some "problem areas", the most outstanding being the suspension which was, even in those formative years extremely inadequate. These shortcomings prompted a myriad of small companies to start producing all sorts of 'improvements' to turn the DT1 into a usable thing making it arguably the most modified bike in motorcycling history and the launching pad for the aftermarket industry we today take for granted as having always been there. Even if you hate the DT1 and wouldn't be seen near one, its DNA is probably in what you do actually do ride.

[TooFastTim]

I have a book by Phil Schilling (I think) in which he describes the development of the DT1. Yamaha US identified a market and sketched out some preliminary specs to Japan. Japan then delivered the prototype to the US and testing began. As problem areas were identified and corrected the details were telexed (remember them?) back to Japan. When they'd finished the by now very different bike was boxed up and sent back to Japan. A few days later a crate arrived in the US containing a full pre-production prototype including most of the telexed suggestions. Problem was that Japan hadn't waited for the much modified prototype to get back to Japan and the pre-production prototype was far from ideal. But by then it was too late. The factory had already tooled up.

[Doggy Digger]

Whatever was wrong is so forgivable, seeing as it was new territory and a benchmark for the future.

What they got TOTALLY RIGHT in my opinion, was the look.

And the widgets that all worked:
 
Flip-up seat
Fuel tap
Pop-out toolkit
Super cool aircleaner (when foam inside)
Ultra-cool Krisman pipe and spark arrestor/slide-out muffler

Clean lines, sexy seat, beautiful spangle-orange color, no shit hanging off it it, nor crappy stuff that
looks like it was bolted on as an afterthought.

Real neat!

[TooFastTim]

Real neat!

Malcolm....

[firko]

My sweet little cover girl DT1.
           
           
           

[IT400C]

Hmmm, love that DT1 Firko...   

Always wanted one (being a Yamaha man and all), but there was always some other model I wanted more...

Probably get one one day, but maybe after a DT2MX, and maybe an RT2 or RT3...

[VMX247]

THE WHOLE GANG ACTION      
http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=13783.15

[mustanggrahame]

Great pics from all. I love the DT1 and think it is one of the most significant bikes in the evolution of dirt bikes. It played a huge part in giving dirt bikes to the masses. It still looks gorgeous. I am biased.
Sorry I missed meeting you Mark at Nathan's yesterday, but I had a teenage daughter who was bored.
Cheers, Grahame.

[VMX247]

most significant bikes in the evolution of dirt bikes. 

Totally agree..the 1968 race program from when Yamaha won its first Australian title.
Yamaha was one of the main contenders up against the Europian and British models.
Diamond in the ring of Gold and still in todays racing here in West Aust 
I love two strokes 
cheers A

[bazza]

Ah the good old non PC days where magazine riders had the chin strap undone....lol

[Freakshow]

only just noticed in that second add, a thing called a detatchable headlight ? im sure mine has 2 bolts.